San woke up sometime before dawn. She had thrown her arm over Ashitaka in her sleep, so she lifted it carefully, trying not to wake him. She didn't know why, but she loved to watch this human sleep. He seemed so peaceful, and she was loath to disturb him.

Going out onto the veranda, she thought about everything that had happened: Being kidnapped and brought to the humans' capitol, and Ashitaka following with her brothers. It could have just been Taro and Jiro coming to find her, but no, Ashitaka had come as well. That thought made a smile spread over her face, and her stomach fluttered. She didn't know why she enjoyed Ashitaka's company so much, but she did know that she couldn't bear the thought of never seeing him again, should he decide to leave.

She shook her shoulders in an effort to shake the thought off. He seemed content to stay in Iron Town and to visit her, so she was certain that he would be around for a good long while yet.

She headed back inside, and, seeing he was still asleep, decided to be quiet. She washed, changed behind a screen, and settled herself out on the veranda once more, marveling at the early-morning stillness. Despite being surrounded by humans, it was marvelously quiet. The only sound came from the guards walking to and fro down in the courtyard below her.

She began to watch them, realizing how much they moved like ants. She had often watched anthills, and the movement she saw in the courtyard was very much like that.

Suddenly, all of the motion stopped as two large white forms entered the courtyard. All of the guards were left staring at two very large wolves. They both looked up at San.

"Good morning, you two," she said, climbing up onto the rail and jumping.

Every guard below scrambled to catch her, but the wolves got there first, and she landed on Jiro's back with no problem.

"Good morning," Jiro growled back. "Where's your human?"

"He's still sleeping, and I didn't want to wake him," she explained.

"Aww, too cute and handsome to awaken?" Taro teased.

San snarled and flung herself onto Taro's back, digging her teeth into his ear and digging her fingers into his fur, making sure to yank on both. He yelped and twisted about, trying to buck her off. The guards, staring at this display of ferocity from a seemingly human girl, began to back away from the trio, step by cautious step.

"San! Knock it off! My ear and fur are attached!" he growled, trying to reason with her.

"Yield?" she demanded through a mouthful of ear.

"I yield!" he growled, almost ready to howl. He'd forgotten how sharp human teeth could be.

She let go and scrambled back onto Jiro, who was trying very hard not to laugh.

"Not a word out of you," Taro muttered, glaring at his brother.

"Oh, I'm not saying a thing," Jiro assured him. "Not a thing."

It was at this point that Ashitaka came out on the veranda, looking for San. He wore a simple tunic and breeches that were an echo of San's ensemble, a white tunic and blue skirt that wrapped around her waist. It didn't matter that Nyoki and Kinu had protested that only servants wore such things, San preferred them and refused to wear anything else now. Along with her shoes, San felt much more comfortable in the flower-bright colors they'd originally dressed her in.

"Down here," Taro said, looking up at him. "Go ahead and jump, I'll catch you."

It spoke volumes of how much Ashitaka trusted the brothers when he jumped with no more assurance than that. Instead of catching the boy on his back, the way Jiro had with San, he caught the boy in his teeth, holding him very, very gently and compensating for the fall by moving his head down once he had caught him.

Ashitaka was certain he'd felt his heart stop. After seeing teeth rushing up to meet him, he was surprised when he felt his feet dangling and the back of his shirt held firmly but gently by Taro. For a split second, he'd expected to be breakfast.

Taro put his feet on the ground. "Go ahead and say hello to San in the way you humans love to greet one another," he said, sounding as if he were teasing.

San looked as if she didn't understand, but Ashitaka understood right away and decided that it would not be wise to kiss San. After all, she might not be familiar with it or comfortable enough with him to allow him to do it.

"Where did you learn about that?" he asked, climbing up onto Jiro's back and giving San a hug.

"About what?" San asked.

"Something humans do," he explained, deciding not to say much more than that.

Taro was choking, trying to keep from laughing. Jiro was trying hard to keep from joining him.

"Do I have to bite you two?" San demanded, getting the feeling they were teasing her.

Ashitaka could feel himself blushing, and he was blushing so much that it was almost painful. Why did they have to tease him, why? He wasn't sure what San would think of him after hearing that humans pressed their lips together by way of greeting. She thought they were odd enough right now.

"No!" they both howled, now openly laughing.

"You two are so strange," San said, glaring at the two of them and pretending disinterest at the same time.

"Well, good morning!"

For a moment, Ashitaka thought he'd heard someone shout something in a foreign tongue, but then he realized that it was only because he was used to hearing Wolf that the words sounded strange.

All four of them turned and spotted the Emperor coming towards them, followed closely by Jigo. The monk was grinning and looked infernally happy about something.

They exchanged the usual pleasantries, and somehow, they were persuaded to attend a garden party that afternoon.

"What just happened?" Taro demanded after they were gone. "How did they get us to agree to that?"

Ashitaka shrugged. "I don't know. I just sort of felt my mind go a little numb. I think I didn't want them to be around me any longer than necessary. They make my skin feel slimy."

San nodded in agreement.

"A party?" Jiro said in shock. "We've agreed to go to a party? Oh, I'm sure all of the ladies will love giant wolves in the gardens!"

He'd meant to be sarcastic, but Taro suddenly grinned. "Jiro, you sound as if you don't want to go! Think of all the chaos we could create!"

Jiro suddenly looked thoughtful, and soon his grin was an echo of his brother's. Neither San nor Ashitaka bothered to tell them to behave.

Space

Jigo followed the Emperor, thinking about what the old ruler had asked him to do.

Jigo, I want you to find out about that boy, he'd said. Find out how he became a spirit when only a few months ago he was a human. Becoming a spirit will ensure immortality, I am certain of it, so I want you to find out how it was done. The boy knows you, so he will talk to you if you remind him of your acquaintance.

Yes, and it doesn't matter that he hates me, either, Jigo thought unhappily. Well, so what? I'll get him to talk, find out, and collect my pay from the Emperor. Not to mention that I'm curious, too! I'm dying to know what happened to that boy since the Shishigami's death.

Grinning to himself, Jigo followed the Emperor, oblivious to all else.