B??riKhanwaspleased.Hisplanswereunfoldingbrilliantly.TheEmperorwasshakinginhisshoesandgatheringtogetheraweakarmymadeofcivilianboysandoldmen.Meanwhile,B??riKhan’ssuccesshadgarneredhimtheattentionofalltheotherRourantribes,whohadsenttheirownleaders,knownasTegins,tomeetwithhimaswastheancientcustom.NowtheTeginsstoodinsidehislargeyurt,whileoutsidetheirbanners—theblackbear,snowleopard,serpent,redfire,andwildstallion—whippedandsnappedinthewind.Itwasthefirsttimeinyearsthatallfiveofthegreatesttribeshadgatheredinoneplace.

AnditwasallbecauseofB??riKhan.

Lookingoutovertheroughgroupassembledinhisyurt,B??riKhaneyedeachoftheleaders.TheystoodamidabreathtakingarrayoftreasuresstolenbyB??riKhanandhismen.Pilesofsilksandscarvesandheapsofjewelrylitteredtheroomhaphazardly,asthoughKhanhadsomuchtreasurehedidn’tcareifitfelltothefloorandgottrampledupon.Hehadmadesuretoprovideplattersoffoodandjugsofdrinkofwhichafewofthemennowpartook.However,despitetheapparentcelebration,theroomfelttense.ThetribeshadcometosupportB??riKhan,butthatdidn’tmeantheysupportedoneanother.Theirhatredforeachotherrandeepandtrue.

“HowcanIsharewithKilifuTegin?”

Lookingover,B??riKhansawTuluguiTeginstaringdaggersatasmallermanacrosstheyurt.Tuluguiwasperhapsthemeanest—oratleastmostverbal—ofthebunch.Astheroomfilledwithmurmurs,Khanliftedahandtosilencethem.ThenhenoddedforTuluguitocontinue.

“Heandhispeoplehavebeenraidingourcampssincethetimeofmygrandfather’sgrandfather,”Tuluguifinished.

Instantly,Kilifuwentonthedefensive.“Theraidsbeganwithyourpeople,”hesaid,outraged.

“Kilifuisright!”BatiTegin,theleaderofoneofthesmallertribes,shouted,jumpinginandcuttingTuluguioffbeforehecouldrespond.“Tuluguialsoraidsmycamp.I’veseenitwithmyowneyes!”

Theyurteruptedinroars.Broughttogether,oldwoundshadquicklyreopened.B??riKhanwatched,lettingtheothermenshoutandspewinsults.Heonceagainliftedhishand,andwithasingleshout,hesilencedthem.“Onandonyougo,likeabasketofvipersbitingeachother’stails.”Ashespoke,hetookthetimetolookateachtriballeader.Hewantedthemalltohearhim.“Fighting,tribeagainsttribe.Doyounotseethebountybeforeyou?”

ThesoundofrustlingwingsasXianniang,inherhawkform,flewintotheyurtcausedthementoflinch.Theyduckedasthelargebirdswoopedovertheirheadsandlandedonasizableperch.Settlingin,shelookedoutatthemen,hergazemakingthemallshiftnervouslyontheirfeet.B??riKhansmiledandnoddedtowardXianniang.Thenhecontinued.“Wearestrongertogether,”hesaid.“TheRouranpeople.Fordecades,scatteredlikeleavesonthewind.Now,risingasone.”Hepointedatthepilesofglitteringtreasure.“This,myfriends,isjustasmalltasteofwhatistocome.Fromthegarrisonsahead,richeswillflowlikeamightyriver.”Hestopped,lettinghiswordsandthesightofthetreasuresinkin.HewalkedovertoXianniang’sperchandrubbedhisfingersalongthehawk’ssmoothfeathers.Thewholetime,hekepthiseyeslockedontheTegins,readingtheirfaces.

Finally,BatiTeginspoke.Hehadnotoncelookedatthetreasure.Hiseyeshadremainedlockedonthehawk.“Perhaps.Butwearerelyingonawitch.”

Thehawk’sattentionturnedfromB??riKhantoBatiTegin.Hersharpeyesblinked,andthemanshrankbackward.B??riKhannotedtheman’sfearandsmiled.Hekepthisfingersonthehawkashesaid,“Makenomistake:thewitchservesme.Andtherefore,allofus!Sheknowswhohermasteris!”

Withaflutterofwings,Xianniangtransformed.Herfeathersdisappearedandshestoodinfrontoftheminhertrueform.Hercoldeyestookintheleaders,causingthementoshiftnervouslyontheirfeet.AlookofpleasurecrossedherfaceandsheturnedtoB??riKhan.Raisinganeyebrow,shespoke.“Please.Continue,myKhan,”shesaid.“Iamcuriouswhatmoreyouhavetosay.”

B??riKhandidnotlikehertone,buthekepthisfaceneutral.Hewoulddealwithherinsubordinationlater.“Xianniang’soneofus,”hewenton.“WhenwetaketheImperialCity,shewillbejustlyrewarded.Aswillallofyou.”

Thenanewvoicespokeup.“Idonotcareaboutwitches,”DubaTeginsaid.Theleaderoftheserpentclanhadbeensilentuntilnow.Theothersturned,curioustohearwhathewouldsay.“Myproblemlieselsewhere.ItisB??riKhanIdon’ttrust.Heneedsourhelptogainthethrone.Butarewetruepartners?Orisheusingustogetwhathewants?”Hepointedatthepilesoflootondisplayaroundtheroom.“Wegetriches.Gold,jewels.Buthowmuchgoldcananomadcarry?Therealrewardispower.Whenthetimecomes,B??riKhanwillnotsharehispower.”

