Chapter 1; Departure
San smiled at her "pup", Maura, trying to conceal her fear and anticipation. The eight year old looked up and blinked at her mother with big brown eyes, inherited from her father, who had just walked in, his form shadowing the doorway of the small house he had built them when Maura had been borne to San.
"San, I know something is bothering you, I can smell the fear on you, for all my feeble senses. What is it?" he asked, crossing his arms.
"Something is coming, I can smell them on the borders of our territory. It... they are wolves. Not of our tribe." she answered, her upper lip curled up in a snarl.
"What?" growled Ashitaka, his instincts taking over, "someone invades our territory?"
"Yes. Maura is not safe here, she must stay in the den my mother kept me in so long ago." San replied, motioning for Maura to come forward, which she did. "Mama? What is going on? Why do you look so angry? Did I do something bad?" she asked, her small hand taking San's outstretched one.
"No little one, you did nothing wrong. Something comes, and they are who anger me. You must go to the caves with my brothers and Yakul, and stay there. Do you understand me?"
"No! Mama, I don't want to leave you and Papa all alone. You need me to protect you! What if you go and do something stupid? I'm the only voice of reason in here!" she shouted, sounding so mature for her young age. She gripped the hilt of her dagger which had been crafted by her mother and Ashitaka.
"No sweet. You may be the voice of reason between us, but now you must listen to us. In this situation, we know best. Do you understand me?" replied Ashitaka, kneeling down to face his daughter.
"...Alright Papa. I understand. Don't get hurt! I will call my uncles." she walked passed her father and cupped her hands to her lips and let out a strong howl. Immediately, San's two wolf-brothers came barreling down the hillside towards the small hut, and stopped at the door infront of Maura.
"You called little one?" asked the eldest, baring his fangs affectionately.
"I must go to the caves with Yakul. Where is Yakul?" she asked, light brown hair, which had been cropped short waving slightly across her high- cheekboned face. Her animal-skin garb blew in sync with her hair, and she looked so much like her mother, with the spirit of her grandmother.
"The elk grazes in the fields to the north. I will get him." replied the youngest brother, and he bounded off, his great shaggy fur brushed back with his speed.
"San, it would be better for Maura to stay with Toki and Koroku..." Ashitaka trailed off and looked at his love. As he had thought so many years ago, when they first had met, with the blood splotted over her face, she was beautiful.
"...yes. It will be safer for her there, but she won't understand. She dislikes humans almost as much as me... but she understands them, and how they use nature to live, better than I do. You have taught her much Ashitaka, about the human world, and I teach her about the wolves... will we ever be safe though? Now that they aproach, I smell a human, very faintly... she is like me. A wolf-girl."
"What?! Another wolf-girl? But how? And where do they come from?" he asked, his eyes narrowing. The length of time he had spent with the wolves had given him their instincs and quirks, and their love.
"I don't know where they came from... but they are on our land. I want them out, or to explain themselves..."
Maura smiled as the great red elk Yakul galloped up to her, followed by the youngest of San's brothers.
"Mama! Papa!" she called, whirling around to face the door. Ashitaka and San walked out slowly and smiled at their daughter, while Ashitaka walked over to his oldest and dearest friend, Yakul.
"Yakul, you have carried me and San faithfully for all these many years, and now I must ask you to carry our daughter the same way you have carried me, swift and carefully. You led me through showers of arrows, and I did not get hit once. Please, bring my daughter to Iron town, to Toki and Koroku." Yakul tossed his head and whinied in response, and San moved foreward. "Yakul, you are a dear, dear friend, and I ask you now to carry my beloved daughter to Toki and Koroku. You are the Wind, travel as so. Thank you, my friend." she stroked his neck afectionately, and he seemed to nod and agree.
"Mount Maura, you will go to Toki and Koroku in Iron Town. Please understand..." whispered Ashitaka, his eyes pleading with his daughter. Maura's fists were clenched and she glared at him with anger, "NO! You said I was going to the mountain!! I WON'T GO TO THE TOWN!" she hollered, tears filling her eyes.
"You must daughter. Pups listen to their mothers, so listen to me now! This is for your own safety. Go!" San replied, kneeling down and embracing Maura who squirmed, but surrendered to her mother's grasp. San lifted her up, and Ashitaka stepped close, holding both his mate, and pup close.
"Becareful Mama, Papa. I'll go..." But I won't promise to stay... she thought to herself.
"Thank you Maura. Go with the speed of the Wind." whispered San as Ashitaka set her on Yakul's back, and Yakul immediately leaped foreward, racing towards Iron Town...
Ashitaka turned to San with determination etched into his handsome features, "come, let us find those intruders." he growled, and San nodded. She jumped onto the eldest of her wolf brothers, and Ashitaka climbed onto the youngest. They raced off, being guided by their noses...
