Kaya Sees the World, Chap. 4
"I am so tired," groaned Ashitaka, and proceeded to stretch out and lie down right under a tree just outside the walls of Irontown. "You can do some exploring, Kaya, but don't go far. You can take Yakul. And don't get lost."
"I wont," said Kaya, and wished that she wasn't wearing such a long dress in the current fashion. It simply wasn't efficient for climbing on and off of an elk. At last she got herself on top of the elk and rode off. Unlike Ashitaka, she was filled with pent-up energy and couldn't wait to explore the woods.
The sunlight streamed through the thick canopy of treetops like a shredded sheet of gold, making Kaya's hair shine different colors. She was too intrigued by the various plants and trees around her to notice anything else, even the crackling of leaves behind her.
Yakul brought her to a mystical-looking pond, which puzzled her, but obviously pleased the elk, as he trotted straight to the water's edge and began to drink. Kaya took this time to study her surroundings, and felt a slight weight on her right shoulder. She turned to see a tiny white creature-or was it a creature?-that was not nearly six inches tall. As she watched in horror, its head (which consisted of no features save for three holes) began to spin.
Kaya shrieked and began thrashing around wildly, trying to throw the creature off. "ASHITAKA!!!!" she screamed.
Ashitaka was fast asleep under the tree and didn't hear his sister's scream, nor did he hear the splash as she fell into the water.
Kaya rose sputtering to the surface of the water, and suddenly got the eerie feeling that she was being watched. She tread water silently for a few minutes, staring around for any signs of movement, but found none. Dripping with water, she climbed onto shore, her wet skirt clinging to her legs. Yakul eyed her curiously.
In the woods, San watched the girl with a mixture of curiosity and anger. She had never been able to forgive the humans for what they had done to her forest, although after five years some of it had been restored. And this girl was most certainly a human, albeit an interesting one.San watched her struggle onto the elk. Didn't she know there were easier ways to do that?!
She was alone this time and had brought only her spear, but she was not afraid of being attacked. Silently, with a stealth accumulated from years of practice, she stepped closer to the girl.
"Go," Kaya insisted, but Yakul seemed to have suddenly taken root in the ground and refused to move. Growing desperate, Kaya shouted, "Move!!"
Yakul's unpredictable head movements suddenly stopped, and he stared towards the forest. Terrified, Kaya followed his gaze-and found herself staring at another girl who appeared to be about twenty years old. She was certainly not normal though; she was dressed in furs and carried a spear. She stared back at Kaya, and for several moments nothing was said.
Then, quite without warning, Yakul galloped over to San and nuzzled her. San laughed and stroked his nose, while Kaya watched in fear. Slowly San's gaze traveled to Kaya, and she felt a shock of recognition. She has Ashitaka's eyes, she thought. Ashitaka had left nearly two months ago, for the very first time, and she didn't know where he was. Suddenly anger was boiling up in her-anger that Ashitaka had gone, anger at what had happened to her forest, but mostly anger that this girl was sitting here before her reminding her of the man she loved. Tears prickled in her eyes, but she wouldn't let them show. She was brave and the best way to conquer a problem was to face it head-on. She threw back her hair-grown long now, and faced Kaya squarely.
"I am San," she said, "and who are you?"
"I am so tired," groaned Ashitaka, and proceeded to stretch out and lie down right under a tree just outside the walls of Irontown. "You can do some exploring, Kaya, but don't go far. You can take Yakul. And don't get lost."
"I wont," said Kaya, and wished that she wasn't wearing such a long dress in the current fashion. It simply wasn't efficient for climbing on and off of an elk. At last she got herself on top of the elk and rode off. Unlike Ashitaka, she was filled with pent-up energy and couldn't wait to explore the woods.
The sunlight streamed through the thick canopy of treetops like a shredded sheet of gold, making Kaya's hair shine different colors. She was too intrigued by the various plants and trees around her to notice anything else, even the crackling of leaves behind her.
Yakul brought her to a mystical-looking pond, which puzzled her, but obviously pleased the elk, as he trotted straight to the water's edge and began to drink. Kaya took this time to study her surroundings, and felt a slight weight on her right shoulder. She turned to see a tiny white creature-or was it a creature?-that was not nearly six inches tall. As she watched in horror, its head (which consisted of no features save for three holes) began to spin.
Kaya shrieked and began thrashing around wildly, trying to throw the creature off. "ASHITAKA!!!!" she screamed.
Ashitaka was fast asleep under the tree and didn't hear his sister's scream, nor did he hear the splash as she fell into the water.
Kaya rose sputtering to the surface of the water, and suddenly got the eerie feeling that she was being watched. She tread water silently for a few minutes, staring around for any signs of movement, but found none. Dripping with water, she climbed onto shore, her wet skirt clinging to her legs. Yakul eyed her curiously.
In the woods, San watched the girl with a mixture of curiosity and anger. She had never been able to forgive the humans for what they had done to her forest, although after five years some of it had been restored. And this girl was most certainly a human, albeit an interesting one.San watched her struggle onto the elk. Didn't she know there were easier ways to do that?!
She was alone this time and had brought only her spear, but she was not afraid of being attacked. Silently, with a stealth accumulated from years of practice, she stepped closer to the girl.
"Go," Kaya insisted, but Yakul seemed to have suddenly taken root in the ground and refused to move. Growing desperate, Kaya shouted, "Move!!"
Yakul's unpredictable head movements suddenly stopped, and he stared towards the forest. Terrified, Kaya followed his gaze-and found herself staring at another girl who appeared to be about twenty years old. She was certainly not normal though; she was dressed in furs and carried a spear. She stared back at Kaya, and for several moments nothing was said.
Then, quite without warning, Yakul galloped over to San and nuzzled her. San laughed and stroked his nose, while Kaya watched in fear. Slowly San's gaze traveled to Kaya, and she felt a shock of recognition. She has Ashitaka's eyes, she thought. Ashitaka had left nearly two months ago, for the very first time, and she didn't know where he was. Suddenly anger was boiling up in her-anger that Ashitaka had gone, anger at what had happened to her forest, but mostly anger that this girl was sitting here before her reminding her of the man she loved. Tears prickled in her eyes, but she wouldn't let them show. She was brave and the best way to conquer a problem was to face it head-on. She threw back her hair-grown long now, and faced Kaya squarely.
"I am San," she said, "and who are you?"