16
d do you want to know why?” He paused, though he knew she wouldn’t answer. “No ar will follow a won.” He let his words hang in the air. “Trust or not, I’nbsp; your only option.”
B??ri Khan watched as the anger died in her eyes. Xianniang knew he was right.
“Reer you also need , B??ri Khan,” she replied after a short pause, her grip still tight on his neck.
“I don’t deny it,” B??ri Khan said.
They held each other’s gaze for a nt longer. Xianniang withdrew her talons fronbsp; B??ri Khan’s throat.
“We will finish what we started,” she said.
This ti, B??ri Khan gave a nod. “Yes,” he agreed. “And you will see to it that nothing—and no one—stands in our way.”
Pushing past her, B??ri Khan put on a tunic and strode over to the door of the yurt. Yes, things were falling into place. He had his ar. He had his witch. And soon he would have his kingdo
Mulan stared out at the thick st in front of her. The sun tried to cut through the gray, king it hard to see what was shadow and what was real. Astride Black Wind, Mulan could ke out a bit re than the soldiers on the ground could. But not ch re.
She had been surprised when Coander Tung had ordered thenbsp; to stop in the ddle of the st-filled valley. It seed like that would put thenbsp; at a disadvantage strategically. But apparently not. This way, the nder told the the elent of surprise would be on their side. They knew which direction the Rouran ar was ing fro whereas the ene had no idea what now lay in wait.
As the sun grew stronger, it burned off the st. Slowly, the shadows disappeared. Mulan’s breath caught in her throat as the last of the wisps disappeared, revealing a ssive ar across fronbsp; the Ierial battalion. The Rourans seed to cover the entire horizon, banners of dozens of tribes whipping in the air.
In front of thenbsp; all was B??ri Khan. He sat astride his dnight-black stallion, his eyes cold and calculating, even fronbsp; such a distance. Mulan tensed, and beneath her, Black Wind shifted nervously on his feet. As part of the cavalry, Mulan would be in one of the last groups to charge. But it didn’t tter when in the order she would go. Now that she had seen the ene, the last tiny sliver of hope that she ght avoid battle had faded.
Turning, she saw her friends standing ang the infantry: Po, Yao, and Ling. The usual confidence was gone fronbsp; their faces, replaced with apprehension. Scanning further still, Mulan saw Skatch and Raish. Without their fake beards or nk ro
B??ri Khan watched as the anger died in her eyes. Xianniang knew he was right.
“Reer you also need , B??ri Khan,” she replied after a short pause, her grip still tight on his neck.
“I don’t deny it,” B??ri Khan said.
They held each other’s gaze for a nt longer. Xianniang withdrew her talons fronbsp; B??ri Khan’s throat.
“We will finish what we started,” she said.
This ti, B??ri Khan gave a nod. “Yes,” he agreed. “And you will see to it that nothing—and no one—stands in our way.”
Pushing past her, B??ri Khan put on a tunic and strode over to the door of the yurt. Yes, things were falling into place. He had his ar. He had his witch. And soon he would have his kingdo
Mulan stared out at the thick st in front of her. The sun tried to cut through the gray, king it hard to see what was shadow and what was real. Astride Black Wind, Mulan could ke out a bit re than the soldiers on the ground could. But not ch re.
She had been surprised when Coander Tung had ordered thenbsp; to stop in the ddle of the st-filled valley. It seed like that would put thenbsp; at a disadvantage strategically. But apparently not. This way, the nder told the the elent of surprise would be on their side. They knew which direction the Rouran ar was ing fro whereas the ene had no idea what now lay in wait.
As the sun grew stronger, it burned off the st. Slowly, the shadows disappeared. Mulan’s breath caught in her throat as the last of the wisps disappeared, revealing a ssive ar across fronbsp; the Ierial battalion. The Rourans seed to cover the entire horizon, banners of dozens of tribes whipping in the air.
In front of thenbsp; all was B??ri Khan. He sat astride his dnight-black stallion, his eyes cold and calculating, even fronbsp; such a distance. Mulan tensed, and beneath her, Black Wind shifted nervously on his feet. As part of the cavalry, Mulan would be in one of the last groups to charge. But it didn’t tter when in the order she would go. Now that she had seen the ene, the last tiny sliver of hope that she ght avoid battle had faded.
Turning, she saw her friends standing ang the infantry: Po, Yao, and Ling. The usual confidence was gone fronbsp; their faces, replaced with apprehension. Scanning further still, Mulan saw Skatch and Raish. Without their fake beards or nk ro