Honghuishookhishead,apitgrowinginhisstomach.HadHuaJunbeenswallowedbythesnow?Orlosttoaninvader’sarrowbeforetheavalanchehadevenbegun?

Oneofthesoldiersgaveashout.Turning,Honghuispottedafiguresilhouettedinthedistance.Thefogmadeithardtomakeoutthedetails,butasthefigurecamecloser,Honghuiinhaledsharply.Itwasthewomanwarriorhehadseeninbattle.Therewasnodoubtaboutit.Herlonghairflowedoutbehindherassherodeacrossthevalleyatophergianthorse.

“BlackWind?”

HearingCricket,Honghuiturned,startled,tofindtheyoungsoldiernowrightnexttohim.Hewasstaringatthewarrioraswell.

BlackWind?

Honghuirepeatedsilently.WhatwasCrickettalkingabout?BlackWindwasHuaJun’shorse.Hismouthdroppedopenastheriderburstfreefromthesnowymistandfogrightinfrontofthem.ThehorsesherodewasBlackWind.ButifthehorsewasBlackWind,thatmeantthewomanridinghimwas??.??.??.

“HuaJun?”CommanderTungsaid,puttingvoicetoHonghui’sthoughts.

Thefemalewarriorshookherheadasshedismountedherhorse.“IamHuaMulan,”shesaid,hervoicestrong,steady—andfeminine.

Honghui’sheadsnappedbackandforthbetweenCommanderTungandthesoldierhehadknownasHuaJun.Thecommander’sfacegrewpaleandtheslightestoftremorsshookhishandashestaredatMulan.Honghuicouldsee—andunderstand—thestruggleCommanderTungwasunderashegrappledwithwhatwashappening.

Mulansawit,too.Shestraightenedup,keepingherexpressionstoic.ButHonghuisawtheuneasecreepingintoherbody.Hershouldersfelljustslightly;herhandquiveredbriefly.TheproudwarriorshehadbeenwasbeginningtofadeunderthehorrifiedgazeofCommanderTung.

BesideHonghui,Cricketgaspedashemadetheconnection.“He’sagirl??.??.??.?”Cricketsaid,shakinghishead.Theothersoldiersmumbledandmutteredundertheirbreathaswell,shockedbywhattheywereseeingandhard-pressedtobelieveit.Honghuilistened,hisragebuilding.HuaJunhadliedtohim.He,orrathershe,hadbeenabletotellhimwhattosaytoawomannotbecauseshehadspokentoone,butbecauseshewasone!Hehadallowedhimselftobevulnerableinfrontofher,andshehadevenbeatenhiminbattle—morethanonce.Hischeeksgrewredasherememberedthelake.

Meanwhile,CommanderTung’sexpressionhadgrownicy.“Youareanimposter,”hehissed,hisvoiceheavywithdisappointment.“Youhavebetrayedyourregiment.”Mulanhungherheadinshame.CommanderTungwenton.“YouhavebroughtdisgracetotheHuafamily.”

HiswordscutMulanlikeaswordthroughherheart.Herheadflewup.Therewasnothingworsehecouldsay.“Commander??.??.??.”shebegged.

Thecommanderdidn’tletherfinish.“Yourdeceitismyshame,”hewenton.“Whenwereturntothecapital,Iwillyieldmycommand.”

Ashockedmurmurmovedthroughthesoldiers.Resignation?Thatwasnearlyunheardof!CommanderTung’scareerspanneddecades.Hewasoneofthemostpowerfulandwell-knowncommandersinalltheImperialArmy.YethewouldturnhisbackonitbecauseofMulan’sdeception?Themenlookedbackandforthbetweenthepair.MulanmayhavehelpedthemdefeattheRouransinthisfight,butwasthevictoryworthlosingtheirleader?Asthemurmursgrewlouder,SergeantQiangsteppedforward.

“Whatisthepunishmentassignedtothisimposter?”heasked.

CommanderTungdidn’thesitate.“Expulsion.”

Atthis,themurmursgrewlouder,horrormixingwithfearattheveryword.HonghuisawMulanshakeherhead.Shetookasteptowardhercommander,hereyespleadingwithhimtounderstand.“Iwouldratherbeexecuted,”shesaid.

Thecommanderignoredher,turninghisbacktoher.SergeantQiang,steppingforward,tookadeepbreath,andaseveryonelistened,heformallysentencedher.“Fromthismomentforward,”hesaid,“youareexpelledfromtheEmperor’sImperialArmy.”

Asthesergeant’swordsslammedintoMulan,herbodyseemedtoshrinkintoitself.Hereyeslosttheirlight.Honghuiwatched,hisemotionsrunningrampant.Mulandeservedthis.Shehadliedtothemall,puteverysingleoneofthematrisk.Shehadmessedwithhishead—andhisheart.Buthestillcouldn’thelpthinkingshehadbeenrecklesslybravetodowhatshehaddone.Towalkamongthearmyandriskexposureateveryturn.Butshehaddoneit.Andshehadexcelledatit.Shehadevensavedthem.Allofthem.

Heshookhishead,hardeninghisheart.Itdidn’tmatter.Notnow.Shehadbeenexpelled.Shewouldspendtherestofherdaysaloneandashamed.

MulangatheredBlackWind’sreinsandwalkedaway,keepinghereyesontheground,tooashamedtomakeeyecontactwithanyofthesoldiers.Honghuiwatchedhergountilshewasjustaspeckonthehorizon.HuaJun,herealizedasheturnedandmadehiswayovertohiscomrades,wasnomore.Itwasasitshouldbe.

Butifitwasasitshouldbe,Honghuiwondered,whydiditfeelsowrong?