Disclaimer I do not own Princess Mononoke or anything from it. Darn.
Chapter Two- Small Town, Big Trouble
I woke early the next morning. Sleep seemed to avoid me, but I felt rested enough to press foreword. With each step, my heart grew lighter. I knew at the end of my journey I would find my brother, and I could apologize. It was all my fault anyway.
I pushed those thoughts away for now. I had more important issues to think about, like lunch. I could probably catch something in this forest. But I didn't want to take that much time out of my journey.
As I came to the edge of a clearing, I grinned. Forget hunting, I could get something to eat at that village! I ran down the hillside, my hair flying behind me. But as I grew closer, I realized that something wasn't right. A group of warriors were attacking a much more ragged group of what seemed to be farmers.
"No!" I yelled as a young child was struck by one of the warriors. I had drawn the attention of at least three of the men. They were rushing at me, but I had time to draw my blade.
"Awe, look. The runt's got a knife." one remarked. I went into a half crouch my blade held far behind me. One, the speaker, rushed me. I spun into him and cleaved his arm. I didn't realize how weak the armor was, but my knife sliced straight through his arm. Blood sprayed, all over the ground.
"Wench!" one of the others yelled as they rushed me. I ducked his slash and spun around, kicking him in his chin. He fell back, at least immobilized. The third looked me over, but seemed to think about his course before doing anything. It was an old fashioned stare-down.
Suddenly a horn blast tore through the area. I was surprised and that gave the man enough time to rush me. He had me in a choke hold with his blade to my neck before I knew what had happened.
"Now, little girl, who are you?" he said in a ruff voice, his hot breath on my neck. I shuddered, and tried to struggle, but he was much stronger than me.
"I am... a simple... traveler..." I managed, my air being forced from my lungs. I couldn't breath. But the people who had sounded the horn chose that moment to enter my view. An army of men in bright orange ran into view. They immediately went after the warrior men.
"Oh damn." the man muttered. He tried to drag me along at first, but saw how slow the going would have been with me resisting at every turn. He didn't release me though. "Sorry, girl, but you can't be aloud to join them." I realized he planned to kill me.
'No!' I thought. 'It can't end like this!' I thought savagely. But when I didn't feel cold steel across my neck, I looked. I saw one of the men in orange pointed some sort of weapon at the warrior. It made a loud noise and the warrior fell off of me, dead.
"Are you alright?" the man in orange asked me. I nodded, kneeling on the ground. As air flooded my lungs again, I couldn't help but cough. "You aren't from this village." he spoke, but it wasn't a question. I nodded again. "Where are you from?"
"Far to the East." I replied, seeing the battle dying down around us. He smiled slightly.
"I've heard that before. I guess I've repaid that favor." he laughed, mostly to himself.
"What favor?" I asked, intrigued.
"A man from the East saved me before, carried me all the way through the forest back home. I've repaid the favor to your people." he answered.
"What was the name of the man who saved you? Is he here?" I hurriedly asked, jumping to my feet.
He laughed. "Ashitaka. And no." he answered. I felt my spirits soar. He was alive! At least when he saved this man, I realized. "Is he still alive, do you know?" I urged.
"Yeah, should be. He went into the forest for one of his visits." the man told. I was so happy that I hugged him. He looked very surprised.
"Sorry." I muttered.
"Listen, do you have a place to stay? If not, you can stay at Iron Town." he explained. I raised my eyebrows at this, but nodded.
"I'd love to." I replied.
Ok, this should be easy, right? Go to Iron Town, wait for Ashitaka to come back. Maybe sip a little wine while you wait. Wrong!
Chapter Two- Small Town, Big Trouble
I woke early the next morning. Sleep seemed to avoid me, but I felt rested enough to press foreword. With each step, my heart grew lighter. I knew at the end of my journey I would find my brother, and I could apologize. It was all my fault anyway.
I pushed those thoughts away for now. I had more important issues to think about, like lunch. I could probably catch something in this forest. But I didn't want to take that much time out of my journey.
As I came to the edge of a clearing, I grinned. Forget hunting, I could get something to eat at that village! I ran down the hillside, my hair flying behind me. But as I grew closer, I realized that something wasn't right. A group of warriors were attacking a much more ragged group of what seemed to be farmers.
"No!" I yelled as a young child was struck by one of the warriors. I had drawn the attention of at least three of the men. They were rushing at me, but I had time to draw my blade.
"Awe, look. The runt's got a knife." one remarked. I went into a half crouch my blade held far behind me. One, the speaker, rushed me. I spun into him and cleaved his arm. I didn't realize how weak the armor was, but my knife sliced straight through his arm. Blood sprayed, all over the ground.
"Wench!" one of the others yelled as they rushed me. I ducked his slash and spun around, kicking him in his chin. He fell back, at least immobilized. The third looked me over, but seemed to think about his course before doing anything. It was an old fashioned stare-down.
Suddenly a horn blast tore through the area. I was surprised and that gave the man enough time to rush me. He had me in a choke hold with his blade to my neck before I knew what had happened.
"Now, little girl, who are you?" he said in a ruff voice, his hot breath on my neck. I shuddered, and tried to struggle, but he was much stronger than me.
"I am... a simple... traveler..." I managed, my air being forced from my lungs. I couldn't breath. But the people who had sounded the horn chose that moment to enter my view. An army of men in bright orange ran into view. They immediately went after the warrior men.
"Oh damn." the man muttered. He tried to drag me along at first, but saw how slow the going would have been with me resisting at every turn. He didn't release me though. "Sorry, girl, but you can't be aloud to join them." I realized he planned to kill me.
'No!' I thought. 'It can't end like this!' I thought savagely. But when I didn't feel cold steel across my neck, I looked. I saw one of the men in orange pointed some sort of weapon at the warrior. It made a loud noise and the warrior fell off of me, dead.
"Are you alright?" the man in orange asked me. I nodded, kneeling on the ground. As air flooded my lungs again, I couldn't help but cough. "You aren't from this village." he spoke, but it wasn't a question. I nodded again. "Where are you from?"
"Far to the East." I replied, seeing the battle dying down around us. He smiled slightly.
"I've heard that before. I guess I've repaid that favor." he laughed, mostly to himself.
"What favor?" I asked, intrigued.
"A man from the East saved me before, carried me all the way through the forest back home. I've repaid the favor to your people." he answered.
"What was the name of the man who saved you? Is he here?" I hurriedly asked, jumping to my feet.
He laughed. "Ashitaka. And no." he answered. I felt my spirits soar. He was alive! At least when he saved this man, I realized. "Is he still alive, do you know?" I urged.
"Yeah, should be. He went into the forest for one of his visits." the man told. I was so happy that I hugged him. He looked very surprised.
"Sorry." I muttered.
"Listen, do you have a place to stay? If not, you can stay at Iron Town." he explained. I raised my eyebrows at this, but nodded.
"I'd love to." I replied.
Ok, this should be easy, right? Go to Iron Town, wait for Ashitaka to come back. Maybe sip a little wine while you wait. Wrong!