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what would she be sacrificing to turn her back on the world she knew? Slowly, the shaky feeling began to fade. “You follow a coward—a leader who runs fronbsp; battle,” she said.
Xianniang laughed. “B??ri Khan did not run fronbsp; battle!” she said. “That coward will take the Ierial City. And your eeror will fall.”
The witch’s words finally snapped Mulan out of her fog.
Fall?
she thought. What was the witch saying?
“That can’t happen!” Mulan cried, strength once again flooding through her. She took a step forward.
“But it happens now,” Xianniang said. Though she was using the words to goad Mulan, there was pain in her voice as she spoke, as if she didn’t want thenbsp; to be true. She took a step forward. “Join . We will take our place together.”
Mulan stared at the witch, her nd racing. B??ri Khan had disappeared. He had raced away, and his ar had been defeated??.??.??. hadn’t it?
Suddenly, Mulan understood what the witch was saying. B??ri Khan wasn’t defeated. Leaving the others to fall had been part of his greater plan. His disappearance was not a retreat. He was going to go after the Eeror hielf!
Shaking her head, Mulan t the witch’s gaze. She lifted her chin, transforng back into the sa confident warrior who had defeated the Rourans on the battlefield only hours before. “I know place!” she said. “It is duty to fight for the kingdonbsp; and protect the Eeror!” Then she turned and let out a piercing whistle. As Black Wind raced over, she leapt onto his back. The sadness and despair she had been feeling only a short ti before was replaced with a wave of deternation and anger. Anger at the thought that B??ri Khan ght seed. Anger that the witch’s words had, for the sllest of nts, intrigued her.
Yanking on Black Wind’s reins, Mulan looked one re ti at the witch. Xianniang stared back at her, disappointnt in her eyes. But there was sothing else there, too. Sothing that alst looked like adration.
Without another word, Mulan began to ride back down the untain. The Phoenix let out a loud cry and flew into the air, following her.
“They will not listen to you!” she heard Xianniang call to her. “It will always be a n’s ar!”
But Mulan didn’t look back. Let Xianniang believe Mulan would never find a place in the Ierial Ar. Mulan didn’t care. All that ttered now was saving the Eeror. And to do that, she needed to warn Coander Tung.
“What is the aning of this?”
Sergeant Qiang’s voice bood out over the ca as Mulan raced in
Xianniang laughed. “B??ri Khan did not run fronbsp; battle!” she said. “That coward will take the Ierial City. And your eeror will fall.”
The witch’s words finally snapped Mulan out of her fog.
Fall?
she thought. What was the witch saying?
“That can’t happen!” Mulan cried, strength once again flooding through her. She took a step forward.
“But it happens now,” Xianniang said. Though she was using the words to goad Mulan, there was pain in her voice as she spoke, as if she didn’t want thenbsp; to be true. She took a step forward. “Join . We will take our place together.”
Mulan stared at the witch, her nd racing. B??ri Khan had disappeared. He had raced away, and his ar had been defeated??.??.??. hadn’t it?
Suddenly, Mulan understood what the witch was saying. B??ri Khan wasn’t defeated. Leaving the others to fall had been part of his greater plan. His disappearance was not a retreat. He was going to go after the Eeror hielf!
Shaking her head, Mulan t the witch’s gaze. She lifted her chin, transforng back into the sa confident warrior who had defeated the Rourans on the battlefield only hours before. “I know place!” she said. “It is duty to fight for the kingdonbsp; and protect the Eeror!” Then she turned and let out a piercing whistle. As Black Wind raced over, she leapt onto his back. The sadness and despair she had been feeling only a short ti before was replaced with a wave of deternation and anger. Anger at the thought that B??ri Khan ght seed. Anger that the witch’s words had, for the sllest of nts, intrigued her.
Yanking on Black Wind’s reins, Mulan looked one re ti at the witch. Xianniang stared back at her, disappointnt in her eyes. But there was sothing else there, too. Sothing that alst looked like adration.
Without another word, Mulan began to ride back down the untain. The Phoenix let out a loud cry and flew into the air, following her.
“They will not listen to you!” she heard Xianniang call to her. “It will always be a n’s ar!”
But Mulan didn’t look back. Let Xianniang believe Mulan would never find a place in the Ierial Ar. Mulan didn’t care. All that ttered now was saving the Eeror. And to do that, she needed to warn Coander Tung.
“What is the aning of this?”
Sergeant Qiang’s voice bood out over the ca as Mulan raced in