San gazed out on the lake, standing in the exact spot where she had watched
her beloved Moro, her mother wolf die. If she knelt down, she could
pinpoint and feel the very spot where the wolf's head had lain. If San
would but lay her head down on the earth and inhale deeply, she would smell
the last remnants of Moro's scent. It cut through her like a knife
sometimes. Other times, she merely felt a pang and moved on, knowing that
Moro was with her still and nothing could take that from her. Nothing.
"San, what do you see?" Mune asked, padding his way to her with silent grace and ease, his beautiful white fur gleaming in the sunlight.
San, turned and gazed upon her wolf brother and reached out a hand to stroke him gently, his rich fur soft and warm against the palm of her hand. "I see that the humans are content to stay where they are for once." She remarked, her eyes flitting back to the wide expanse beyond the bushes.
Mune moved closer to her and lifted his head to gaze at her, sitting back on his haunches. "I believe it is that human of yours, Ashitaka. I sense he had a hand in it." The wolf mused, his eyes on her.
San laughed softly and stroked him yet again. "Mune, he is not my human, but I believe you may be right." She turned away from the bush and walked back down the path, her bare feet flitting silently along over the grass, a few kodamas appearing around her with each step.
Truly, she missed Ashitaka. It had been nigh on three years since she had last laid eyes on him and heard his soft voice. He had promised to come and visit her and she vaguely wondered at when he would come to see her. There had been much she wished to say to him, to tell him. Looking back on their parting three years before, she wished things could have been different, but she had been so torn.
San shook away such thoughts, and let her eyes wander from the kodamas to her wolf brother, padding along in silence beside her. "Has Nuke returned?" She asked him, turning towards the cave she had shared with Moro and her brothers.
"Yes, he has returned from his search. The other forests are safe. He has found a mate however. She has returned with him. Her name is Saikoubi." Mune told her, swishing his long tail. He let out a soft howl of contentment, his eyes gentle.
San smiled fondly. "That is wonderful. I look forward to meeting her. I presume he has found himself another cave then?" She asked, a mirthful smirk on her lips and her eyes playful.
The wolf uttered an equally playful growl. "Of course, the better for the wolf cubs on the way."
San laughed at that and thought to herself that her new life was just beginning. She smiled and knew, whatever came, she would embrace it with open arms.
"San, what do you see?" Mune asked, padding his way to her with silent grace and ease, his beautiful white fur gleaming in the sunlight.
San, turned and gazed upon her wolf brother and reached out a hand to stroke him gently, his rich fur soft and warm against the palm of her hand. "I see that the humans are content to stay where they are for once." She remarked, her eyes flitting back to the wide expanse beyond the bushes.
Mune moved closer to her and lifted his head to gaze at her, sitting back on his haunches. "I believe it is that human of yours, Ashitaka. I sense he had a hand in it." The wolf mused, his eyes on her.
San laughed softly and stroked him yet again. "Mune, he is not my human, but I believe you may be right." She turned away from the bush and walked back down the path, her bare feet flitting silently along over the grass, a few kodamas appearing around her with each step.
Truly, she missed Ashitaka. It had been nigh on three years since she had last laid eyes on him and heard his soft voice. He had promised to come and visit her and she vaguely wondered at when he would come to see her. There had been much she wished to say to him, to tell him. Looking back on their parting three years before, she wished things could have been different, but she had been so torn.
San shook away such thoughts, and let her eyes wander from the kodamas to her wolf brother, padding along in silence beside her. "Has Nuke returned?" She asked him, turning towards the cave she had shared with Moro and her brothers.
"Yes, he has returned from his search. The other forests are safe. He has found a mate however. She has returned with him. Her name is Saikoubi." Mune told her, swishing his long tail. He let out a soft howl of contentment, his eyes gentle.
San smiled fondly. "That is wonderful. I look forward to meeting her. I presume he has found himself another cave then?" She asked, a mirthful smirk on her lips and her eyes playful.
The wolf uttered an equally playful growl. "Of course, the better for the wolf cubs on the way."
San laughed at that and thought to herself that her new life was just beginning. She smiled and knew, whatever came, she would embrace it with open arms.