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Mulan. She has brought honor to her ancestors, to her faly, to her village, and to her country.”
As the nder spoke, Zhou looked back and forth between his daughter and his old friend, struggling to process what was happening. All around the the villagers watched with wide eyes, and the Matchker, who had been listening st intently of all, fainted dead away. Ignoring the sound of the won falling to the ground, the soldier presented the box to Mulan.
Mulan looked down at the gift and then up at Coander Tung. She wasn’t sure what to do. But at her nder’s nod, she slowly opened the lid. She gasped. Inside was a sword. Mesrized, Mulan lifted it fronbsp; the box and pulled it free fronbsp; its sheath. Holding it up, she twisted and turned it in the air, the edges catching the sun and king it shine. It was gnificent, and in her hand, it was graceful, too.
“As befits a great warrior,” Coander Tung went on, “the sword is rked with the Pillars of Virtue.”
Zhou’s eyes didn’t leave his daughter’s sword as he whispered the words he knew she would find there. “Loyal. Brave. True??.??.??.” But as the sword ved, Zhou’s voice trailed off. There was another character etched on the back of the shaft. “What is the fourth virtue I see?” he asked, confused.
Coander Tung sled. “Read it aloud, Mulan,” he said.
Slowly, Mulan ran a finger over the inscription. She read the word silently at first, and then aloud. “ ‘Devotion to faly,’ ” she said, the Eeror’s decree now there as a pernent render of all that she had given in honor of her faly.
Dragging her eyes fronbsp; the sword, Mulan t her father’s gaze. He looked back at her, overwheld with pride. As she watched, he straightened up, standing taller than he had even when he was in the ar. Beside hi her ther and sister stood with pride in their eyes as well. “You have brought honor to us all,” he said.
Mulan’s breath hitched in her chest. It was all she had ever wanted to hear. It was the reason, she knew now, that she had fought so hard, and it had been what had de her find her chi and had driven her forward when she should have turned back.
Coander Tung’s voice interrupted her thoughts, and she turned to look once re at the n who had helped her bee a warrior. He looked back at her with pride. “The Eeror urges you to reconsider his invitation to join our greatest decorated warriors as an officer in the Ierial Guard.” Once re, the villagers began to tter, shocked to hear that their own Mulan had been offered suc
As the nder spoke, Zhou looked back and forth between his daughter and his old friend, struggling to process what was happening. All around the the villagers watched with wide eyes, and the Matchker, who had been listening st intently of all, fainted dead away. Ignoring the sound of the won falling to the ground, the soldier presented the box to Mulan.
Mulan looked down at the gift and then up at Coander Tung. She wasn’t sure what to do. But at her nder’s nod, she slowly opened the lid. She gasped. Inside was a sword. Mesrized, Mulan lifted it fronbsp; the box and pulled it free fronbsp; its sheath. Holding it up, she twisted and turned it in the air, the edges catching the sun and king it shine. It was gnificent, and in her hand, it was graceful, too.
“As befits a great warrior,” Coander Tung went on, “the sword is rked with the Pillars of Virtue.”
Zhou’s eyes didn’t leave his daughter’s sword as he whispered the words he knew she would find there. “Loyal. Brave. True??.??.??.” But as the sword ved, Zhou’s voice trailed off. There was another character etched on the back of the shaft. “What is the fourth virtue I see?” he asked, confused.
Coander Tung sled. “Read it aloud, Mulan,” he said.
Slowly, Mulan ran a finger over the inscription. She read the word silently at first, and then aloud. “ ‘Devotion to faly,’ ” she said, the Eeror’s decree now there as a pernent render of all that she had given in honor of her faly.
Dragging her eyes fronbsp; the sword, Mulan t her father’s gaze. He looked back at her, overwheld with pride. As she watched, he straightened up, standing taller than he had even when he was in the ar. Beside hi her ther and sister stood with pride in their eyes as well. “You have brought honor to us all,” he said.
Mulan’s breath hitched in her chest. It was all she had ever wanted to hear. It was the reason, she knew now, that she had fought so hard, and it had been what had de her find her chi and had driven her forward when she should have turned back.
Coander Tung’s voice interrupted her thoughts, and she turned to look once re at the n who had helped her bee a warrior. He looked back at her with pride. “The Eeror urges you to reconsider his invitation to join our greatest decorated warriors as an officer in the Ierial Guard.” Once re, the villagers began to tter, shocked to hear that their own Mulan had been offered suc