San woke before the sun had come to mark the beginning of a new day. Stretching slightly, she leaned her head up and found that Ashitaka wasn't in the den. Curious, she sat up all the way and looked around. That was odd…
Standing up, the final effects of sleep departing from her body, she lightly jogged to the edge of the cave, coming to a stop as she neared the edge of the extended portion of her mountain dwelling. Still, she could find no trace of Ashitaka.
"Up early, aren't we?" a voice said from behind her.
Turning around and glancing up, she quickly spotted Ashitaka sitting on the ledge above her. Apparently he hadn't been looking at her when he said it, for his eyes were still gazing off into the horizon.
"No earlier than you, it would seem," San replied, jumping up onto the ledge next to him. "What are you doing?"
"I was going to watch the sunrise," he said. "I- I mean we'll be going into the forest soon, and we'll be there for some time. I wanted to be able so see a sunrise at least one more time before we go."
San looked up at the sky. "It won't be rising for at least another thirty minutes," she informed him.
"I know," he answered. "I couldn't sleep. Certain circumstances prevented it."
"Oh?" San asked inquisitively. "What would those be?"
But Ashitaka seemed embarrassed. "I don't think you would appreciate me telling you."
"Try me," San said, her lips curling into a wry smile.
"Well," Ashitaka began, "did you dream you were hunting last night?"
San thought. It was always hard for her to remember dreams. "I don't know, why?" she asked.
Ashitaka grinned at her. "Because you started running in your sleep. Not only that- you started thrashing all over the place, and your fist sort of…hit me. It was almost dawn, anyway, so I'm glad you did. Otherwise I would still be asleep."
Embarrassed, San avoided eye contact with Ashitaka. "Sorry about that," she said. "I usually don't have sleeping partners, so I guess it was never a problem."
"You didn't sleep with your brothers?" Ashitaka asked.
"No," San said, shaking her head. "Maybe we did when we were puppies, but I can't remember that far back. Almost every night, for as long as I can remember, they've been out hunting, like they are now. Wolves are of the night, you know," she added.
"Yes. I suppose Moro went with them?"
"I'm not sure. At the time, there were more of our kind still living in these woods. She more than likely was out with them, keeping an eye on the ever-growing town that's standing there today."
"I see," Ashitaka said. "So is that where you got your…skin?" he asked, being careful not to offend her.
Instinctively, San's hand rose to stroke the fur pelt that hung about her neck. "Yes," she answered. "It belonged to one of the wolf tribe. I didn't know him, personally, but mother did. It was she who gave me the idea of wearing his skin- a sort of sign to the men who killed him that his spirit will live on, and that their actions would come back to haunt them…which they did," San said irreverently. "A few months later, I happened on them while they were in the process of skinning another one of my kind. They put up a minimal struggle, but I managed to take all four of them down."
From her tone, San seemed to think of this as an accomplishment, so Ashitaka said, "Impressive. I doubt if many women are capable of taking down four men. I doubt if even I could do it."
"Oh don't be ridiculous!" San chided him humorously. "Yakuul told me about the time when you single-handedly took down three samurai- all of them riding horses."
Ashitaka blushed. "But I had this to aid me, remember?" he said, holding up his scarred hand for her to see.
San reached for it with her own hand, but he returned it to its position on the ground. "Ashitaka, listen to me," she said. "You may not think so, but I believe that you hold that power within you. You don't need a curse to be mighty. I understand that it made you inhumanly strong, but I can sense a different, innate talent that's hiding in you, just waiting to be released. Perhaps the curse merely aided you in furthering, or perhaps recognizing those talents. Even now, when the curse is destroyed, a scar remains as a constant reminder that you can better yourself- that there is another level to be attained, and that you can do it through your own willpower."
Ashitaka stared at the noble woman sitting next to him. Admiration beamed from inside him, and he wondered what he had done to make him worthy of such a confidant. "San…" he fumbled for words. "Thank you. You've done so much for me already. I'm not worthy of such words."
"Yes, you are!" San said, placing her warm hand onto his cold one. "Even if you do not think so, there are thousands of people right over there," she said, indicating the lights that emanated from Iron Town, "who will say that you are deserving of these words, and even more. Do not disparage yourself for my sake," she concluded. "If you really think about it, you've done so much for everyone…and for me. There is no one here who is undeserving. Everyone is equal in my forest."
