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.·¤**¤·.Eyes Clouded By Love.·¤**¤·.

¤ By: Telpelindewen ¤

¤ Chapter Two ¤

"Well what do you think?" San asked Ashitaka of the new addition to her family.

"They are great." Ashitaka replied without enthusiasm.

"Ashitaka what is wrong?" San could see the longing in his eyes for something unknown.

"I miss my family." He told her and stopped. They were overlooking the forest.

"What, do you mean Iron Town?" She asked hoping that she was wrong.

"No. The village that Yakkul told you about a couple of months ago." Ashitaka glanced at the grazing red elk.

"Tell me about your home Ashitaka."

"It's not my home anymore." And that was all he said as he walked away.

"Oh, Ash, wait will you." He slowed down and turned around back towards her, "I could find out everything from Yakkul if I wanted to, but I would rather hear it from you." She looked at him as he glanced away.

"So then ask Yakkul." Yakkul pranced over at the sound of his name, and as Ashitaka walked towards the caves he starting talking to San.

Something you wanted to ask Princess? Yakkul could not speak like the wolves, but San could still understand him.

"No, I was going to ask Ashitaka about his village, but he would not speak of it." She looked at the boy who had become man in the last six months.

He misses his village a lot, more than ever, but being with you makes him a lot happier. He might not tell you now but eventually, if you give him time, he will tell you everything. Yakkul went to go back grazing.

"Yakkul, everything…?" San drifted off.

There is much that I did not tell you before about Ashitaka and his original hometown.

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It was into the second week and at night the next time Ashitaka or San would bring up his village of the past. All the wolves and Yakkul were sleeping as Ashitaka woke early. It was unusual that San didn't have a nightmare that night, or the night before. He glanced to where San was sleeping and saw that she was grasping the crystal dagger that he had given her before the forest spirit died. He moved his blanket on top of the snoring princess. Then he got up and went towards the end of the cave that over looked the forest.

When he was out in the open he threw her arms out wide and took in a fresh breath of the dawn's warmth. Ashitaka soon found that he wasn't alone as San placed her arms around him from behind.

"What wakes you so early princess?" Ashitaka whispered into her ear, and he felt the shiver go through her spine.

"I hate it when you call me princess Ashitaka. But to answer your question I don't know. I just awoke earlier than usual, without the nightmare." She turned towards him, "But how about you… you were awake before me. What woke you so early?"

"I've been thinking…" He stopped.

"Ash, please don't tell me you're leaving already." San's smile and good morning was ruined before it had even started.

"I am… but I want you to come with me." He looked at San's startled expression.

"I refuse to live with those human slime balls! I will not go near Iron Town." San crossed her arms stubbornly.

"Who said anything about Iron Town? What about my village?" He didn't need to see her expression to know what it would be.

"Ashitaka…" San began with doubt.

"Don't answer me yet San; I want you to think about it. It would just be for a little while." He held out his arms to her.

She walked into the warmth that he offered so early in the morning. "Ashitaka, I don't think that I could leave this forest. But will you tell me about your village?" He nodded.

"In the mornings the dawns are equal with the sunsets. The horizon like a crystal rainbow, or like the colors of your dagger. There is crystal stone everywhere and green grass and trees as far as the eyes can see. All the creatures live in harmony, and we awake to the wise woman's hymns. You can see your breath like a silver sheath, and an echo in the valley like a war drum's silent beat."

And so Ashitaka told San of his land where he grew up, and they talked until noon where then they played games with the pups.

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CLING CLING! The break for the blacksmiths bell chimed twice for the next shift of men that would work for a week. The men that got off were greeted by their wives or children. But Beau just looked for a nice clean bench to plop down on. He watched as all the men and women left hand in hand, and he wished that he had a wife to bring him water and love.

But he didn't know that a certain woman was watching him from a distance. She had a bucket of water in her hands to bring around to the men who had just gotten off a shift, and she was planning to talk to Beau.

"Hey there, would you like some water?" Seamy approached with a happy smile, being careful not to trip.

"No, I'll get some for myself." Beau didn't look up. He did see her watching from a distance and saw her looking the day before, and the day before that, and even the day before that. She was the new Tatara Ba woman that Lady Eboshi had brought in without a marriage contract. She was more beautiful than most of the women there, which should have given her a husband in a hurry.

"Well since I'm right here with the water why don't you take it from me?" Seamy didn't know how to talk to the stubborn man.

"I said no." He still didn't look up, but said it a little bit more fiercely.

"Oh come on it's not like I poisoned it or anything." She was getting annoyed.

"What part of no don't you understand?! Stop pushing I don't want the fucking water." He was looking at her eye to eye now, and wished that he hadn't. She was more beautiful than from a distance, and soft looking.

"I'm s-sorry." She backed away in a hurry and bowed her head. It looked like she could have had tears in her eyes. Seamy left the bucket behind. Each woman at Iron Town had their own bucket with their names painted on it. If Seamy had remembered this then she wouldn't have left her bucket behind. Beau felt extremely sorry for his rude and obnoxious ways as she ran off with her head bowed like she would cry.

"I really am becoming a harsh and mean man." He looked at her bucket, rolled his eyes and than drank the water in it. He smiled as he thought how he wanted to see her again, so he would make her come retrieve the bucket instead of returning it.

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She ran towards the corner of Iron Town, which was a lush garden filled with vegetables and fruits. She sat down on her favorite bench by the water.

Where did I go wrong, stupid men. Why wouldn't he take the water. I'd better get water for Gonza's Ox, it's almost feeding time… then aloud "Damn!" and she got up to stamp her foot, "Shit I forgot it!"

"My, my you are more rambunctious than I thought, and here I thought that you were a soft woman with a fragile heart." Lady Eboshi stood behind Seamy with an umbrella in her hands.

"Soft maybe not, but a fragile heart yes milady." Seamy bowed her head.

"Don't worry Seamy… he'll come around soon." Lady Eboshi winked and Seamy blushed.

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It was the day after Seamy and Beau's introduction that Ashitaka woke to find himself awaken late and hours past dawn. He was alone except for Yakkul. He looked around and found many packaged items wrapped in leaves. There were many foods and a blanket. Ashitaka walked outside to where he found an all blue tinted wolf. She was Juven, Mune's mate.

"Hello Ashitaka, if you don't remember me from the last time I saw you." She spoke quickly.

"Hello Juven and fine pups you've mothered. Um… where is San?" He looked around.

"She's in the creek with all the pups while Mune and Nuke look around the forest. There was surpassingly a spotting of a Kodama. But it's to be a false jest."

Ashitaka waited for San to return to the caves. All he could do was wonder about the wrapped packages in front of his bed.

"Hah! Yeah right! Oh I love you guys." Ashitaka could hear San's voice carrying laughter as she entered the cave. She was soaked to the bone, but wearing dry clothes. She had a bone in her hand used as a comb. She walked over to Ashitaka who patted the ground beside him. He took the comb from her and started untangling the knots from her hair.

"San…" he paused combing, "what of these packages you have here?"

"I thought it would be obvious by now… I'm going with you to visit the Amishi."

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DISCLAIMER

All the characters appearing in Princess Mononoke are copyright of someone else. No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder. All original characters in Eyes Clouded By Love are the creations and the property of Telpelindewen. Even if they are out of character.

BLAH!!!!