I've come up with a title that I like better than the last one. It will make more sense towards the end of the story.

A katana's edge sliced through the wind as Lady Eboshi swung at imaginary swordsmen in her path. Her feet danced back and forth, never once missing a step and never once losing balance. It had taken her several months to adapt to only using her left arm, especially for fighting. She used to battle with her katana in her right hand and a much smaller blade in her left. A one-handed fighting style with her non-dominant hand was something that she knew would be difficult to learn. The style she was learning focused on avoiding enemy attacks completely rather than blocking, and then striking once an opening was found. It was not entirely different from the previous technique she used, one which utilized blocking and parrying rather than dodging, but she was determined to reach the same level of talent she once previously boasted. Doing this would take months, perhaps even years.

It was during the middle of the day that she honed her martial prowess, devoting two hours between training and tending to her rooftop garden. In the mornings, she was busy reading messages from other feudal lords, reviewing the current issues and needs of Irontown, and hearing of the current events occurring around the rest of the nation. In the afternoon and further into the night, she was actively addressing any issues she may have learned of in the morning, going over trade offers, and looking at weapon designs drawn up by the former lepers. Despite the declining use of gunpowder in Irontown, its popularity was beginning to rise in other parts of Japan. Only a select few had weapons capable of utilizing gunpowder, and those weapons were few in number. That didn't mean Lady Eboshi was going to sit back and allow the other lords to grow more powerful while she sat tucked away in the mountains and forest. The nation was inching closer and closer towards a state of total war. Some of the weapon designs she had seen had influences from lands far across the ocean. One particularly interesting design she had seen was a gun with three barrels, a weapon which had its roots in China. Improvements in her weapons' accuracy and mechanical effectiveness was taken from traders from a far away land. These men were fair skinned, blond haired, and blue eyed. Eboshi had never personally met one of these traders, though she would have loved to do so if the opportunity ever arose.

Despite the restlessness around the country, Irontown had managed to stay out of the violence for the moment. There were rumors that armies only a few weeks away were warring against one another, but she doubted that the fighting would reach Irontown. Asano was thankfully caught up in this squabbling. He seemed to have abandoned his mission to take Irontown. Losing the majority of his army likely had something to do with it. Even during this current period of peace, something in the back of Eboshi's mind had been annoying her.

For years, Eboshi had been trying to make San realize that she was human. She could remember telling Ashitaka that when the spirit of the forest died, Princess Mononoke would become human. It was foolish for that girl to believe that she was truly a wolf like her so-called brothers. However, with her relationship with Ashitaka, it would be difficult to try and show her otherwise. She needed some way to show the girl that she was no wolf. It was not something she wanted to do out of spite; she genuinely believed that it would be for the best if San saw she was human. Perhaps then she would stop hating them so much.

Just as Lady Eboshi sheathed her sword to finish training, she heard somebody coming up to the roof. Gonza came up with his hands at his sides. He greeted Lady Eboshi and bowed before her. Eboshi gestured for him to rise and asked why he had come to meet her.

"You have a couple of visitors, Milady," Gonza said, "It's Ashitaka and the wolf-girl. They want to know where they can find Jigo."

Lady Eboshi was surprised by Ashitaka's return, but the fact that San was with him shocked her. Unless the situation was dire, she would never step foot in Irontown, much less come to the home of the woman who was once her mortal enemy. She wondered what they could want with Jigo. The monk was on the hit list of more than a few daimyo, but both Ashitaka and San knew next to nothing about the politics in the county. It couldn't have been something that he did in the forest; Jigo hadn't left the security of Irontown for almost two months now.

"Did they mention why they wanted to see him?" Lady Eboshi asked.

"Not exactly, but they said that it concerned Moro's two pups."

Lady Eboshi nodded as she recalled the two fierce brothers. Ever protective of their sister, it was natural for her to be just as loyal to them. A matter involving them and Jigo would be laced with trouble; two immortal deities who guarded the forest with their lives couldn't possibly have any pleasant business with a hunter who knew how to battle spirits. Nevertheless, she was curious as to what exactly Ashitaka and San needed.

"I'll be down to meet them in a moment. Have them wait in the main room."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm positive. If the girl isn't willing to come inside, then have them both wait out in front."

Gonza nodded and returned to the ground floor. Lady Eboshi, in the meantime, went to her bedroom to quickly wash and change her clothes. She splashed her face with water from a basin and washed her hands. She changed from her normal outfit to one of a similar style, though the red on her new attire was slightly paler than the original. Other than a few stray strands, her hair was perfectly tied.

Outside Lady Eboshi's home, Ashitaka stood against the wall with San sitting cross-legged to his right. She was staring at the ground, wondering what could be wrong with her brothers. They had never been this way before. Perhaps the humans who captured them had something to do with it. Then again, if they had somehow cursed her two brothers, would the hex not have affected them earlier? It had taken them several weeks to find home and they had been in extreme agony not even for a day. San also remembered how sluggish and tired her brothers seemed to be in the previous weeks as well. They were never that lethargic before and now they were too weak to even move.

