The Wolf Girl

Chapter 3

    As we get farther we get into a more forest area. We both hear cannons, but as we get closer I hear wolf steps.

    "Ashitaka we must hurry." he nods. As we carry on the rain stops. We stop at a large river. "Ashitaka there is men in the water."

    "Thank you." I and him both quickly pull the living men out of the water when I hear something.    

    "Ashitaka there is something up there." again he nods and I follow him to where the sound come. I see my mother. "Mother!" I cry and quickly run to her side trying to figure what happened to her when I see the open wound of cannon shot. Behind me I hear my siblings approach. I and San both spit blood out of mothers wound when mother beings to growl towards where Ashitaka was. I keep attending mother's wound when San also faces where he was. The fool came out of hiding when he should have stayed hidden. Mother could rip his throat out even in her condition.

    "My name is Ashitaka! I have traveled far from lands to the east. Are you ancient gods, and have I come at last to the realm of the spirit of the forest?" My mother stands and walks into the forest while San climbs upon one of our brothers.

    "Go away." she tells Ashitaka. My other sibling grabs the dead bull from the water and carries it into the forest.

    "I am sorry, but I cannot go with you." I whisper and as I do I hear a yell from a man back from where we saved the men from the water. "Great. Mother is not going to be pleased with me." I sigh and head towards where the sound came from. Ashitaka and I get to where the man was screaming. "A kodama?" I whisper to myself.

    "Yes, I never thought I would see one of them here." I nod and look to the man making the weird noises.

    "Please the little thing couldn't even kill a fly let alone a full grown man." I sigh and watch as Ashitaka approached him.

    "Easy there. You don't want to make your injuries worse, do you?" the man falls silent and we all watch as the little creature turns it head. "He's a tree spirit. He brings good luck. It's a sign this forest is healthy." the man looks back and forth in worry.

    "But they'll lead their lord and master right to us." Ashitaka looks down at him with a confused face.  

    "Who do you mean? You mean those wolves I just saw?”

    "No, I mean a real monster, like a huge enormous dear, except they say it's got a human face sometimes, and then at night they say it—" the little creature disappears. "Where'd it go?!" the man screams hideously. The man again looks back and forth until his eyes see more of the creatures upon the tree and the elk. "Look! Reinforcements! We're doomed!" I sigh at the stupidity of the man.

    "They won't kill us. The man is talking about the Spirit of the forest. The wolves that you saw earlier Ashitaka are the guardians of the forest that haven't yet become stupid beasts." Ashitaka looks back at me.

    "So that's why you screamed to them. They were your family?" he asked me while the man still screams.

    "Yes those where my mother, brothers and my younger sister San." Ashitaka looks at me with eyes of wonder which shock me since I have never been given the look before. 

    "So that's why you're so beautiful. You're just like a human wolf." I blush at this not expecting it at all and just look at the Elk who had one of the little creatures. To calm the man Ashitaka stops him. "If Yakul's not afraid, then we have nothing to worry about here." he approaches the creature upon the elks back. "Would you be kind enough to grant us passage through your forest, little one?" It disappears.