Kaya Sees the World, Chapter 22
Oh mang I'm so sorry about the lateness of this chapter. I keep saying that I'll be updating regularly and I haven't been keeping up with it, so I'll come right out now and say that updates will probably be very irregular from now on. Thanks again to all my reviewers : )
He hadn't asked her to come. Kaya wasn't surprised. She wondered briefly where they were now. She wondered if Ashitaka's arm was strong enough.
Ashitaka had rounded up the women and left early in the morning, before the sun had even broken through the pale blue blanket of a horizon. She'd heard them leaving - heard the rustling and hushed voices. The youngest of the cabin's inhabitants had pulled her blanket over her head and pulled her legs up to her chest, half-hoping that Toki would tap on her shoulder and whisper, "Wake up, Kaya. It's time to go."
But it never happened, and when Kaya turned over ten minutes later she was facing a cold, dark empty room.
With all the female inhabitants of Irontown gone, Kaya was suddenly very lonely. She wandered throughout the silent town, feeling like the sole survivor of a town that had been ravaged by plague. The men were still asleep-something that had become more and more common recently, angering Ashitaka greatly. How was he to achieve anything if his men refused to work?
Kaya made her way to the well outside Lady Eboshi's cabin and fetched herself a full bucket of water and began to lug it back to her cabin, switching it from hand to hand in order to even out the weight.
Two twin shadows passed over Kaya's head and she stopped to look up, sloshing some of the water over her bare feet. Silhouetted against the sun's bright rays were two large birds circling slowly, wings spread out wide. Eagles? Hawks? Kaya couldn't tell, but they sent a cold shiver down her spine.
Her feet were cold. She picked up her bucket again and hurried back with the intention of making herself a warm bowl of rice.
= = = = = = =
We're not lost, thought Ashitaka furiously.
He had come once or twice with Lady Eboshi before, but both times it had been raining and he had not paid any attention to the route, especially as he hadn't been the one leading. He'd never expected that Lady Eboshi would have-
Ashitaka shook his head to clear his mind of her memory, and once again reminded himself that his purpose was now to lead her people.
I must do it well, he thought, but his brows knitted in frustration.
Nothing looked familiar-but then again, it wasn't as if he could remember anything other than rain and the crunch of rocks beneath his feet.
In one way he was grateful for the clear weather, but at the same time he wouldn't particularly mind having a bit of darkness to mask his expression, either. Ashitaka pursed his lips and looked around. Nothing surrounded them but trees and rocks.
They had already climbed painstakingly over two mountains and were halfway up the third. None of the women had uttered a word of complaint-even the horses had been noisier, but Ashitaka knew they were tired. He was as well.
He was certain that the rice fields were just beyond the mountains, but no one knew how many more mountains they would have to climb. As Ashitaka raised his head to look into the distance, he realized for what seemed like the thousandth time that he could not see the end of the mountains.
And for the first time all day, he thought of Kaya.
Oh mang I'm so sorry about the lateness of this chapter. I keep saying that I'll be updating regularly and I haven't been keeping up with it, so I'll come right out now and say that updates will probably be very irregular from now on. Thanks again to all my reviewers : )
He hadn't asked her to come. Kaya wasn't surprised. She wondered briefly where they were now. She wondered if Ashitaka's arm was strong enough.
Ashitaka had rounded up the women and left early in the morning, before the sun had even broken through the pale blue blanket of a horizon. She'd heard them leaving - heard the rustling and hushed voices. The youngest of the cabin's inhabitants had pulled her blanket over her head and pulled her legs up to her chest, half-hoping that Toki would tap on her shoulder and whisper, "Wake up, Kaya. It's time to go."
But it never happened, and when Kaya turned over ten minutes later she was facing a cold, dark empty room.
With all the female inhabitants of Irontown gone, Kaya was suddenly very lonely. She wandered throughout the silent town, feeling like the sole survivor of a town that had been ravaged by plague. The men were still asleep-something that had become more and more common recently, angering Ashitaka greatly. How was he to achieve anything if his men refused to work?
Kaya made her way to the well outside Lady Eboshi's cabin and fetched herself a full bucket of water and began to lug it back to her cabin, switching it from hand to hand in order to even out the weight.
Two twin shadows passed over Kaya's head and she stopped to look up, sloshing some of the water over her bare feet. Silhouetted against the sun's bright rays were two large birds circling slowly, wings spread out wide. Eagles? Hawks? Kaya couldn't tell, but they sent a cold shiver down her spine.
Her feet were cold. She picked up her bucket again and hurried back with the intention of making herself a warm bowl of rice.
= = = = = = =
We're not lost, thought Ashitaka furiously.
He had come once or twice with Lady Eboshi before, but both times it had been raining and he had not paid any attention to the route, especially as he hadn't been the one leading. He'd never expected that Lady Eboshi would have-
Ashitaka shook his head to clear his mind of her memory, and once again reminded himself that his purpose was now to lead her people.
I must do it well, he thought, but his brows knitted in frustration.
Nothing looked familiar-but then again, it wasn't as if he could remember anything other than rain and the crunch of rocks beneath his feet.
In one way he was grateful for the clear weather, but at the same time he wouldn't particularly mind having a bit of darkness to mask his expression, either. Ashitaka pursed his lips and looked around. Nothing surrounded them but trees and rocks.
They had already climbed painstakingly over two mountains and were halfway up the third. None of the women had uttered a word of complaint-even the horses had been noisier, but Ashitaka knew they were tired. He was as well.
He was certain that the rice fields were just beyond the mountains, but no one knew how many more mountains they would have to climb. As Ashitaka raised his head to look into the distance, he realized for what seemed like the thousandth time that he could not see the end of the mountains.
And for the first time all day, he thought of Kaya.