"They'll be alright," Ashitaka said as if he could read her thoughts, "Your brothers are strong, powerful warriors. Whatever it is that's afflicting them will be lifted soon enough."

"I know they're strong, but this disease, this curse, whatever it is that ails them would need to be just as powerful to cripple them like it has," San said, "I don't want to spend too much time here, Ashitaka. The sooner we-"

San was interrupted when Gonza opened the door and stepped outside with Lady Eboshi close behind. Although she and San were no longer bitter enemies, the two kept themselves from making eye contact with the other. When San looked into Lady Eboshi's eyes, she saw a cold, calculating manipulator who would burn everything in her path to reach her goal. When Eboshi looked into San's eyes, she saw a vicious, savage beast whose lack of compassion for humans made her as dangerous as a wildfire. Both knew that the other was not truly as bad as they perceived, but the past still hung over their heads.

Ashitaka bowed and greeted Lady Eboshi. San, still very unfamiliar with human customs, simply got to her feet.

"Hello, Ashitaka," Lady Eboshi greeted as her eyes moved to San, "Hello, San."

San gave a very tepid bow which was little more than a nod. The corner of her mouth twitched as if she was about to speak, but no words left her mouth. She could see that Gonza was annoyed that she didn't return Eboshi's greeting.

"Thank you for agreeing to meet with us, Milady," Ashitaka said to break the increasingly uncomfortable silence, "We're very grateful."

"Don't worry too much about it," Lady Eboshi said, "Now, Gonza has told me that you two are looking for Jigo."

"Yes; something is wrong with San's brothers and we think he might know how to help them."

"What makes you believe that Jigo can help two Wolf Gods?"

"He seems to know a lot about the forest and the spirits that dwell in it. San's brothers have become very weak and we think it's either because of a curse or a disease. I know it's a bit of a long shot, but we wanted to see if Jigo knew of some way that could help."

There was little doubt in Eboshi's mind that Jigo would know what to do with the wolves. Between the legends he picked up during his travels and his studies as a monk, he knew everything there was to know about spirits and beings like San's brothers. However, Jigo was not accepting visitors at the moment. Lady Eboshi had been hiding him in Irontown in exchange for several favors, including the delivery of guns designed by her people.

"I'm afraid I can't bring Jigo to you," Eboshi said, "While he may be here, he is here in hiding. I promised not to reveal his location to anyone and that includes you two. However, I could relay anything you wanted to ask him then bring his response back to you."

Ashitaka looked over to San to see if she approved of the idea. She was relieved that she wouldn't have to personally face the monk. Though her encounters with him were few and brief, she could tell straight away that she would have liked him even less than she did Eboshi. She nodded to Ashitaka.

"Alright, that should work," Ashitaka replied, "Should we wait here or..."

"Why not return to your old home? Nobody has been inside of it ever since you left, so everything should still be in its place. I'll send someone over to fetch you when I have his response."

Jigo was sitting half awake on a pile of pillows, his belly bloated from having eaten several bowls of rice in only a few minutes. Bits of white grain hung from his robe and mustache. They were nothing compared to the rest of the filth in the room. Empty bowls and clay cups were scattered around on their sides or upside down. It had been six days since Jigo last left this room. Despite the fact that his legs were starting to feel stiff from disuse, he would gladly continue to grow fat while he waited for the men who wanted him dead to forget that he even existed.

He was slightly startled when the door opened, only to settle once he saw that his visitor was none other than Lady Eboshi.

"Hello, Lady Eboshi," Jigo groaned as he stretched out his arms and got to his feet, "Is there something you need me to get you?"

"I need some information, Jigo, not a weapon this time," Eboshi replied. She began to reiterate everything that San and Ashitaka had told her. Jigo listened intently and began to cross off possibilities in his head as he was told more and more. Eventually, he came to a possible conclusion.

"I think I may know what's wrong, but I don't think you're going to like the answer, Milady."

"Why is that?"

Ashitaka and San sat next to each other in silence as they awaited Eboshi's messenger. Dust floated in the air around them, sticking to the walls and furniture. Everything in the house was just as Ashitaka remembered it. The mirror still hung in his bedroom, his futon lay with the blankets spread out and unmade, and the tub in the washroom sat dry and empty. For some reason, the house seemed smaller than last time to San. She just assumed it was her nerves acting up, but it felt more like a holding cell than a home.

At last, a short raven-haired woman knocked at Ashitaka's front door and informed him that Lady Eboshi had spoken with Jigo. Ashitaka thanked her and went to Lady Eboshi with San in tow. Many of the townspeople looked over at the two, curious to see how much Ashitaka had changed. His tunic and pants were torn and his hair was longer than they remembered. He was barefoot, though he used to walk without shoes in his old village. San hadn't changed very much, with the only difference in her appearance being her slight growth in height; she was a mere inch shorter than Ashitaka.

