See bottom of chapter for disclaimer.
~Chapter 2: Escape~
It had been a long several hours since Eboshi had seen Ashitaka, and although she was not worried, she did have some curiosity as to where he had gone. Lady Eboshi walked past the open door of Ashitaka's home, and saw the young man placing various items into a traveling bag. Several clothing items, some cured meat, fruit, a length of extra bowstring and bow wax- Eboshi knocked softly on the open door with her left hand and stepped inside.
"Good heavens, Ashitaka, where are you leaving for?"
"I'm sorry, Lady Eboshi, but I'll be leaving Irontown for a while." Ashitaka said as he strapped on his sword. "It's a personal matter."
"Is there anything I can do? Should I have Gonza and some men accompany you? Where are you off to?" Eboshi questioned out of genuine concern. She had seen too many young men wander off because of personal matters and never come back. Ashitaka was someone she was indebted to, and she wished to repay that debt.
"I'm off to meet Lord Asano." Ashitaka stated as if he was not concerned that he was about to visit Eboshi's sworn enemy.
Eboshi raised her eyebrows in confusion. "You're doing what?"
"I'm sorry, Milady, but I must be off. Yakkul!" Ashitaka called to his elk. Yakkul was carrying another bag of supplies, as well as his saddle.
"I bid you good day, Lady Eboshi!" Ashitaka shouted as he mounted Yakkul and sped off, the people of Irontown parting and watching him go. Eboshi watched the quickly receding figure of Ashitaka for a moment, before she was interrupted by the quiet clearing of a throat behind her.
"Yes, Gonza?"
"Milady, Jiko is here to see you."
"Ah, good."
~
"So, you want me to rid you of Asano, eh?" Jiko Bou repeated as he sipped some tea thoughtfully. He was inwardly confused as to why he was not being hunted or why Eboshi had not ordered her guards to kill him, but he wasn't going to show it.
"He's an ever growing thorn in my side and is probably going to try to kill me again, sooner rather than later." Eboshi sighed and stared off into the mountains. "If I could be rid of him, it would be the end of a long vow for both you and me." Eboshi turned to look at Jiko.
Jiko grinned behind his teacup. "Well, I can't deny that. But, as for me doing all the work, it'll cost a pretty pile of gold to convince me."
'Kill Asano, eh? Then what, Eboshi? Kill me?' Jiko thought. What was her game?
Eboshi gestured to a nearby table. "There's five thousand gold pieces there, each the size of your thumbnail and all handcrafted by one of my smiths. They all await you once Asano is dead." Eboshi watched as Jiko's eyes widened considerably. "But you'll have to convince me, Jiko. Bring me his sword. Then I'll keep my end of the bargain."
Jiko turned and grinned. "Well, times are hard, so I can't say no to an offer like that. Very well, Eboshi, it's a deal." The two shook on it, rather awkwardly, since Eboshi was lacking a right arm.
"Also, I'll throw in an extra five hundred if you'll do me a favor." Eboshi said. "The boy Ashitaka left here a short while ago. Follow him, helping him in any way you can. Is that too much to ask?"
Jiko smiled craftily. "Make it six hundred and I'll do it."
"Done."
"Very well- the sword of Asano and helping out Ashitaka. You drive a fair bargain, Eboshi."
"I'll have my kitchens prepare supplies for you and my citizens help you to prepare in any way I can."
"That's very nice. Thanks!" Jiko left, his wooden shoes making a hollow noise on the path below.
Gonza, who had been waiting in the wing of the room with his hand on the hilt of his sword the whole time, stepped into view. He bowed to Eboshi and finally removed his hand from his blade.
"Why do it, milady? What can you get out of it?"
"If Jiko manages to kill Asano, then I'm rid of my greatest enemy for virtually nothing in return. That's a week's worth of income from before our disaster. We can easily get it back, and more quickly if there's no rouge warlord to hamper us. And, if Jiko dies, I lose nothing in the attempt, and I buy time while Asano's cleaning up a little affair with Jiko's friends."
"And if Jiko decides to side with Asano?"
"Will I really be much worse off? I can handle a monk and a few men with blowguns."
~
The setting sun carved out a position in the western mountains, a jagged ball of flame blazing the last remnants of it's light before extinguishing and letting night settle in. Ashitaka and his three animal companions halted at a small stream. Surrounded by a rocky outcropping, it was an acceptable, if not perfect, place to rest for the night. Yakkul and the wolves each had their fill from the small stream, and Ashitaka helped himself to a sparing meal.
