San sat up abruptly in bed, then scolded herself. She could have
woken Ashitaka! She gazed at the moon, and she thought she could still hear
the echoes of the wolf's cries. That does it, San thought, I- I have to.
Forgive me, Ashitaka. She slowly and carefully lifted the covers, and stepped
out of bed. Ashitaka started to stir, and San froze. He turned over, and was
still. San sighed quietly with relief. She crept across the room, and the
door creaked as she opened it and padded silently outside. She was relieved-
she had been able to leave the house without her husband noticing. But, just
as the door creaked, one eye snapped open just long enough to catch a glimpse
of a white fur slipping out the door. He looked worried, but then smiled, and
returned to his sleep.
* * * * * *
San quickly and quietly climbed up the grassy mountain. She had
almost reached the place she was looking for. After a few minutes' time, she
was finally there. Up the mountain. Her old den.
She climbed up the rocky ledge, and sat perched atop the cliff,
where Moro used to lay and watch the moon. A tear escaped San's eye. How
could she have ever left this all behind? Suddenly San gasped as the tear
rolled down her cheek and made a tiny splash on the rock.
"What's happening to me?" she moaned, looking at the place where her
tear had fallen. "My emotions... they've become so... human." San let out a
long, mournful wolf howl as the clouds passed over the silver moon.
Suddenly she heard padding footsteps approaching from behind her.
"Who's there?" she cried as she pulled out her dagger. A large white wolf
emerged from the bushes.
"Brother?" San asked in disbelief.
"San! San... it has been... a long time," said the wolf in a deep
voice.
"Much too long," said another almost identical wolf that also
stepped out from the brush. San smiled at him.
"What are you two doing here?" she asked them.
"Well, this is our den," said one wolf, who glanced at the other.
"Oh... of course," said San, "It must have just... slipped my mind."
The wolves gave each other funny looks again. Then one of them
approached San, and started to sniff her. Soon the other one joined in as
well.
"What is it, you two?" San asked.
"You smell like... like a human, San," they said.
San smiled immediately. "C'mon, you guys, get serious," she said.
"San..." one tried to cut in.
"You guys! Stop joking around. Seems like a funny thing to do when
you first see a person who you haven't seen for a long time."
"San... we're not joking. You really do," the wolf said.
"You are very human," the other added. "You're almost... well,
you're barely a wolf anymore."
The smile disappeared from San's face. "You... you... you're not
serious..." The wolves nodded that they were indeed serious. "So... are you
saying I'm not a wolf anymore? I'm not a part of the wolf tribe?"
"Well, you live with a human, and you're helping the villagers
rebuild Iron Town!" the wolf said.
"I am NOT helping them rebuild Iron Town!" San yelled. "I would
never help the humans, ever!"
"Your husband is a human, San, a human who is helping to rebuild the
Town."
"But Ashitaka and I are not one person! We are two seperate
spirits!" San cried in defiance.
"But San... it's still human... don't you remember Moro? Don't you
you remember your family? The... the Great Forest Spirit?"
"Of course I do! I would never forget them! Moro! I love her!" San
yelled.
"We are leaving," one of the wolves stated. "San... please, please,
try and remember who you are."
"But I do! I do..." San said, tears streaming down her face. "I do
remember who I am. I miss you! I miss my family!" But by the time, she had
spoken, the wolves were gone, just like misty ghosts of white.
* * * * * *
As San stumbled down the mountain, she realized that she had come to
her old home to feel better, and now she only felt worse. What am I going to
do, she thought. I want to go home... I want to live as a wolf. But I... I
also want to live with Ashitaka... whatever shall I do? she cried in her
mind. She wanted both so badly, but for some reason, she knew that she could
only have one. And soon, it would be time to choose.
woken Ashitaka! She gazed at the moon, and she thought she could still hear
the echoes of the wolf's cries. That does it, San thought, I- I have to.
Forgive me, Ashitaka. She slowly and carefully lifted the covers, and stepped
out of bed. Ashitaka started to stir, and San froze. He turned over, and was
still. San sighed quietly with relief. She crept across the room, and the
door creaked as she opened it and padded silently outside. She was relieved-
she had been able to leave the house without her husband noticing. But, just
as the door creaked, one eye snapped open just long enough to catch a glimpse
of a white fur slipping out the door. He looked worried, but then smiled, and
returned to his sleep.
* * * * * *
San quickly and quietly climbed up the grassy mountain. She had
almost reached the place she was looking for. After a few minutes' time, she
was finally there. Up the mountain. Her old den.
She climbed up the rocky ledge, and sat perched atop the cliff,
where Moro used to lay and watch the moon. A tear escaped San's eye. How
could she have ever left this all behind? Suddenly San gasped as the tear
rolled down her cheek and made a tiny splash on the rock.
"What's happening to me?" she moaned, looking at the place where her
tear had fallen. "My emotions... they've become so... human." San let out a
long, mournful wolf howl as the clouds passed over the silver moon.
Suddenly she heard padding footsteps approaching from behind her.
"Who's there?" she cried as she pulled out her dagger. A large white wolf
emerged from the bushes.
"Brother?" San asked in disbelief.
"San! San... it has been... a long time," said the wolf in a deep
voice.
"Much too long," said another almost identical wolf that also
stepped out from the brush. San smiled at him.
"What are you two doing here?" she asked them.
"Well, this is our den," said one wolf, who glanced at the other.
"Oh... of course," said San, "It must have just... slipped my mind."
The wolves gave each other funny looks again. Then one of them
approached San, and started to sniff her. Soon the other one joined in as
well.
"What is it, you two?" San asked.
"You smell like... like a human, San," they said.
San smiled immediately. "C'mon, you guys, get serious," she said.
"San..." one tried to cut in.
"You guys! Stop joking around. Seems like a funny thing to do when
you first see a person who you haven't seen for a long time."
"San... we're not joking. You really do," the wolf said.
"You are very human," the other added. "You're almost... well,
you're barely a wolf anymore."
The smile disappeared from San's face. "You... you... you're not
serious..." The wolves nodded that they were indeed serious. "So... are you
saying I'm not a wolf anymore? I'm not a part of the wolf tribe?"
"Well, you live with a human, and you're helping the villagers
rebuild Iron Town!" the wolf said.
"I am NOT helping them rebuild Iron Town!" San yelled. "I would
never help the humans, ever!"
"Your husband is a human, San, a human who is helping to rebuild the
Town."
"But Ashitaka and I are not one person! We are two seperate
spirits!" San cried in defiance.
"But San... it's still human... don't you remember Moro? Don't you
you remember your family? The... the Great Forest Spirit?"
"Of course I do! I would never forget them! Moro! I love her!" San
yelled.
"We are leaving," one of the wolves stated. "San... please, please,
try and remember who you are."
"But I do! I do..." San said, tears streaming down her face. "I do
remember who I am. I miss you! I miss my family!" But by the time, she had
spoken, the wolves were gone, just like misty ghosts of white.
* * * * * *
As San stumbled down the mountain, she realized that she had come to
her old home to feel better, and now she only felt worse. What am I going to
do, she thought. I want to go home... I want to live as a wolf. But I... I
also want to live with Ashitaka... whatever shall I do? she cried in her
mind. She wanted both so badly, but for some reason, she knew that she could
only have one. And soon, it would be time to choose.