. “How will we survive without hi”
Mulan looked at her distraught ther and then at her sister. Both were now openly weeping. Her ther was right. If her father went to fight, he would die. If her father died, he would leave thenbsp; with nothing. And as Mulan had just destroyed her one chance at a tch, there was no hope for a future husband to help their faly if Zhou were gone.
The truth was clear. If Zhou went to war, none of thenbsp; would survive it.
The house had grown quiet. The sounds of her ther’s sobs had faded, and her sister, tears drying on her cheeks, had fallen into a restless sleep as Mulan tiptoed across the living area toward the large cabi that stood in the corner. The ornate piece was one of the only ite of worth in their ho. When she was a girl, Mulan had been forbidden to go near it, and even as a young won she’d kept her distance.
Until tonight.
Mulan took a deep breath. The idea that had e to her as she lay in bed had started as just a flicker of a thought, as she heard her father’s words echo around her head. Learn your place, he had said. Her place, she knew, was clear—to her father, at least. Her place was in the ho, taking care of a husband she st likely would never have. But what if her place were different? What if she had been born a boy? It would have been her place to go fight the invaders. And that was when the idea blossod. Why couldn’t she fight? Who was stopping her? All she needed was a suit of arr, a weapon, and a horse. Well, she had the horse, so that left the weapon and arr.
Which was how she had ended up here, now, standing in front of the faly’s cabi.
Slowly she opened the cabi doors. They squeaked slightly and Mulan froze. When no candle was lit and no noise ca fronbsp; the faly’s roo, Mulan let out her breath. Then she opened the doors the rest of the way.
Inside was her father’s suit of arr and sword. The very sa suit and sword he had worn into battle years ago. They looked brand-new. Her father lovingly cleaned both at least once a week. Mulan’s eyes lingered on the sword. In the light fronbsp; the lantern at her feet, the tal seed to burn with an internal fire.
Mulan pulled the sword free fronbsp; its display. Her hands dropped under the surprising weight and she shifted to keep her balance. She stayed still for a nt, getting used to the heft and feel of the tal in her hands. Her father had, on the rare asion his leg wasn’t bothering hi taken the sword out and practiced in
Mulan looked at her distraught ther and then at her sister. Both were now openly weeping. Her ther was right. If her father went to fight, he would die. If her father died, he would leave thenbsp; with nothing. And as Mulan had just destroyed her one chance at a tch, there was no hope for a future husband to help their faly if Zhou were gone.
The truth was clear. If Zhou went to war, none of thenbsp; would survive it.
The house had grown quiet. The sounds of her ther’s sobs had faded, and her sister, tears drying on her cheeks, had fallen into a restless sleep as Mulan tiptoed across the living area toward the large cabi that stood in the corner. The ornate piece was one of the only ite of worth in their ho. When she was a girl, Mulan had been forbidden to go near it, and even as a young won she’d kept her distance.
Until tonight.
Mulan took a deep breath. The idea that had e to her as she lay in bed had started as just a flicker of a thought, as she heard her father’s words echo around her head. Learn your place, he had said. Her place, she knew, was clear—to her father, at least. Her place was in the ho, taking care of a husband she st likely would never have. But what if her place were different? What if she had been born a boy? It would have been her place to go fight the invaders. And that was when the idea blossod. Why couldn’t she fight? Who was stopping her? All she needed was a suit of arr, a weapon, and a horse. Well, she had the horse, so that left the weapon and arr.
Which was how she had ended up here, now, standing in front of the faly’s cabi.
Slowly she opened the cabi doors. They squeaked slightly and Mulan froze. When no candle was lit and no noise ca fronbsp; the faly’s roo, Mulan let out her breath. Then she opened the doors the rest of the way.
Inside was her father’s suit of arr and sword. The very sa suit and sword he had worn into battle years ago. They looked brand-new. Her father lovingly cleaned both at least once a week. Mulan’s eyes lingered on the sword. In the light fronbsp; the lantern at her feet, the tal seed to burn with an internal fire.
Mulan pulled the sword free fronbsp; its display. Her hands dropped under the surprising weight and she shifted to keep her balance. She stayed still for a nt, getting used to the heft and feel of the tal in her hands. Her father had, on the rare asion his leg wasn’t bothering hi taken the sword out and practiced in