Taking a deep breath, Mulan steadied her racing heart. She had come this far. She wasn’t going to turn back now. She owed it to her family—and herself. Gathering her few remaining possessions, she brushed her fingers over the writing on the smooth metal of her father’s sword. LOYAL. BRAVE. TRUE. The words had gotten her father through his own battle and were now a part of her story, for better or worse.

Strapping the sword to her back, she grabbed the reins of the donkey and led it out of the clearing. The donkey’s steps were slow and plodding, and every few feet the stubborn animal tried to stop to grab a piece of grass. Mulan tugged impatiently at the reins.

Could anything else go wrong?

she wondered.

As if in answer, she heard a loud squawk. Looking up, she saw the ugly bird once again standing in her way. The creature’s wings were spread, its head tilted to the side as it stared back at her. 本章未完，请点击下一页继续阅读！ 第3页/共10页