Forest of the Deer God

[San]

"...." The girl was just silent, as, once again, the two boisterous men got into another argument. She quietly sighed in annoyance one last time, but was more or less over her exasperation; after this, the two would leave, and she would have peace at last.

As Tony and Joe bickered, the wild girl gracefully slid off of the white wolf, then looked back up to it with a gentle smile, softly placing a slender hand on its shaggy cheek. She's caused him enough trouble, she thought, and decided to let him go. "Thanks for your help, brother," she quietly thanked her furry friend, who responded with an agreeable slurp on her hand. "You can go on home, now. I'll take care of the humans." With that, the great wolf turned and promptly left the trio, trotting back into the depths of the woods.

With the wolf gone for now, the girl turned her attention to Tony and Joe again. "I'll lead you out of the forest," she bluntly offered. She certainly wasn't pleased with having to do this, but it was the best way to ensure they made it out - if she only told them where to go, no matter where, those pesky Kodama would probably 'playfully' lead them astray. Not that she cared much if they got lost, she told herself... she only wanted to make sure there were no other humans in her forest, that's all.

[tj]

Tony immediately stopped arguing, and looked to the wolf girl. "Surely? Okay! You done'a so much, thank you. We leave now, when you is'a ready!"

"And I won't'a get lost this time!" Joe humorously quipped. He had calmed drastically after the wolf had left, and after this stranger volunteered her services. "We follow, Tony?" he looked up to the taller man.

"We follow!" Tony confirmed, throwing his hands up in the air happily.

[San]

With that, the girl quickly turned to her right and darted over to the side of a moss-coated boulder, with near inhuman swiftness and astoundingly light feet. If one didn't know any better, they would think that she could get around just as easily without the aid of her wolf family. She looked back to the two men and called out. "Come on, then."

Although not showing it much, the feral girl was somewhat pleased with the agreeableness of the two. She was more than ready for them to return to their own kind, however; she had no reason to be hostile now, but even so, she wasn't keen on being too friendly. She may have showed the two a rare smile earlier, but that would be the extent of her amity. It was strictly business, now, and it was time for the humans to leave.

~~~

The walk to the forest's edge was surprisingly short... for the wolfgirl, at least. Traveling with a swift, loose-limbed, and, well, wolf-like gait, she greatly outpaced the two other humans, covering more than a few feet with each footstep, but at points she was forced to either slow down to a walk or stop and wait for the two.

Regardless, the trio soon arrived at the place where the great forest gradually met with rolling hills and grassy meadows. The change in atmosphere was notable, to say the least; no longer surrounded on all sides by towering trees and thick undergrowth, the three would feel far less contained. The sky above was now visible, clear and rich blue in color.

Quietly, the girl took in a deep breath and exhaled softly; spending most of her time in the thick forest, she quite enjoyed being out in the open every now and then, and feeling fresh air.

[tj]

The two men were older and had more girth than the feral girl, especially Tony. They ran and kept up with her as much as they could, as fast as they could, but they paled in comparison. Joe caught up to their guide outside of the woods first, followed by Tony. They both panted, but Tony was more out of breath. When they both stopped, Tony bent over and placed his palms on his knees, as he took his time to catch his breath. "Is'a--is'a eas," he swallowed and panted. "Is'a easier with'a the wolf, no?" He managed to chuckle between his breaths.

Joe was also out of wind, but he saw the clear sky and clapped his hands once. "Perfect!" he exclaimed merrily. He then turned to the wolf's friend. "Thank'a you! You'a very helpful!"

Tony stood upright and smiled. "We won't'a forget you!" Of the two, Tony actually seem the warmest to her, despite his explosive temper in argument.

[San]

Approached with two men looking her in the eyes, beaming smiles and happily thanking her, the girl quickly lowered her head a little and darted her eyes away. This being the first time she was ever shown such politeness from humans (politeness in itself was an unusual concept to her), she was unsure of how to react... somewhat nervous, even.

Becoming frustrated by these feelings, she forced an annoyed expression onto her face to hide any uncomfortableness or vulnerability she may show. "... W-well, you can go now," she uttered, not really wanting to say anymore to the two.

[tj]

Joe, smiling, nodded his head to the wolf girl, and was first to walk away. Tony gave a last look to the forest's resident, and by extension a last warm smile. "Thank you. Arrivederci, signorina." He turned and walked briskly to catch up with Joe, but slowed when the two were evenly paced. "Ohhh, Joe!" he exclaimed. "I forget to ask'a her name!"

"That's too bad, Tony," Joe replied. He looked to Tony's face. "But maybe she'a would not say?" He paused for a moment before adding, "She's a quiet."

Tony looked to Joe and shrugged a shoulder. "Yes," he replied gently, "but she'a help me. No matter, she'a help us." He exhaled and looked up to the sky as he continued to walk. "I wonder if'a when we gonna see each other-r again?"

"Without'a getting lost," joked the other. He looked ahead and grinned.

Tony furrowed his eyebrows and he muttered under his breath. He essentially muttered a promise to himself: to never bring Joe on a holiday trip ever again. At least, not where he could easily get separated and lost.

[San]

As the two brothers strolled off into the distance, the girl, San, just silently watched them from the forest's edge, until the two were out of sight. San let out a soft sigh, feeling quite relieved that this was all over and done with. She sat herself down upon the soft spring grass to help relax her nerves, and turned her sights up to the azure sky above.

She began to think about just what she had done... specifically, how she had acted towards the two humans. Quite honestly, she was unsure why she felt so compelled to treat them with respect and even a little kindness... a year ago, she probably would have killed the two on sight, or at the very least frightened them off. San was confused and unsure of herself, now. Humans didn't deserve her respect, did they...? Right now, without her mother's guidance, she wasn't sure what to think about them, or about herself.

As she thought to herself, San lifted up her hand, slender and feminine yet powerful, and turned it over, gazing into its palm. She couldn't deny one thing... she was a human, herself. Yet... she was certain she was a wolf, as well. She lived in the forest, with her pack, hunted for game, and howled to her brothers and sisters when far away... she had no part in the affairs of real humans and their society. And San was perfectly comfortable with that... right? Her hand then drifted towards her neck, and she grasped onto the shining blue stone dangling from it. The stone that Ashitaka had given her. Despite the conflict going on inside of her... she felt at peace whenever she gazed into that stone.

Hearing dry leaves crunching beneath paw pads from behind her, she turned to see her canine brother approaching, a gentle glow in his yellow eyes and his tail slowly wagging to and fro. San managed a smile, happy to see him and momentarily forgetting about her troublesome thoughts. The wolf stood by her side as she stroked his thick white fur, soft and soothing to the touch. Soon enough, she got back up on her feet and seamlessly heaved herself up onto the wolf's back. "Let's head home," she softly spoke to him, and with that, the forest god returned into the depths of the forest.

Neither of the two noticed a tiny, white doll-like figure, glowing ethereally, perched on a tree branch and gazing out into the open fields, as if still watching the two men.

THE END