15
ern. Behind her she could hear the other soldiers picking up Skatch and Raish. By the ti she had found Coander Tung, the two fake nks had been put in stock collars, their heads hanging unfortably between the wooden planks.
“Tell us what happened, Hua Jun,” Coander Tung said as the sun set over the garrison courtyard. Beside hinbsp; stood the garrison nder. Sergeant Qiang and the other soldiers were a few paces away, watching with curiosity.
Mulan stepped forward. “I t these two bandits on the road,” she explained, shooting thenbsp; a look. “They offered food and drink, and??.??.??.” She paused, her voice unsure. She didn’t want to adt they had fooled her into believing they were nks, and worse, tricked her into drinking. That would ke her look weak and ridiculous. “And??.??.??.” she staered.
To her surprise, Skatch jued in. “Hua Jun showed us a rare generosity of spirit,” he said, looking up at her through the hair that fell over his eyes. “Offering a place by his fire. In return, we betrayed his trust.”
Mulan’s eyes widened. Skatch was protecting her honor. But why? What good did that do hi She looked over at hi curious to see what he would say next.
“It is true,” Skatch went on. “We are not nks. We are, in fact, bandits. An odd career choice, perhaps, but it’s a ti-honored profession. We bandits are an integral elent of the Silk Road. Elinate us, and the delicate fabric of the entire enterprise unravels.”
Unbelievable,
Mulan thought. Sohow, Skatch was king it sound like his job of stealing was an honorable one. A task that others needed hinbsp; to perfor She looked at Coander Tung’s face and saw that he, too, looked incredulous.
Raish, whose face wore an expression Mulan couldn’t quite ke out, nodded. “Might I add, Coander, that we could also have taken the lad’s sword, but I—personally—felt that would be wrong.”
Mulan resisted the urge to laugh out loud. She very ch doubted that was the case. True, she didn’t know these n well, but she would have put ney on Skatch being the one who had left her the sword. Of the two, he had seed the re gentlenly, if that ternbsp; could even be used for such heathens.
Noticing that the nder and the others were losing patience, Skatch went on, pleading his case. “ordingly, if Hua Jun finds it in his heart to ive us”—he paused and turned to Coander Tung—“and the wise nder sees his way clear to pardoning us, we can proceed with reving these restraints??.??.??.”
The nder had heard enough. He raised a hand, si
“Tell us what happened, Hua Jun,” Coander Tung said as the sun set over the garrison courtyard. Beside hinbsp; stood the garrison nder. Sergeant Qiang and the other soldiers were a few paces away, watching with curiosity.
Mulan stepped forward. “I t these two bandits on the road,” she explained, shooting thenbsp; a look. “They offered food and drink, and??.??.??.” She paused, her voice unsure. She didn’t want to adt they had fooled her into believing they were nks, and worse, tricked her into drinking. That would ke her look weak and ridiculous. “And??.??.??.” she staered.
To her surprise, Skatch jued in. “Hua Jun showed us a rare generosity of spirit,” he said, looking up at her through the hair that fell over his eyes. “Offering a place by his fire. In return, we betrayed his trust.”
Mulan’s eyes widened. Skatch was protecting her honor. But why? What good did that do hi She looked over at hi curious to see what he would say next.
“It is true,” Skatch went on. “We are not nks. We are, in fact, bandits. An odd career choice, perhaps, but it’s a ti-honored profession. We bandits are an integral elent of the Silk Road. Elinate us, and the delicate fabric of the entire enterprise unravels.”
Unbelievable,
Mulan thought. Sohow, Skatch was king it sound like his job of stealing was an honorable one. A task that others needed hinbsp; to perfor She looked at Coander Tung’s face and saw that he, too, looked incredulous.
Raish, whose face wore an expression Mulan couldn’t quite ke out, nodded. “Might I add, Coander, that we could also have taken the lad’s sword, but I—personally—felt that would be wrong.”
Mulan resisted the urge to laugh out loud. She very ch doubted that was the case. True, she didn’t know these n well, but she would have put ney on Skatch being the one who had left her the sword. Of the two, he had seed the re gentlenly, if that ternbsp; could even be used for such heathens.
Noticing that the nder and the others were losing patience, Skatch went on, pleading his case. “ordingly, if Hua Jun finds it in his heart to ive us”—he paused and turned to Coander Tung—“and the wise nder sees his way clear to pardoning us, we can proceed with reving these restraints??.??.??.”
The nder had heard enough. He raised a hand, si