Kaya Sees the World, Chapter 17
Ashitaka watched his sister run away, his mouth becoming a hard line. Perhaps it had been too soon to press her about the topic, but-
He sighed and stood up, looking miserably at the flowers at Lady Eboshi's grave. What would she have done, had she been in my shoes? he wondered. Ashitaka turned and walked back to the cabin, not looking back.
He drew back the cloth door to reveal a roomful of women, all of whom were wearing very worried and saddened expressions. Ashitaka was suddenly feeling very old. He didn't want to face any of them, but wasn't about to be given that freedom.
"What did Kaya say?" asked one of the women, her face white with anxiety.
"Nothing different from what she said earlier. She still doesn't want to do it."
Kia was the only woman sitting down. Without looking up from her hands, which were folded in her lap, she quietly said, "Maybe Kaya is right. If she doesn't want to do it, we shouldn't force her to."
But rage was overcoming Ashitaka's temporary helplessness. His hands balled into fists and his eyes narrowed, annoyed with his sister's childish behavior. Toki looked at him in alarm but before her lips could issue a warning, he spoke.
"No. Kaya is being childish, and she must be made to see what is the right path for her. I'll make her see," he snapped, and stormed out of the cabin.
= = = = = = =
The women's cabin was empty. Kaya knew instinctively where everyone was- still in Lady Eboshi's cabin, discussing her refusal. She had taken an alternative route behind the cabins to avoid seeing any of them.
There was only one place to go now. Kaya turned and ran, this time ignoring all the branches and briars that tore wickedly at her skirt. The pink fabric was shredded by the time she reached her elk.
San wasn't here. Breathing heavily, Kaya's legs thudded to a stop. Hana's ears flipped back and forth and looked up curiously at the girl.
"Hana!" Kaya cried out, despite the elk's obvious muteness, "where's San? Has she been here today?"
Hana chewed noisily on a stalk of grass. Still gasping for air, Kaya slid to the ground. At that moment, San stepped out of the trees, a thick bundle of hay in her hand.
"Kaya!"
"SAN!"
San was knocked backwards by the force of Kaya launching herself towards the wolf girl. "Kaya, what happened? What is it?" She brushed a lock out of Ashitaka's sister's eyes, worried at the terrified expression in her eyes.
Kaya let her emotions out in a jumble of words so mixed up that they didn't form sentences. San let her talk, and only when her words had been reduced to helpless sobs, did she state her own opinion.
"Ashitaka wants you to do it," she said, more for her own benefit than Kaya's, "but if you don't want to, you don't have to. They can't make you do it." Kaya had buried her face in a clump of violets and was still crying. San drew her up by the shoulders and said, "Look, Kaya. Go back there and tell Ashitaka you don't care what he says, you like your life the way it is and you don't want to rule Irontown."
"I already did," Kaya said, tears still streaming down her face. San watched, surprised, as a glint of hope suddenly glowed in the girl's eyes. "Can I stay here with you?"
San was startled, but she knew what she had to say.
"No, Kaya. The forest isn't the place for you. You belong in Irontown with them, no matter how things are. You'll always be welcome to visit me whenever you want, but it isn't the right life for you."
Kaya nodded, and San noted that she had extinguished the light in Kaya's eyes. She felt as if she had extinguished a burning fire within her own heart, leaving only ashes. How could Ashitaka do this to his own sister? she thought, anger taking the place of the regret.
Kaya stood up slowly, and once again San was struck by the alikeness between her and her brother. "I'll go back now," she said shakily. "Thank you, San."
San put her arms around the girl. "Don't worry. You can always come to me."
Kaya smiled through her tears.
= = = = = = =
Ashitaka tore back the cloth door of the women's cabin, leaving a long rip on it dangling on the floor, but he didn't care. Everyone did their share and knew their place at Irontown, and Kaya needed to learn that she would have to follow hers.
He scanned the room, finding it utterly devoid of people. Anger rose in him, knowing she was gone. And he knew where she had gone.
