Kaya Sees the World, Chapter 18
There was a faint twinge of regret that San felt deeply as she watched Kaya leave. She wanted the girl to stay with her, but in her heart she knew it would never work out. Kaya was a human, and despite her friendliness with the forest, her elk, and even some of the wolves, most forest creatures would never accept her as one of them.
She climbed deftly atop of Hana and led her on a slow trot, sensing that the animal understood her dark, troubled mood. Even if she had been born a normal human, even at her twenty-two years of age, she would not have wanted to take on the responsibilities of an entire village. How could Ashitaka think that Kaya could do it?
Hana stopped to take a drink from the water and San got off to sit by her side, slowly rubbing her neck. Her reflection in the clear water caught her attention.
She hadn't changed much from the old San, she thought silently, and wondered briefly if that was good or bad. Her hair had grown a bit longer, but otherwise, her appearance-and persona-was still the same.
I wish I could say the same for Kaya, thought San sadly.
= = = = = = =
It had been weeks since Ashitaka had stopped by to see San-something he evidently should have done much earlier, but that wasn't on his list of priorities now. At the top of that long list, ringing out in bold tones, was to bring his disobedient sister home and teach her a lesson.
He knew the places where San most usually frequented, and wasn't concerned to see the first place devoid of any humans-or wolf girls. But thirty minutes later he was becoming annoyed, having still found no sign of her or her wolves, and pushed on relentlessly through the forest, snapping angrily at Yakkul to move faster. The poor elk was by now being forced to trample various plants in the forest as Ashitaka drove him off the path.
He spotted her at last, sitting by the water, stroking-was that an elk? He turned and came around to her side.
"San."
Ashitaka was greeted with a gasp of shock that-to his amazement and disappointment-did not fade into a smile. San merely lowered her head, averting his eyes.
"Ashitaka."
She was not happy to see him? For a moment Ashitaka was confused, then understood. Kaya had already been here and poured out her story to the wolf girl. Made her an ally against him. The old rage rose in his throat.
"Where is she?" he snapped, fighting against the volcano of rage.
"Gone." And San stood up now, her arms crossed angrily. "I've sent her home. And I can tell you that she isn't very happy with you."
"That was obvious before," retorted Ashitaka. He turned and slammed his fist into a tree trunk, one of the first times that San had ever seen him show such fury. Even Hana whimpered and San quickly rubbed her thick fur. "She has no right to be behaving like this!"
"How can you say that?" whispered San, her voice paper-edged with coldness, a sharp contrast to Ashitaka's loud rant. "She's fifteen years old, Ashitaka. She's lived in Irontown for less than a year. She's had to go through the death of her best friend and live in fear of being killed. If you were in her position, would you want to do it?"
"If I were in her shoes, I would obey my brother!" Ashitaka raged, so loudly that the birds above him scolded and flew away to find a more peaceful perch.
"You-" began San angrily, but Ashitaka came towards her, silencing her abruptly with a hand cupped over her mouth.
"Do not," he said, his voice shaking with anger, "think of helping her. She has her duty and she will learn to fulfill it."
San was on the verge of slapping the man she loved. But at that moment, her wolf brothers rushed into the scene and tore Ashitaka away from her. He was swatting furiously at them like flies, but he was no match for a pack of young, strong wolves.
"Stop!" San screamed, as she saw blood spreading down his arm. She ran to the scene, pulling wolf after wolf back. "Stop it! Leave him alone!"
When they all drew back, San rushed to Ashitaka's side and saw that there was a long gash down his arm, blood spilling out of it. The arm that had born the wicked scar.
"Ashitaka," she gasped out. But he had only a glare and four words for her.
"Get away from me."
And with that, Ashitaka climbed on top of Yakkul and left, not looking back. He rode unsteadily, one hand clutched to his wound. San heard a few choice words muttered as he left, something she'd never heard from him before.
And then the brave wolf girl did something she hadn't done since she was a baby. She put her head down and cried.