It had been a long day, even if they had only been traveling for four or five hours. The wolves had met Ashitaka a safe distance from Irontown, and they had begun a long and arduous trek following the trail of the raiders. It was clearly the horses they had that had allowed them to escape quickly. If they had been moving on foot, they would have been at the mercy of the wolf brothers long ago. They had wanted to continue riding through the night, but as Yakkul was already straining to keep up, Ashitaka had forced them to stop. Now, they finally settled down begrudgingly.
Ashitaka had settled into a light sleep when both wolves suddenly bolted upright. They had not been asleep at all, by comparison. Both were growling softly. Shiroi slowly and silently walked over to Ashitaka, bending his head closely to Ashitaka's ear.
"There's someone nearby. I can't say who…but I know their smell…" He growled softly. Ashitaka rose as quietly as he could, taking his bow and quiver and nocking an arrow to the string. He walked over to stand in between the two wolves, arrow drawn tightly on the bowstring.
"Where are they?" Ashitaka murmured.
"I'm facing them" Was the wolf's short response. He was indicating a bush about ten feet off. Ashitaka stared. For a moment, nothing happened. Then it moved, just for an instant. Ashitaka checked his bow to make sure the arrow was set properly, and then walked in a small half circle around to the side of the bush.
Step by step, he moved closer. Suddenly, a black figure burst and tumbled from the bush, and Ashitaka barely checked his fire in time to avoid killing his stout monk friend Jiko.
Several minutes later and after some brief explanations, things were sorted out. Kuroi and Shiroi were untrusting of Jiko, mainly because he had helped Eboshi kill the forest spirit. That distrust, combined with already being set on edge, was making the wolves extremely irritable. Ashitaka too was slightly edgy, with all the commotion when he should have been asleep. Jiko, however, was pulling various objects from his pack, which must have been almost as big as he was. For Jiko, any time was fit for a meal, namely right then. He pattered around a small fire as Ashitaka watched from a small distance. Ashitaka felt foolish to think Eboshi had sent someone to guard him- to babysit him! He frowned at the thought. He was no child. He could take care of himself, without help from Lady Eboshi. The fire played upon his eyes, and he slowly drifted off into an uneasy sleep.
Jiko watched as the boy stared into the fire and eventually fall asleep, his chest rising rhythmically up and down. The wolves, however, were not going to sleep at all tonight. Right now they watched him with glaring eyes. One of them licked his chops. Jiko blinked and turned back to his meal. Eboshi had not mentioned anyone being with Ashitaka. It was probably Jiko's oversight; while he had tracked the boy successfully, he had neglected to notice that there were more than elk tracks. Jiko decided he wouldn't give the wolves any opportunity to catch him off guard. He settled into a nook in the base of a tree and looked out over the fire. It started to rain very lightly, and the flames sputtered and died as the rainfall increased.
~
San, miles away, was wide awake. She had taken careful note of her surroundings: they had crossed the river early today, perhaps three hours after the fight in the woods. Right now, it was late night and the group of soldiers who normally guarded her had fallen asleep, and only Taisho remained up. It was raining, albeit lightly, but the ropes that held her were noticeably stretching from the moisture. This could be her chance to escape. Taisho, however, was all too aware of every movement San made. He sat only ten feet away, glaring at her. Every now and then, he would turn and prod the fire with a stick, and it was then San would work her wrists as hard as she could. The ropes were slackening…she was so close! Just as San silently began to slip her hand from the ropes, there are was a shriek of something flying through the air and a spear, hurled by Taisho, thudded cleanly into the ropes, now binding San tighter than ever. Taisho took his time briefly tending the fire, then he rose and walked over to San. Taisho put his bullish face inches from hers and growled out an oath.
"I serve my Lord Asano with my life, and as I don't wish to die, I will see that you can't possibly escape." Asano removed the spear from the wood and tightened the ropes once again. San's wrists, already sore and cut, were once again firmly secured.
"Sweet dreams." He muttered as he drove her head sharply onto the pole she was tied to, sending San into unconsciousness with a small "aah" of pain.
~
Jiko, for being a fat monk and wearing raised sandals, was incredibly agile. A swift running river with rocks sticking out here and there proved to be no real obstacle for him, as he vaulted across, landing neatly on a stone each time. Ashitaka waded across through waist deep water, while Yakkul, Shiroi and Kuroi each crossed with no difficulty. Jiko vaulted the last twelve feet onto dry land, where he was intentionally soaked as the wolves dried off on either side of him. Jiko tried as best he could to reverse the 'damage' while Ashitaka examined the shore. There were scattered ashes and footprints in the wood's edge; this was where the soldiers had camped. It was clearly well chosen, both for comfort and food as well as being able to easily discern any approaching threat. The wolves both put their noses on the ground, instinct guiding them forward through some dense brush. Ashitaka, Jiko, and Yakkul all followed, and after a short walk were greeted by a most amazing sight. At the far edge of this forest was an immense, ragged cliff with a huge dropoff. Ashitaka surveyed the view, peering into the distance.
