Ashitaka was relieved when night began to fall and the trio stopped to sleep. He could feel the tension between San and Eboshi hanging in the air. Neither woman said a word to the other. Ashitaka would occasionally glance over his shoulder to see Lady Eboshi with a faint smile on her face. She was entirely silent until they were ready to rest. The sky was tinged with orange towards the horizon when they settled away from the road, stopping at an area close to a forest. Ashitaka and San went to go hunting while Eboshi volunteered to set up their camp. It wouldn't be much: a few blankets, two tents, a small fire pit, and a few bowls was all they needed.
While Eboshi was setting up their camp, Ashitaka and San were quietly stalking a deer in the forest. It wasn't a large buck, but it would be able to feed the trio for a few days. San was ready to chase the deer in case Ashitaka missed. Her goal wouldn't be to outrun the animal, it would be to chase it until it became exhausted and collapsed. When San first told Ashitaka of how she could perform such a feat, he had a hard time believing her. Later in the day, she came to the den dragging a boar's carcass behind her. Not a single wound could be found on its body, nor was there any sign of disease. However, he would not be able to witness this chase today. His arrow struck the buck in its side, causing it to drop with a heavy thud.
The two carried the deer carcass on their shoulders. Neither said a word to the other as they walked. San was still irritated by Eboshi's company, the memories of their past refusing to leave her mind. Ashitaka didn't want to invoke San's disdain by bringing up Eboshi. The best time to do so would be when Eboshi was present.
"I refuse to speak with that woman," San said, as if she was reading Ashitaka's mind.
"Please give her a chance," Ashitaka pleaded, "You two need to work together if we're going to help your brothers."
"We only need her to show us the way there. I have no desire to befriend her."
"You don't have to befriend her, but you two could at least be civil towards one another." He briefly grunted as he shifted the weight on his shoulders. "I know you don't trust her, but if she wanted to harm you in any way, she wouldn't have come with us by herself."
San nodded, mostly to make Ashitaka at least slightly content. He knew not of the burning hatred that once existed between she and Eboshi. What he saw when he first arrive was but an ember in an inferno of spite and fury. She valued the lives of the spirits and animals which wandered the forest as much as Eboshi valued the lives of her townspeople. Even though he lived hidden in a forest, Ashitaka did not have the same connection with nature as San. Whereas he merely was raised to work alongside nature, she was born and raised within the wilderness. Hundreds of the men and women who looked up to Eboshi had died because of San and the others who called the forest home. That number still did not amount to those who died for the forest. It did not amount to the death of her mother. It did not amount to the death of the Forest Spirit.
The two returned to a fully set up campsite, though the fire pit remained unlit. Ashitaka and San dropped the heavy deer carcass onto the ground. Eboshi sat in front of the pile of wood that was waiting to be burned, her hat pulled over to cover her eyes. Her lips were pursed in a faint smile. San sat next to the dead elk and pulled out her knife, ready to skin and gut the animal. Ashitaka was about to light the fire until Lady Eboshi told him to wait.
"There are men on the road, no less than a few hundred," She said, "They're likely warriors who have been sent to bolster a larger army's ranks. Don't start the fire until they pass."
Ashitaka and San looked towards the road. Although they both had trouble seeing the men, San could hear their footsteps on the dirt. Though the road was distant, San agreed that it would be wise to wait for a fire. The night sky was as black as coal and nothing stood between the road and the campsite. A bright burning fire of red and orange would be easy to spot.
"Why would you care if they see our fire?" San asked as she continued to listen to the men marching by.
"Samurai warriors are men who are supposed to live and fight honorably and rarely do so," Eboshi began, "These men are likely no more than common folk who have been handed a spear and promised money. I wouldn't be surprised if they were no more than crows, ready to take what they can carry off of a dead body."
"How did you know they were coming?" Ashitaka asked.
"I heard one of them shouting orders, most likely the only man in the bunch who has any armor and actual training. I heard them a few minutes ago, but they stopped for a while before continuing on."
San sat in silence as she listened to the marching feet of the warriors. She could recall countless nights when she would be hiding from warriors in the forest. From when she was a pup to when she matured, she would stalk passing invaders without making a sound. Back then, she would be tailing the humans who fought for Lady Eboshi. Not once in her mind did she believe the two would be allies, albeit begrudgingly.
"This isn't any different from when I was first bringing my women to Irontown," Eboshi said in a quiet voice, "Even with the mercenaries I had hired, we would have to stay out of sight when these warriors passed on the road."
"When did the fighting begin?" Ashitaka asked, "What's the point of it?"
"It's a power struggle, a ply for land and political influence amongst the daimyo. It's been going on for over a century now; the only way it would stop would be to unify the daimyo under one banner."