Ashitaka smiled. "Such kind words from a mononoke. Are you feeling well?"
"Oh, you!" San said, hitting his arm. "You're just too…too…" San searched her mind. There was a word that he had taught her for just such an occasion.
"Too blasé?" Ashitaka helped.
"Yes! Too blasé to stay in a tense moment!" San said triumphantly.
"My," Ashitaka said playfully. "What am I going to do about it?"
San growled. "I know what I'm going to do!" and she dove at him, pushing him to the ground. "That's one," she said.
"Oh yeah?" Ashitaka countered. He brought his foot up and shoved her away, getting up into a crouched position. "C'mon and take me! If you can…" Ashitaka challenged.
San bared her teeth and leaped at him again. Their arms locked, each one trying to force the other to the ground.
Even though he stood a head taller than her, and probably weighed at least fifty pounds more, Ashitaka could feel the brawny muscles under her arms, powerfully attempting to push him down, and nearly succeeding. But he was no weakling, himself, although this entire thing was causing pain to shoot up and down his leg.
Releasing his grip, San stumbled forward into his waiting grasp. After he had caught her, he spun her around, pinning her arm to her back and holding her head with his free hand. "One for me!" Ashitaka shouted.
"NO!" San howled, jerking free of his grip, spinning around and preparing to leap at his torso.
He tried to dodge, but to no avail. She bowled him over, landing directly on top of him. Quickly, she brought her mouth down on his exposed neck, squeezing it threateningly between her teeth, effectively claiming the match.
"Ack! San!" Ashitaka said, gasping for air. "Lighten up!"
San released her grip and glanced at him before she helped him up. "You started it!" she grinned after he'd had a chance to regain his breath.
"I'll have to think more about starting things next time. You play a little rough for human standards," Ashitaka teased.
San beamed. "That is why the wolves are more powerful. It is a shame that I share their spirit, and not their body also. I would love to be able to race over fields like they do! To be able to feel my muscles work as I bound over the mountain tops!"
Ashitaka laughed. "Who can say? For you, maybe it is possible. But don't try it anytime soon," he said.
"Why?" San said, chuckling a little.
Ashitaka pointed to the horizon. "The sun is coming up. Would you like to watch it with me?"
San smiled. "I would love to watch it with you!"
She sat down, cross-legged, next to him. In silence, they watched in awe as the sun slowly rose over the treetops. They listened as the creatures of the day slowly came alive at the bidding of their master. They breathed the clean, crisp air, and smelled the perfume of the forest as the dew evaporated from the leaves.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Ashitaka said after a while.
San nodded slowly. "I've seen the sun rise and set many times from this very place. It never seemed as special to me as it does now. I suppose I never had anyone to share it with," she said sulkily.
"Hey," Ashitaka said comfortingly, patting her back, "remember the mood? Don't ruin it for yourself. You have someone to share it with right here. Let that mellow out your anger of the past, so you can enjoy the present more fully."
"I'm not angry, Ashitaka," San corrected. "I'm just disappointed, that's all. I had to wait all of my life until now to be able to appreciate a sunrise. It's kind of sad when I think about it, considering that I grew up here."
Ashitaka nodded. "Sometimes you don't appreciate what you have until you experience it from a different perspective. For me, I had always loved watching the sunrise, but I didn't have a reason. Now I have a reason. I know that I won't be able to look at sunrises or sunsets for much longer, so that just makes them all the more special. That, and the fact that you are here with me to see it, makes me wonder how I could even appreciate them at all before this moment. After all, the sun rises and sets everyday, so I can imagine how, to some people, it can lose some of its splendor."
San didn't say anything. It didn't seem like Ashitaka was expecting a reply, so she offered none. Besides, what could she say? There wasn't really anything left to say.
The tiny red pouch poked against her side as she sat, but she ignored it. Now wasn't the time to open it.
"I suppose I'd better get ready to go," Ashitaka sighed, standing up. "Thanks for sitting with me."
"Sitting?" San asked humorously.
Ashitaka shrugged. "More or less. If you'd like, I could name all the things we did, but that would take too long."
San snickered. "Sure it would. I'll be waiting for you at the base of the mountain. Take you time, Ashitaka. We'll go as soon as you're ready."