"No sign of San…but what is that?" Ashitaka thought to himself. Realization hit him hard. Off in the distance, there was a city. It was just as grand as Irontown had been before it was destroyed. Towers, vast roads, smoke drifting up from dozens of chimneys, and a grand palace. On the far side of the city was a vast bay, and a steady trickle of ships made their way in and out of the harbor far below. Ashitaka was examining the vast city when Kuroi gave a harsh bark. The wolf growled and lunged down a narrow path to the side of the cliff. Shiroi charged after his brother. Ashitaka, mounted on Yakkul, and Jiko went scrambling after the wolves. Yakkul had little trouble navigating the path, but the uneven and crumbling pathway was difficult for Jiko to manage. He stumbled and rolled more often than he had stable footing on his perilous slide down.
Taisho saw the wolves charging towards them faster than any of the horses could outrun them. He ordered his men to make a run for it, taking the last two in the group and giving them a good hard shove. Bait and switch, a primitive but effective tactic. The wolves would take the easy prey and the rest of the group would make it safely to the city.
Sure enough, the wolves were on the two betrayed warriors like lightening. Ashitaka and Jiko barely had time to intervene; the wolves were bloodthirsty for vengeance. Fortunately for them, the lives of the men were saved, not to say that their conditions were any better- one had Ashitaka aiming an arrow at him, the other with a sword Jiko had produced being held at his throat.
"Please don't kill us!" The men groveled helplessly.
Jiko grinned widely. "We won't…oh, but they might." He said, pointing to the wolves.
"Where are the rest of you?" Shiroi growled viciously.
The soldiers were too frightened to even think about the fact that they were being threatened by a giant, speaking wolf. "They…they're headed to Kaigan, Asano's city. We…we could take you there."
"Then get up," Ashitaka motioned with his loaded bow, "and get going."
Jiko, not one to waste any opportunity, pilfered everything decent from the two soldier's equipment. They didn't complain. A few swords and what money they were carrying on them wasn't as important as getting out with all four limbs and a head.
The walls of the city Kaigan loomed before the small company, grander than Irontown's with more refined wooden beams and archer's turrets spaced regularly along the length. From the guard tower, a watchman called down. "Who are you and what is your business, stranger?"
"My name is Ashitaka and I have come of my own accord. We wish to enter. We found a pair of soldiers of this city abandoned by their comrades, and we wish to return them." Ashitaka called back.
"Aye," replied the man, "and would the fat old dog standing next to you be the monk who robbed me blind in his trip three years ago?" The sentry's voice took on an edge. He apparently recognized Jiko.
Jiko grinned. "Ah, shut your whining, Tobira, and open up!" He called back with no less nerve, rapping on the door of the city to stress his point.
The wolves growled audibly behind Ashitaka. They had elected to stay off in the sparse trees to the sides of the main entry path, but were still potentially risky to be seen.
"Stay low," Ashitaka told them, "if they see you it might ruin the chances of us getting back San."
The great gate creaked open, not opening outward like the door of Irontown, but swinging inward in two separate parts. The soldiers, dishonored and robbed, moved quickly inside and vanished in the crowds there. Ashitaka and Jiko stood taking in the city. The streets of Kaigan were crowded, as all cities are, but they had a clear scent of open air untainted by fire and soot. The sentry from the door, Tobira, came down and greeted Jiko warmly. For his harsh words, the two seemed to be old friends. Ashitaka forced his way through masses of crowds haggling rice, meats, and other goods. The grand palace at the end of the city grew slowly closer until, finally, Ashitaka stood inside the courtyard. It was a well-kept and clearly affluent palace, but from what Ashitaka knew it's outer appearance belied inner evil. Ashitaka walked forward over the threshold of the palace doors alone, into the hall of Asano.
"What have we here?" Asano sneered softly upon his throne. He knew all too well. He had received a hasty report from Taisho just minutes ago. The boy, it seemed, had taken the bait. Now Asano had to convince him to trade places with the girl. Then he would have some bargaining power with Eboshi.
Ashitaka did not waste time, fearing San's safety. "My name is Ashitaka. I have come from Irontown following a war party. I seek the wolf girl, San." Ashitaka said. The man sitting in the shadows of the throne was clearly intending to be seen as an ominous and brooding figure. His voice seemed huge, filling the otherwise deserted hall.
