The monster stayed its hand, staring down in disbelief at this puny human.
Ashitaka leaned forward cautiously, reaching up with the twig. "Calm
yourself. I'm not going to hurt you. I can't hurt you, see?"
Gently, he touched the twig to the red-hot sword. The wood smoked, flickered, then caught, and he tossed it into the air. The mononoke watched as the twig sailed over the rim of the forge in a tall, fiery arc and clattered into the dry charcoal at the bottom.
A warm glow slowly shone out from the wreckage - the last bits of fuel were burning and the forge had returned to a ghost of its former glory. The orange light faded as the creature shrank and re-formed, dropping the sword into the ash-pit.
"Wake up! San, wake up!" Ashitaka shook her by the shoulders. She barely stirred. Throwing the wolf-pelt over her, he picked her up and ran for the door.
Outside it was quiet again - cool and blue in the moonlight, with the sound of the new forge just a whisper in the wind. Reaching the path, he turned and saw a hollow-eyed young girl standing mournfully in the door, the building now just another darkened ruin.
Kneeling, he laid San down on the grass and moss and pointed to the smoke drifting over the treetops. "Go there!" he called to the girl. "It's the only home you can have now." San's eyes opened to see the sad figure fade back into the gloom.
"What was she?" the wolf-girl hissed as she sat up, never taking her eyes off the ruin. Ashitaka put a hand on her shoulder before answering "She was the spirit of the forge."
"Spirit . . . of the forge?"
"Why not? When water first flowed over rocks, there was a river spirit. When humans built the forge, they created her."
"And then left her to die with the old Irontown."
"Left her homeless. And they left her their hatred of the wolves."
With a growl that was almost wolflike, San stood up, stumbling a bit before finding her footing. She reached for where she wore her knife; when it wasn't there, she clenched her hand into a fist. "I should've cut her throat - that was my instinct, to just kill her right there!" Pulling the wolf-fur over her back, she set out toward the forest, walking with fury in every step. "San!" Ashitaka called.
She turned to see him walking behind her, his eyes gentle, maybe even smiling. Yakkul followed, peering curiously over his master's shoulder. "I would have helped you," Ashitaka promised. "If she'd been human, I would have helped."
For a moment, San did nothing, and he read in her face a sadness she didn't dare let on about. Then she broke into a run and vanished over a rise in the path. Dawn was starting to break, and a luminous, pale blue band was spreading across the horizon. "Come on, boy." Ashitaka beckoned to his mount and they both galloped after her.
Back in the ruins, a single kodama cautiously stood at the entrance to the wrecked forge. After looking around, it rattled its head and stepped fearlessly into the grass and sprouts that grew inside.
THE END
Gently, he touched the twig to the red-hot sword. The wood smoked, flickered, then caught, and he tossed it into the air. The mononoke watched as the twig sailed over the rim of the forge in a tall, fiery arc and clattered into the dry charcoal at the bottom.
A warm glow slowly shone out from the wreckage - the last bits of fuel were burning and the forge had returned to a ghost of its former glory. The orange light faded as the creature shrank and re-formed, dropping the sword into the ash-pit.
"Wake up! San, wake up!" Ashitaka shook her by the shoulders. She barely stirred. Throwing the wolf-pelt over her, he picked her up and ran for the door.
Outside it was quiet again - cool and blue in the moonlight, with the sound of the new forge just a whisper in the wind. Reaching the path, he turned and saw a hollow-eyed young girl standing mournfully in the door, the building now just another darkened ruin.
Kneeling, he laid San down on the grass and moss and pointed to the smoke drifting over the treetops. "Go there!" he called to the girl. "It's the only home you can have now." San's eyes opened to see the sad figure fade back into the gloom.
"What was she?" the wolf-girl hissed as she sat up, never taking her eyes off the ruin. Ashitaka put a hand on her shoulder before answering "She was the spirit of the forge."
"Spirit . . . of the forge?"
"Why not? When water first flowed over rocks, there was a river spirit. When humans built the forge, they created her."
"And then left her to die with the old Irontown."
"Left her homeless. And they left her their hatred of the wolves."
With a growl that was almost wolflike, San stood up, stumbling a bit before finding her footing. She reached for where she wore her knife; when it wasn't there, she clenched her hand into a fist. "I should've cut her throat - that was my instinct, to just kill her right there!" Pulling the wolf-fur over her back, she set out toward the forest, walking with fury in every step. "San!" Ashitaka called.
She turned to see him walking behind her, his eyes gentle, maybe even smiling. Yakkul followed, peering curiously over his master's shoulder. "I would have helped you," Ashitaka promised. "If she'd been human, I would have helped."
For a moment, San did nothing, and he read in her face a sadness she didn't dare let on about. Then she broke into a run and vanished over a rise in the path. Dawn was starting to break, and a luminous, pale blue band was spreading across the horizon. "Come on, boy." Ashitaka beckoned to his mount and they both galloped after her.
Back in the ruins, a single kodama cautiously stood at the entrance to the wrecked forge. After looking around, it rattled its head and stepped fearlessly into the grass and sprouts that grew inside.
THE END