The warmth of mother slowly brings me to sleep until my eyes close. I dream of The Forest Spirit. I dream of meadows and how I used to run with mother and San through the forest chasing each other until we became exhausted. Suddenly I wake up. I hear birds chirping and shoot up. I look around and find the cave empty. I sigh and run off to where I and San left Ashitaka. I find him slowly waking.
"Yakul." Ashitaka smiles as his companion walks up to him. I smile as I see that the Forest Spirit had taken all signs of the bullet wound. I sit next to Ashitaka and I frown when Ashitaka lifts his cursed arm and the curse has spread to his palm. I lay next to him and suddenly his arm wraps around me, and then brings me closer to him. I look up in shock. He smiles down at me and sets his head back down. I smile back at him and cuddle into him. After a couple seconds of laying there I hear the sound of footsteps. Not wanting to move I stay still, but open my eyes when the footsteps come closer. When I look up I see San smirking down at us.
"Comfy?" I blush and nod slightly and her smirk grows bigger. "Finally you're awake. You really should thank my sister and Yakul. My sister hasn't stopped being worried about you and Yakul hasn't left your side this whole time."
"How'd you know his name's Yakul?"
"He told me, and he told me about you, your village, your people, your forest and the connection between you and my sister. The Forest Spirit brought you back to life again. He wants you to live." She hands me the food she brought with her so I could feed him.
"I had the strangest dream. There's been a golden creature." I brought the food to his mouth and he took it.
"Chew." I told him as he slowly chews. He coughs in strain and the food falls out of his mouth. I sigh and take the food off his chest and chew it myself. I bring my lips down to his and transfer the food to his mouth. I keep doing this with each piece of food San hands me. At the last piece tears reach his eyes and I sigh in sadness. All of a sudden Mother comes through the bushes followed by my brothers. Across from them a group of boars come flooding in.
"We are here to kill the human and save the forest. Why are there humans here, Moro?" the boar asks my mother with a tone of ungratefulness.
"Humans are everywhere these days. Go back to your own mountain. Kill them there. The girls are San and Luka, my daughters." she sneers at the pigs as I stand up and walk so I stand next to her.
"We will kill them here. We will save this forest. What is that other human doing here?" I open my mouth to speak in Ashitaka's defense, but before I can San is already talking.
“He was shot, and then the Great Spirit healed his wound. This man is not our enemy!" she yells to the pigs.
"The Forest Spirit saved him? Saved the life of that loathsome runt? Why didn't he save Nago? Is he not the guardian of the forest? Why?" the boar squeals. I yell back at the boar.
"Nago was afraid of death! The Forest Spirit gives life and takes it! It's the way of life." Mother looks down at me and nods. I smile up at her, but the squeals back at us.
"You lie! You just have begged the Forest Spirit to spare his life! But you did not beg for Nago, did you?" I snarl at the pigs as mother repeats what I said.
"Nago was afraid to die. Now I, too, carry within my breast a poisoned human bullet. Nago fled, and the darkness took him. I remain and contemplate my death." I pet the fur where the bullet had entered my mother's chest in sadness. I knew nothing could help my mother. The Forest Spirit would take her life even if we begged.
"Mother! Pleases ask the Forest Spirit to save you." San runs up to us, but I shake my head at her.
"I have lived long enough, San. Soon the Forest Spirit will let me rest forever."
"All these years you defended the Forest Spirit! He must save you!" I snarl at the pigs as they draw the attention back with their infernal squealing.
"You are not fooling us. Nago was beautiful and strong. He would not have run from anything. You wolves must have eaten him!" I snarl and step forward.
"Shut up you filthy pigs!" I yell at them, but still they squealed.
"Quiet! Watch what you say, you filthy pig!" San joins me in yelling. All of sudden Ashitaka weakly begins talking. I quickly walk over to him and go to my knees so I sat next to him.
"Gods of the mountain please listen to me. Nago died far from here and I was the one who killed him. He had become some kind of demon. One day he attacked our village. If you want proof, look at my hand where he touched me." Ashitaka weakly lifts his hand and un-wraps his hand. I touch the marked hand gently and feel his hand. If falls out of my hold as Ashitaka brings it back to his side. "I came here to beg the Forest Spirit to lift Nago's curse from me. He healed the bullet wound in my side, but the demon mark remains. First it will tear my soul apart, and then it will kill me." I look at Ashitaka sadly. All of sudden I heard mother talk about Lord Okkoto. I look up as the Okkoto approaches. San comes running up but I stop her.
"He won't eat Ashitaka." I whisper to her. She nods and walks back to mother. "Hello Lord Okkoto." I greet the boar. I lift my hand to his nose seeing that his eyes are blind to this world.
"Ah, you are Luka, one of Moro's human children, aren't you? I have heard of you." he breathes into my face. "Do not fear. I will not eat him." I nod and look down at Ashitaka.
"It's alright Luka. My lord Okkoto, what I said about Nago's death was truth." Ashitaka raises his hand and the Lord breathes in deeply.
"I believe you, and I thank you for it, young one. I am only grieved and ashamed that such a demon has come from our tribe."
"Oh mighty lord, is there a way to lift Nago's curse from me?" Ashitaka asks.
"Leave this forest...for the next time we meet I will have to kill you.”
"You cannot win against the humans. Their guns will destroy you all."
"Look on my tribe, Moro. We grow small, and we grow stupid. We will soon be nothing, but squealing game...that the humans hunt for their meat." I shake my head at the lord knowing he couldn't see me.
"You'd risk everything on one last battle? That's just what the humans want."
"I do not ask for the help of the wolf tribe. Even if every one of us dies, it will be a battle the humans will never forget." My eyes followed the pigs, but once they are all gone something catches my eyes. It's the Forest Spirit.
"The Forest Spirit." whispered my sister. It drinks some water, and then walks away. I nod to San and to my mother and pick up Ashitaka. I carry him up to our cave. I put him in my furs which now turned brown. I make sure he is warm, and then go out to hunt. I am able to find some berries and by the time I have my fill its a couple hours before sunrise. I quickly head back home. As I walk in I yawn in exhaustion and lay down on the right side of Ashitaka. On his left was San who was curled up in her furs. I find some furs that were lying around and curled up in them. I close my eyes as I do I hear grunting coming from Ashitaka. I open my eyes and see him grasping his arm in pain. I sit up and touch it.
"I wish I could take this burden you carry Ashitaka, but I can't which makes me feel helpless.” He looks up at me and slowly brings his good hand to my cheek and slowly rubs where I repainted my markings. I raise my hand and cover over his. Slowly his hand brings my face down to his. I stare at wonder with the look of wonder inside his eyes seeing the reflection of my silver white hair. Finally our lips met and I close my eyes. I swing my leg over him and deepen the kiss, but then I hear a sigh coming from next to us. I break the kiss and look over to where it came from. San was sound asleep. I sigh in annoyance and lay back down where I once had been. He sits up and again brings his hand to my cheek.
"I will be back." he smiles at me as I smile back at him.
"Ok." I curl up in my furs and slowly after hearing Ashitaka leave the cave I fall asleep.