Sorry for the wait, but school, family and sports take up a lot of time. Hope you enjoy this chapter.

Warning: May contain violence.

San jolted out of her depression as the cries continued. Without any urging from San, Kitha sped up. San still felt as though she were in a dream; she was detached from the world around her, but the screams had touched something in her, her head starting to clear up. Kitha noticed the slight change and hoped that she was up for the fight ahead.

As they neared the source of the sound they ran into a clearing. There, the rogue riflemen were chasing the villager women and their children through the woods. Just one look at them and San, with Ashitaka's final moments playing over and over in front of her eyes, let out a fierce cry, jumped off of Kitha's back, and raced toward them, spear raised. Kitha, baring his teeth, followed behind her.

Kana was running through the forest looking for a cave that she knew was close by. The trees sped past in a blur-just streaks of greens, browns, and splotches of black. She knew she shouldn't be, but she was glad that she wasn't strong enough to carry San on her back for long hours at a time. She suppressed a shiver as she remembered the empty, blank look of San's eyes. It was unnerving. Kana didn't want to think what would happen to San if Ashitaka died. Suppressing these thoughts, Kana concentrated on her task. It wasn't long before she found what she was looking for. After she searched and found no signs of dangerous squatters, she turned around and ran back the way she came. It didn't take long for her to return, but, by the time she arrived, the sun had already set. Reaching the clearing, she saw the townsmen bandaging the wounded and burying the dead. All around her was the smell of blood and death. From behind her, Yakuul came out of the forest. The healers had shooed him away from Ashitaka, so, with nothing else to do, Yakuul followed Kana when she ran off looking for shelter. He quickly found where Ashitaka was and walked slowly over so as not to concern the townsmen. Kana let out a sigh of relief, grateful that he was alive. She didn't want to think what San would do if he really had died.

"Have you found anywhere we can stay for the night?" asked a familiar strict voice from behind her.

"Yes, Eboshi, I have found a safe place where you can rest and recuperate," said Kana, not fazed by Eboshi's intuition which allowed her to sense a person before seeing him, " Do you need help carrying the wounded? Yakuul can carry Ashitaka. He won't let him fall."

"The healers won't like that," Eboshi mumbled "He's in bad condition. They don't know if he'll live the night."

"In that case, I insist that Yakuul or I carry him to the shelter. We are both fast and the ride won't jostle him as much as if he was carried in a stretcher, " Kana spoke softly, but with authority.

Eboshi, startled, stepped back a little-for once in her life she understood the wolf gods' power, and she was afraid.

"I'm sure it won't be a problem," was all she could manage before she turned to leave, attempting to hide her need to flee.

Kana heard a soft noise, too soft for human ears. She turned to find Yakuul staring after Eboshi with a weird expression on his face. If she didn't know better, she would have sworn he was laughing at the retreating woman. A call went out, warning everyone to start getting ready to leave. It was decided that Ashitaka and three other wounded men would be carried by Kana in the back of the procession, with Eboshi walking in front of them, and Yakuul would carry two others on his back to the shelter. It was a long and grueling walk-everyone was tense, waiting for a surprise attack from the remaining riflemen-but they found the cave without any major incidents. It was nearly midnight when they reached the cave. On one side of the cave there was a dense forest, too dense for anyone to travel quickly through it, and on the other side there was a cliff with a steep drop. There was only one way of getting to the cave, and that was the way they had come, and it was easily defended and hidden. Outside, it didn't look that big, and some were skeptical about whether or not they would all be able to fit, but once they entered, all doubts were put to rest. The inside was huge; it could easily hold a small pack of boar gods. After the shock of the how spacious it was, they soon started to settle the wounded, started fires to cook supper and tended to the injured (the ones carried on the stretchers reopened their wounds). Kana made sure that the ones she and Yakuul had carried were taken care of before she went outside. Eboshi followed silently behind her.

"What are you going to do now?" Eboshi asked.

"I'll wait here for San and then it's up to her," Kana replied softly and, to herself she added, "San wouldn't forgive me if I left Ashitaka unguarded."

They just stayed there, staring itno the open space, each lost in their own thoughts thinking silently about the stranger who had entered their lives only a few months ago, and had became so important to them. Neither one could imagine what their lives had been like before Ashitaka had entered their lives, and neither one wanted to even contemplate what it would be like living without him. The swishing of the leaves in the bushes broke the silence. In a movement to fast for the eyes to see, Kana crouched in a pouncing stance. Each muscle in her body was tense, ready to attack if the need be. Eboshi, startled by the fast movement, took a little longer to respond, placing her hand on the hilt of her sword.