"What would that take?"
"More fighting, more bloodshed. Achieving peace isn't easy; I know from experience, and I'm sure you two know as well."
San glowered at Eboshi with narrowed eyes and closed fists. Ashitaka shot a look towards her as well; he wasn't proud of the killing he did. San had yet to forgive Eboshi for her role in the forest's near destruction. She was disgusted that Eboshi would bring up their past, especially since they were supposed to be working together. It was almost if she was trying to rile up San.
"You're the reason that I've been fighting for most of my life," San spat, "Do you think I've forgotten about that?"
"Of course I don't. But I know you two aren't naive; you've both seen what lengths a man would go through to achieve his goals. He may go even further to prevent his enemies from achieving their own."
Ashitaka eased his gaze, as he knew what Eboshi's words had truth behind them. San said no more, though she still glared at Eboshi with burning eyes. She grabbed her knife and began to skin the deer, listening to the fading sound of distant footsteps. She didn't take her eyes off of Eboshi as she cut through the deer's hide. Eboshi noticed and stared back, her smile neither growing nor shrinking. Blood covered San's hands as she continued to work. Suddenly, her face contorted and she jumped to her feet, tightly clenching one hand into a fist while she loosely held her knife in the other. Ashitaka became scared that she was going to attack Eboshi, but a line of fast flowing blood coming from her fist gave him an idea of why she had stopped.
"I'll be back in a minute," San said as she began to make her way to a nearby river. She and Ashitaka had discovered it while they were hunting, and they had decided to collect water in the morning. Ashitaka walked alongside her, asking how bad the cut was.
"I'm not sure," San replied through clenched teeth, "I'll be fine; I just need to clean the wound."
"San, if it's deep, we should-"
"I'll be fine," She interrupted.
Ashitaka stopped talking, as he knew how difficult it was to argue with San. The two found the river after a few more minutes. As soon as they were by the riverside, San plunger her hand into the water. The cut was worse than either she or Ashitaka had expected. A deep, two inch long gash ran from her palm to her index finger. A red cloud poured forth from the lesion. Tears welled up at her eyes as a hornet-like sting pulsed throughout her hand.
"It won't stop bleeding," San observed, "I have an idea." San grabbed the bottom hem of her white shirt and bit into the fabric. She jerked her head upwards, creating a small tear. "Can you cut some cloth off?"
Ashitaka nodded and tore a strip of her shirt away. She took her hand out of the water, prompting Ashitaka to wrap the cloth around it.
"You shouldn't let Eboshi break your focus," Ashitaka said, "If you two can't sit ten feet away from each other, we will never be able to help your brothers. Even if she instigates you, try not to let it get to you."
San watched as the white cloth began to turn red. She nodded, wanting to lift the curse on her brothers as soon as possible. The two returned to the camp, where they found that Eboshi still hadn't lit the fire.
"Forgive me if anything I said offended you, San," Eboshi apologized as Ashitaka and San returned, "You too, Ashitaka. I never meant any harm."
Ashitaka nodded, accepting her apology. San said nothing as she finished skinning and gutting the deer. She listened for the footsteps of the distant warriors and heard nothing.
"They're gone," San said, her eyes fixated on the distant road, "We can start the fire now."
The smell of smoke hung in the air as Ashitaka and San sat outside their tent. Eboshi was in the second tent, sleeping with a sword close to her side. She hadn't eaten much of the deer brought back by Ashitaka and San. When she had finished dinner, she retired to her tent, wishing a good night to her two companions. While Ashitaka echoed her, San only gave a shallow nod. It was more of a reaction that Ashitaka expected.
Ashitaka's head rested on San's shoulder, his cheek lightly touching hers. The two were gazing up at the night sky, admiring the stars in the night sky. The rainclouds had cleared earlier in the day, allowing thousands of stars to dot the black sky above. It was a comforting sight which made the two momentarily forget why they had left their home. Earlier in the day, Ashitaka could sense the unease coming from San. Now, she was entirely different. Her eyes were relaxed rather than wide and scanning the horizon. It was the first time she had smiled in several days.
"You don't seem like you're too worried about this journey," Ashitaka remarked.
"I don't think that the humans will be too much trouble," San said. Her smile slowly faded as she looked towards the distant forest. The cold air created goosebumps on her skin, though she didn't shiver. "There are creatures which lurk in the night which are even more dangerous than a human. My mother warned me of them, explained what sort powers they wielded. Fortunately, they're very rare."
"Have you seen one of these creatures before?"
"The closest thing I've seen is the demon that Lord Okotto became. I don't think we'll encounter any along the way, but if we do..." San's voice trailed off as she turned away from the forest. Her smile returned as she turned to Ashitaka and said, "I'm sure we'll be fine."