The Wolves
by tbossjenn
The girl knelt in the bushes, scanning the woods and sniffing the air. Where is she? A low snarl was her only warning as an enormous wolf leaped out of the brush. The girl raised her spear in defense but was pushed to the ground. After struggling for a few minutes, she finally gave up. "All right, Mother, you can let me up now."
Moro sighed and said, "San, how are you going to suvive in the forest if you cannot even defend yourself against me?"
San pushed back her headdress. "I've survived this long, haven't I?"
"Yes, but we will not always be around to save you. You are a capable warrior, but you are still the weakest among us. I realize that it is harder for you because you are human, but there is no place for weaklings in the Moro tribe."
"I'm not a human, I'm a wolf."
"You're my daughter and I love you. But I cannot keep making allowances. You must be ready to face any enemy."
San bit back an angry comment, saying only, "Yes, Mother." She picked up her spear and ran into the woods.
Moro sat and contemplated her daughter's fate. One of her sons then joined her and said, "You are being too hard on her, Mother. San is not helpless and you know it."
"Humans are not welcome in this forest, even one that was raised by me. She must be ready."
"True, but remember that I would also have trouble taking you in a fight."
"Perhaps. I suppose she's now going to do something reckless to prove her worth to me."
"Are you going to stop her?"
"Have I ever stopped you from doing anything? San is no different; she can do as she likes."
* * *
As the wolves rushed off to the evening hunt, San sat on a cliff overlooking the river. Her legs were drawn up and she hugged her knees to her chest. What could she do to show Moro that she wasn't a weak human? San cringed at that word: human. What had she done to be cursed with such a pathetic form? She always found herself looking upon Moro and her family with envy, for they were all so lovely and powerful. Taking off her headdress, she fingered the orange mask and wondered why she bothered to wear it. It did nothing to make her look more like a wolf; in truth it only served to make her appear more fearsome to the humans that were settled in the valley.
San frowned as she thought of the humans. She had been curious about them because they were the first people she had ever seen, but was unimpressed. They spent day after day digging into the beautiful valley, and dark black smoke constantly billowed from the top of the tallest building. The humans themselves were, among other things, extremely noisy. San often wondered what they could possibly have to talk so much about, for the animals of the forest never had the need to speak to each other to the extent that humans did. She had finally come to the conclusion that they were annoying but altogether harmless. After all, how could such loud creatures ever do any harm to a forest that was protected by powerful gods such as Moro and Nago? Moro, who was not so confident, had said, "Yes, they do seem harmless enough. But we must still take care, for what will happen when they are finished with the valley?" It was apparent that Nago was also wary because San often saw him patrolling the boundaries of the forest. The wolf tribe was not very friendly with the boars, so San could only guess at what Nago must be thinking.
"Wolf girl, why don't you go to the human camp? The forest does not want your kind here."
San turned slowly and saw a female bear standing a few feet away. The bear did not look like a friend.
"I am a daughter of Moro, I belong to the wolf tribe. I have no quarrel with you, let me go in peace."
"But I have a quarrel with you, little one. Why are those humans here? What are they doing to the mountain?"
"I wish I could give you an answer, but I have none."
The bear growled, saying, "You've led them to us, haven't you? You are a traitor to your tribe!" She charged, and San leaped out of the way.
Grabbing her spear, San shouted, "I haven't betrayed anyone! You'll regret those words!" She lunged forward with the spear, missing the bear by inches. The creature charged again, swiping with her claws. San jumped back, lunged, and dodged another blow. San smiled in satisfaction as her spear slashed its way through the animal's hide. Suddenly the bear caught her off guard by moving quickly and striking her bare leg with her claws. San grunted in pain and backed away, realizing that she had underestimated her opponent's speed. A fatal mistake.
"Your blood smells good, human. I shall enjoy feeding you to my cubs."
"Not today, friend." San's wolf sister jumped between the bear and the wounded girl.
"Why do you wolves trouble yourselves with this human?"
"She is our sister, and a rightful member of the wolf tribe. Picking a senseless fight with her will only bring Moro's wrath down on you. Is human blood worth such trouble?"
"No, it is not. But you wolves should know that the animals of the forest do not like this human. Moro should not have adopted her." The bear left, and San sat down to look at her wound. She was relieved to see that there would be no permanent damage, for the bear's claws had only managed to graze her leg.
