p; where he sat, Raish nodded in agreent. “If you’re going to be a soldier, you’ve got to be a n.”
Mulan’s breath hitched in her throat and she hoped her cheeks weren’t flushing red. “What kes you think I’nbsp; not a n?”
Skatch laughed. “You act like a boy,” he answered. He cked her careful placent of food in her uth. “You’ve got to look like a n, sll like a n, act like a n!”
The breath escaped her lungs in a whoosh as she realized her secret was still safe. Unaware of her thoughts, the nk began to tro around the fire. Mulan bit back a sle. She wouldn’t have been surprised if he’d pounded on his chest and yelled for effect. Still, what he was saying was intriguing, and sothing she had not given ch thought to. “How does a n act?” she asked.
“For one thing, he doesn’t eat like a won.” Once again, Skatch pretended to be her, daintily picking at a grain of rice. “Men eat like it’s the last al they’ll ever have.” This ti, he d shoveling food into his face, even lapping his tongue at the air as though licking a bowl. Mulan had to stop herself fronbsp; gricing. He looked like a pig.
But that was Skatch’s point: n behaved like pigs. They were also alst always confident. “You walked into that tavern tonight like you were hiding sothing.” This ti, he itated Mulan’s shrinking figure as she entered the tavern. Raish laughed. Skatch stopped and planted his feet, squaring his shoulders before going on. “When a real n enters a roo he owns that roo It’s his territory. You ght not announce it, but you’ve got to believe it.” Then, to Mulan’s asent, he actually did pound his chest. “Ha!” he yelled. Then he gestured to Mulan to stand by hi “Show .”
Taking a deep breath, Mulan walked over to the nk. She planted her feet, just as he had. Then she squared her shoulders, just as he had. And finally, she pounded her chest, just as he had. “HA!” she shouted. To her ears, the word ca out as a squeak.
But Skatch seed pleased. “Yes!” he cried. “That’s it! You don’t go looking for trouble, but you don’t back away fronbsp; it, either. Especially fronbsp; a snaggle-toothed, foul-odored innkeeper.”
His hand whipped forward, grabbing the sword out of Mulan’s grasp. Before she could even blink, he had the tip of the blade pointed right below her chin. “Pay before I eat?” he said, as though he were addressing the innkeeper hielf. “My paynt’s the tip of blade. So, either I eat now??.??.??. or you die.”
Mulan couldn’t help thinking that, for a nk, he seed rerkably capable
Mulan’s breath hitched in her throat and she hoped her cheeks weren’t flushing red. “What kes you think I’nbsp; not a n?”
Skatch laughed. “You act like a boy,” he answered. He cked her careful placent of food in her uth. “You’ve got to look like a n, sll like a n, act like a n!”
The breath escaped her lungs in a whoosh as she realized her secret was still safe. Unaware of her thoughts, the nk began to tro around the fire. Mulan bit back a sle. She wouldn’t have been surprised if he’d pounded on his chest and yelled for effect. Still, what he was saying was intriguing, and sothing she had not given ch thought to. “How does a n act?” she asked.
“For one thing, he doesn’t eat like a won.” Once again, Skatch pretended to be her, daintily picking at a grain of rice. “Men eat like it’s the last al they’ll ever have.” This ti, he d shoveling food into his face, even lapping his tongue at the air as though licking a bowl. Mulan had to stop herself fronbsp; gricing. He looked like a pig.
But that was Skatch’s point: n behaved like pigs. They were also alst always confident. “You walked into that tavern tonight like you were hiding sothing.” This ti, he itated Mulan’s shrinking figure as she entered the tavern. Raish laughed. Skatch stopped and planted his feet, squaring his shoulders before going on. “When a real n enters a roo he owns that roo It’s his territory. You ght not announce it, but you’ve got to believe it.” Then, to Mulan’s asent, he actually did pound his chest. “Ha!” he yelled. Then he gestured to Mulan to stand by hi “Show .”
Taking a deep breath, Mulan walked over to the nk. She planted her feet, just as he had. Then she squared her shoulders, just as he had. And finally, she pounded her chest, just as he had. “HA!” she shouted. To her ears, the word ca out as a squeak.
But Skatch seed pleased. “Yes!” he cried. “That’s it! You don’t go looking for trouble, but you don’t back away fronbsp; it, either. Especially fronbsp; a snaggle-toothed, foul-odored innkeeper.”
His hand whipped forward, grabbing the sword out of Mulan’s grasp. Before she could even blink, he had the tip of the blade pointed right below her chin. “Pay before I eat?” he said, as though he were addressing the innkeeper hielf. “My paynt’s the tip of blade. So, either I eat now??.??.??. or you die.”
Mulan couldn’t help thinking that, for a nk, he seed rerkably capable