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by the time mulan pulled black wind to a stop for the day, she had almost forgotten about the bird making a small fire at the base of an enormous sleeping buddha statue, she heated up one of the last bits of rice she had and ate the morsels in no time her meal was over, and with hunger still gnawing at her belly, she crawled into the large open palm of the buddha and lay down, shivering beneath her thin blanket above, she saw the stars twinkling in the sky mulan sighed she had spent so many nights looking at the same stars from her own bed, wishing for an adventure, for a chance to get out of her village
but now that she was gone, she wished more than anything to go back home pulling the blanket up farther, she whispered good night to black wind and closed her eyes exhaustion took over and she quickly fell asleep so she was not awake to see the strange-looking bird collapse onto the ground by her side
but mulan did spot the bird the next day as she and black wind made their way along a snowy mountain pass her teeth chattering with cold, she hunched as close to black wind’s neck as she could, but even the large horse provided little warmth as they came around a bend in the pass, mulan’s eyes narrowed
the bird was back
shivering so violently that the few feathers it had fell off, and with beak chattering, the bird stood in the middle of the snowy pass it appeared to be trying to block mulan’s way “you,” mulan said, pulling black wind to a halt “what do you want”
the bird let out a sad squawk
dismounting, mulan approached the bird close up, the creature was even more unfortunate-looking mulan felt sad the bird was sickly and pathetic but there was also something familiar about it and a stubbornness in the bird’s eyes made it seem stronger than its molting, skinny body would suggest
“please,” mulan said, this time her voice gentle, “move aside”
the bird did not move
sighing, mulan lifted her foot and tried to nudge the bird to her surprise, her foot was met with resistance for such a weak thing, the bird was surprisingly strong mulan pushed harder the bird still did not move letting out a shout, mulan pushed once more this time she managed to edge the bird off the path and close to where the pass dropped off
mulan grabbed black wind’s reins and led him past the bird she looked over her shoulder and saw that the bird was still standing there, watching them go the same odd sense of sadness washed over mulan, and for a moment, she thought about going back for the bird but then she shook her head she didn’t need any more baggage and she definitely didn’t need a sickly bird slowing her down
mulan did not think she could go on the last of her rice had run out a day before and both she and black wind were weakened with hunger leaving the mountains behind, she sat slumped in her saddle, the reins loose as she let black wind make his own path
the sun was just beginning to sink toward the horizon when mulan caught sight of a town in the distance she sat up a little straighter, her stomach rumbling in anticipation relief flickered in her heart black wind saw the town, too, and his footsteps quickened by the time they approached the outskirts of the town, he was cantering and mulan was smiling
but her smile faded as she got off black wind and walked him through the new town every face she saw was that of a stranger the eyes that followed her were dark and suspicious she had never known any village but her own she had never met strangers now she was surrounded by them
tying black wind to a post outside the only tavern in the town, mulan gave him a pat “wish me luck,” she whispered the big horse nickered and then bumped her with his head toward the doors of the tavern taking a deep breath, mulan walked inside
the room was dark and smoky, filled with the smell of roasted meat, ale, and dirty men mulan kept her head down, her heart thumping loudly in her chest scanning the room from beneath lowered lids, she spotted a small table at the far end she made her way over and slumped onto the chair if she could have made herself invisible, she would have but then she wouldn’t get food
suddenly, the large burly innkeeper appeared next to the table, eyes cold and arms crossed over his chest while he was an innkeeper and therefore made his living from serving strangers, he certainly didn’t seem to like them “we have noodles with pork or pork with noodles,” he said with a grunt
mulan nodded, not trusting herself to speak “that a yes” the innkeeper asked
“yes,” mulan said, trying to keep her voice deep and low like a man’s
the innkeeper didn’t move he kept standing there, looking down at mulan mulan shrank further into her armor she had told him what she wanted why wasn’t he leaving she dared another look at the big man
“pay before you eat,” he said, holding out his hand
right money it was an inn full of travelers of course the man would demand payment up front there was just a teeny tiny problem she didn’t exactly have money, not in the traditional sense keeping her head down, she reached into her bag and pulled out a small cloth pouch she handed it to the innkeeper
“what is this” he asked, looking down at the pouch, which looked even smaller in his huge hands
“tea,” mulan said
the innkeeper raised one bushy eyebrow “well, this must be my lucky day,” he said then, turning to the rest of the room, he called out, “the soldier wants to pay with tea!”
the room erupted in cruel laughter
“it’s all that i have,” mulan protested, knowing the excuse sounded weak
the innkeeper shook his head “no,” he said “you have more than that your sword, for instance” he nodded at the weapon resting at her side “your armor i hear you have a handsome horse outside trade all three and you can eat like an emperor for a year”
mulan’s skin grew clammy and her heart pounded against her chest she had thought she’d kept a low profile, but clearly this man, and the other patrons, had observed her from the moment she’d arrived they had noted her weapons and black wind she felt very, very afraid what if they tried to rob her
the sounds of laughter—at her expense—filled the room mulan looked at the faces of the strangers and saw no passion or sympathy in any of them the feeling of fear grew stronger getting to her feet, mulan grabbed her things—and the tea—and rushed out of the tavern
jumping up on black wind’s back, she urged him into a run she would just have to wait until they got to the next town to eat her stomach rumbled angrily hopefully, it wouldn’t be too far away