Therewereafewmurmursfromtheotherleaders.Itwasagoodquestion.Packingupandmovingtheiryurtswhentheseasonchanged,ortheherdsofanimalsmovedontonewgrazingpastures,wastheirwayoflife.Theydidnothavepermanenthomes,sotheydidnothaveanypermanentplacetoputsuchmaterialthings.Butpower?Thatwassomethingtheycoulduse.

Sensingtheturnintheroom,B??riKhanliftedhischest.“Everyonehastherighttovoicehisconcerns,”hesaid.“Whoelseheredoesnottrustme?”Hepaused,lettinghiswordsechothroughtheyurt.TheTeginsdidnotspeak,buthecouldseethedoubtthatremainedintheireyes.Hecouldnothavethemquestioninghim.“DubaTegin’sright.Richesarenotpower.Whenthekingdomfalls,wewilldividethepoweramongus.”

Athisdeclaration,theTeginsrelaxedandnoddedtheirassent.Astheothermendugintothefoodanddrink,B??riKhanturnedandwalkedoutoftheyurt.Hewasquietashemadehiswayuptotherockyoutcroppingthatlookedoverhislargeryurtandthesmalleronesofhismen.Foralongtime,hestoodthere,listeningtothesoundsofrevelrycomingfromhistent.Asthenightworeon,thesoundsebbedandfloweduntiltheygrewquiet.Onebyone,theleadersofthetribesmadetheirwayoutoftheyurt.Gettingontheirhorses,theyrodeoffindifferentdirections,headingbacktotheirowncampstoreportonthenight’sevents.

B??riKhan’seyesfollowedDubaTeginastheoldermanlefttheyurt.Atthesoundoffootsteps,helookedoverasXianniangappeared.Hereyeswerecoldasshemethisgaze.“NowIknow,”shesaid,huggingherarmtoherside.“Iserveyou.”

“Isaidittoputthematease,”B??riKhanreplied,brushingoffthewitch’sconcern.“Theyfearwhattheydon’tunderstand.”

Xianniangraisedaneyebrow.Themanwasstill.Ifnotforhismovingeyes,hecouldhavebeenmistakenforastatue.Notforthefirsttime,Xianniangfeltfear.TherewassomethingdarkandterribleaboutB??riKhan.Butsheshruggedthefearoffasshedideverytime.Sheknewherpower.

B??riKhanreachedoverhisshoulderandtookanarrowoutofitsquiver.Notchingitinthebow,heraisedtheweapon.“NootherTeginswillasktosharepower,”hesaid.AimingthearrowatthebackofDubaTegin,hepulledbackthebowandthenletitloose.

XianniangwatchedasthearrowflewthroughtheairandlodgeditselfinDubaTegin’sback.Themanslumpedinthesaddleandamomentlaterfelltotheground.Hishorse,freeofitsrider,tookoff,gallopingintothenight.“Hewasrightnottotrustyou,”shesaid.

Loweringhisweapon,B??riKhanturnedtoXianniang.Helookedpleased.Withoutanotherword,hewalkeddowntherockyoutcroppingtowardhisyurt.

Xianniangwatchedhimgo,afrownonherface.Shehadheardhismessage.Shewouldnotchallengehim—notyet,atleast.

Mulanwastired.Shewastiredandhungry.FromherspotastrideBlackWind,sheshookherhead,looseningthetensioninherneck.Herlonghair,whichhadbeentuckedunderherfather’shelmet,cascadeddownherback.Ithadbeenalong,hardridesofar,andalreadyherbodyached.Shewasnotusedtotheweightofthearmororthefeelofasword,orthelimitedsightshehadfromunderthehelmet.Butsheknewallwerenecessaryifshewasgoingtoconvinceanyoneshewasamanonhiswaytowar.

Itfeltlikeshehadbeenridingfordays.Andwhenshewasn’triding,shewaswalkingtogiveBlackWindabreak.ShehadseeneverytypeofcountrysideChinahadtooffer.Shehadwanderedthroughfoggyforestsandploddedthroughswampyrivers.BlackWindhadgallopedthemoverlongstretchesofgrass,andshehadledhimoverrockycrags.

Nowshefoundherselfridingthroughabambooforest.Thetallgrassroseintotheair,itsbarksmooth.Sunlightfilteredthroughthegreencanopy,bathingthegroundindimlight.Itwaspeaceful,andforthefirsttimesinceshehadleftherhome,Mulanfeltasthoughshecouldrelax.Sheletoutadeepbreathandfeltherbackloosen.Beneathher,BlackWindnickered,happytohaveMulan’stenselegsreleasesomeoftheirpressureonhissides.

SQUAWK!

TheawfulsoundstartledMulanandshepulledbacksharplyonBlackWind’sreins.Turninginthedirectionofthenoise,Mulansawasmallbirddodginginandoutofthebamboo.Asitcamecloser,Mulan’slippulledback.Birdwasperhapstoogenerousadescription.Thiscreaturelookedlikeabig,half-pluckedturkeywithwingsthathungunevenly.Itsfeathersweredullandfadedanditseyesseemedtohavetroublefocusing.Thecreaturewas,allinall,ugly.

SqueezingherlegsagainstBlackWind’ssidesonceagain,Mulanurgedhimforward.Thebird,orwhateveritwas,lookedlikeitwassick.Shedidn’twanttoletitgetnearthem.