Kaya Sees the World, Chap. 8
The women gasped for air as they worked at their new jobs-pumping the bellows once again, only now harder and longer, often with Gonza overseeing them (which consisted of a lot of yelling and cursing at them).
Kaya was among these women now, and she worked her shifts without complaint. Gonza had plans to build a bigger Irontown, cutting down much of the forest to do so. Toki disagreed with this and told him so, but Gonza turned a deaf ear to her, speaking to her only when he decided that she wasn't working hard enough. Some of the women talked of returning to the brothel.
Ashitaka was frustrated as well. He watched Gonza working his sister and her friends mercilessly, and couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. Gonza had not grieved over Lady Eboshi at all; instead he had jumped at the chance to take control of Irontown for himself. Yes, something was very wrong.
Kaya was different too, and now matter how she tried to hide it, Ashitaka could tell despite the years they had spent apart. He saw the fear in her eyes, despite the mask of happiness that she wore day after day.
After one particularly bad scolding, Kaya fled to the forest and found herself at the water's edge, gasping. The tears fell unchecked from her overflowing eyes and destroyed one another's ripples on the surface of the water. She stared miserably at her tearful reflection and after awhile, grew tired of the unsightly image and slapped the water with her hand.
The wolf's ears pricked at the sound. No animal ever made that sound, unless they had taken a surprise fall. Cries and sobbing followed it. The wolf made a deep growl and started towards the sound.
San was not far away and when she saw her wolf brothers turning away she followed them. When they stopped, she came to their side and brushed away a curtain of branches. Her eyes widened.
Ashitaka's sister-here again?
As she watched in shock, the girl reached into her pocket and drew out something that shone in the sunlight, so brightly that it temporarily blinded San.
Kaya stared at the crystal dagger, remembering better times-teatimes with Lady Eboshi, playing with rag dolls when she was young, Ashitaka taking her for rides on Yakkul when he was only a young elk. Another racking sob broke free from her throat and her hand closed over the sharp blade, cutting two deep marks on her palm. Upon opening her hand her tears fell on her hand and diluted the dark red. Kaya raised her hand and thrust the dagger into the woods, as far as she could.
The action caught San by surprise, but nevertheless she caught it easily with no damage to her own rough hands. Kaya's blood shone bright on it.
Kaya rested on her knees, expecting to hear the sound of the dagger falling into a bed of dried leaves, but there was none. After a moment she raised her head and turned to look behind her.
The wolf girl!
She stood with the dagger in hand, not twitching a muscle. Kaya stared in fear, her eyes widening as she stepped back.
"Careful there." San spoke carelessly. "You don't want to fall in yet again, do you?"
Kaya's eyes widened until San imagined them popping out of their sockets. They filled with tears and the girl made no effort to restrain the unchecked flow. San didn't know why she did it, but she walked over and locked her arms around the girl. Kaya didn't stop her.
"By the way, thank you for returning my dagger," said San, in an easy voice.
"Your dagger?" Kaya looked up at her in surprise.
"Yes, Ashitaka gave it to me," said San. She glanced down at the crystal blade and twirled it between her fingers. Kaya followed the movement with her eyes. The rotating blade was reflected in her pupils.
"Oh," she said quietly. "I gave it to him.when he first left our village, more than five years ago."
"I see." San decided that she might as well get to know this girl. "Want to come for a ride?"
"All right." Kaya approached San's wolf brothers hesitantly as they growled and bared their teeth at her, but calmed down immediately at just one word from their human sister.
"We might as well get to know each other better. You can start by telling me your name."
"I'm Kaya."
The women gasped for air as they worked at their new jobs-pumping the bellows once again, only now harder and longer, often with Gonza overseeing them (which consisted of a lot of yelling and cursing at them).
Kaya was among these women now, and she worked her shifts without complaint. Gonza had plans to build a bigger Irontown, cutting down much of the forest to do so. Toki disagreed with this and told him so, but Gonza turned a deaf ear to her, speaking to her only when he decided that she wasn't working hard enough. Some of the women talked of returning to the brothel.
Ashitaka was frustrated as well. He watched Gonza working his sister and her friends mercilessly, and couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. Gonza had not grieved over Lady Eboshi at all; instead he had jumped at the chance to take control of Irontown for himself. Yes, something was very wrong.
Kaya was different too, and now matter how she tried to hide it, Ashitaka could tell despite the years they had spent apart. He saw the fear in her eyes, despite the mask of happiness that she wore day after day.
After one particularly bad scolding, Kaya fled to the forest and found herself at the water's edge, gasping. The tears fell unchecked from her overflowing eyes and destroyed one another's ripples on the surface of the water. She stared miserably at her tearful reflection and after awhile, grew tired of the unsightly image and slapped the water with her hand.
The wolf's ears pricked at the sound. No animal ever made that sound, unless they had taken a surprise fall. Cries and sobbing followed it. The wolf made a deep growl and started towards the sound.
San was not far away and when she saw her wolf brothers turning away she followed them. When they stopped, she came to their side and brushed away a curtain of branches. Her eyes widened.
Ashitaka's sister-here again?
As she watched in shock, the girl reached into her pocket and drew out something that shone in the sunlight, so brightly that it temporarily blinded San.
Kaya stared at the crystal dagger, remembering better times-teatimes with Lady Eboshi, playing with rag dolls when she was young, Ashitaka taking her for rides on Yakkul when he was only a young elk. Another racking sob broke free from her throat and her hand closed over the sharp blade, cutting two deep marks on her palm. Upon opening her hand her tears fell on her hand and diluted the dark red. Kaya raised her hand and thrust the dagger into the woods, as far as she could.
The action caught San by surprise, but nevertheless she caught it easily with no damage to her own rough hands. Kaya's blood shone bright on it.
Kaya rested on her knees, expecting to hear the sound of the dagger falling into a bed of dried leaves, but there was none. After a moment she raised her head and turned to look behind her.
The wolf girl!
She stood with the dagger in hand, not twitching a muscle. Kaya stared in fear, her eyes widening as she stepped back.
"Careful there." San spoke carelessly. "You don't want to fall in yet again, do you?"
Kaya's eyes widened until San imagined them popping out of their sockets. They filled with tears and the girl made no effort to restrain the unchecked flow. San didn't know why she did it, but she walked over and locked her arms around the girl. Kaya didn't stop her.
"By the way, thank you for returning my dagger," said San, in an easy voice.
"Your dagger?" Kaya looked up at her in surprise.
"Yes, Ashitaka gave it to me," said San. She glanced down at the crystal blade and twirled it between her fingers. Kaya followed the movement with her eyes. The rotating blade was reflected in her pupils.
"Oh," she said quietly. "I gave it to him.when he first left our village, more than five years ago."
"I see." San decided that she might as well get to know this girl. "Want to come for a ride?"
"All right." Kaya approached San's wolf brothers hesitantly as they growled and bared their teeth at her, but calmed down immediately at just one word from their human sister.
"We might as well get to know each other better. You can start by telling me your name."
"I'm Kaya."