Eboshi was greeted by Ashitaka when he and San arrived. "What did Jigo tell you?" Ashitaka asked.

"He believes that it is possible they have been cursed by a witch of some sort," She replied, "Unfortunately, he does not know how to end it."

San's fists clenched, cracking her knuckles, and her teeth began to grind against one another. She couldn't believe that the pain and suffering her brothers were experiencing was because of a hex. The one thing she wanted more than to know how to end the curse was the whereabouts of the human who cast it.

"It's worse than you believe; Jigo believes that the entire forest may be cursed."

"What?!" San blurted out, "How can that be possible? The trees are fine, animals have been roaming around carefree, and Ashitaka and I haven't been affected by this curse!"
"Calm yourself, girl, it's a curse that only harms spirits, deities, and the like. It affects not only your two 'brothers', but the talking apes and those little white kodama as well."

San's teeth were clenched and bared as she forced herself to control her anger. Her fists slowly uncurled as she began to calm down.

"There is one way they can be helped, however."

"How?" Ashitaka and San asked simultaneously.

"Far to the north, there is said to be a temple where ancient Shinto priests would gather to deal with spirits. These sorts of deals were not fueled by greed, but by desire for knowledge. The priests spoke with spirits, learned about their strengths and weaknesses, and of the power they were capable of wielding. It is believed that one of these priests, a man by the name of Pawa Ueta, tried to blackmail the spirits into working for his own personal gain. The curse he created was one which could harm any supernatural being, such as your brothers."

"Get to the point," San muttered.

"Jigo believes that somebody cast this spell on the forest, perhaps in the service of one of my enemies, current or old. It isn't like word of the Nightwalker and the destruction it caused didn't spread. Somebody was afraid that such a power could have existed in the forest and somehow ended up in my hands."

"And you said Jigo doesn't know how to end the curse?" Ashitaka asked.

"Not with any resources here in Irontown, but there is one possibility. In the same temple I mentioned, there is said to be... something that can end the curse. Be it a drink, a sword, a scroll, I do not know and neither does Jigo. However, he is confident that it is there and it would be able to end the curse on the forest, saving your brothers and anything else currently being harmed."

A glimmer of hope flickered in San's eyes. Ashitaka was also glad to see there was something they could do, but they still needed more information. "Where is this temple?"

"It's exact location has been lost; Jigo only knows of a general area of where it could be." Lady Eboshi began to pace back and forth, moving her gaze between Ashitaka and San. "It is no less than two months' travel to get there and back if you take the road for most of the way. By then, your brothers will likely be dead. However, I have been past that area before; I passed by when I was recruiting women to work here in Irontown. That may have been long ago, but I still know several shortcuts that can get you there and back in only a single month."

"What are you saying?" San questioned with her eyes narrowed.

"You two need a guide and the only person who knows the way other than Jigo is me. I also feel that this is partially my fault and I want to make amends for this and for the past." It was not the only reason Eboshi wanted to go with them. Ashitaka may have been fine with San calling herself a wolf; he even referred to her as one. This journey, however, could prove to be more than a way to truly make peace with San: it could act as a way to show her that she was no wolf.

"You want to come with us?" Ashitaka asked.

"No!" San spat at Eboshi, "I am not going to travel with you!"

With a faint smile and a very slight giggle, Lady Eboshi calmly said, "That's fine by me, Wolf Girl, but I am only trying to help. The best I can do for now is give you a map and perhaps some supplies. Unfortunately, I can only remember my shortcuts by seeing the area, not by looking at a piece of paper. It will likely take you two the full two months to get to the temple and back to the forest."

San was about to speak out until Ashitaka nudged her ribs with his elbow. He asked her to come speak with him in private for a moment.

"Excuse us, Lady Eboshi," He said, "We need to talk." Lady Eboshi nodded and watched as San begrudgingly followed Ashitaka.

"You are not seriously considering bringing that woman along, are you?" San asked, "You know she and I won't get along."

"San, it's the only hope we have of helping your brothers," Ashitaka said, "You heard Lady Eboshi: they might be dead by the time we get back."

"Ashitaka, if she travels with us, she may be dead before we get back."

"What's the worst she can do? She wants to make amends for the wrongs that she has done and this is a good way to accomplish that. Not only that, but I think it would be better for you if you could forgive her somewhat."

"She killed my mother and tried to kill my brothers and I."

"There's two sides to this coin, San; you tried to kill her and killed many of her townspeople."

San suddenly came to a halt. Ashitaka was worried that he had somehow offended her but waited to see her reaction. After a few uncomfortable seconds, San spoke.

"Ashitaka, if you honestly believe that bringing that woman is a good idea, then I will trust your judgment," San said through clenched teeth, "But if she says one crass remark about my mother, my brothers, or anything that she knows I stand for, there is going to be no regret, no remorse in what happens next."