"So, how did you fare in this battle, San?" the wolf asked.
"I managed to get her in the side," San replied. "But she wasn't seriously injured."
"A pity. She deserves a good beating. What were you thinking, provoking her like that?"
"She insulted me - called me a traitor to the wolf tribe. She thinks that I'm responsible for the humans coming here."
"You should still know better than to fight with that old bear. She is very crafty."
"Is it true, what she said? Do the forest animals hate me?"
The female wolf paused for a moment, then answered, "They have always known you as an ally, but now those humans are here. So far they have left us alone, but there are rumours that humans are destroying the other forests, and that it is only a matter of time before they destroy this one. You were raised as a wolf and have always been treated as one, but now you are all too human to them."
"What should I do?"
"I think you should do as Moro says - prepare yourself to face whatever enemy that comes your way, may it be animal or human."
San thought carefully, then said, "I must also prove myself as an ally of the forest, and the best way to do that is to join with Nago."
"That is too dangerous for you. The boars are not exactly on good terms with us; I do not think they would welcome you among their ranks."
"I have to try, my sister. I can't afford to have enemies on both sides. Besides, this is a bad time for all of us - we must be united against whatever may come."
San leaped astride the wolf, and together they took off along the river to the place where the boars dwelled. The boars squealed and quickly surrounded them. The wolf snarled and bared her teeth, and this seemed only to anger the boars further. San feared that her intended meeting would instead develop into a senseless battle between the tribes, but then Nago quieted his warriors and asked, "What is your purpose here, wolves?"
"My Lord Nago, I would like to help in your efforts to keep the humans out of the forest," San answered.
"It looks like I have already failed," Nago said.
San bit her lip and pressed on: "I belong to the wolf tribe, my lord, and I live to protect this forest as does my mother, Moro. Would you deny my help just to serve your own pride?"
"Hmph, I would deny no one's help, girl. But what can you do against many humans?"
"I can fight them."
The giant brown boar eyed San's tatooed face, the wolf headdress, and the sharp spear she held in her hand. He finally said, "I have no doubt of that. But there is nothing you can do for me."
"If you ever have need of me, you need only but ask." San bowed, then she and her sister headed back towards their own territory.
The wolf said, "Moro will not like this, San. You have made an alliance with the boars under her name but without her permission."
"I'm looking out for the forest - I'm sure Mother will understand."
* * *
"Very interesting, San," Moro said. "You've managed to get injured in a pointless battle and have formed a pact with Nago all in one day. It makes me wonder what tomorrow will bring."
"My deal with Nago isn't pointless - I did it for the forest."
"I realize that, San, but you must know that Nago will hold you to your oath. He cares nothing for your life, and there is no telling what he will make you do for the sake of your honor."
"I had to do something to prove that I'm not a human."
"I know that, daughter, but you should not be so willing to give your life away - especially not to a boar."
San smiled and replied, "I haven't thrown my life away - the humans are harmless, I'm sure that nothing bad will happen."
Moro did not answer, but felt a secret dread in her heart. San was wrong to underestimate the humans. Just then, one of the male wolves ran up and said, "Moro, the humans were cutting down trees. Nago and his tribe have stopped them."
"Nago will not let it happen again, of that we can be sure," Moro replied. She looked at San. "Daughter, you had better stay on your guard. Nago may ask for you sooner than you think."
* * *
Nago and the boars did manage to keep the humans out of the forest. Meanwhile, Moro forbade the girl from venturing out by herself. Several months passed, and the tension did not die down. Then Nago called on San to fulfill her promise.
The girl bowed before the boar god once again, asking, "What would you have of me, my lord?"
Nago was agitated and was visibly trying to control his impatience. "The humans will not leave us alone. No matter what we do they keep trying to destroy the forest, and I'm getting tired of it. I want you to go speak to them."
"They see me as an animal just as you see me as a human," she answered. "I don't think they will listen to me."
The boar snorted. "They had better, or we will go down there and destroy them all. Tell them that."
San and her wolf sister then went down to the valley, stopping just short of the edge of the woods. The town lay below them.
"Are you sure you should do this?" the wolf asked. "There would be no dishonor in refusing the orders of a boar."
"I made a promise, and I will keep it." It was funny. All her life, San had done everything possible to make herself look more like a wolf. Now she had to look more human. She removed the headdress and washed her face and arms. Laying her spear beside the headdress, she made sure that her dagger was fastened to her waist. She would not go in unarmed. San turned to her sister and asked, "How do I look?"