Having said that, she jumped down onto the ledge below her. After grabbing her spear and dagger (which she always kept at the entrance of the cave), she then proceeded to work her way down to the cliff's base.
Ashitaka let her disappear from sight before he attempted to get down. His leg was feeling much better, and he could move it to a certain extent, but he still couldn't put all of his weight on it. He had managed to climb up here by reaching his good leg up as far as it would go, and then reach with his hands. He had just barely been able to do it, but it would be easier going down, so he wasn't really concerned.
At least, he wasn't concerned until his hand slipped. But by that time he was almost all the way down, so he managed to balance himself on his good leg until he'd stabled himself.
He then proceeded into the cave, where he had left his sword and bag of supplies. He had packed salted beef and hard bread- both of them capable of lasting until he got to the mountain. He'd also packed enough so that San could share it with him, if she desired. Along with that, he'd also brought along some vegetables, but he'd have to finish them off early, or they would spoil. He'd packed what little clothing he had, and also seeds to plant wherever his new home would be. He had also brought along his sword and bow and arrows, and with all of this, he was fairly certain that he'd be able to survive on his hunting until his crops grew, but he really didn't care. As far as he knew, he'd die as soon as he reached the base of this cave.
For having packed all of his earthly possessions, it managed to fit into only a few packages, which he could easily carry with the assistance of a support that hung over his shoulder.
Taking one last look around the cave, he turned and began to work his way, slowly, down the face of the cliff. There was a bit of a path that made it easy enough to go down, and he arrived at the bottom just as San had returned from doing something.
"Ready?" San asked eagerly.
"Yes," Ashitaka
confirmed. "Where'd you go?"
"I noticed that you didn't pack any
water, so I filled up this skin for us to use," she said, holding up the sac.
"Well, I was planning on following the river, but I guess that works to," Ashitaka said. "Why are you wearing that?" he asked, indicating her elaborate face dress.
"You really don't expect me to travel to a new land without it, do you?" asked San from behind the mask. "It's almost like a part of me- of what I am. I can't completely abandon my old traditions."
"No, no," Ashitaka stammered, "I wasn't asking you to. I was just wondering, and that's all."
"Oh," San said. "Well then, shall we depart?"
Ashitaka nodded.
They began following the river downstream. It would, eventually, lead them to the base of the mountain, after which they would have to climb through the rocky terrain to be completely outside the forest. From there, it was a relatively straight walk up to the peak. Depending on how long it took Ashitaka's leg to heal, it could take them anywhere from a week to three weeks to get there.
By now, the sun had completely risen, and the last of the wetness had left the forest. The crunching sound from the leaves of the deciduous trees echoed with every step they took, but they weren't hunting, so neither of them paid attention to it.
After a time, San started humming a light, bouncy tune while she walked.
"What's that?" Ashitaka asked. "It sounds nice."
"It's an old wolf tune that my mother used to sing to me when I was a child, and I couldn't sleep," San answered. "It has a soothing melody, and a calming tone, so it's expected of the child to learn the tune so that one day she can sing it to her own children."
"I see," Ashitaka replied. That was one of the reasons why he'd asked what it was. He rather liked it, and he wondered if he couldn't get her to hum it again sometime. "You have many customs and traditions that I never knew about. Care to share some of them with me?"
San laughed. "Shall I try to explain the movement of a star without telling you which star I'm talking about? There are many, many traditions that the wolf clan has passed down. I cannot simply begin spouting them out."
"Okay," Ashitaka asked, thinking about something he should be expected to know. "What about your tattoos? You've never told me why you have them, or where you got them from."
"The tattoos, themselves, bear no relevancy to wolf tribe tradition," San answered back. "As the Mononoke, they are a symbol of my authority and power- to be respected and feared. Following instructions of my mother, the mixing of certain berry excrement creates a powerful adhesive that's absorbed by the skin. I simply painted the berry-juice onto my face."
"Very interesting," Ashitaka said. He'd been wondering about those ever since he'd first seen her. "And what does wolf tradition say about guarding the forest? I mean, is it passed down from generation to generation, or does the clan select it? And if so, how is it that you, a human form, were chosen as guardian?"
