Asuka carried the peice of metal back to the village, where a crowd of men were gathering with spears and weapons ready. Their faces looked disappointed. Like they were sad to have missed the action. They watched her closely, eyeing the thing in her hand. Even Yakul didn't want to come near her. She limped slowly towards the one tent that she knew could help her. The men followed behind her, silently. As she pushed the tent open, the smell of incense wafted out towards her. 

The Emishi people held high respect for medicine men. As the spiritual guides for their people, the medicine men held positions of great respect. They were chosen anew when the current medicine man or woman became too old to do his or her job. Yet, the spirits took care of their guides, and Ibaba the Medicine Man had been the guide for Asuka's father, grandfather, and great grandfather. The man could barely walk, and his eyes were clouded over in old age. Still, he sat up tall on his pillow when Asuka entered the tent. His eyes were shut, and he was humming in meditation. 

"You've gotten yourself into some serious danger, Princess," the man said, eyes opening. Asuka sat down on the floor of the tent, cradling the shard. "Let me see what you've brought back." Asuka handed the peice over to Ibaba moving to cradle her throbbing leg. The pain was constant, but it had faded a little since the accident. The man turned the metal over in his hand, smelling it. His face contorted, closing his eyes again. "This metal is a thing called a bullet. A god forsaken creation. It is made to be shot at thing and strong enough to bore through skin and bone. The boar you killed must have been hunted. But he wasn't a normal boar. That boar is from the forest spirit territory, where all the animals are ancient spirits. He bore a grudge against humanity, which means the spirit must have been treated with great disrespect." Asuka jumped in surprise when the old man reached out and touched the open flesh on her leg. 

"You bear that curse now, Princess." 

Asuka looked around at the crowd of men that had gathered around her. They were the elders, her father's counsel. Her own father sat close by, a concerned look on his face. Ibaba continued, letting go of Asuka's leg. 

"The curse will destroy you," he said, sharply, "But you will first need to make amends for the ill done to the boar spirit. You must go to the East, where the forest spirit resides and find a way to make up to him for the loss of the boar. Because you bear the curse, we must cut all ties with you, lest we be held responsible for what you've done." 

Asuka took a quick breath. She was being exiled.