San forced herself to sit up as the sun stung her eyes. The fatigue of the journey was beginning to catch up with her. Her muscles were aching and blisters were appearing on her feet. She knew that it wouldn't be over once they reached the temple; the travel back home wasn't going to be any less problematic. As she got to her feet, she struggled to keep upright. It was a miracle in San's mind that Lady Eboshi had managed to keep up with her. Perhaps Eboshi was far tougher than she thought.
Golden sunlight washed over San's body as she wobbled out of her tent. A flare of pain burned her eyes, forcing her to shield them from the light. They refused to stay open completely, as if her eyelids were being pulled shut. Something had been caught in her eye that made it tear up, likely an eyelash or speck of dust. Lady Eboshi sounded like she was waking up. Until then, San went to Yakul to see if he needed anything.
"It's almost over." She said to the elk, "We'll go back home after this, my brothers will be healthy again, and..." San wanted to say that they could go back to the way things were before this hundred-mile journey began, but the events at the river several nights ago were still fresh in her mind. Although her brothers wouldn't care as much, the memory haunted her every night. They would likely remain with her until death. It was a mistake she would eternally regret, but ultimately one she could never change. The thin silver lining was that it gave her more reason to push on: to ensure that Ashitaka's death wasn't in vain.
Lady Eboshi awoke a short while later and helped pack up the camp. If she was as tired as San, she was hiding it well. With one arm she could work just as fast as San and showed no signs of fatigue. San wasn't sure why she was feeling so weak. There had been days where she and her brothers would run for miles on end with few breaks in between. Then again, they had more food to eat and a pool of water to relax in afterwards.
"We'll be at the temple before nightfall." Lady Eboshi informed San as she packed away the last of their belongings, "There's a village on the way there. Do you want to stop by to gather any last minute supplies? I need to ask them where exactly the temple is, anyway."
"Yes." San replied, "We're almost out of food and it may take us a while to find whatever it is we're looking for."
Lady Eboshi nodded and mounted Yakul. San sat in front and held the reins. "Where exactly is this village?" She asked.
"We can find it once we reach the road." Lady Eboshi said, "Just keep heading north and we'll be there within a few hours."
Yakul needed no further instruction from San. He trotted through the forest, keeping his eyes open for the same dirt road they had forsaken a number of days ago. It would be nice to have something to give them direction. As clear as Eboshi's instructions were, Yakul would often second-guess himself on where he needed to go. When they came across the path, Eboshi told him to turn left and keep walking.
The forest gradually thinned out as they progressed down the road. Stumps of cut down trees began to appear. San could smell dozens of humans in the distance. This would be the only human settlement other than Irontown that San had visited. From what she could tell, it was very different from Irontown. She couldn't smell as many people and there didn't seem to be many animals. Irontown during the day was filled with the sounds of the townsfolk chatting with each other; she could hear them from the forest if they were loud enough. San could see three small houses but hear no talking. Ashitaka had talked to San about a number of villages he passed by on his way to see the Forest Spirit. From what he told her, Irontown seemed to be an oddity compared to the rest of Japan's settlements. Perhaps the other town and villages were less lively in general.
They rode to the edge of the village and San could tell that this village was nothing like Irontown. She didn't have a great deal of time to examine the last village she, Eboshi, and Ashitaka visited; her mind was elsewhere for most of that time. Only a few people were out in the street, mostly men, and they appeared to be in a hurry. None of the stores were open and the shutters on windows were sealed.
"Are all human villages like this?" San asked. As she spoke, several of the men in the street stared at her. She noticed that their eyes were drawn to her weapons. Seven men and two women were in the streets when they first arrived. Moments after they were noticed, three men were left as the others left with haste.
"Something must be wrong." Lady Eboshi replied, "Wait here; I'll go ask for directions and see what's going on."
San nodded and hopped off of Yakul, stretching her legs to regain some of their feeling. The hours long journey left her legs numb and her hips feeling stiff. One of the three men caught her eye. A glint of metal flashed from under the sleeve of his tunic. Lady Eboshi appeared to have noticed as well. Her hand was resting on the pommel of her katana, just as it had throughout their trek through the cave and every other time she felt threatened. Just in case anything went awry, San stretched one leg forward, facing the three men so that she would be ready to sprint at them. Sitting an inch away from her right hand was her dagger.
"Excuse me, gentlemen," Lady Eboshi greeted as she approached the three men, "I was wondering if you could give me some directions."
The three men shifted their eyes to one another. They appeared to be little more than ordinary people, peasants under the rule of the samurai and daimyo. One man shielded his face from the sun with a wide brimmed hat. To his right was a man with a pipe in hand, the scent of tobacco wafting from the end. Leaning against the wall of the store was the third man, whose grin revealed several missing teeth.
The man with the pipe spoke first and asked, "Were you supposed to be arriving with those others earlier?"
"Didn't think they'd waste the resources to bring along one of them." The man with missing teeth whispered. Lady Eboshi heard but said nothing.
