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.·¤**¤·.Eyes Clouded By Love.·¤**¤·.

¤ By: Telpelindewen ¤

¤ Chapter Seven¤

Lady Eboshi had proposed that Seamy should look at the men that were all the available bachelors in town. They were all standing in line. Lady Eboshi waved away Seamy's protest against looking at the men standing in line. They all had big goofy smiles and were waving. So Lady Eboshi took Seamy down the line introducing every man to her. Seamy felt like crying because she had fallen in love with Beau, and she thought that he felt the same way. Some of the men held bouquets of flowers and candy, but Seamy saw them all as bribes and after a while she just bowed her head and didn't look at the bachelors anymore. Seamy didn't know how to tell her Lady that she wasn't interested in anyone but Beau, when she had been so kind to her.

"Oh this guys is definitely a good choice." But Lady Eboshi had said that frequently with her bandaged arm. So Seamy ignored her call and continued to look at the ground. When the man had placed a water petunia under her nose Seamy glanced at it and then looked up quickly. Standing there with a smile on his face was Beau and for him it was torture to watch her go by each man hoping that she would hate every single one of them. Seamy took the petunia and threw her arms around Beau's neck. This had Lady Eboshi and the other men laughing. So most of the men left and Lady Eboshi watched from a distance as Seamy kissed Beau on the lips, to his amazement, and almost fell over. This made them all laugh again. Beau and Seamy walked off hand in hand.

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The Amishi people had a feast in honor of the return of their prince, who hadn't told them if he would be staying or not. They drank and sang and dance. By the time the party was over San and Ashitaka were still dancing and they danced near the woods to where a tree loomed over them into coolness.

They fell on the ground laughing. When Ashitaka placed his head in San's lap she started to play with his hair until they both calmed down from too much wine. San started to sing her song again, the one that Ashitaka had heard in his dreams every night. He loved her voice and hoped that she would never stop.

Something startled San into quietness. She looked behind her and found nothing.

"Ash… did you hear." There the sound was again as she whispered. It sounded like…

"A Kodama?" Ashitaka sat up straight away and looked around. There was nothing to be found but the trees and animals.

"Ashitaka did you hear that as well?"

"Yeah." He stood up and walked around the tree. When he came back San was standing as well. They both scratched their heads in thought.

They heard the sound again and looked up… sure enough there was a kodama hanging up side down from a branch on the tree. It glowed very faintly and then disappeared.

Ashitaka stared at the spot where the creature that was supposedly extinct by now stood.

"What the hell? I thought they were dead!" Ashitaka said knowingly.

"Ashitaka… if their alive…" San started looking around for the white, small tree spirit.

"Then so is the forest spirit." Ashitaka finished quietly.

Both humans walked towards each other, not afraid, but not wanting to see the creature that could mean something appear again. They looked around and somehow their hands found each other entwining with in the others grasp. They felt a slight spark when they connected and looked down to see a Kodama. They both jumped at seeing it by their feet and their hands disconnected. At once the spirit diminished.

"Ashitaka, the forest spirit is dead… right?" She asked him.

"I don't know anymore. Maybe he didn't die after all, but there hasn't been any sightings of him." Ashitaka pulled San towards him in hopes to protect her.

"Can we ask your wise woman?" San looked back towards the village.

"Yeah, lets go before it's too late to ask her."

The two of them ran off towards the village, San glanced over her shoulder a numerous amount of times. When they arrived the two men guarding her hut smiled and stepped aside for their entry. They entered in the dimly lit tent.

"I sense a Great Spirit with-in my presence." The wise woman coughed.

"It is us wise woman. I have come to introduce Princess Mononoke to you, and to ask you a few questions. That is if your stones are willing to give us their answers." Ashitaka nodded to San who joined him up front in the light.

"Oh you are a fine choice for our Prince." The wise woman grinned peevishly as San blushed an impossible red. San tried to tell the woman that she and Ashitaka weren't going to be married when the woman raised her hand, "Tell me of your questions."

"We know you know about the death of the great forest spirit." San began but she was again interrupted by the old woman.

"Yes… but I also know of it's rebirth." She smiled when the two looked at her like she had drank too much vyerdle seed (a common alcoholic drink). "But I see that you two did not. Although I know that you have seen the Kodama."

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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!!!!