There was a faint twinge of regret that San felt deeply as she watched Kaya leave. She wanted the girl to stay with her, but in her heart she knew it would never work out. Kaya was a human, and despite her friendliness with the forest, her elk, and even some of the wolves, most forest creatures would never accept her as one of them.
She climbed deftly atop of Hana and led her on a slow trot, sensing that the animal understood her dark, troubled mood. Even if she had been born a normal human, even at her twenty-two years of age, she would not have wanted to take on the responsibilities of an entire village. How could Ashitaka think that Kaya could do it?
Hana stopped to take a drink from the water and San got off to sit by her side, slowly rubbing her neck. Her reflection in the clear water caught her attention.
She hadn't changed much from the old San, she thought silently, and wondered briefly if that was good or bad. Her hair had grown a bit longer, but otherwise, her appearance-and persona-was still the same.
I wish I could say the same for Kaya, thought San sadly.
= = = = = = =
It had been weeks since Ashitaka had stopped by to see San-something he evidently should have done much earlier, but that wasn't on his list of priorities now. At the top of that long list, ringing out in bold tones, was to bring his disobedient sister home and teach her a lesson.
He knew the places where San most usually frequented, and wasn't concerned to see the first place devoid of any humans-or wolf girls. But thirty minutes later he was becoming annoyed, having still found no sign of her or her wolves, and pushed on relentlessly through the forest, snapping angrily at Yakkul to move faster. The poor elk was by now being forced to trample various plants in the forest as Ashitaka drove him off the path.
He spotted her at last, sitting by the water, stroking-was that an elk? He turned and came around to her side.
"San."
Ashitaka was greeted with a gasp of shock that-to his amazement and disappointment-did not fade into a smile. San merely lowered her head, averting his eyes.
"Ashitaka."
She was not happy to see him? For a moment Ashitaka was confused, then understood. Kaya had already been here and poured out her story to the wolf girl. Made her an ally against him. The old rage rose in his throat.
"Where is she?" he snapped, fighting against the volcano of rage.
"Gone." And San stood up now, her arms crossed angrily. "I've sent her home. And I can tell you that she isn't very happy with you."
"That was obvious before," retorted Ashitaka. He turned and slammed his fist into a tree trunk, one of the first times that San had ever seen him show such fury. Even Hana whimpered and San quickly rubbed her thick fur. "She has no right to be behaving like this!"
"How can you say that?" whispered San, her voice paper-edged with coldness, a sharp contrast to Ashitaka's loud rant. "She's fifteen years old, Ashitaka. She's lived in Irontown for less than a year. She's had to go through the death of her best friend and live in fear of being killed. If you were in her position, would you want to do it?"
"If I were in her shoes, I would obey my brother!" Ashitaka raged, so loudly that the birds above him scolded and flew away to find a more peaceful perch.
"You-" began San angrily, but Ashitaka came towards her, silencing her abruptly with a hand cupped over her mouth.
"Do not," he said, his voice shaking with anger, "think of helping her. She has her duty and she will learn to fulfill it."
San was on the verge of slapping the man she loved. But at that moment, her wolf brothers rushed into the scene and tore Ashitaka away from her. He was swatting furiously at them like flies, but he was no match for a pack of young, strong wolves.
"Stop!" San screamed, as she saw blood spreading down his arm. She ran to the scene, pulling wolf after wolf back. "Stop it! Leave him alone!"
When they all drew back, San rushed to Ashitaka's side and saw that there was a long gash down his arm, blood spilling out of it. The arm that had born the wicked scar.
"Ashitaka," she gasped out. But he had only a glare and four words for her.
"Get away from me."
And with that, Ashitaka climbed on top of Yakkul and left, not looking back. He rode unsteadily, one hand clutched to his wound. San heard a few choice words muttered as he left, something she'd never heard from him before.
And then the brave wolf girl did something she hadn't done since she was a baby. She put her head down and cried.