with a weapon. Flipping the sword in his hand, Skatch held out the handle to Mulan.
“Never let soone take your sword, by the way,” he said. “Very bad idea.”
“Oh. Sorry—” Mulan began.
“Apologizing isn’t rended, either,” Skatch said, cutting her off. “And another thing—”
This ti, he was the one who was interrupted. Letting out a loud burp, Raish hit his chest with his fist. “Brother Skatch,” he said, “this n’s trying to eat his dinner and you’re blabbering on like a won.”
Skatch held his hand to his heart. “Apologies, Hua Jun,” he said. “Please—let us sit. Relax. Enjoy your al.”
He turned and joined Raish, who had de hielf quite fortable on a fallen log. Running his hand through his dark hair, he sled at his friend as Raish refilled both their cups. A few drops spilled over, staining the ground where they fell a light red.
Mulan’s eyes narrowed as she watched the two n tilt back their cups and drink deeply.
“There are ny paths to truth,” Skatch said, in response to the judgnt he saw in Mulan’s eyes.
Silence settled over the sll clearing as the two nks stared into the flickering flas of the fire and Mulan stared at the She was still unsure exactly what they were doing there. They had fed her, for which she was grateful, but she had assud they would soon be on their way. Yet they lingered.
Since they didn’t appear to be going anywhere, Mulan figured she should at least ke conversation. “You said there was another thing.”
“Pardon?” Skatch said, looking up fronbsp; his cup. His eyes already seed a little glazed and his voice less clear.
“You know,” Mulan proted. “About being a n. Another thing I should know?”
Skatch frowned, and Raish nudged hi The pair shared a look that Mulan couldn’t quite read before Raish said, “Oh, go on. You ght as well tell hinbsp; now.”
For a nt, Skatch hesitated, and Mulan wondered if he was going to heed his friend’s advice or ignore hi Mulan felt a flash of iatience, but then he nodded. “Here’s the st fundantal thing of all.” Skatch paused, his eyes locking with Mulan’s and all traces of his fogginess disappearing. “A real n never refuses a drink.”
As Skatch finished his “lesson,” Raish casually placed a cup of wine in front of Mulan. She looked down at the red liquid, then up at the nks, and then back down at the wine. She had never tasted a drop of the liquid in her life. Even at the few celebrations she had attended in her village, her ther had strictly forbidden it, telling Mula
“Never let soone take your sword, by the way,” he said. “Very bad idea.”
“Oh. Sorry—” Mulan began.
“Apologizing isn’t rended, either,” Skatch said, cutting her off. “And another thing—”
This ti, he was the one who was interrupted. Letting out a loud burp, Raish hit his chest with his fist. “Brother Skatch,” he said, “this n’s trying to eat his dinner and you’re blabbering on like a won.”
Skatch held his hand to his heart. “Apologies, Hua Jun,” he said. “Please—let us sit. Relax. Enjoy your al.”
He turned and joined Raish, who had de hielf quite fortable on a fallen log. Running his hand through his dark hair, he sled at his friend as Raish refilled both their cups. A few drops spilled over, staining the ground where they fell a light red.
Mulan’s eyes narrowed as she watched the two n tilt back their cups and drink deeply.
“There are ny paths to truth,” Skatch said, in response to the judgnt he saw in Mulan’s eyes.
Silence settled over the sll clearing as the two nks stared into the flickering flas of the fire and Mulan stared at the She was still unsure exactly what they were doing there. They had fed her, for which she was grateful, but she had assud they would soon be on their way. Yet they lingered.
Since they didn’t appear to be going anywhere, Mulan figured she should at least ke conversation. “You said there was another thing.”
“Pardon?” Skatch said, looking up fronbsp; his cup. His eyes already seed a little glazed and his voice less clear.
“You know,” Mulan proted. “About being a n. Another thing I should know?”
Skatch frowned, and Raish nudged hi The pair shared a look that Mulan couldn’t quite read before Raish said, “Oh, go on. You ght as well tell hinbsp; now.”
For a nt, Skatch hesitated, and Mulan wondered if he was going to heed his friend’s advice or ignore hi Mulan felt a flash of iatience, but then he nodded. “Here’s the st fundantal thing of all.” Skatch paused, his eyes locking with Mulan’s and all traces of his fogginess disappearing. “A real n never refuses a drink.”
As Skatch finished his “lesson,” Raish casually placed a cup of wine in front of Mulan. She looked down at the red liquid, then up at the nks, and then back down at the wine. She had never tasted a drop of the liquid in her life. Even at the few celebrations she had attended in her village, her ther had strictly forbidden it, telling Mula