Kaya Sees the World
"Kaya."
She shook with fear at the sound of his voice, but knew she had no choice but to respond. Slowly she turned around and forced a smile onto her face.
"Taro. It is a pleasure to see you."
Taro smiled and moved to Kaya's side. "It pleases me to hear you speak so, Kaya. I am glad that you are no longer opposed to our wedding."
Kaya managed to smile, swallowing back revulsion. She had told Taro and her parents that she would agree to marry him; only Ashitaka knew the truth. He was now planning means for their escape.
"Come here, little Kaya." He reached out for her, but she bristled and slapped away his hand. His eyes grew dark with anger. "I'll teach you not to act like that!"
Kaya ran barefoot until she was gasping with breath. Taro was out of sight now; for some reason he had chosen not to follow her. He had probably gone straight to her parents instead. Breathing heavily, Kaya leaned against a tree and considered her options. She certainly couldn't return home now. She would have to leave tonight. But was Ashitaka ready?
She felt something nipping at her shoulder and gasped, but turned around and found only Yakkul. She ran her hand over his head for a moment, then deftly mounted the elk and hurried off. She had no notion of where the elk was taking her, but somehow they reached Ashitaka.
"Ashitaka. I have to leave tonight." Kaya dismounted, her eyes wide with fear. She began to explain, but Ashitaka cut her off.
"Then we will leave at once. I saw Taro storming by. He is certainly not happy with you, Kaya."
"I slapped him." Her voice trembled with fear.
Ashitaka stopped to look at her with wonder, and his face suddenly broke into a smile. "Did you really? I would say that served him right. Get on, Kaya." He gave her an unneeded leg up and mounted Yakkul himself. Together they rode off into the darkness of the woods. Kaya looked back at the town in which she had grown up and would now, most likely never return. As the wise woman had said for Ashitaka, she was now dead to the people of her town forever.
* * * * *
"Kaya. Kaya, wake up."
"Must I already?" Kaya opened one eye and lazily sat up. They had ridden for nearly a whole day and night, and Kaya had found the journey difficult in her long dress.
"Yes. We are almost there. Can you hear their voices?"
Kaya stretched and looked up. Off in the distance, she could hear voices of men yelling and she could see clouds of smoke rising.
"It's Irontown," explained Ashitaka. "This is where I spent the last five years." He thought for a moment, wondering whether or not to tell Kaya about San. "Lady Eboshi will be waiting for us." He ended his explanation abruptly, and Kaya did not ask for more.
The town grew closer and closer as they rode down the hill, and Kaya watched her new home grow larger. Filled with fascination, she stared at the industry of the town. It was certainly well built. Perhaps Ashitaka had helped with its construction.
But however it looked, this was to be her new home; and she would have to do the best to fit in among the people here. For she would never go home, and would soon become Kaya of Irontown.
"Kaya."
She shook with fear at the sound of his voice, but knew she had no choice but to respond. Slowly she turned around and forced a smile onto her face.
"Taro. It is a pleasure to see you."
Taro smiled and moved to Kaya's side. "It pleases me to hear you speak so, Kaya. I am glad that you are no longer opposed to our wedding."
Kaya managed to smile, swallowing back revulsion. She had told Taro and her parents that she would agree to marry him; only Ashitaka knew the truth. He was now planning means for their escape.
"Come here, little Kaya." He reached out for her, but she bristled and slapped away his hand. His eyes grew dark with anger. "I'll teach you not to act like that!"
Kaya ran barefoot until she was gasping with breath. Taro was out of sight now; for some reason he had chosen not to follow her. He had probably gone straight to her parents instead. Breathing heavily, Kaya leaned against a tree and considered her options. She certainly couldn't return home now. She would have to leave tonight. But was Ashitaka ready?
She felt something nipping at her shoulder and gasped, but turned around and found only Yakkul. She ran her hand over his head for a moment, then deftly mounted the elk and hurried off. She had no notion of where the elk was taking her, but somehow they reached Ashitaka.
"Ashitaka. I have to leave tonight." Kaya dismounted, her eyes wide with fear. She began to explain, but Ashitaka cut her off.
"Then we will leave at once. I saw Taro storming by. He is certainly not happy with you, Kaya."
"I slapped him." Her voice trembled with fear.
Ashitaka stopped to look at her with wonder, and his face suddenly broke into a smile. "Did you really? I would say that served him right. Get on, Kaya." He gave her an unneeded leg up and mounted Yakkul himself. Together they rode off into the darkness of the woods. Kaya looked back at the town in which she had grown up and would now, most likely never return. As the wise woman had said for Ashitaka, she was now dead to the people of her town forever.
* * * * *
"Kaya. Kaya, wake up."
"Must I already?" Kaya opened one eye and lazily sat up. They had ridden for nearly a whole day and night, and Kaya had found the journey difficult in her long dress.
"Yes. We are almost there. Can you hear their voices?"
Kaya stretched and looked up. Off in the distance, she could hear voices of men yelling and she could see clouds of smoke rising.
"It's Irontown," explained Ashitaka. "This is where I spent the last five years." He thought for a moment, wondering whether or not to tell Kaya about San. "Lady Eboshi will be waiting for us." He ended his explanation abruptly, and Kaya did not ask for more.
The town grew closer and closer as they rode down the hill, and Kaya watched her new home grow larger. Filled with fascination, she stared at the industry of the town. It was certainly well built. Perhaps Ashitaka had helped with its construction.
But however it looked, this was to be her new home; and she would have to do the best to fit in among the people here. For she would never go home, and would soon become Kaya of Irontown.