San thought for a moment before answering. "The title of Guardian," she said, "is inherited through the bloodline of the one who was the original guardian. However, if the guardian so chooses, he or she can select a member outside of the bloodline. Therefore, it is unknown who the original guardian was, as many wolves have been selected that were as such. It was in that way that my mother, Moro, was chosen by her successor. She, likewise, chose me, although I'm not entirely sure why. I suppose she saw something in me that lacked in my brothers…"
"Almost like a hierarchy, then?" Ashitaka asked.
"To a certain extent," San answered. "Except for the fact that the Guardian can choose his successor by name, rather than by birth."
"What if the Guardian dies before he or she has chosen a successor?" He asked mainly out of interest to see how the wolves, unlike the humans, settled matters such as these.
"If the Guardian has not chosen a successor, then a council of wolves is called where the entire clan converges to select the one who shows the most potential and strength to lead."
Ashitaka nodded. So they did it based on common sense. Why couldn't humans do such things in an effectual, yet simple, way? Many wars could've been avoided if they'd just used their heads.
"How do you stand in the eyes of the wolf clan?" he asked next. "Are you a valid candidate, since you lack the shape of a wolf?"
"As far as I know, there is nothing against it," she replied. "However, there were so few of us left when I was named, that it hardly mattered. "Everyone mainly concentrated on staying alive, rather than bickering over opinionated issues. Everyone except my mother, that is. She fought until the end."
"She was very brave, wasn't she?" Ashitaka said of Moro. "What of her, though? Do you know who her mate was? Your two brothers are her own, aren't they?"
"Yes," San answered, "they are her biological sons. Mother rarely spoke of her life mate, although she sometimes mentioned that he was a champion among wolves. This led me to believe that he was killed in a battle of some sort, although I had never gathered up enough courage to ask her even for his name. She always became so sullen whenever she talked about him. She must've loved him very much."
"I suppose so," Ashitaka stated. "Then how does the wolves concept of marriage work? Are they married at all?"
"Much like your own system, a pair will remain unto themselves till death. It is not acceptable for the pair to be broken under any circumstances. However, female wolves are free to choose who their life mate will be, unlike many of your women, I understand."
Ashitaka grinned. "I never condoned that practice. In my own town, after I had inherited right to rule, I would've eliminated that rule. I wonder if they would've accepted it?"
"If you were their ruler, then wouldn't they have to?" San asked.
"Well, San, people work a little different than wolves. If people are unhappy under their rulers, it isn't that uncommon for them to rebel, although I seriously doubt that my own tribe would've done so. They never flaunted the women, anyway. The woman may not have had a choice in the public eye, but behind the scenes, it was often discussed whether or not she would be happy being married to whomever it was to be arranged with."
"But doesn't rebellion lead to chaos and disunity?" San asked.
Ashitaka sighed. "San, try to understand that people have a harder time accepting the facts. Where you wolves might sit down and discuss the problems, people would try to force their ways on one another. But understand that your race has been honed down through the generations to be honorable and upright. After all, they are gods. Unfortunately, some people are not as dedicated, and their children grow up to be corrupt rulers. Therefore, it is destined to be that way from the beginning, although it is through no fault of the child."
"I see," San said. "So how would you go about proposing change?"
He shook his head. "I doubt it could be changed at all. Even if we did change the present generation, somewhere down the line we'd mess up again. How long do your wolves live?"
San thought for a second. "My mother was over three hundred years old when she died."
"You see, that's three, maybe four generations in human standards. It's a lot easier for us to mess up than it is for you to. That, and the fact that there aren't nearly as many wolves as there are people. So trying to change the entire human race is something that will take time. One person, alone, could not do it."
"I guess you're right…" San answered. "Well, this has certainly been enlightening. Do you have any other questions you'd like to ask me?"
"Not that I can think of right now," Ashitaka said.
"Well, in that case, I think it's time for lunch," San said.
"What? It can't be, already. What time is it?" he asked, looking up at the sun.
"About mid-day," San informed him. "Time seems to go faster whenever you're talking. Anyway, you sit down right here. No, don't give me that face! Sit down and wait for me. I'll be back in as soon as I can."
Without waiting for a response, she left a slightly embarrassed Ashitaka behind. He thought struck him that he must've gotten pretty low in the world to have to let a woman do his hunting for him. He neglected to mention his packed food because he detected a yearning in her voice to go on a hunt. Still, if she insisted, he didn't really mind the break. He doubted he could catch anything in his condition, anyway.
So he sat down and leaned his head against a tree root, waiting for San to return with their meal.
