Chapter Three: The Forest

Moro was about to go back inside from playing with Hikaru when she saw Ashitaka-sama go by. Moro saw that his movements were rushed and hurried, as if he was late. She also saw that in Ashitaka-sama's hand he held Yakuo's reigns, heading for the gate. That could mean only one thing.

He was heading into the forest.

Moro had heard about the forest. She remembered very clearly about her father telling her about the time that Ashitaka-sama had saved him and his friend "from certain death." He told Moro and Hikaru about the kodama, and how small and varying in shape they were. Their father told them that the kodama were dangerous, and to be wary of them. When Moro asked her father about the forest, he bluntly stated that he didn't remember. It was Ashitaka-sama who answered her question earlier that day.

"What is the forest like, Ashitaka-sama?" Moro remembered asking, before Ashitaka-sama left her house from carrying supplies.

"It is beautiful." he simply stated, his words genuinely meaning to what he said. For some reason, he did not meet Moro's curious eye.

Why doesn't he ever look at me? Moro had always wondered that. He always seemed so sad when he was around her. He never answered Moro's questions, either. It was always, "It is beautiful."

Nothing else.

Tonight, she decided, would be the night he reveals to me why he can't look at me.

And so Moro followed him.

Moro was very cautious of not alerting Ashitaka-sama or Yakuo. She was very quiet, and like her mother said, a very good tracker. Moro never lost sight of Ashitaka-sama.

Moro was surprised when she saw a kodama. It was a small and pale white spirit, with a human-like body. Moro remembered her father telling her to not trust these "things." The kodama seemed innocent, cute even. But Ashitaka-sama was talking gently to the kodama, as if talking to an old friend. He smiled, something Moro had rarely seen. Yauko was calm as well. The kodama disappeared as Ashitaka-sama moved on. Moro's father was wrong about the kodama.

Ashitaka-sama stopped. The stop was so sudden Moro almost blew her cover. She quickly hid herself in a bush, and was amazed by what she saw.

There was an island shore. The island, from what she could see, was shrouded by fresh green grass with herbs. There was also a tree, a huge tree with kodama sitting in the branches. The tree seemed so magical it drew Moro's breath away. Ashitaka-sama is right, Moro thought. The forest is beautiful.

Moro watched as Ashitaka-sama unhooked the reigns from Yakuo and waded to the island. Why did he release Yakuo? Moro wondered as she watched the two companions wade further to the island. He could get away.

Moro continued to watch curiously as Ashitaka-sama sat down on the grass. Yakuo was standing beside him, almost tensing. They both were waiting for something.

"Otosan!"

Moro turned her head. A small boy appeared out of the forest, riding on a wolf's back. As the sight of Ashitaka-sama, the boy jumped into the water and swam. A woman also rode a wolf, stroking its fur, although her eyes were on Ashitaka-sama. It was only when the woman turned her head did Moro realize how beautiful she was. From a distance, the woman was small, but Moro could see the ripples of muscle in her body. This woman was strong. The woman had soft brown hair, worn in the same style as Moro did. She had two small red tattoos on her face, and wore earrings. The woman had large light brown eyes, the same shape as Moro's. What caught Moro's eye the most was the crystal dagger hanging from her neck. It was beautiful, perhaps even more beautiful than the woman herself. It gleamed like the moon in the sky.

Moro was still mesmerized by the woman's beauty that she didn't see the woman wade confidently to the other side. She embraced Ashitaka-sama.

"San..." Moro was shocked at Ashitaka-sama's loving emotion. His hands were rubbing the woman's hair.

That's the Mononoke-hime! Moro realized. She hadn't realized before that the woman was Ashitaka-sama's wife, and that the two boys surrounding Yakuo were his children.

I've got to go back!

Suddenly Moro stepped on a twig.

Moro listened fearfully as the twig's crack echoed through the forest. The wolves were growling, despite the Mononoke-hime's reassurances. The two boys held out their two small knives. Moro listened to her heartbeat. Lub-dub, lub-dub, lub-dub.

Finally, Ashitaka-sama broke the tension. "I'll see what's going on," he stated calmly. "San, Nago, and Okkoto, stay here."

Not daring to move or breathe, Moro stayed more she was as Ashitaka-sama continued to move forward.

"Moro-chan?" Ashitaka-sama whispered.

"Ashitaka-sama?" Moro was surprised and relieved that he knew who she was.

Ashitaka-sama nodded. "I knew it was you that was you that was following me."

"You knew?" Moro's eyes widened with surprised.

"Hai."

"Then why didn't you stop me?" Moro's dark brown eyes bore into Ashitaka-sama's, questioning.

For a moment, Ashitaka-sama didn't say anything. "I'll explain on the way. Come. Toki-san and Kohuroku-san must be worried about you."

Moro felt a guilty lump in her throat as she followed Ashitaka-sama through the forest back home.

"Why didn't you stop me?" Moro asked. They were now near the edge of the forest.

Ashitaka-sama was silent for a moment. Then, "You've asked me about the forest so many times I thought you might follow me into there one day. I wanted you to see the forest yourself."

"But I stopped your time with your..." Moro didn't know what to say. Family?

"I couldn't let you go back to your home alone in the forest, now could I?" Ashitaka-sama's eyes bore into hers. "You should be more careful."

"Gomen nasai, Ashitaka-sama." Moro hung her head.

Ashitaka-sama's gaze softened. "It's all right. You were only a curious child."

"Why is it that you're safe in the forest, but I'm not?" Moro asked.

"I don't know." Ashitaka-sama admitted. "I sometimes believe that it is because I saved the forest with San."

"The Mononoke-hime?" Moro asked.

Ashitaka-sama nodded. "Other times I believe that San's love protects me. But not you." He added to Moro.

"Is the forest still dangerous?" Moro asked.

"Yes." Ashitaka-sama now squatted down so that he was Moro's height. "Yes, it is. There are still creatures that would kill a human to protect the forest from harm." Ashitaka-sama stood to his full height again. "You shouldn't enter the forest anymore, Moro-chan. Especially someone like you."

Ashitaka-sama sped off into the darkness, leaving Moro to unanswered questions and her confusion.