People in my house...grr!

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San climbed on her brother's back and they ran off to the town. He pressed her hand to her wound, felt the blood trickle through her fingers, and cursed softly. The motion of her running brother was not helping the matter. No matter, she needed to get to iron Town.

San was not an idiot. She did not need an answer from the human to know what was happening. San was not Eboshi's only enemy. In fact, Ashitaka had told her of a human named Asano and had told her what had happened between his troops and the town while they had been trying to rescue the Forest's Spirit. San would gladly give way to those who wished to destroy that wretched woman. However, she needed to know why the group of humans had chosen to cross through her forest.

Picturing the landscape in her mind, she saw it was quite simple actually. Her forest was the fastest and easiest way to get to Iron Town. All other sides of the town were surrounded by water. That meant the troops could be easily spotted and defeated. She told her brother to go faster at the thought.

Upon reaching the outskirts of town, she dismounted Kendo with a wince and she almost fell. She leaned against her wolf brother for support.

"You're losing a lot of blood," said Kendo in a warning tone. San dismissed him, knowing she must get to the town as quickly as possible.

"It doesn't matter. I need some confirmation."

She walked over to Ashitaka's den, trusting him to be the bridge between her and the humans, as he had once been before. She saw at once that he was not at home. Yakuul was happily grazing the grass and gave her full attention when she came nearer to him. She looked deep into the creature's eyes for a few minutes.

"He's in the village?"

Thanking him, she thought for a moment. Yakuul brushed his wet nose against her right arm, indicating her injury. She smiled kindly at him and told him not to worry.

"I guess we do this the hard way," mumbled San and sighed.

Her brother did not protest as she climbed on his back once again.

"You know what to do," she told him quietly, dreading what she was about to do. With a nod, he retreated back to the very edge of the forest and with a snort, he began to sun. San grimaced slightly with pain but she let out no sound of discomfort. The spikes that used to be all around Iron Town were no longer there, which mean they were literary taking a leap of faith. Kendo leapt with the momentum of his running, high into the air, but could not reach the very top. San stabbed her dagger into the woods and climbed the rest of the way. Her brother landed safely below her and returned back into the woods to wait for his sister.

San stood erect on top of the ton walls, the guards had already heard the noise she made and pointed her guns at her but she did nothing.

"What do you wish, wolf princess?"

"I wish to speak to Eboshi," said San, knife still ready in her hand.

The guards regarded her with suspicion but they noticed the bloodstained dress and bruises on her face. The townspeople had already spotted her and words spread quickly of the injured princess. It was not long before Eboshi came into view with Ashitaka by her side.

San's eyes narrowed.

"Princess Mononoke, to what do we owe your lovely presence?"

San's nostrils flared but she regained her composure. Looking down at Eboshi, she spoke with a strong voice.

"I wish to speak with you–in private."

Eboshi raised her eyebrows in surprise.

"Of course, follow me to–"

"No," responded San angrily, "out here, I will not step into your town."

She gripped her dagger tightly, to the point where her knuckles turned white.

"You're injured," said Ashitaka quietly but the worry was evident in his voice.

"Minor injury," San mumbled.

"You can use my home, Eboshi," said Ashitaka, "but let me come as well."

Eboshi pressed her lips together.

"Very well. Gonza!"

"Yes, m'lady," said Gonza with a bow.

"Bring Toki."

"Uh–"

"I'm here, my lady," said Toki, following Eboshi and Ashitaka as they made their way out of the town.

San did not fight the new members. She was in pain and with no way down. The guards offered her the ladder Ashitaka most often used to which San gratefully accepted. San met up with Eboshi and started walking toward Ashitaka's house. He walked along side San, keeping a close eye on her. As soon as they entered his home, he excused himself and went in search of bandages. Eboshi and Toki sat on a couple of pillows while San remained standing. San gave the girl a worried look but was most relieved when Ashitaka came back with bandages.

"Well?" asked Eboshi expectantly.

"Warriors decided to go through my forest in order to get to your town," said San angrily.

"What for?" asked Toki, frowning.

"I don't know, I don't care," responded San as Ashitaka told her to take off her shirt.

"What for?" San asked him, confused.