San smiled at her "pup", Maura, trying to conceal her fear and anticipation. The eight year old looked up and blinked at her mother with big brown eyes, inherited from her father, who had just walked in, his form shadowing the doorway of the small house he had built them when Maura had been borne to San.
"San, I know something is bothering you, I can smell the fear on you, for all my feeble senses. What is it?" he asked, crossing his arms.
"Something is coming, I can smell them on the borders of our territory. It... they are wolves. Not of our tribe." she answered, her upper lip curled up in a snarl.
"What?" growled Ashitaka, his instincts taking over, "someone invades our territory?"
"Yes. Maura is not safe here, she must stay in the den my mother kept me in so long ago." San replied, motioning for Maura to come forward, which she did. "Mama? What is going on? Why do you look so angry? Did I do something bad?" she asked, her small hand taking San's outstretched one.
"No little one, you did nothing wrong. Something comes, and they are who anger me. You must go to the caves with my brothers and Yakul, and stay there. Do you understand me?"
"No! Mama, I don't want to leave you and Papa all alone. You need me to protect you! What if you go and do something stupid? I'm the only voice of reason in here!" she shouted, sounding so mature for her young age. She gripped the hilt of her dagger which had been crafted by her mother and Ashitaka.
"No sweet. You may be the voice of reason between us, but now you must listen to us. In this situation, we know best. Do you understand me?" replied Ashitaka, kneeling down to face his daughter.
"...Alright Papa. I understand. Don't get hurt! I will call my uncles." she walked passed her father and cupped her hands to her lips and let out a strong howl. Immediately, San's two wolf-brothers came barreling down the hillside towards the small hut, and stopped at the door infront of Maura.
"You called little one?" asked the eldest, baring his fangs affectionately.
"I must go to the caves with Yakul. Where is Yakul?" she asked, light brown hair, which had been cropped short waving slightly across her high- cheekboned face. Her animal-skin garb blew in sync with her hair, and she looked so much like her mother, with the spirit of her grandmother.
"The elk grazes in the fields to the north. I will get him." replied the youngest brother, and he bounded off, his great shaggy fur brushed back with his speed.
"San, it would be better for Maura to stay with Toki and Koroku..." Ashitaka trailed off and looked at his love. As he had thought so many years ago, when they first had met, with the blood splotted over her face, she was beautiful.
"...yes. It will be safer for her there, but she won't understand. She dislikes humans almost as much as me... but she understands them, and how they use nature to live, better than I do. You have taught her much Ashitaka, about the human world, and I teach her about the wolves... will we ever be safe though? Now that they aproach, I smell a human, very faintly... she is like me. A wolf-girl."
"What?! Another wolf-girl? But how? And where do they come from?" he asked, his eyes narrowing. The length of time he had spent with the wolves had given him their instincs and quirks, and their love.
"I don't know where they came from... but they are on our land. I want them out, or to explain themselves..."
Maura smiled as the great red elk Yakul galloped up to her, followed by the youngest of San's brothers.
"Mama! Papa!" she called, whirling around to face the door. Ashitaka and San walked out slowly and smiled at their daughter, while Ashitaka walked over to his oldest and dearest friend, Yakul.
"Yakul, you have carried me and San faithfully for all these many years, and now I must ask you to carry our daughter the same way you have carried me, swift and carefully. You led me through showers of arrows, and I did not get hit once. Please, bring my daughter to Iron town, to Toki and Koroku." Yakul tossed his head and whinied in response, and San moved foreward. "Yakul, you are a dear, dear friend, and I ask you now to carry my beloved daughter to Toki and Koroku. You are the Wind, travel as so. Thank you, my friend." she stroked his neck afectionately, and he seemed to nod and agree.
"Mount Maura, you will go to Toki and Koroku in Iron Town. Please understand..." whispered Ashitaka, his eyes pleading with his daughter. Maura's fists were clenched and she glared at him with anger, "NO! You said I was going to the mountain!! I WON'T GO TO THE TOWN!" she hollered, tears filling her eyes.
"You must daughter. Pups listen to their mothers, so listen to me now! This is for your own safety. Go!" San replied, kneeling down and embracing Maura who squirmed, but surrendered to her mother's grasp. San lifted her up, and Ashitaka stepped close, holding both his mate, and pup close.
"Becareful Mama, Papa. I'll go..." But I won't promise to stay... she thought to herself.
"Thank you Maura. Go with the speed of the Wind." whispered San as Ashitaka set her on Yakul's back, and Yakul immediately leaped foreward, racing towards Iron Town...
Ashitaka turned to San with determination etched into his handsome features, "come, let us find those intruders." he growled, and San nodded. She jumped onto the eldest of her wolf brothers, and Ashitaka climbed onto the youngest. They raced off, being guided by their noses...