Chapter 4: So Close
The forest was alive with the noises of the animals waking up. Ashitaka paused to take in the sounds before moving on a slow pace. The sun was well over the mountain ridges and he was beginning to get hunger but that did not make him hurry along. He wanted to take the time to see the forest as last night he had gone crashing through the forest to get to his "testing grounds."
More time passed before he came to the tree line. He paused again to take in the view. Around the lake were a few rice fields that were fed by the lake. Several villagers were already in the field and a few waved at him. Ashitaka waved back and slowly made his way down the hillside towards the lake. On the far side of the lake was the town and just beyond the town was the shaft mine that supplied the town with its iron ore. From that ore the town melted it into iron bars that it sold and had become rather well off from the iron sales. It was those same sales that made the area valuable and several local warlords had tried to invade the area. But Lady Eboshi was a smart lady and had used the wealth of the town to fortify it and buy guns and powder to defend the town. Ashitaka could even remember being there during one such attack on the town and it had not fallen to the attacking army.
Ashitaka came to the bank and continued to walk towards the town. When he could no longer touch the bottom he swam across the lake.
San sat in her bed staring out a window. She had dressed a long time ago but was now sitting in her watching the sun rise slowly over the mountains as the day wore on. She had been waiting to confront Ashitaka when he came back but as the sun raised higher over the mountains her thoughts of confrontation turned to thoughts of concern.
'What if he was hurt?' or worse yet 'What if he doesn't come back?' Fear flooded through her at the thought. Before she could bear with his absence because there was nothing she could do about it and she knew it. Now San didn't think she could bear it knowing he was here but not hers. San just sat on the bed and let her thoughts run wild, as she got more and more frightened that he would never show up.
Ashitaka came up the bank, dripping wet. He felt very tired at this point but his mind was preoccupied by 2 things; how to tell the villagers and more importantly how to tell San. The villagers were easy enough, have Toki make the announcement and then do a display. Hopefully they wouldn't panic or worship him like a god or something. But he had to break it to San first.
Slowly he walked through the town towards the hut that he and San shared completely dry. He had subconsciously dried himself and he attracted more then just a few looks but he was too wrapped up in thoughts to notice.
He walked into the hut and stopped in his tracks. San was standing next to the table in the middle of the room and looking at him. He had been with her a week but he still couldn't get over how much she had changed physically. She had gotten slightly tall and her figure was more defined. San had let her hair grow to the middle of her back and now it was partly down her front in a cascade that led down to her chest.
San couldn't help but blush slightly though she was crying. She knew Ashitaka was still trying to get over her "beauty" as he had called it so he was oblivious to her tears for once. She was torn between throwing herself at him and throwing her hand at him. While she stood there she also took the time to look at Ashitaka. He had grown tall as well and his muscles were more evident. Wherever he had been had made him work out thought San wished he had done that her with her.
Tears still streaming down San made her decision. San didn't want to hurt him and make him go away again. She ran up to him and threw her arms around him while burying her wet face into his chest.
Ashitaka stood there a moment. San had just hugged him and was crying against his chest. Ashitaka felt kind of guilty that he had made her worry and she had every right to be. No note and he had just left. But what amazed him the most was that it was San who had hugged him first. Slowly he wrapped his around her waist and gently tried to stop her crying.