"Your injuries," he said, indicating with his finger.

"Oh," she proceeded to take off her shirt. Toki noticed the dress she wore and stepped in.

"I'll help," she said to Ashitaka, who nodded in response.

"You didn't ask?" asked Eboshi, with a surprised voice.

"All I know is I don't want any stinking humans in my forest, even if they are coming after your hide."

"We're going to have to rip your dress, all right?" said Toki nicely.

"Why don't I just remove it?" asked San as if it was the most common thing in the world.

"Uh–" said Toki, trying not to laugh at her tone.

"Trust us," Ashitaka cut in quickly. San gave him a bland look but said nothing. Toki ripped the dress in half, holding what was now a skirt tight in her hand, making sure it did not fall. She tied it tight enough for it to remain up and assisted Ashitaka in cleaning her wounds.

"It's a deep cut," said Ashitaka, inspecting it carefully, "You were stabbed?"

She nodded and his face turned sour. There was a glint in his eyes she had seen before, once before but did not wish to see again.

"They did not say who sent them?" asked Eboshi, annoyed and gave Ashitaka and Toki with a strange look.

"No."

Eboshi sighed. Though she was very certain who sent the scouts and why, Eboshi remained worried.

"How many were there?"

"About eight humans carrying swords and guns."

It was Asano, she knew. The damned man would not leave her be. Eboshi was too lost in her own thought to notice San complaining loudly and the rather strange scene in front of her.

"Ow! Don't poke it!"

"I'm not," said Ashitaka, annoyed, "I'm cleaning it."

"Don't bother," responded San with a huff, "My brothers will lick it clean."

"Eww!" came Toki's disgusted voice, "That's an infection waiting to happen."

Once San's injuries were properly bandaged, Toki excused herself. She went to town to get some new clothes for San, seeing as her old ones were now ruined. Eboshi too excused herself but San stopped her.

"I won't be able to stop them if they come in larger masses," San informed her, "besides, it is your fight, not mine."

"I never implied you had to help us," said Eboshi coldly, "but you do realize if they want to destroy out town, they will come through your forest and most likely, they will do the same to your home."

San glared at her but knew she was right.

"Whether you like it or not, you are involved."

With that, she turned and walked away, heading quietly back to her town. Ashitaka had to stop San from launching herself on top of Eboshi and ripping her apart.

"Wretched woman, damned concubine—"

"San!"

She turned to face him. He signaled for her to kneel. Still muttering, she did as he told her. He kneeled in front of her and examined her face.

"I hate to say it, but she's right," started Ashitaka, ignoring San's irritated growl, "you're in as much danger as the town. Perhaps even more."

"That's great," said San, her voice dripping with sarcasm, wincing as Ashitaka touched the apple of her cheek.

"We need to work together if we want to protect what we hold dear."

"What!" shrieked San, "work with Eboshi?"

"Relax," said Ashitaka soothingly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, "I'm not saying you two need to become best friends. You said yourself you'd do anything for your forest."

She glared at him yet again but sighed, deflating with tiredness.

"I'll argue with you later, Ashitaka."

He chuckled deeply, which only annoyed San more.

San stretched herself on his floor, letting her head rest on his lap. A bit surprised, Ashitaka let her do as she liked. Once she got comfortable, he began stroking her hair gently. A quiet moment between them passed, with questions still hanging around them and a sense of dread but peaceful nonetheless. It was the calm before the storm and they knew this. They ignored it for now and settled themselves for the quiet and comfort between them.

"That woman will not make me wear kimonos, right?"

---

Asano did not expect his troops to be back for some time. He really did not expect one man to come back, half dying, to tell him of a girl in the forest near Iron Town that had defeated all eight of his scouts. He was angry, to say the least. How had one little girl defeated his scouts he did not know but now he discovered that she was a threat. The captain had told him this before he collapsed, alive or dead Asano did not know nor did he care. He did care about that one piece of information he received. The girl was some sort of guardian of the forest, it seemed. She defended and protected the forest from any outsiders, as she had proven with his scouts.

Asano saw this as a minor annoyance. He could easily get his whole army in there with no way for the girl to stop them with just a couple of wolves. He did not need to worry about her. His patience had worn thin at the fact that she had so easily defeated the eight men but she could not stand against the fury of more.

