Through Wolf's Eyes (Princess Mononoke - San's POV)

Chapter Five- Eat This

San was familiar with languages of animals, though only few (besides the Gods and their offspring) could speak in that of a higher intelligence.

"This male is your friend?" She asked confused. She figured from the harness that once donned the elk's face that he was in bondage to this human.

"Yes. He has cared for me since I was a young buck." Yakul shared, lying down next to Ashitaka's side, hoping to transfer some warmth to him now that his friend's clothes were wet.

'My name is Ashitaka. I have traveled far from lands to the east...' she suddenly remembered his words the first time she encountered him. "From lands to the east?" San asked and Yakul nodded.

San sat down, desiring to hear more from the elk. "What is Ashitaka like?" she asked, wondering if it was anything like the other humans she had encountered before.

"Ashitaka has a good heart and determined mind. He was a prince in his village. Beloved by all, the Emishi people were looking forward to the day he would join with a female and become the village leader. It is a place that is respectful of animals and the forest around it. Red elks and the Emishi have been friends for many, many, many, sun rises. They have sleeping places for us that keep out the cold and wet, food a plenty, and keep us from being hunted as meat for other humans. In turn we let them on our back and take them wherever they need to go." Yakul shared with fondness.

"And the other Emishi humans?" San continued to ask curious.

"They respect everyone and everything around them. If they cut down a tree, they would plant another in its place. When they searched the river for fish or minerals, they did not destroy the land around it in search of more. They never wasted any part of the beasts they hunted or things used from the forest." The elk shared, remembering many hunts he had taken with the young man.

"What about his forest?" she asked.

"Much like this one, when the little kodama spirits revealed themselves to him he would watch and speak with reverence. He always bid respect to the mother tree and often we would go to the forest so I could eat of bark while he pondered."

San looked to Ashitaka's sleeping form, 'You have earned my respect, Ashitaka.' She thought to herself suddenly feeling something within her that hadn't been there before toward anyone but her family and other gods of the forest.

She stood up and said, "Thank you, Yakul. I will return with some food." She departed assured Ashitaka would be watched over while she retrieved some food for him. San didn't have to cook her meat. She had been raised to eat that of raw flesh. Only when preparing for the cold seasons did she cook her meat to save it in the den for later eating. She doubted Ashitaka would be able to handle raw meat and so she began to hunt for small game to cook and bring back to him.

Crouching down low in the tall grass she came upon a field that had a few rabbits taking advantage of the morning dew to drink from and the lush grasses to be chewed upon. She positioned herself near the rabbit's warren entrance and carefully threw a rock to make some noise. The startled creatures took off in a run back to what they thought was a safe place and San with the swiftness of a wolf, stabbed one with her fang in hand. Smiling at her success she carried it back to her den where she skinned the creature and built a small fire and began to cook up the meat in easy to chew strips.

"Why go through the trouble of cooking it, San? It is not the time of falling leaves yet." Her brother Ni asked curiously. Ichi took a sniff of her, "You smell of the red elk and human. What has become of them?" the wolf brother asked.

"The forest spirit saved the human's life. He wants him to live. I am helping since that man is not our enemy." She explained as she continued to cook the meat into a jerky form. A few hours passed before the process was complete. The sun was now at the highest point in the sky as she returned to the lake where Ashitaka and Yakul resided.

She approached Yakul who was standing near Ashitaka, raising her hand up to pet the elk under his chin. "Finally you're awake. You know you really should thank Yakul. He hasn't left your side this whole time."

Ashitaka grunted softly, feeling of utter exhaustion envelope his entire body. "How'd you know his name's Yakul?" he asked her, opening his eyes with some effort to see her and his friend.

"He told me, and he told me about you—about your village, your people, and your forest." San said then cast her gaze down toward Ashitaka. "The Forest Spirit brought you back to life again. He wants you to live." She told him then walked over to his side and crouched beside him, tearing a piece of the rabbit meat jerky with her teeth.

"I had the strangest dream. There was a golden creature." Ashitaka said to her, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Eat this." San remarked, holding out the jerky to him, carefully placing it in his mouth. Ashitaka held the meat between his teeth. "Chew." She ordered, though her voice was gentle and encouraging. She watched as he tried to chew, giving a cough and then a small groan as the piece fell out of his mouth. His eyes closed and body relaxed almost into a sleep, too tired from the little effort he exhorted.

'He is too weak to eat. I must feed him . . . like that of a bird and her hatchlings.' San realized, picking up the piece of meat she placed it in her mouth and began to chew. When it had reached the texture of easy swallowing, San hovered over him and placed her mouth against his. She felt his lips push against hers for a moment, it was an unusual sensation. 'What is he doing?' she wondered. She parted her lips as she did, so did his and gravity carried the food down into his mouth. Then his body went rigid as the flavor of the meat registered on his tongue. 'Swallow, Ashitaka.' She thought and waited for a moment, making sure he wouldn't reject the food. She pulled away and saw him swallow.

She continued to chew another piece of jerky. This time when she gave it to him and she noted his lips did not push against hers like they did the first time. Nor did he tense up, he was completely relaxed. 'What was he doing before, with his lips, when mine touched his?' she wondered, as she sat up and chewed another mouthful of jerky.

Her gaze was on Ashitaka as she chewed; her eyes suddenly widened with wonder as she noticed his closed eyes began to pool water. 'Tears? But why? I don't understand.' She thought to herself as she watched his tears swell up enough that it streamed down the side of his cheek. She used her free hand to adjust the meat in her mouth so it was closest to the front and proceeded to feed him again. She repeated this one more time, finishing off the last of the jerky she had brought for him.