The Wolf Girl

Chapter 2

    We stop at a lake that we must cross. Without even thinking Ashitaka strips. I blush and try to keep my eyes off him. I shed my furs and I see Ashitaka's eyes travel down my body making me blush even harder, but I ignore it and begin to cross keeping my furs above my head. I hear Ashitaka following me and I sigh.   

    "This is going to be one hell of a journey." It seemed like forever when we finally got to the valley that smoke was coming from. We slowly approached and watch as it seemed a massacre was happening. Ashitaka asked,

    "A battle?" I shake my head.

    "No. A massacre." We quickly try to get away, but as we approached in on more people being attacked Ashitaka raises his bow. As he tried to shoot, the curse begins to affect him greatly. I run ahead and disable some, but as one of the soldiers was about to bring down his sword onto my back an arrow cut off his arms. Ashitaka runs ahead of me and I try to catch up to him. I look to my right and see one of the warriors aiming for Ashitaka.

    "Hurry! Stop them before they get away!" the warrior yells.

    "Please we aren't here to attack!" I cry to him. Ashitaka warns them,

    "Let us pass! I'm warning you!" The warrior shoots his arrow, but Ashitaka was barely able to dodge it. Ashitaka sends one back and took the head of the man clean off his shoulders. I cringe at the sight. We keep running and running until we are able to stop. Ashitaka stops and puts his arm under the stream of water.

    "The mark is getting bigger." I look at the ugly mark that is now coiled around most of his forearm. "Let's go." I urge him and he slowly gets back on his Elk and we head for the village that's closest. "I warn you now Ashitaka these people aren't like the people back where you came from." I warn him. He nods as we enter the village. As we walk in people stare.

    "Who are they?"

    "I've never seen those two before." I heard the whispers of the curious villagers. Ashitaka approaches a rice stand and as she fills his bag.

    "Will this be enough?" he hands her a gold nugget.

    "Hey! What are you trying to pull? This isn't money. Give me back my rice, you little thief." the woman cries as I try to keep my face hidden in my furs. A strange ugly man approaches us.

    "Excuse me, but might I inspect that?" he asks the woman.

    "Go ahead." he inspects the gold.

    "Mmm? My God! But this is a lump of pure gold you silly woman! However, if its money you want, I'll pay for the rice and take this nugget off your hands. My good people, is there a money changer who could tell us how much this is worth? No? All right. Now, I'm just a monk, but I'd say three bags of rice at least. That's right, maybe even more." I sigh under my furs and I follow Ashitaka as he leaves the large group of people. "Where are you going?" the ugly man calls and I giggle as the woman attacks his hand screaming.

    "Give me my gold!" We keep going until we get to a calmer part of the place until as we are walking ugly man had caughed up to us.

    "Hey! You can't just rush off now. We've only just met." I snarl at the man in disgust.

    "You really are annoying for a monk. Never liked many of religious stature." The man looks at me, but ignores me.

    "We have got your rice, and everything's nice. You're a man of few words unlike your lady friend there in the furs, but I understand. Don't you even think of thanking me. It was my pleasure. In fact, I should be thanking you, really. You see, I was caught in that battle. I saw what you two did to those samurai. You fight like a demon while your friend fights viciously like a wolf. Where'd do you two learn to fight like that?" Ashitaka and I both look back and see a couple of people following us. "I see you noticed we're being followed. That's what we get for waving that fold nugget around. They'll wait till we're asleep, and then slit our throats." I snarl thinking what I would do if they even tried coming near our throats. "What do you say we give 'em a little demonstration of how fast we can run, huh?" We began running quickly away from the small group of people until the man leads us to a small cave. I help Ashitaka get everything settled and feed the Elk. As I finish it becomes night and the ugly man begins to cook in a small little pot. We sit down by the fire. "So the demon monster turned out to be a giant boar." the ugly man starts.

    "We followed its trail westward through the mountains...to where the samurai were attacking those villagers, but then..."

    "You lost it. That's life. See this place here? When I came here last, a few years back this was a lovely little village, but then there must have been a flood or a landslide or a fire. The only sure thing is that everybody's dead." he lifts up a basket thing and takes out a pouch. "These days, there are angry ghosts all around us, dead from wars, sickness, and starvation. And Nobody cares." he begins to put whatever was in the pouch into the small pot and stir. "So you say you're under a curse? So what? So is the whole damn world." I snarl and uncover my face.

    "How dare you say that you ugly swine. This world has cursed itself for what the inhabitants are doing to it. The reason why human kind is cursed is because we are greedy, selfish, and many other things that will bring us to our extinction. The gods and beasts of this world do nothing about it and that's why they too shall become extinct to this world." I lay my furs down behind Ashitaka and close my eyes not caring what the man's response was. I knew this to be true, because my eyes can't be clouded by the truth that this land shows.

    "I was wrong to fight in that village. Two men are dead because of me."

    "Samurai thugs. You win some, you lose some. Hand me your bowl. My point is, everybody dies. Some now, some later. From brothel girl to emperor. I've heard them say that the Emperor has promised and entire hill of gold to anyone who can help him live forever. Beautiful bowl. I've seen one other like it. Have you ever heard of the Emishi people? They're said to ride red elks. They also use stone arrowheads just like your’s." I hear slurping probably from the ugly man. "Don't worry. I won't tell anyone where you're from. Anyway, I've got much bigger fish to fry."

    After that I slowly began to fall asleep. I lay in a meadow surrounded by beautiful sakura blossom trees. I slowly begin to stand when I notice I am not wearing my usually furs, but my outfit I wear underneath and instead of my silver white hair being in a braid it is flowing all the way down to my feet. I look around trying to figure out where I was when I hear movement behind me. I turn quickly and I see Ashitaka coming from behind one of the Sakura trees. I quickly run to his side.

    "Ashitaka! Where are we?" I ask him. He stares at me not responding me. "Ashitaka? What's wrong?" I ask him. “What's wrong with him? I know he's quiet, but never has he ignored me?” I stare back at him when all of a sudden his face begins to come closer and closer. "Ashitaka?" I whisper. As I whisper his name his lips come upon mine. I shoot up from where I lay looking around gasping for air.

    "Calm down." I hear Ashitaka whisper. I look behind me and see he is dressed in his hay outfit and his mask. "Get ready we're leaving." I nod and quickly put my furs on. We begin to head off to what seems the west.