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warrior.” Her voice was strong and proud. “She leads a band of brave and loyal soldiers. The ar is not far behind.” She sled as she saw her words ke B??ri Khan’s face contort in rage. He looked out the unfinished window of the tower as if he ght actually see the ar. Instead, he saw Mulan king her way toward thethe warrior who threatened to ruin his plans.
“A won leads their ar,” Xianniang continued, each word slow and deliberate. “And she is no scorned dog.”
“You led her here,” B??ri Khan used, turning back to Xianniang. He sounded surprised.
“You shouldn’t have trusted ,” she said. The nt was an echo of their earlier conversation. Only now it was she who held the upper hand. Because she no longer needed hi And he knew it. B??ri Khan’s face grew red and his hands, hanging by his sides, shook as rage enveloped hi He reached behind his back and grabbed his bow, notching an arrow and aing it right at the witch.
Xianniang didn’t ve except to lift one perfectly arched brow. “What kes you think you can kill ?” she asked.
“I can’t,” B??ri Khan replied. Fast as lightning, he turned and aid the arrow away fronbsp; Xianniang—and toward Mulan, who had de her way inside the New Palace gates and stood on the ground below. “But I can kill her,” he said, letting the arrow fly.
Xianniang watched the arrow ve through the air as if in slow tion. Looking down at Mulan, Xianniang knew she could not let the girl die at the hands of B??ri Khan. The Rouran warrior had been the last in a long line of people who had de Xianniang feel trapped, afraid to erace the power within herself.
Xianniang had been right. They were alike. Mulan had hidden who she was, perhaps not in the fornbsp; of a bird, but under the arr of a n. Yet she had ultitely eraced who she was and allowed others to see her true self. Mulan had done what Xianniang could never do: she had bee free. If Mulan were to die now, everything she stood for, all that she had fought for, would be for naught.
Xianniang knew what she had to do.
Leaping into the air, Xianniang transford into a hawk. With a flap of her wings, she put herself right in the path of the arrow.
The arrow slaed into her body, knocking her out of the scaffolding. Wind whistled in her ears as Xianniang felt herself fall. Just before she hit the earth, Mulan’s ar reached out and caught her. As Mulan lowered her to the ground, Xianniang transford back into her hun for She looked up at Mulan and gave her a weak sle as she
“A won leads their ar,” Xianniang continued, each word slow and deliberate. “And she is no scorned dog.”
“You led her here,” B??ri Khan used, turning back to Xianniang. He sounded surprised.
“You shouldn’t have trusted ,” she said. The nt was an echo of their earlier conversation. Only now it was she who held the upper hand. Because she no longer needed hi And he knew it. B??ri Khan’s face grew red and his hands, hanging by his sides, shook as rage enveloped hi He reached behind his back and grabbed his bow, notching an arrow and aing it right at the witch.
Xianniang didn’t ve except to lift one perfectly arched brow. “What kes you think you can kill ?” she asked.
“I can’t,” B??ri Khan replied. Fast as lightning, he turned and aid the arrow away fronbsp; Xianniang—and toward Mulan, who had de her way inside the New Palace gates and stood on the ground below. “But I can kill her,” he said, letting the arrow fly.
Xianniang watched the arrow ve through the air as if in slow tion. Looking down at Mulan, Xianniang knew she could not let the girl die at the hands of B??ri Khan. The Rouran warrior had been the last in a long line of people who had de Xianniang feel trapped, afraid to erace the power within herself.
Xianniang had been right. They were alike. Mulan had hidden who she was, perhaps not in the fornbsp; of a bird, but under the arr of a n. Yet she had ultitely eraced who she was and allowed others to see her true self. Mulan had done what Xianniang could never do: she had bee free. If Mulan were to die now, everything she stood for, all that she had fought for, would be for naught.
Xianniang knew what she had to do.
Leaping into the air, Xianniang transford into a hawk. With a flap of her wings, she put herself right in the path of the arrow.
The arrow slaed into her body, knocking her out of the scaffolding. Wind whistled in her ears as Xianniang felt herself fall. Just before she hit the earth, Mulan’s ar reached out and caught her. As Mulan lowered her to the ground, Xianniang transford back into her hun for She looked up at Mulan and gave her a weak sle as she