The wolf looked her up and down. "A little more like them, but still a wolf."
San hugged her and whispered, "Thank you." The wolf licked her face affectionately.
* * *
When they saw her, the humans did what they normally did. They screamed and grabbed their weapons. Normally San was amused, but now she was annoyed. She stopped in front of the gate and the men approached her cautiously.
"I mean no harm, I want to talk to your leader."
"Here I am, now what do you want?"
San was startled to see a tall woman accompanied by a guard walking towards her, and she wondered what kind of trick they were trying to pull. "You're not the leader. I know who he is. Where is he?"
"He is gone. I am Eboshi. I've won this land from him, and am now the lady of Tatara Ba. You must be the wild girl who lives with the wolves in the forest. The Princess Mononoke." The lady looked her up and down. "You're not how I imagined you to be," she said thoughtfully. "The locals described a fiery demon. You look more like a child."
San wanted to beat that smug look off the woman's face. Instead she said, "I've been sent to tell you humans to stop trying to destroy our forest. We will do anything to protect it, even kill all of you."
"HOW DARE YOU SPEAK TO MY LADY LIKE THAT!!???" yelled the bald warrior, brandishing his sword. San narrowed her eyes and placed a hand on her dagger.
Lady Eboshi sighed. "Gonza, stand down." She regarded San with amusement. "You will kill us? Kill me? That's a little drastic, don't you think?"
"This is the sacred forest of the Shishi Gami, and we are its guardians." San looked directly into the woman's eyes, and Eboshi gazed calmly back. This lady was different than the humans they had dealt with before. She was very dangerous.
There was a slight shift in Eboshi's manner, and San could now sense a terrible strength emanating from the lady of Tatara Ba. "Tell your beasts that the forest is mine to do with as I please. There's a fortune to be made from getting the iron that's under those trees, and I plan to have it. I don't mind killing boars and wolves, or even little girls who like to pretend they're animals."
"The boars and wolves will stop you. And so will I," San growled. She turned and ran back up the hill.
"What happened?" the wolf asked, running up to her.
"They have a new leader - a woman. She's our enemy, and we must destroy her at once," San replied grimly, climbing up onto the wolf's back. "Quickly, we must get back to Nago."
Nago was not pleased. "She said what?!" he bellowed. The boars echoed his furious cry, their voices piercing the sky.
"She plans to fight us, my lord, but she will fail." San said this last part with confidence. "We're too powerful for the humans; they'll never conquer us."
Nago almost smiled. "Yes, so far they have only been a nuisance. The woman will be no different. Go back to your tribe, girl."
As the boars moved on, San turned to her sister. "Is that it?"
"I suppose that's all the thanks you're going to get from Lord Nago, but don't consider yourself finished with him. The entire forest is alerted to these humans now, and they're watching you in particular."
"It's not my fault the humans are here. I can't even do anything anymore. Mother hardly ever lets me out of her sight."
"For good reason," the wolf answered gently. "She loves you, no matter how harsh she may seem sometimes."
San scratched the wolf's neck. "I know. I'm just wondering if there really is a place for me anywhere."
The she-wolf rubbed her head against the girl. "Your place is with us, San. It always will be. Don't worry about the other animals - they'll come around once things calm down."
"I hope so."
* * *
San knelt by the pool of the Shishi Gami. This had always been her favorite spot, especially now that it was the only place she could go to be alone. She imagined the Didarabocchi slowly making his way across the land. With all that was happening, it was easy to forget that they served the Shishi Gami and that he was the master of this forest. But why wasn't he helping them? Surely he could wipe out all those humans with one breath.
"Hello, San!" her sister ran up beside her and nuzzled her.
"Hello!" San smiled warmly. "I was thinking of the Shishi Gami. I feel so connected to everything when I'm here. Is it because of his power?"
"Yes. The Shishi Gami commands both life and death. He is the living spirit of the forest and its creatures, and that's why we serve him."
"But can't he see what's happening?"
"Yes, but it's not for us to judge what he will and will not do. Just remember that he is with us, San."
San hugged the wolf tightly. "I'm so glad you're here, my sister."
Then the night was shattered by a sound that San had never heard before. It was like thunder, but it did not come from the sky. She also heard screaming.
