Yakkul leapt nimbly over the rocky terrain, carrying a very concerned Ashitaka with him. As they neared the woods, the boy could see the sparkling of fireflies dancing on kodamas and dew drops alike. By the forest's edge, Ashitaka brought Yakkul to a stop, dismounted, and led the elk on foot through the woods.
Stepping lightly, the pair took in their surroundings in awe. Though they had been here so many times, the majesty of nature never ceased to amaze them. Ashitaka heard Yakkul wuff softly, and turned to find that a pudgy little kodama had fallen onto the animal's snout. The elk twitched his ears and blinked curiously, causing Ashitaka to laugh.
"Hey there." the boy carefully lifted the tiny tree spirit into his cupped hands. "Would you know where San and the wolves are?"
The ghostly little creature pointed upwards, far behind Ashitaka and clicked its head. The boy already knew the kodama was pointing towards the cliff where San and her brothers resided. He set the spirit on a moss-covered branch and continued on his way.
As Ashitaka neared the base of the cliff, a low, rumbling growl caught his attention. One of the wolf brothers was lying down on top of the stone slab of the miniature shelter and glaring down at him.
"What do you want, human?" the beast curled his mouth back into a snarl, speaking only as loud as to be heard by Ashitaka.
"I promised San that I would let her know if a fox made an appearance." he explained. "Iron Town was attacked just a short while ago. Is she awake?"
As though in reply, the other wolf stepped out of the cave with San by his side. She rubbed her eyes sleepily as she peered down at him.
"Ashitaka?" San uttered.
"It came, and it went." he replied.
San's eyes immediately lost their dreamy look as she hopped down the boulders to the ground. As Ashitaka got a better look at her, he could see that the paint on her face was slightly smudged and her head band was tilted to one side. San approached him, but when she came within a few feet of him, she stopped suddenly.
"What is it?" Ashitaka asked, confused.
"That smell..." San grimaced. "the smell of that fox is on you. Did you fight with it?"
"No," he answered. "though it did come rather close. After it was all over, I rushed here to tell you."
Up on the cliffs, the wolves were growling at something far in the distance. One of them was even snarling viciously.
"What is it?" San ambled back up the rocks and out onto the ledge.
Ashitaka followed right behind her. They looked out into the forest in the direction that the wolves were facing. Along the horizon, something blue flickered like a flame and danced like a firefly on the breeze. It leapt up, and for a split second, it took on a canine shape before reverting back to its shapeless, fiery form and disappearing.
Needless to say, the wolves were infuriated, but nothing could have prepared Ashitaka for what they did next. The one on the top slab turned and snarled murderously at him before leaping as though to crush him. Ashitaka barely rolled out of the way as the weight of the great animal shook the ground beneath him. The other wolf leapt from the platform edge and raced away in the forest. San, who had been too startled by the turn of events to speak, suddenly found her voice again.
"Stop it!" she screamed. "What do you think you're doing?"
"Back away from him, San!" the wolf ordered. "He means to kill you!"
"What!?" San blinked, confused, in Ashitaka's direction. The boy had not even gone for his knife, choosing instead to defend rather than attack.
"God of the forest, I mean neither you nor San any harm!" Ashitaka backed away slowly. "What have I done to upset you?"
"I warned you not to become a toy in that fox's game, boy!" the wolf growled loudly. "You're going to die for this!"
Ashitaka dodged another attack by mere inches, taking only a few deep scratches in his arm. San would take no more of this.
"STOP IT!" she ordered. "Ashitaka has done nothing wrong! Why are you doing this?!"
"It's scent is clinging to him like a fungus!" the beast bellowed. "It has marked him as its tool. He must be destroyed!"
San could see that the wolf was poised to strike again, and she placed herself directly between the animal and Ashitaka.
"San..." the boy breathed.
"If you kill Ashitaka, I'll never forgive you!" San screamed, holding out her arms as though to further shield the boy behind her.
The wolf dropped his offensive poise, glaring suspiciously at the girl in front of him. The loud rumbling in its throat lowered itself to a quiet growl as he examined the two humans. His eyes narrowed as he glared at San.
"San," the wolf spoke in a low, yet agitated tone. "you bore a hatred for humans that, at times, shamed even that of our own. Now, you go and defend the one that could very well kill you. How do you dare!?"
"I've told you before," San glared defiantly. "He is not our enemy! You know as well as I do that Ashitaka could have turned into a demon like Nago did. But he didn't. He took the curse and dealt with it. If Ashitaka is strong enough to bear with demon's curse, don't you think he can resist a fox's magic too?"
"He is human, even as you are, San." the wolf said. "Even the greatest of forest gods have fallen to fox trickery before. What chance does a human like him stand?"
"More than I think even you could." San answered plainly.
"WHAT!?" the animal snarled. "You forget your place in this forest, San!"
San opened her mouth to speak, but Ashitaka's hand on her shoulder quieted her. He stepped forward and faced the wolf god before him calmly.
"Please, I do not want any fighting between family members," he spoke low and seriously. "especially if I am the cause of it. I will go now."
With that, Ashitaka turned to Yakkul, who had hidden himself in the thick brush after the wolves had come a little too close for comfort. He hauled himself up onto the elk and prepared to go.
"Ashitaka, wait!" called San.
Yakkul stopped and its rider looked back at her.
"Where are you going?" she inquired.
"Back to Iron Town," Ashitaka replied. "then, I'm going to look for that fox god. There has to be a reason it's only attacking the forge and nothing else."
"The forge?" San blinked. "Aside from the awful smell, what could it want with the forge?"
"I don't know." he said. "But I am going to find out."
"You had better hope you find that beast before my fangs find you!" the wolf bared its teeth to emphasize his point.
"I mean you no harm, wolf god." Ashitaka nodded politely. "and I bear you no hatred for attacking me. Farewell."
San moved as if to stop him, but Ashitaka and Yakkul were soon far out of sight. She sighed worriedly as she plopped herself down on the grass. Her brother nudged her with his snout, and she looked into his lupine eyes. She shifted her gaze back in the direction that Ashitaka had left and immediately got back on her feet.
"Be careful, San." the great beast called as he watched her run towards Iron Town after Ashitaka.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is Chapter 3. Where would you like to go next?
