Wolfy- I didn't look over this chapter,again, but it's up. I'm really sorry 'bout the long wait. Most of it was really due to laziness. I know I said I'd do the wierd 'round the world thing but I lied. I'm not gonna do nothing this time. The story was cut short because ofmy lack of ideas and complete blank on San. Excuse my primitive speech. If I can pry the beginning out of my friends' hands I'll give you the other story/fanfiction/completelystupidrole-play thing that we've been doing...If I can pry it out of her hands...
I don't own Princess Mononoke. I own Kieza and Myaki and just about everyone related to them.
Chapter 7 -finally
Myaki-
Myaki lay upside down on his bed. The silver stars stitched above would soon be a reality, truly hanging above him. Lying near the end of his bed were his sacks of clothes. Soon the servants would come to take them downstairs to the stables so the packhorses could carry them. It had taken two days of arguing to even get his stepfather to bring horses. The Emperors' normal way of traveling was by sedan. He saw no honor in riding a horse. Most commoners now owned horses making them "unfit" to carry royalty as they had once been long ago. After another day of arguing and threatening not to go, Myaki had been allowed to bring his own stallion, Kar Li.
A knock sounded at the door, alerting Myaki of a servants' presence. Sighing, he broke away from his thoughts and rolled onto his stomach, leaning over the bed grabbing the sacks. Pushing himself off the bed he walked over to the door and opened it-handing the sacks into the surprised servants' hands. Myaki closed the door, leaving the servant in the hall. Smiling, he leaned against the closed door. The girl must have been one of the new servants from one of the lowly merchant houses where they had waited hand and foot on their masters.
Stretching, Myaki wandered over to the window on the other side of his room. The view showed the west side of the castle and its' grounds. Beyond lay the level plain that rose to mountains in the distance. East. That was a direction in which he had never traveled in before. Another knock sounded from the door, followed by another. Myaki turned away from the window and looked towards the door.
"Yes?" He called.
The door opened slowly and his mother gracefully stepped in. Myaki gazed at her, his dark blue eyes set quietly on her form. His mother slowly made her way towards him, stopping about halfway across the room.
"Yes?" He repeated.
His mother winced slightly at the tone of voice he used.
"I want you to try to get along with your stepfather. Just try Mya-sama." Her voice was pleading.
Myaki turned back to looking out the window. His mother shifted behind him.
"Please Mya-sama. I know he's not your real father but he's trying to act like him."
Myaki frowned at her words. Trying? He had never really thought of it that way…Myaki mentally shook himself. Trying? To act like his father? Not even close. Taking a deep breath Myaki turned back towards his mother, his best fake smile lighting his face.
"Of course mother. I will try." His fake smile made it a little difficult for him to speak.
His mothers' mouth twisted slightly towards a frown.
"Myaki, I want you to honestly try." There was a serious undertone to this statement.
Myaki nodded and his mother shook her head to herself, her facing showing that she was not satisfied. Looking back at Myaki one last time she sighed and headed for the door. As she reached it she turned to look back a Myaki who still stood by the window, the smile no longer lighting his face.
"Please Myaki."
Her whispered words only just met Myaki's ears. His gaze became fixed on the floor tiles. When he next looked up his mother had left the room. Letting his long held breath escape him he looked out the window again. The sun still wasn't visibly in front of him. After a few moments' consideration, Myaki turned away from the window and strode towards his door. Pushing the dragon covered door open he stepped out into the carpeted hallway. A few scurrying servants met Myaki's eye, everything else was quiet. Turning on his heel Myaki walked over towards where a set of stairs was.
In the stables, Myaki walked amongst the servants and horses. His own black stallion stood in the last stall.
As he neared him Myaki waved his hand, dismissing the servants that had stood around Kar-Li. Taking the reigns from one of the stable boys he walked out of the stable, leading Kar-Li.
Near the center of the court Myaki clutched Kar-Li's saddle and hoisted himself up into it. From his new perch he looked around his gaze halting on a few of the guards and soldiers going with them. Lightly, Myaki nudged Kar-Li towards a small group that had begun to assemble. As he approached one of them stepped back and bowed before continuing on with his work. Myaki acknowledged him with a nod and continued to inspect and observe the preparing.
"Myaki, Ready so soon?" A hand pressed lightly against his shoulder.
Turning Myaki saw his stepfathers' chesnut eyes fixed on Myaki's face. Myaki turned away immediately after recognizing him.
"Yeah."
The emperor's smile turned down into a frown and sighing he turned his horse away and shook his head.
"Mya-san! Mya-san!" Kika's childish voice cut through the surrounding air, as the young girl ran through the crowd of servants.
Myaki turned to look at his sister.
"Hello Kika."
Kika stood quietly for a second, something she rarely ever did before abruptly sticking her cupped hands out in front of her. In them was the ivory dove.
Myaki instantly recognized it as the necklace that their stepfather had given her. She had talked of nothing else since she had gotten it. Kika held her cupped hands up farther, stretching them almost above her head.
"Mommy says that you might run away. That you might never come back." Kika's eyes shimmered with the faint trace of tears. "I want you to come back."
Run away? Myaki's face mirrored his confused thoughts and he shifted his gaze towards the palace doorway where he could see his mother standing.
"I want you to take my dove necklace. Then you have to come back because you have to give it to me." Kika gave him a wavering smile.