"What is that?" the wolf asked in a hushed voice.
"I don't know, but we have to find out."
Smoke rose from the forest that lay along the far side of the valley, where the boars dwelled. The smaller animals were running - fleeing for their lives. San and the wolf could smell their fear.
As the pair got closer, they were nearly overwhelmed by smoke. The trees were burning all around them, and many boars lay dead. San slid down from her sister's back and looked closely at one of the bodies. "I've never seen wounds like these before," she said grimly. "The humans did this." For the first time she was afraid of what the humans could do to the forest and to the Shishi Gami. The girl stood up and backed away from the fire. "Come on, we have to get out of here. We'll find those humans and we'll help Lord Nago kill them all!"
The boar tribe, what was left of it, was still fighting the humans nearby. The humans stood on a hill overlooking the charging boars, and they were each holding something that looked like a long spear. San and her sister watched in horror as the spears exploded with loud thunder and the boars fell before an unseen force. "Those weapons; the humans are killing them without even touching them!" The girl tightened her grip on the wolf's fur.
The wolf growled. "Only humans would use such unnatural weapons."
"I'm going down there," the wolf girl said with determination. She added softly, "I do not ask you to come with me."
"The boars are fighting for the forest, and the wolf tribe must do the same. I will come with you. Besides, I could not let you go alone. Mother would have my hide."
As the girl and the wolf raced into the battle, San saw Nago charging towards the humans. She recognized the tall figure of Eboshi, who was standing proudly with her men. Nago was bearing down on the lady when her weapon discharged, and the boar lost his footing and plowed into the ground with a shriek of pain and rage. The proud god stumbled to his feet and fled screaming into the blazing woods.
"Lord Nago, wait!" San cried out.
"He can't hear you, San! We have to -"
The wolf was cut off as the ground beneath them exploded.
* * *
San woke up in the cave. She was covered in furskin blankets and her family was gathered protectively around her. Her head hurt and her entire body ached.
"Daughter, you're awake!" Moro licked her cheek gently.
"Mother, what happened? I can't remember ..."
"The humans attacked the boar tribe and set the forest on fire. There was no warning. You and your sister went to help them."
"Yes ..."
"Nago was badly wounded, and no one has seen him since. The boars are all dead. The rain kept the fire from spreading, but the woods along that mountain were destroyed."
"And my sister?" San realized that she already knew the answer.
Moro bowed her head. "She didn't make it." The goddess usually did not express tenderness, but her voice was mournful. San knew that the wolf deeply grieved for her daughter.
Tears glistened in the girl's eyes, and she spoke with a voice that trembled in grief and anger. "I'll kill her. I'll kill that woman. She'll pay for everything she has done. Everything."
Saying nothing more, San turned over on her side and Moro left her alone. The girl curled up into a ball, crying silently. Her sister was dead, and she felt like part of her soul had been ripped away. Her sister was gone and she would never see her again.
Moro knew that San was right - the woman would pay. Eboshi had started a war with the forest that had already taken the boar tribe and her own daughter. Moro knew that the wolves should have helped the boars from the beginning, and now she swore that they would continue the fight. Eboshi would not find it so easy to destroy the Moro tribe.
Long after the wolves had settled in for the night, San crawled out to the cliff and looked out over the forest. The rain had stopped, and she could see the blackened place where the boars had once lived. She was sure that in the morning Eboshi would claim Nago's land as her prize. How long would it be until she came for the wolf tribe? Though she still believed in the strength of the wolves, she did not like to think of her mother falling before the woman's weapon as Nago did. Mostly she thought of her sister and of the day that she would avenge the wolf's death. And what of the Shishi Gami? As she sat, the spirit wandered as the Didarabocchi. With all the power he possessed, surely he would help them save his forest. Her brothers joined her, and they snuggled together for comfort. Everything was silent.
Somewhere in the night, Nago the boar god burned with pain and hatred. Swearing that he would have his revenge on the humans, he made his way east.
the end
Note: Hey, I used Japanese names! Aren't you proud of me? I hope the plot wasn't too contrived, but I think it worked okay. Anyone who writes Princess Mononoke fanfiction or just likes it a whole lot should check out www.nausicaa.net cause it has all kinds of great info on the movie, like how to spell "Kouroku" (even though I think I've spelled it wrong a whole bunch of times).