However, the fact that there was such a wild girl out there gave him an idea. He had an old friend, his name did not truly matter but he was known as the Skin Hunter. His obsession, his happiness, his joy was to discover a rare specimen of humans. He longed for the skin of those rare and exceptional. He did not hang the skin of animals or beast but those of humans. The Skin Hunter had his own small army of men, all brutal in every sense of the word. They followed him out of blood thirst. They did most of the dirty work for the Skin Hunter. The men followed him and only him. With the Skin Hunter by his side, Asano felt stronger and nearer his goal. Iron Town would fall, the riches would go to him, and the Skin Hunter would get what he wanted.

It was foolproof.

---

Toki came back quickly, and her arms full of the things San dreaded the most. She had quite a few kimonos among other things San had never seen before. Toki begged her to try some to which San responded,

"There's a war going on and you want me to dress up?"

But Toki was adamant. She happily begged San to wear the various assortments of clothes she had for her. Shooing Ashitaka out of his own house, she helped San with the many articles of clothes. First, she had San put on a corset she had brought when she and Koroku had first gotten married. Toki told her it was very expensive and few people had one of these. She tied it loosely around San because of her injuries and fixed her torn skirt to go with the corset. She pushed her out and made her show it to Ashitaka. He did not know what to say. She was always beautiful in his eyes, no matter what she wore but he had to admit she looked rather tempting with such clothes.

Toki pushed back into his house and bean to try on more clothes. San was not one to be pushed around while trying various kimonos and what not. However, she rather liked Toki for some reason. The woman was crude, funny, and incredibly honest, many assets San liked and respected. She kept a stream of chatter while San dressed and undressed, telling her of the village, her life, her husband, and other tidbits. She had a way of speaking, San had not heard before, where every word she said was the truth, blatantly said and felt. San admired this and because of it, San respected the woman.

Finally, after what felt like hours, Toki squealed happily as she found the perfect outfit for San.

"Very warrior princess," she said excitedly.

It was the thing San hated the most and yet, she felt rather comfortable in, mainly because it was worn so loose and nontraditional. She was wearing a dark green Kimono with delicate patterns of cherry blossoms or Sakura flowers as they were also known. The Kimono had been torn when she first put it on. Toki had brought a small kit full of needles and scissors with her and had fixed it for San. The Kimono was cut in length, it only reached an inch or so above her knees. Because of the short length, Toki had suggested she wear black stockings that were the same length as the kimono,

"So you won't show the goods to just everyone," Toki had said coyly and with a wink.

The arms of the Kimono were not as long as the regular ones, they went up to her elbows but were wide enough to let her be free and give her space. What really made it special was how San wore it, 'scandalous' Toki had said. The neck was not closed but wide open, into a v-neck shape that was held together by the casual obi sash she wore. She had never shown so much skin before but there was always a first time for everything.

In all, she was not uncomfortable with the outfit. The color was beautiful as was the design on it. It was not the usual garment of women but it fit her perfectly and matched her own personality. Toki had seen this and that's why she had liked it so much. Now was the last test.

Toki did not have to push San out the door. She willingly wanted to show Ashitaka her new wardrobe. His reaction was priceless. She had never seen Ashitaka so speechless before. He had to recover for a second and close his mouth before responding.

"It looks—nice," he stuttered, making San smile at his nervousness.

"It does, right?" she asked, turning around, making the dress twirl and letting Ashitaka catch a glimpse of the black stockings she wore underneath. He had to admit it fit San well. The strangeness of seeing a Kimono worn as she did was very San-like. It was foreign yet so familiar.

"Well, my work here is done," announced Toki cheerful, clapping her hands together. She said a quick good bye to each of them and began to walk toward her home. San smiled at Ashitaka, who found himself being dazzled by everything she did at the moment. Perhaps it was because now she looked (physical, anyway) more of the woman he usually saw. She was beautiful as always but now, she radiated the human side of her. He liked the change in her. He would always be in love with the wilder side of her, the one he had first seen on the river and had him captivated from the first look but at the moment, he also saw the human side of her.

And he fell in love all over again.