Through Wolf's Eyes (Princess Mononoke - San's POV)

Chapter Four- You're Free Now

Yakul stomped his hoof, having been worried this whole time about Ashitaka, but been afraid of what the wolves would do to either of them. San returned Ashitaka's sword to his sheath and draped his arm over her shoulders, pulling him up to sitting position. Yakul knelt down beside them and San managed to get Ashitaka onto the red elk's back, face down. Like that of a cub riding on the back of mother bear. She removed Ashitaka's sword from him and draped over her shoulder. 'He's surprisingly heavy.' San noted, feeling a wave of relief that the elk was cooperating.

"Follow me please." She asked the elk and began leading him through the forest to the lake that held the Isle of the Forest Spirit. When they reached the lake's edge she held her hand up, signaling to the red elk to wait just a moment. As the elk came to a stop she detoured from the water's edge to find a small sapling to cut. 'A token to the forest spirit.' She thought and placed the small branch in her mouth and entered the lake. Raising her hand up, she coaxed the red elk into the lake. When the water reached shoulder level she approached the elk and slide the strange male of his back into the water. She made sure to keep his face above the water as she pulled the human male toward the Isle.

Upon reaching the island's edge she propped the young man into a crevasse, keeping his upper body out of the water, while the rest of his body stayed buoyant in the lake. She removed the sapling branch from her mouth and stuck it into the ground just above the strange male's head. 'Is he still alive? He's lost a lot of blood.' She wondered as she gazed over his figure, his bullet wound still bleeding as she bend down and placed her head against his chest to check for a heartbeat.

Hearting the faint beat of his heart brought an odd sense of relief to her that she normally wouldn't have felt for anyone but her family if they were seriously injured. She saw the red elk still in the lake nearby, keeping close without touching the island.

"You are very wise. You know better than to set foot on this island, don't you?" she called out to him. She stood and noticed her scent, "Ugh! I smell like a human." She complained and walked off the island and back into the lake over toward the red elk. She approached the beast and removed the straps off the elks face. "You can go wherever you want to. You're free now." She told him as she swam away back to the main land. She found it curious the red elk merely shook his head and chose to stay nearby the strange male human, waiting within the lake, but not touching the blessed island.

She watched in awe as the last rays of moonlight shined down upon the island and the nightwalk appeared. At night he was but a bi-pedal transparent stag that looked like the nights sky walking in a human form with great antlers upon his head. The nightwalker stretched down upon the island and began to change into its day form. A brown shaggy coated deer with tri-toed feet covered in green skin, large antlers upon his head and a red face that resembled a human and eyes of crimson color. 'Please, save him great Forest Spirit. He is dying.' San thought to herself as she watched the creature take precious steps toward the strange male. The great forest spirit was ruler over life and death. He could chose to take what remained of the male human's life from him. She watched in worry as she witnessed the forest spirit take the life from the sapling branch she had presented. Then the creature nudged the male into the water, fully submerging him beneath.

She stood up tense, ready to go and get him before he drowned. 'But why? It's up to the forest spirit now to choose if he lives or dies.' She thought to herself but couldn't force herself to remain sitting. She watched in awe as the great forest spirit reached its neck down, partially changing into the nightwalker form as it submerged its head below the water's surface. She could not see what it was doing to the strange male human, but moments later it pulled its head out of the water. The Great Forest Spirit completed the change into his 'day' form and looked directly at her, for a long moment she merely held her breath as it gazed upon her. Then turned away and trotted out of sight.

She rushed into the water toward Ashitaka, the red elk close by him now shaking his head in irritation that he could not see his friend. "It's okay." San reassured as she approached and lifted the strange male human out of the water. The bullet wound in his chest no longer bleed. 'The Great Forest Spirit saved him. That's a relief....what? What am I saying? Why should I care about this male? He is a human. But, he is not an enemy.' She decided and dragged him back to the main land the red elk at his side. She pulled him out of the lake and laid him down upon the ground.

The red elk stood near and finally spoke,

"I am Yakul. I thank you for caring for my friend, Ashitaka."