"I don't know what others you're talking about." Lady Eboshi said, "The only other person I'm traveling with is my companion over there." Lady Eboshi's eyes moved towards San.
"Standards must be low in Kyoto these days." The man with missing teeth snickered.
"I'm in a bit of a hurry, so let's make this quick. My friend and I are searching for a temple somewhere in the area. It's a large, ancient temple that probably predates this village. Do you know of any in the area?"
The man with the wide brimmed hat raised his head and replied, "Yes, there's one a good distance to the west."
"Thank you." Lady Eboshi bowed. "I'll be on my way."
"I thought you said that you weren't with those samurai?" The man with missing teeth said.
"What samurai?" Lady Eboshi questioned as she came to a sudden halt.
"Must be looters." The man with the hat muttered.
"A large group of samurai came by a couple of hours ago asking about the same thing." The man with the pipe said, "Not sure why and we didn't bother asking. It's better to simply ask their questions and let them be on their way."
"Thank you again." Lady Eboshi said without facing the three men. She returned to San, her smile gone and replaced with a less-confident stare. San overheard the conversation and understood Eboshi's concern. When they last faced a group of samurai, one hundred other warriors were fighting at their side. Armed with only three weapons, she couldn't imagine fighting another large band of fighters.
"What should we do?" San asked as Eboshi slung a leg onto Yakul's saddle.
"If you still want to go on, we're going to have to tread lightly in the temple." Eboshi replied, "Neither of us would do very well against a samurai on our own; the only reason I was able to strike down a few was because they were distracted. I won't be of much use to you. I'd make too much noise while you can be as silent as a cat. The best thing for you to do would to go in alone."
San weighed her options in silence as Eboshi directed Yakul. The idea of sulking around a temple full of armed warriors covered in steel wasn't a pleasant idea. She was used to keeping quiet when hunting down prey and infiltrating Irontown. Yet she was familiar with those areas, having memorized them after several years. Keeping out of sight would be another issue. In the forest, she could stand on the sturdy branches of the trees with no problem, remaining invisible to those below. If the temple was as old as Eboshi mentioned, leaping onto one of the creaking beams could cause her to plummet to the floor. Tip-toeing on the floorboards would make too much noise, even with her talent in stalking enemies.
"I'll do it on my own." San announced, "Just wait with Yakul somewhere that the samurai can't see you. I'm not sure how long it will take me to get... what is it exactly I'm searching for?"
"I would have told you by now if I knew the specific object you're looking for. Jigo said
it may have been a jug of water or some other drink. According to him, it will have the symbols of the Imperial Regalia surrounding it."
"The what?"
"They're objects which represent the virtues that the daimyo and emperor are expected to follow. Traditionally, they're a sword, mirror, and shield. However, they can also be represented with the sun, moon, and stars, so search for those."
San nodded and wrapped Yakul's reins around her right wrist. Her heartbeat began to climb as they continued heading west. Slowing her breath calmed her nerves and kept her fingers from twitching. Fear was not the main cause of her body's trembling; it was excitement. Several long weeks which felt longer than they were would soon culminate in the form of her brothers' cure. Nothing would stop her from leaving that temple alive with what she needed.
A pink gradient was painted upon the darkening blue sky as dusk approached. Yakul had traveled off the path and through another forest. He traveled at a steep incline, making him believe that they were traveling up a mountain. Black shadows fell over he, San, and Eboshi as the fading sun darkened the trees. San and Eboshi could hear distant shouting but the words were unintelligible. Not even San's sharp hearing could make out what he was saying. Both guessed that it was one of the warriors' captains, giving last minute orders or demanding they make camp.
"It sounds like they're not at the temple yet," Lady Eboshi noted, "If we hurry, you'll have a good advantage."
San nodded and Yakul hurried up the slope. As they reached the top of the hill, the sun descended beyond the horizon. Despite the darkness, she could make out the temple. Sitting in a deep valley was the ancient structure. Statues of demons and spirits lined the ruined path to the front door. The main building of the temple was four stories high. Two other structures sat close by. A red gate stood guard along the path. Red paint on the gate and the walls faded from a once bright cherry color to a dull crimson. Several chips in the paint revealed the tan colored wood from which the structures were built. From what she could see, hear, and smell, there were no other people in the area.
"Are you ready, San?" Lady Eboshi asked. San nodded and gathered her spear and dagger.
"I don't know how long this will take me." San muttered, "If I'm not back in three days, go back to Irontown with Yakul. He can tell my brothers what has happened."
Both women dismounted the elk and peered down at the temple. San's mind was clear, her body steady. Before she took a step down the slope, Lady Eboshi placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Good luck." Lady Eboshi said as San turned to face her. She removed her hand from her shoulder and bowed. San smiled and bowed back. Before leaving, she brushed Yakul's muzzle and promised to return. Silently, she swore to Ashitaka that she would succeed. With the moon and the stars as her guiding light, she marched down the hill and towards the ruined temple.