The riflemen had paused when they had heard a high pierced wild scream, and were even more shocked when they realized that the scream came from a girl/wolf and a giant white wolf. Their shock was complete when they saw that the twosome was attacking them with the intent to kill. The riflemen had no chance; they were rooted in place by the eyes of the small girl/wolf. They were, according to the riflemen, like that of the demons eyes that every child dreamed of when they had nightmares, but worse, much worse. The women and children ran behind them out of danger.

San could barely see through the red haze that covered her eyes. All she felt was the surge of hate surrounding her at the sight of the riflemen. The men that….No she wasn't going to think that, didn't want to think about it. She let out her frustration, anger, and sorrow on the riflemen. They both attacked the stunned group. Kitha fought to defend San and the mortals behind him despite what he thought of humans. They are only cubs after all he rationalized. San on the other hand fought, strong, wildly, desperately, trying to run away from the pain and despair of seeing Ashitaka lying on the ground with a pool of blood darkening his shirt. She didn't care who or what she fought as long as she couldn't feel the pain. Even after the riflemen, who weren't dead, had ran away she still didn't stop. She slashed the dead bodies, the trees, and anything else that happened into her way until she stopped from exhaustion. Kitha ran to her as soon as she fell down. He gently pried the spear out of her hands with his claws. One of the women who had helped fight off the riflemen helped Kitha put her on his back.

"There are some of us still back there," the women said quietly, unsure of what side they were on.

Kitha sighed. This is going to be a long night he thought, "Show me where they are," he asked remembering why he was there.

After Kitha had gathered the townswomen and the children, he picked a few that he knew could fight, and told them to guard the rest until he returned. He ordered them not to leave that spot until he came back with the rest, using the same voice that his sister had used on Eboshi, only his wasn't as nice and honey-sweet as his sister's. Then, he went in search of the others, who had been left behind. He sighed, wondering why he never got stuck with the easy jobs. He ran with San on his back, he was too worried about her to leave her behind, through the forest. The trees were streaks of colors as they raced by. even though it was very late, the forest was alive. Creatures that hadn't stayed in their homes, curiously around the drive behind the wolf clan's defense of humans forcing them out, moved out of the charging wolf's path. Soon, he came to the spot where the very young children were hidden, guarded by the teenage girls who had basic fighting skills. It took awhile to calm the girls down, but once he succeeded he ran back to the others with them all on his back. It wasn't long before he found the clearing where he had left them. Once the townspeople had been reunited, Kitha arranged them in a group with the young and weak in the middle, the strong on the outside, placing Kitha in the lead and Toki, Eboshi's favorite, and the best of the women fighters in the rear. It took longer than he would have liked to lead them to the clearing. Once he realized where the others had gone he led them to the well hidden path. The trek took them faster than the other group, but it was still a long climb. By the time they had reached the top everyone was exhausted and Kitha let them take a break. He didn't know what to expect and didn't want them dead on their feet. Not to mention he was still worried about San. She hadn't moved or made a sound during the whole trip. He wouldn't have known she was there if he couldn't feel her on his back. They finally reached the place where the others had gone when Kitha ordered them to stop. Quickly he placed San on the ground, no expression or recognition on her face, and went out of the cover of the bushes into the clearing.

Before he could do anything his sister, without realizing who he was, pounced. Kitha, who didn't think his sister would attack him, wasn't ready and didn't have enough time to dodge. Kana pounced and knocked him down, managing to bite him on the shoulder. Kitha suppressed a cry.

"What the hell do you think you're doing? Get off of me," Kitha growled not moving incase his sister would react and attack him again.

"What. Oh hi Kitha. Um, sorry." Kana said trying to suppress a giggle, but not succeeding.

"What's so funny? Will you get off me?" Kitha said getting up once he knew she wouldn't attack him.

Kitha went over and lay down by the entrance of the cave, his shoulder hidden from view.

"Go get them. They're waiting over there." Kitha said motioning to where he had left everyone.

Kana did as she was told realizing why her brother had gone over to hide his shoulder.

"Is the condition she in that bad?" Kana asked

A nod was his only reply.

Kana went to find San exactly as she had been when Kitha had put her down. Unmoving, not truly there.

"It's alright. Everyone else is in the cave. Follow me." Kana said putting San on her back with the help of one of the villagers.

They walked the short distance to the cave. Toki stopped to talk to Eboshi before heading in herself, worried about her husband and Ahsitaka. As soon as they stepped into the cave people ran around looking for their loved ones. Cries of joy and despair could be heard outside as people found out what happened to the ones they loved.

San slowly walked in. Kana had just told her that Ashitaka was alive, but she wasn't sure if she believed her. Yakuul moved to her side from somewhere by the wall. Slowly he led her to where Ashitaka was lying. As soon as she saw him she ran over, sat by him and started to cry. Someone put their arms around her, hugging her close, whispering soothing words, trying to comfort her.

What do you think? Worth the wait? Please review. I can't update without them.