Kaya Sees the World, Chap. 14
Sorry I haven't updated in so long!!! Chapter 15 is half written and will be up tomorrow, I promise!
Kaya made a trip to the forest every day, and soon it didn't seem so far anymore. Some days San arranged to meet her there; other days she worked on taming Hana alone.
Hana was living a happy life deep in the woods, eating berries and wild plants and drinking from the river. Kaya was slowly training the elk to let her ride her now (after a near catastrophic first attempt to ride), letting Hana get used to her scent and the feeling of having a human on her back. Although she was still quite young and it would be a long time before she equaled Ashitaka's Yakkul, Kaya was very proud, and felt deeply indebted to San.
Kaya would never forget her first attempt to ride Hana. Too late she realized that she hadn't given the elk enough time to trust her; immediately Hana began bucking madly, shifting her weight from back legs to front and back. Kaya was thrown forwards and reached up to grab the antlers, as she would have on Yakkul, only to remember that Hana was a female elk-and never would have any antlers. It was lucky that this took place near the water and the force threw Kaya into the water, which broke her fall. Hana had snorted and run off into the woods, despite Kaya's calls. Annoyed with herself and worried that Hana might not return, Kaya had slowly retreated home, waiting for her drenched clothes to stop dripping water.
But all had turned out well. Hana was there, chewing on a green leaf with Kaya returned tentatively the next day, and didn't run from her. It wasn't until two weeks later that Kaya dared to try the riding again. San had laughed hysterically upon hearing the story.
She came to Irontown now, every once in awhile, and the villagers were slowly growing to trust her. Surprisingly, the men had been more open than the women, some of which still held faint grudges against the girl whose wolves had killed their husbands. With some coaxing and encouraging from Ashitaka and herself, Kaya was convinced, they could easily mend the break between San's forest world and Kaya and Ashitaka's human world. San herself was slowly growing more and more open to this plan as well. Several times Kaya had come back to find San sitting in their cabin, choosing her words carefully in a conversation with the women over a warm cup of tea.
Kaya lifted her skirt and stepped over briars over to where her precious elk was standing. A branch crackled under her foot and Hana's ears went straight up, rotating around to catch the sound.
"It's just me," said Kaya, laughing as she stroked the little red nose. She'd developed a habit of talking to the elk despite the lack of responses.
"Has San been to see you recently?" Kaya asked gently, rubbing Hana's thick glossy coat. The elk turned to look at her, her ears intently listening to every syllable of her words, though her mouth chewed leaves in a never- ending motion.
Sometime soon, Kaya thought, absentmindedly still rubbing, it would be nice to bring Hana back to Irontown with me. She could meet Yakkul and perhaps someday she and Ashitaka could go for a ride on their respective elk. Kaya couldn't wait to show her to Toki and the other women; she'd been babbling about it for days since she'd found out about her present from San.
San paused a distance away, watching Kaya's lips move as she stroked the elk's soft fur, layered on that hard, muscular back. Kaya hadn't noticed her presence yet; her mind was evidently occupied.
Unlike most other times, this meeting hadn't been pre-arranged and furthermore, San hadn't come to help her with training Hana. She had brought a message from Ashitaka, who was frustrated at not being able to find his sister when he needed her. But now that San saw how much Kaya was enjoying the moment, she didn't want to interrupt her.
"Kaya," she called anyway. Kaya turned, her dark brown her swishing in the wind. Hana did the exact same motion.
"San!" she called, waving brightly.
San smiled. "Ashitaka needs you back at the village," she called back. "They're holding some sort of meeting and he wants you there."
"Okay." Kaya gave her elk a final pat and came over to San's side. "Will you be staying here?"
"Do you want me to?" asked San.
"Can you?" Kaya replied with another question, and San laughed.
"Of course I will."
"Thank you!" Kaya smiled, and with the carefree laugh of a child, disappeared into the woods. San walked over to Hana and stroked her. The elk continued to chew leaves, but San was disturbed. Ashitaka had seemed upset about something, but he hadn't told her. He hadn't bothered keeping a close eye on Kaya for a long time now; she was free to do as she wished. But for him to call for her so suddenly. . .
San pushed the thoughts of her mind and occupied their space with thinking of the best way to get Hana to willingly walk to Irontown, away from her little haven in the forest.
