Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I do not own Princess Mononoke
Here's what I made up: Fokkusugaaru (Fokks)
Fokks awoke to the sound of jeering and banging. She shot upright, snarling. She tried to reach for her dirks, but her wrists were bound before her.
The young woman looked around to find herself in a wooden cage, surrounded by a mob of yelling humans. The noise was too great for her to pick out any individual words, and it hurt her sensitive ears.
She sank back to the ground, unable to use her hands to smother out the cacophony. Fokks curled up in her fox-skin cloak and pressed her face into it, stilling herself and controlling her breathing so she would appear to be sleeping.
The shouting slowly died away as the people of Irontown went back to their daily lives. The captive uncurled. Rising to a sitting position, she took stock of the situation.
Her dirks were hidden away by the humans, and there was one outside, apparently a guard to ensure she stayed put. She was locked inside a wooden cage, and the door was bound with thick, stiff rope. Her hands were bound tightly in front of her.
She began beating on the bars with both hands, "Let me out! You have no right to imprison me! Let me out right now!"
The guard turned and bashed his spear haft against the bars next to her face, "Shut up, wild girl."
She shrieked in anger, and was met with another whack from the guard. Fokks sank to the floor of the cage, shaking with pent-up rage and frustration. Once she regained her composure, she heard footsteps approaching.
Rising to her feet, the young woman stood defiantly, glaring at the human. He waved the guard away. The new arrival stood on the other side of the bars and studied her.
Fokks snarled, "What? Come to gape at the wild freak? Poke me with a stick? Call me names? Do what you will, human, nothing you do will affect me."
He smiled, "My name is Ashitaka. I have not come to gape, or anything of the sort. I just want to talk to you, as equals."
The captive snorted, gesturing to the cage with her bound hands, "Hardly. You have your freedom, and your filthy town. I have nothing but the clothes on my back, not even my freedom."
Ashitaka sighed, "I know how you feel. I had nothing to do with this. In fact, I spoke on your behalf. If the others had had their way to begin with, you would be in a much worse situation."
She turned her back, "Right. And I am supposed to trust the word of a human. Never. Not after all you and your people have done to Shishigami's forest."
Ashitaka sat down, "What are you called?"
Fokks turned and glared defiantly at him, "Why do you care?" The human shrugged.
The captive studied him a moment more, looking for signs of insincerity. Apparently finding none, she answered, "My name is Fokkusugaaru. Normally, however, I am known as Fokks."
Ashitaka nodded thoughtfully, "Fokkusugaaru… an appropriate name for a person such as you. Come, talk with me."
The captive hesitated, then squatted on her haunches near the human, still on edge and ready to get away at a moment's notice.
"Where do you come from, if you don't mind me asking?" he asked.
She sighed, "I woke in the forest when I was five. All I could remember was my name. I found these clothes and my dirks beside me. I grew up alone, learning to care for myself. I realized how much damage you humans cause in the forest every day. But you seem different somehow. I can't explain it, but I believe what you said about wanting to help."
Fokks moved to the other side of the cage, curled up, and went to sleep. Ashitaka sat for another moment, watching the steady rise and fall of the young woman's chest, then stood and walked away.