Asano grinned a fiendish grin. "Ah, yes. The wolf girl. Ashitaka, was it? She was in here a while ago. As she was led off, she shouted your name. She was screaming something dreadful."
Ashitaka shook with anger. If they had harmed her, if they had hurt her…"What do you want in exchange for her?" Ashitaka said, his voice harsh.
Asano knew he had the upper hand. "The fact is, boy, I want you out of the way. You turn yourself over to me, I set the girl free. Would you die for her?" Asano was playing with the boy's honor. Such a foolish thing, the overblown pride that was honor. It was merely an invitation for others to use you as a doormat.
"I must see her."
Asano's sneer returned quickly. "A visit? Only under my eye, boy."
The warlord stood, his robes sweeping the ground, and as he passed into a ray of sunlight Ashitaka finally got a good look at him. He was tall and regally dressed, his hair slick and black in a fine black bun. He kept a short moustache and goatee, with each being notably pointed, creating a very sinister face. His eyes were dark and brooding under low black brows. He was tall and solidly built, but carried himself with refined grace and dignity, as well as a slight air of scorn for all who were unworthy to even speak to him. One of his hands was inside his robes, and Ashitaka could not see that Asano clutched his old wound, which throbbed like fury.
He led Ashitaka through corridors and hallways until they reached a small enclosure. In the center of the enclosure sat a crude wooden cage. In the cage was San. She was battered, dirtied, and bleeding in several places. A trio of guards nearby looked far worse. San saw Ashitaka and rushed over to the edge of the cage, wide-eyed and desperate. Ashitaka could see her better- she had a bad cut on her forehead and the back of her hair was matted with blood, but she was still in one piece and not seriously injured in any way. Ashitaka knelt next to the bars and they each looked at each other. Neither knew what to say for a moment.
"I…I'm going to get you out of here." Ashitaka said, not meeting her eyes when he said it.
San blinked, not looking away but again trying to meet his eyes. "How?"
"By giving myself up to him." Ashitaka finally looked back, and this time in his eyes there was fear and determination.
San's eyes went wide with concern. He didn't need to do this. "Ashitaka," she said whispered through clenched teeth, "don't. He'll kill you! It's what he wants!"
"San, you are more important to me than myself. You need to keep living. Don't worry about me."
San felt tears prick the corner of her eyes. "Ashitaka…"
"San…"
~
Alone, San walked out of the gates of Kaigan. The eyes of the citizens followed her, and a small crowd pushed it's way along from a safe distance behind her as she staggered like she was blind through the gate. It had been opened wordlessly, and now it closed wordlessly behind her. Her legs seemed to be moving by themselves, and they shook terribly. She turned back and looked upon the closing gates with eyes clouded by tears. She did not look at the gates, she looked far beyond them to the palace where Ashitaka had imprisoned himself. Her voice broke as she made a vow.
"Asano, this isn't over yet. He won't die for me. I won't let him…"
~
DISCLAIMER AND OTHER INTERESTING FACTOIDS TO NOURISH YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF BASIC JAPANESE! (In which I have no skill whatsoever…)
Concerning ownership and character names…
San, Ashitaka, Lady Eboshi, Gonza, the "unnamed" wolf brothers, Moro, Okkoto, Nago (not even sure I mentioned him), the concept of Asano, and everyone else originally appearing or referenced in Princess Mononoke (Mononoke Hime for you hardcore fans out there) are property of Hiyao Miyazaki, Studio Ghibli, Miramax, Disney, Buena Vista Home Entertainment, and whomever else they came into contact with along the long and complicated journey to America.
Characters of my own creation include the following, with a bit of background on each for those of you who haven't realized just how much of this is basic Japanese:
Asano – well, I flushed out his personality and physically created him, and you'll be seeing still more of him in future chapters.
Kuroi and Shiroi – I expanded a bit on them (They might be twins but from experience twins are usually different) and gave them names. The names also are a duality in that they reflect personality differences- "kuroi" means "black", "shiroi" means "white". Imagine that.
Taisho – Definitely filched this one from the Jap-English dictionary. Taisho means "general (military), leader, admiral". Guess what he is.
Kaigan – Means "seashore, coast, seaside, beach". It's a coastal city, hence Kaigan. I thought it sounded city-like.
Tobira – Tobira, the doorkeeper of Kaigan, has a name that literally means "door".
…and that wraps up my rewrite of part 2! Part 3, the first new addition to this fic in years, is also now up! Entitled "Kuma Tsume". Who is he? You'll see.
…and the obligatory review request is supposed to go here, but if you've read this far, you're either a diehard who has to finish something even if you hate it or you're someone who likes/loves/is indifferent towards the fic. Drop me a line, I need a bit of motivation to stoke my creative muse.