Myaki pulled his gaze away from the doorway and swung off his horse and squatted down so that he was eye level with his little sister. Placing his hand onto hers he could feel her pressing the necklace upwards, into his hand.
"I promise I'll come back. And I'll bring you a great gift too." Myaki smiled at her as he closed his hand around hers and the necklace before withdrawing it. The small ivory dove now in his hands.
Kika giggled and clapped her hands together happily before bouncing over to their mother.
"Mommy, Mommy! I gave Myaki my dove and now he promised that he won't run away!" Any sign of tears or sadness had left her face as she danced happily around their mother.
"That was a very kind thing you did." Their mother bent down and hugged Kika lightly before looking over at Myaki.
Myaki, still smiling, hoisted himself back onto Kar-Li's back and turned him so that he was facing the east. A new adventure, even if he had to share it with him stepfather, it couldn't be that bad.
Kieza-"So…where do you come from? Even from the few folks I see- I know you don't wear normal clothes there."
Kieza gazed down at her dirtied shift, the mere sight of it causing a thing blush of embarrassment to spread across her face. The old woman laughed at this. Looking up Kieza continued the conversation.
"I…ah…my father and I are wandering traders." Her hands were clasped around a small chipped, faded blue teacup.
"What about you? Do you just normally let strangers walk into your house?"
The old lady laughed in response to this.
"I don't get very many people this way. Besides, You're just a child. A poor child at that. Your father can't be selling his wares well."
Kieza looked down into her teacup as the woman continued laughing.
What have I learned so far? She reviewed it in her mind. The old woman had lived in these woods for about fifty years. She had a husband, who was currently in town. Most likely admiring my father's wares. She though bitterly before continuing. They had had an arranged marriage but had found each other good companions. They had had a son but he had died when he was around Kieza's age. If he had lived he would have been in his mid-thirties.
The old woman's voice jarred Kieza from her review.
"Would you like a cookie?" In her withered hands was a plate, just as faded as the cup, piled high with tan cookies. "It's not much but they're better than plain rice."
Kieza smiled and grasped one lightly in her hand, attempting not to crush the crumbling cookie. Taking a small nibble she could taste the light sugary sensation as the pieces lightly fell on her tongue.
The woman slid into one of the teetering chair across from her. "So tell me about yourself. Your father is the peddler in town today, No?"
Kieza nodded and the woman continued. "Where are you headed?"
Kieza looked up from the table where she had previously been looking. "There's a place called Iron Town. My father said that they recently had some sort of war against Lord Asano recently and that they would no doubt want supplies. He's also been there a few times before so he's fairly well known."
The old woman looked mildly surprised at the mention of the town.
"Lord Asano? Is that what he thinks?" The woman reached for another cookie.
"Well, We've been on the road and all the villages say that that was what happened."
The old woman shook her head. "Bad things. They upset the spirits. I could feel it. It was the Forest Spirit that they fought. A very foolish thing to do. I know nothing of the outcome."
Kieza gazed at her curiously. "The Forest Spi-"
Her question was cut off by a light knock on the door. Both of them looked over towards it and the old woman sighed and stood up.
The knocking persisted, louder this time.
"One minute, I'm coming!" The old woman shuffled her way over to the door and pulled it open.
Ashitaka-Jigo sat next to Ashitaka, spread lazily out on the grass. Yakkul grazed quietly a few feet away.
Ashitaka had been twirling a thing blade of grass with his fingers for the past few minutes as he waited for Jigo to speak. Finally Ashitaka stuck the blade of grass into his mouth and set his gaze firmly at the blue sky, focusing on the few wispy clouds.
Jigo took a deep breath, drawing in air as if to speak. Ashitaka turned his gaze towards the man next to him.
As if considering options, Jigo pursed his lips together, letting the air out slowly. Ashitaka continued to look at him.
For seemingly endless minutes there was no sound save for Yakkul's' constant grazing and the occasional gust of wind that ruffled through the grass. Finally, Jigo spoke.
"It's been nearly twenty or so years now since we were last there…" Jigo's voice trailed off.
Ashitaka sighed. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." He stretched out and prepared to get up.
"No. We need your help." Jigo shook his head.
Ashitaka continued to a standing position. "I can show you how to construct houses. They can't be the same as my…peoples' but they will work."
Jigo sat up and looked at him, gratitude in his eyes. "Thank you. You really are a great man."
Ashitaka nodded. "I'll be down later. I just need to be alone for a little while."
Jigo nodded and scurried to his feet. "Thank you again." He walked off, leaving Ashitaka and Yakkul alone again.
Noticing the absence, Yakkul looked up and Ashitaka walked over to him and laid a hand on the side of his cheek, which Yakkul nuzzled lightly.
"What'll do now?"
Yakkul snorted and went back to grazing.
"Thanks for the advice." Ashitaka smiled at him and walked around him so that he was looking out over the hills. It was hard to believe that only yesterday this land had been covered in trees with gods among them.
"What'll we do now?" Ashitaka's voice took on a softer note this time as he continued to look out at the endless sea of grassy hills. San…
Wolfy- R&R. If I get over five reviews I'll continue the story. Less- I'll probably delete it. -hands sugar cookies to those who rated for the last chapter- Sorry if you had questions.