Sorry I haven't updated in so long!!! Chapter 15 is half written and will be up tomorrow, I promise!
Kaya made a trip to the forest every day, and soon it didn't seem so far anymore. Some days San arranged to meet her there; other days she worked on taming Hana alone.
Hana was living a happy life deep in the woods, eating berries and wild plants and drinking from the river. Kaya was slowly training the elk to let her ride her now (after a near catastrophic first attempt to ride), letting Hana get used to her scent and the feeling of having a human on her back. Although she was still quite young and it would be a long time before she equaled Ashitaka's Yakkul, Kaya was very proud, and felt deeply indebted to San.
Kaya would never forget her first attempt to ride Hana. Too late she realized that she hadn't given the elk enough time to trust her; immediately Hana began bucking madly, shifting her weight from back legs to front and back. Kaya was thrown forwards and reached up to grab the antlers, as she would have on Yakkul, only to remember that Hana was a female elk-and never would have any antlers. It was lucky that this took place near the water and the force threw Kaya into the water, which broke her fall. Hana had snorted and run off into the woods, despite Kaya's calls. Annoyed with herself and worried that Hana might not return, Kaya had slowly retreated home, waiting for her drenched clothes to stop dripping water.
But all had turned out well. Hana was there, chewing on a green leaf with Kaya returned tentatively the next day, and didn't run from her. It wasn't until two weeks later that Kaya dared to try the riding again. San had laughed hysterically upon hearing the story.
She came to Irontown now, every once in awhile, and the villagers were slowly growing to trust her. Surprisingly, the men had been more open than the women, some of which still held faint grudges against the girl whose wolves had killed their husbands. With some coaxing and encouraging from Ashitaka and herself, Kaya was convinced, they could easily mend the break between San's forest world and Kaya and Ashitaka's human world. San herself was slowly growing more and more open to this plan as well. Several times Kaya had come back to find San sitting in their cabin, choosing her words carefully in a conversation with the women over a warm cup of tea.
Kaya lifted her skirt and stepped over briars over to where her precious elk was standing. A branch crackled under her foot and Hana's ears went straight up, rotating around to catch the sound.
"It's just me," said Kaya, laughing as she stroked the little red nose. She'd developed a habit of talking to the elk despite the lack of responses.
"Has San been to see you recently?" Kaya asked gently, rubbing Hana's thick glossy coat. The elk turned to look at her, her ears intently listening to every syllable of her words, though her mouth chewed leaves in a never- ending motion.
Sometime soon, Kaya thought, absentmindedly still rubbing, it would be nice to bring Hana back to Irontown with me. She could meet Yakkul and perhaps someday she and Ashitaka could go for a ride on their respective elk. Kaya couldn't wait to show her to Toki and the other women; she'd been babbling about it for days since she'd found out about her present from San.
San paused a distance away, watching Kaya's lips move as she stroked the elk's soft fur, layered on that hard, muscular back. Kaya hadn't noticed her presence yet; her mind was evidently occupied.
Unlike most other times, this meeting hadn't been pre-arranged and furthermore, San hadn't come to help her with training Hana. She had brought a message from Ashitaka, who was frustrated at not being able to find his sister when he needed her. But now that San saw how much Kaya was enjoying the moment, she didn't want to interrupt her.
"Kaya," she called anyway. Kaya turned, her dark brown her swishing in the wind. Hana did the exact same motion.
"San!" she called, waving brightly.
San smiled. "Ashitaka needs you back at the village," she called back. "They're holding some sort of meeting and he wants you there."
"Okay." Kaya gave her elk a final pat and came over to San's side. "Will you be staying here?"
"Do you want me to?" asked San.
"Can you?" Kaya replied with another question, and San laughed.
"Of course I will."
"Thank you!" Kaya smiled, and with the carefree laugh of a child, disappeared into the woods. San walked over to Hana and stroked her. The elk continued to chew leaves, but San was disturbed. Ashitaka had seemed upset about something, but he hadn't told her. He hadn't bothered keeping a close eye on Kaya for a long time now; she was free to do as she wished. But for him to call for her so suddenly. . .
San pushed the thoughts of her mind and occupied their space with thinking of the best way to get Hana to willingly walk to Irontown, away from her little haven in the forest.