Ashitaka turned and left to get his elk.
Ashitaka watched his sister run away, his mouth becoming a hard line. Perhaps it had been too soon to press her about the topic, but-
He sighed and stood up, looking miserably at the flowers at Lady Eboshi's grave. What would she have done, had she been in my shoes? he wondered. Ashitaka turned and walked back to the cabin, not looking back.
He drew back the cloth door to reveal a roomful of women, all of whom were wearing very worried and saddened expressions. Ashitaka was suddenly feeling very old. He didn't want to face any of them, but wasn't about to be given that freedom.
"What did Kaya say?" asked one of the women, her face white with anxiety.
"Nothing different from what she said earlier. She still doesn't want to do it."
Kia was the only woman sitting down. Without looking up from her hands, which were folded in her lap, she quietly said, "Maybe Kaya is right. If she doesn't want to do it, we shouldn't force her to."
But rage was overcoming Ashitaka's temporary helplessness. His hands balled into fists and his eyes narrowed, annoyed with his sister's childish behavior. Toki looked at him in alarm but before her lips could issue a warning, he spoke.
"No. Kaya is being childish, and she must be made to see what is the right path for her. I'll make her see," he snapped, and stormed out of the cabin.
= = = = = = =
The women's cabin was empty. Kaya knew instinctively where everyone was- still in Lady Eboshi's cabin, discussing her refusal. She had taken an alternative route behind the cabins to avoid seeing any of them.
There was only one place to go now. Kaya turned and ran, this time ignoring all the branches and briars that tore wickedly at her skirt. The pink fabric was shredded by the time she reached her elk.
San wasn't here. Breathing heavily, Kaya's legs thudded to a stop. Hana's ears flipped back and forth and looked up curiously at the girl.
"Hana!" Kaya cried out, despite the elk's obvious muteness, "where's San? Has she been here today?"
Hana chewed noisily on a stalk of grass. Still gasping for air, Kaya slid to the ground. At that moment, San stepped out of the trees, a thick bundle of hay in her hand.
"Kaya!"
"SAN!"
San was knocked backwards by the force of Kaya launching herself towards the wolf girl. "Kaya, what happened? What is it?" She brushed a lock out of Ashitaka's sister's eyes, worried at the terrified expression in her eyes.
Kaya let her emotions out in a jumble of words so mixed up that they didn't form sentences. San let her talk, and only when her words had been reduced to helpless sobs, did she state her own opinion.
"Ashitaka wants you to do it," she said, more for her own benefit than Kaya's, "but if you don't want to, you don't have to. They can't make you do it." Kaya had buried her face in a clump of violets and was still crying. San drew her up by the shoulders and said, "Look, Kaya. Go back there and tell Ashitaka you don't care what he says, you like your life the way it is and you don't want to rule Irontown."
"I already did," Kaya said, tears still streaming down her face. San watched, surprised, as a glint of hope suddenly glowed in the girl's eyes. "Can I stay here with you?"
San was startled, but she knew what she had to say.
"No, Kaya. The forest isn't the place for you. You belong in Irontown with them, no matter how things are. You'll always be welcome to visit me whenever you want, but it isn't the right life for you."
Kaya nodded, and San noted that she had extinguished the light in Kaya's eyes. She felt as if she had extinguished a burning fire within her own heart, leaving only ashes. How could Ashitaka do this to his own sister? she thought, anger taking the place of the regret.
Kaya stood up slowly, and once again San was struck by the alikeness between her and her brother. "I'll go back now," she said shakily. "Thank you, San."
San put her arms around the girl. "Don't worry. You can always come to me."
Kaya smiled through her tears.
= = = = = = =
Ashitaka tore back the cloth door of the women's cabin, leaving a long rip on it dangling on the floor, but he didn't care. Everyone did their share and knew their place at Irontown, and Kaya needed to learn that she would have to follow hers.
He scanned the room, finding it utterly devoid of people. Anger rose in him, knowing she was gone. And he knew where she had gone.
Ashitaka turned and left to get his elk.