Asha of the Border — Chapter 23

WHAT'S GOING ON? BRO, I CAN'T FIND ASHA.

ARI SAID SHE SLIPPED OUT EARLIER...

LEAVING ALL HER CLOTHES AND JEWELRY BEHIND.

DON'T TELL ME SHE'S SKIPPING THE CEREMONY?

I KNOW SHE HATES BEING THE CENTER OF ATTENTION, BUT STILL...

ARE YOU READY?

THERE'S NO NEED TO GO THAT FAR.

HAPPY COMING-OF-AGE.

I SEEM TO REMEMBER YOU YOU LIKING THINGS LIKE THIS WHEN YOU WERE YOUNG.

AH...!

THIS MAP...

FAR TO THE SOUTH...

A LAND SAID TO HAVE BEEN ABANDONED BY GOD...

OR PERHAPS ONE BLESSED SO ABUNDANTLY

THAT IT BECAME THE ENVY OF THE ENTIRE WORLD...

A MOUNTAIN STEEPED IN SUCH LEGENDS.

I COULDN'T FIND AN EXACT MATCH.

BUT I FOUND ONE THAT'S AS CLOSE AS I COULD GET—

IT'S THE SAME.

THIS IS MORE THAN ENOUGH.

STILL, SOMETHING LIKE THIS...

SHOULD BE EASY TO FORGET BY NOW.

THAT PAST...

IT'S ALMOST AS IF IT NEVER HAPPENED,

SO WHY DOES IT STILL...

HAUNT ME LIKE THIS?

IT'S JUST LONGING. THAT'S ALL.

THERE ARE TWO WAYS TO DEAL WITH IT, YOU KNOW.

YOU CAN BURY IT DEEP,

OR FACE IT ONCE MORE.

IF YOU WISH,

YOU CAN RETURN TO THE ROYAL PALACE WHENEVER YOU LIKE, GROA.

AFTER ALL, YOU'RE NO LONGER A HELPLESS LITTLE CHILD.

SO... I TAKE THAT AS A NO?

I'M SORRY.

THERE'S NO NEED TO APOLOGIZE FOR TURNING ME DOWN.

THOUGH MAKING ME WAIT THIS LONG FOR AN ANSWER—THAT DOES DESERVE AN APOLOGY.

SKYLA,

YOU'RE A WONDERFUL PERSON,

SO I'M SURE YOU'LL FIND SOMEONE WORTHY OF YOU—

WHAT ABOUT ASHA'S SLEEVES, THEN?

WHAT?

HOW WOULD YOU FEEL IF SOMEONE ELSE HAD SEWN THEM FOR HER?

IF YOU CAN'T BRING YOURSELF TO SAY YOU'D BE FINE WITH THAT,

THEN THAT MUST MEAN YOU SEE HER

THEN THAT MUST MEAN YOU SEE HER AT LEAST A LITTLE AS A WOMAN.

WELL, I'M OFF.

IT'S TIME FOR ME TO TAKE CENTER STAGE AT THE CEREMONY.

TODAY, YOU

BECOME AN ANSWER, NOT A CALL,

A BEACON, NOT A SHADOW.

STEP FORWARD, KNOWING WHAT YOU MUST LOSE,

AND LOOK BACK, KNOWING WHAT YOU MUST PROTECT.

LET THE EARTH STAIN YOUR FEET, AND THE MOUNTAIN SHALL YIELD ITS PEAK;

THE SEA SHALL NEVER HIDE YOUR PATH.

O TRAVELER STEPPING INTO INTO THIS DAY,

YOU ARE BOTH OUR INNER WORLD AND OUR OUTER.

AH...!

JUST SAY THE WORD.

I'LL TAKE YOU AWAY WHENEVER YOU WISH, GROA.

JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE ANGRY WITH ME,

DOES THAT MEAN YOU WON'T EVEN ACCEPT MY CONGRATULATIONS?

THERE'S NO NEED TO GO THAT FAR.

...GO ON,

DOES THAT MEAN WON'T EVEN ACCEPT MY CONGRATULATIONS?

AFTER ALL, TODAY'S YOUR DAY.

HAPPY COMING-OF-AGE.

ON BECOMING AN ADULT WHO CAN MAKE HER OWN CHOICES.