Kaya Sees the World, Chap. 7
Kaya watched, horrified, as Lady Eboshi fell into the fire, her scream resonating around the room. Moments later she discovered, to her horror, that she had been screaming as well, giving away her location. Gonza turned to look at her then, pure hatred in his eyes.
The look chilled Kaya to her bones. She whirled Yakkul around and raced out of there as quickly as the elk could possibly run, stopping only when they reached the edge of the woods. Kaya jumped off of the elk and sank to her knees, gasping for breath.
Before she knew it, a rough hand was on her shoulder. Kaya gasped, but the other hand was on her mouth, roughly forcing her around. She could feel numerous blisters and calluses rubbing against her skin. Her eyes widened to see Gonza's murderous face, although she already knew it was him.
"Not a word to anyone," he breathed. "Or I will kill you.you and that damnable brother of yours. Do we have an agreement?"
Kaya could only stare, wide-eyed. This seemed to only fuel his anger and he shook her violently. "Do you understand me?!"
"Un!" Kaya made a sound of agreement; with her mouth covered she could not speak.
Gonza glared at her for a moment more, then released her and stomped away. Kaya collapsed to the floor, struggling to stop her uncontrollable shaking.
Time passed, but she didn't realize it. She didn't know how many hours she kneeled there beside the forest, shaking with fear and horror. She heard the screams of Toki and the other women as they hurried to the fire-and relived Lady Eboshi's death over and over again, not knowing how to stop. Her best friend in her new life, closer to her than even her brother.dead and murdered just like that.
The tears dripped from Kaya's face and fell to the soft ground, forming a puddle in front of her knees. She gasped in surprise, finally realizing that she was still here.
"Kaya."
Kaya screamed and jumped up, running into the woods like a madwoman. She could hear her attacker following close behind, and thought that Gonza was here to kill her, just as he had done her best friend.Kaya tripped over a branch and fell headfirst into the water.
"Kaya!"
The water finally cleared out of her eyes and allowed her to take in the sight of Ashitaka, standing with Yakkul's reins in his hands. "Kaya.are you crazy?" He pulled his little sister up and onto his elk with one hand. He didn't ask any questions, for which Kaya was grateful.
They held a funeral service for Lady Eboshi, with Gonza presiding over as the new ruler of Irontown. He kept shooting icy glares at Kaya (each of which chilled her to the bone) and kept an annoyingly close eye on her. Ashitaka seemed not to notice.
Toki and the other women wept incessantly. Kaya realized that not long ago she would have grieved with them, but now she was in a completely different situation. She was horrified to find that she not only couldn't mourn Lady Eboshi properly; she was too full of anger and frustration to feel any sorrow at all. Nevertheless, she kept her head bowed and a solemn expression pasted to her face, for fear of what Gonza might do to Ashitaka and herself.
She strewed her starflowers over the casket. She had picked them earlier in the day; by now their stems were wilting and the leaves droopy, but the tiny white flowers stood out like stars in a dark night. Kaya lingered for a moment and caught Gonza's disapproving eye. Quickly she backed away.
Lady Eboshi was buried just outside her beloved cabin, in a secluded spot surrounded by flowers that the women had planted for her. Kaya rarely visited it, because of the feelings that it brought her. Emotions of regret, anger, and guilt surged through her every time she laid starflowers on the grave. She felt that somehow she ought to avenge her best friend's death, but didn't know how that might possibly be done. It annoyed her to see the women still weeping every hour of the day, although she was beginning to feel their loss.
Gonza, however, wasted no time lamenting his dead mistress. He had plans for Irontown-and they were big plans. In no time at all Irontown had become the Irontown of the past, only with a stricter, harsher ruler bearing down on them.
Kaya watched, horrified, as Lady Eboshi fell into the fire, her scream resonating around the room. Moments later she discovered, to her horror, that she had been screaming as well, giving away her location. Gonza turned to look at her then, pure hatred in his eyes.
The look chilled Kaya to her bones. She whirled Yakkul around and raced out of there as quickly as the elk could possibly run, stopping only when they reached the edge of the woods. Kaya jumped off of the elk and sank to her knees, gasping for breath.
Before she knew it, a rough hand was on her shoulder. Kaya gasped, but the other hand was on her mouth, roughly forcing her around. She could feel numerous blisters and calluses rubbing against her skin. Her eyes widened to see Gonza's murderous face, although she already knew it was him.
"Not a word to anyone," he breathed. "Or I will kill you.you and that damnable brother of yours. Do we have an agreement?"
Kaya could only stare, wide-eyed. This seemed to only fuel his anger and he shook her violently. "Do you understand me?!"
"Un!" Kaya made a sound of agreement; with her mouth covered she could not speak.
Gonza glared at her for a moment more, then released her and stomped away. Kaya collapsed to the floor, struggling to stop her uncontrollable shaking.
Time passed, but she didn't realize it. She didn't know how many hours she kneeled there beside the forest, shaking with fear and horror. She heard the screams of Toki and the other women as they hurried to the fire-and relived Lady Eboshi's death over and over again, not knowing how to stop. Her best friend in her new life, closer to her than even her brother.dead and murdered just like that.
The tears dripped from Kaya's face and fell to the soft ground, forming a puddle in front of her knees. She gasped in surprise, finally realizing that she was still here.
"Kaya."
Kaya screamed and jumped up, running into the woods like a madwoman. She could hear her attacker following close behind, and thought that Gonza was here to kill her, just as he had done her best friend.Kaya tripped over a branch and fell headfirst into the water.
"Kaya!"
The water finally cleared out of her eyes and allowed her to take in the sight of Ashitaka, standing with Yakkul's reins in his hands. "Kaya.are you crazy?" He pulled his little sister up and onto his elk with one hand. He didn't ask any questions, for which Kaya was grateful.
They held a funeral service for Lady Eboshi, with Gonza presiding over as the new ruler of Irontown. He kept shooting icy glares at Kaya (each of which chilled her to the bone) and kept an annoyingly close eye on her. Ashitaka seemed not to notice.
Toki and the other women wept incessantly. Kaya realized that not long ago she would have grieved with them, but now she was in a completely different situation. She was horrified to find that she not only couldn't mourn Lady Eboshi properly; she was too full of anger and frustration to feel any sorrow at all. Nevertheless, she kept her head bowed and a solemn expression pasted to her face, for fear of what Gonza might do to Ashitaka and herself.
She strewed her starflowers over the casket. She had picked them earlier in the day; by now their stems were wilting and the leaves droopy, but the tiny white flowers stood out like stars in a dark night. Kaya lingered for a moment and caught Gonza's disapproving eye. Quickly she backed away.
Lady Eboshi was buried just outside her beloved cabin, in a secluded spot surrounded by flowers that the women had planted for her. Kaya rarely visited it, because of the feelings that it brought her. Emotions of regret, anger, and guilt surged through her every time she laid starflowers on the grave. She felt that somehow she ought to avenge her best friend's death, but didn't know how that might possibly be done. It annoyed her to see the women still weeping every hour of the day, although she was beginning to feel their loss.
Gonza, however, wasted no time lamenting his dead mistress. He had plans for Irontown-and they were big plans. In no time at all Irontown had become the Irontown of the past, only with a stricter, harsher ruler bearing down on them.