Asha of the Border — Chapter 9

THAT OLD MAN... WHAT'D HE DO

WITH THE KID WHILE I WAS SLEEPING?

IF YOU MEAN THE OUTSIDER,

THE ELDER HAS HER.

SEEMS HE'S BEEN LOOKING AFTER HER ALL DAY.

LOOK AFTER? AS IF.

MORE LIKE HE SCARED HER HALF TO DEATH!

ELDER!

DON'T YOU EVER TAKE A DAY OFF FROM MAKING THREATS-

HUH?

WHERE'S THE KID?

SO THAT'S BECOME YOUR GREETING THESE DAYS.

HAVE A SEAT, FIRST.

WHY WOULD I SIT THERE?

JUST TELL ME WHERE THE KID IS.

WHY? YOU THINK THIS ISN’T YOUR SEAT?

OF COURSE IT ISN'T.

THE HEAD OF THE CLAN IS STILL VERY MUCH ALIVE.

ARE YOU TELLING ME TO COMMIT TREASON?

YOU’VE ALWAYS CLASHED WITH THE LEADERS OF THE MOUNTAIN RANGE.

TO AVOID REPEATING OUR TRAGEDIES,

WE BELIEVE WE MUST CUT OFF ALL CONTACT WITH THE OUTSIDE WORLD.

BUT YOU HAVE ALWAYS INSISTED ON MAKING CONTACT.

YOU CLAIMED ALL OF OUR VILLAGE’S TRAGEDIES

STEMMED FROM OUR IGNORANCE OF THE OUTSIDE WORLD.

SO I ALWAYS KNEW YOU WOULD GET INVOLVED WITH IT SOMEDAY,

BUT I NEVER IMAGINED IT WOULD BE LIKE THIS.

WHAT’RE YOU TALKING ABOUT?

SINCE YESTERDAY, THIS HAS ALL BEEN ABOUT ONE KID.

YET YOU KEEP GOING ON ABOUT THE “OUTSIDE” AND WHAT-NOT.

I’M JUST TRYING TO HELP A CHILD,

AND ALL YOU ELDERS CAN DO IS RAMBLE ON ABOUT THE OUTSIDE WORLD!

SERIOUSLY... IS THIS SOME KIND OF HOBBY FOR YOU OLD GEEZERS?

ONLY THE ONE WHO SITS IN THIS SEAT...

CAN MAKE SUCH MOMENTOUS DECISIONS.

IF YOU WANT TO BRING ABOUT THE CHANGE OF ACCEPTING AN OUTSIDER,

BECOME A CANDIDATE FOR CHIEFTAIN, EDEN.

THEN I WILL WITHDRAW THE PROPOSITION I MADE TO THAT CHILD.

SO IF I AGREE,

YOU'LL TAKE BACK YOUR ORDER FOR HER TO KILL A CLAN MEMBER?

YOU'LL JUST PRETEND IT NEVER HAPPENED?

ONLY IF THERE'S A WAY TO COMPLETELY HIDE THE CHILD'S TRACKS

FROM THE ROYAL PALACE.

WE CAN STAGE IT.

MAKE THE WORLD BELIEVE SHE’S DEAD.

THAT WAY, THE ROYAL PALACE

WILL STOP LOOKING FOR HER.

AND YOU INTEND TO LET THE CHILD GROW UP HERE?

WITH A NEW NAME.

IF THAT’S SOMETHING ONLY THE CHIEF CAN DO...

THEN FINE. I’LL DO IT.

BUT

WHAT MADE YOU HAVE A CHANGE OF HEART OVERNIGHT?

I-I JUST WANTED... TO A-APOLOGIZE

T-TO THE ANCESTORS OF THE M-MOUNTAINS.

THAT CHILD...

IS DIFFERENT FROM THE OTHER OUTSIDERS.

I BELIEVE THAT NATURE OF HERS WILL BE USEFUL SOMEDAY.

SO YOU'RE NOT TRULY ACCEPTING HER.

YOU'RE JUST KEEPING HER AS A CARD TO PLAY LATER.

IF YOUR DECEPTION IS EVER REVEALED TO THE WORLD,

YOU MUST PUT THE VILLAGERS BEFORE THAT CHILD, EDEN.

DID I JUST POKE THE BEAR?

MAYBE I SHOULD’VE JUST KEPT MY MOUTH SHUT...

SORRY FOR SCRUBBING YOU...

WHY’RE YOU OVER HERE TORMENTING YOUR LITTLE HANDS AGAIN?

I HEAR YOU DID SOMETHING QUITE ADMIRABLE.

YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN GIVING YOUR NAME A LOT OF THOUGHT.

SOMETHING CAME TO MIND WHEN I SAW YOUR EYES.

WANT ME TO SHOW YOU?

THE ONLY BLUE THINGS IN THIS MOUNTAIN RANGE

USED TO BE THE SKY AND THESE ASHA FLOWERS.

BUT NOW, WE HAVE YOU.

I WAS THINKING OF “ASHA”

FOR YOUR NAME.

WHAT DO YOU THINK, ASHA?

W-WHAT... WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

TH-THESE THINGS THAT GROW IN THE M-MOUNTAINS...

AND M-MY NAME IS THE S-SAME...?

WHAT ELSE?

IT MEANS THESE MOUNTAINS

ARE YOUR HOME NOW.

HOME?

I-I...

D-DON’T HAVE TO LEAVE THE VILLAGE?

S-SOMEONE DOESN’T

HAVE TO D-DIE BECAUSE OF M-ME?

YOU'RE STAYING HERE, AND NO ONE GETS HURT.

I-I...

I-I...

THOUGHT

I'D B-BECOME A DISASTER A-AGAIN.

E-EVERYONE...

A-ALWAYS GETS HURT...

B-BECAUSE OF ME.

AND D-DISAPPEARS...

BUT...

TH-TH-THEY SAID

IT'S B-BECAUSE... I'M BAD LUCK...

I-I R-REALLY STARTED TO THINK...

M-MAYBE THAT'S... W-WHAT I AM...

I W-WAS... SO SCARED.

"ASHA" DOESN'T MEAN DISASTER.

IT MEANS "TRUTH."

LET IT ALL OUT.

THEN WE'LL GO HOME.