Kaya Sees the World, Chapter 16
"Me?!"
Everyone was staring at her in astonishment, perhaps thinking that Kaya had issued the statement herself, but in truth she was just as shocked as everyone else. She-just fifteen years old-rule an entire village of people who were three times her age?
"She's only fifteen," someone pointed out.
"She's gone through just about everything we've gone through, and knows how everything in this town works." Kia supported the idea. "Besides, she was closest to Lady Eboshi. She wouldn't be another Gonza."
"Very true," admitted Toki.
There was a long pause. Kaya was silent until gently, Ashitaka probed, "What do you think about this, Kaya?"
Kaya didn't reply. The idea was slowly sinking into her brain now, and she realized with all her heart that she didn't want to do it. She loved her life just the way it was-having free time to play with Hana and to see San. She wasn't interested in leading the men on expeditions to get rice or to trade iron.
"No," said Kaya, "no, I won't."
There was dead silence. Ashitaka looked crestfallen. Even the noisy men were silent.
Even Kaya was startled. Had that voice really come from her throat? She certainly didn't want to rule Irontown, but to speak so to an entire village of people-most of which were much older and respected than she-had she really done that? Kaya inched backwards against the wall, but there was nowhere to hide from the probing eyes of her people.
Toki spoke quietly to the girl who sat against the strong log walls, looking as if she were trying to defend herself. "Are you sure about this, Kaya? You don't have to answer now. We can easily wait a few days for you to think this over."
"No." Once again Kaya startled herself, along with the rest of the villagers, with her direct and rather cruel answer. "I've made my decision already. I don't need any more time."
Toki took a step back at this. Behind her friend, Kia quietly said, "Kaya, please, give this a little more thought-"
Kaya stood up and Kia stopped.
"I don't want to do it," she stated firmly.
= = = = = = =
Ashitaka rarely came to visit her grave, but today he had made an exception. In his hand he held several branches of pale purple lilac as he stepped out the other door in Lady Eboshi's cabin.
However, there was already someone there. Kaya sat at the foot of Lady Eboshi's grave, her legs folded neatly under her skirt. Drawing closer, Ashitaka realized that she was talking quietly.
His heart sank. He'd come to have a private moment with his late co-leader and friend and hadn't anticipated running into his sister here, whom he wasn't exactly very happy with. As he watched, Kaya leaned forward and placed a bouquet of white starflowers at the head of the grave. She folded her hands in her lap and lowered her head.
"Kaya."
Surprised, Kaya turned. Her emotions changed from confusion to annoyance and softened. Ashitaka sat down beside her and added his lilac branches to the bouquet of her starflowers. Kaya didn't protest. Instead, she whispered, "I miss her so much."
Ashitaka put an arm around his sister and felt her lean against him. "She's not gone, Kaya. She's always here, watching over us. She's in the wind," he said quietly, as a breeze rippled through the air. Kaya nodded.
The two sat for a while at the foot of the grave. Ashitaka could almost feel Kaya's pain. She had loved her best friend dearly, and the hurt had never truly gone away. But there were more pressing matters to be taken care of.
"Kaya," he pressed gently but urgently, "I really need you to rethink taking on Lady Eboshi's role as leader of Irontown."
Kaya sat up straight, angry now. "I have told you already," she said, her voice shaking with anger, "I am not going to become the next Lady Eboshi!"
"Kaya, if you would only-"
"This is the one place in Irontown I can now come for solace and peacefulness, thanks to whoever made the suggestion that I ought to rule Irontown. I'm fifteen years old, Ashitaka, and I don't want to rule Irontown. I had finally gotten away from those people and now you come and destroy my few moments of consolation!"
And with that, Kaya jumped up and ran away.
"Me?!"
Everyone was staring at her in astonishment, perhaps thinking that Kaya had issued the statement herself, but in truth she was just as shocked as everyone else. She-just fifteen years old-rule an entire village of people who were three times her age?
"She's only fifteen," someone pointed out.
"She's gone through just about everything we've gone through, and knows how everything in this town works." Kia supported the idea. "Besides, she was closest to Lady Eboshi. She wouldn't be another Gonza."
"Very true," admitted Toki.
There was a long pause. Kaya was silent until gently, Ashitaka probed, "What do you think about this, Kaya?"
Kaya didn't reply. The idea was slowly sinking into her brain now, and she realized with all her heart that she didn't want to do it. She loved her life just the way it was-having free time to play with Hana and to see San. She wasn't interested in leading the men on expeditions to get rice or to trade iron.
"No," said Kaya, "no, I won't."
There was dead silence. Ashitaka looked crestfallen. Even the noisy men were silent.
Even Kaya was startled. Had that voice really come from her throat? She certainly didn't want to rule Irontown, but to speak so to an entire village of people-most of which were much older and respected than she-had she really done that? Kaya inched backwards against the wall, but there was nowhere to hide from the probing eyes of her people.
Toki spoke quietly to the girl who sat against the strong log walls, looking as if she were trying to defend herself. "Are you sure about this, Kaya? You don't have to answer now. We can easily wait a few days for you to think this over."
"No." Once again Kaya startled herself, along with the rest of the villagers, with her direct and rather cruel answer. "I've made my decision already. I don't need any more time."
Toki took a step back at this. Behind her friend, Kia quietly said, "Kaya, please, give this a little more thought-"
Kaya stood up and Kia stopped.
"I don't want to do it," she stated firmly.
= = = = = = =
Ashitaka rarely came to visit her grave, but today he had made an exception. In his hand he held several branches of pale purple lilac as he stepped out the other door in Lady Eboshi's cabin.
However, there was already someone there. Kaya sat at the foot of Lady Eboshi's grave, her legs folded neatly under her skirt. Drawing closer, Ashitaka realized that she was talking quietly.
His heart sank. He'd come to have a private moment with his late co-leader and friend and hadn't anticipated running into his sister here, whom he wasn't exactly very happy with. As he watched, Kaya leaned forward and placed a bouquet of white starflowers at the head of the grave. She folded her hands in her lap and lowered her head.
"Kaya."
Surprised, Kaya turned. Her emotions changed from confusion to annoyance and softened. Ashitaka sat down beside her and added his lilac branches to the bouquet of her starflowers. Kaya didn't protest. Instead, she whispered, "I miss her so much."
Ashitaka put an arm around his sister and felt her lean against him. "She's not gone, Kaya. She's always here, watching over us. She's in the wind," he said quietly, as a breeze rippled through the air. Kaya nodded.
The two sat for a while at the foot of the grave. Ashitaka could almost feel Kaya's pain. She had loved her best friend dearly, and the hurt had never truly gone away. But there were more pressing matters to be taken care of.
"Kaya," he pressed gently but urgently, "I really need you to rethink taking on Lady Eboshi's role as leader of Irontown."
Kaya sat up straight, angry now. "I have told you already," she said, her voice shaking with anger, "I am not going to become the next Lady Eboshi!"
"Kaya, if you would only-"
"This is the one place in Irontown I can now come for solace and peacefulness, thanks to whoever made the suggestion that I ought to rule Irontown. I'm fifteen years old, Ashitaka, and I don't want to rule Irontown. I had finally gotten away from those people and now you come and destroy my few moments of consolation!"
And with that, Kaya jumped up and ran away.