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Brave. Loyal. True.</p>

She had to be brave now.</p>

Throwing back her shoulders, Mulan strode forward, silently thanking—and cursing—the monks for their “lesson.” She took her place in line. Ahead of her were two young men, roughly her age. One was chubby, his cheeks flushed. He looked awkward and uncomfortable, and Mulan couldn’t help feeling a wave of empathy. She imagined her own cheeks were red, too—if not from embarrassment, then from the many hours she had spent traveling in the sun. Beside him was a taller conscript. He said something to the larger boy and then laughed, revealing a sizable gap between his two front teeth that made him instantly look younger. Mulan stood quietly behind them, trying not to eavesdrop.</p>

Just then, another young man, older by a few years it would seem, cut in front of her. Ignoring her grunt of protest, he stopped inches behind the two boys. A long weed hung from the side of his mouth. Taking it out, he tickled the larger boy’s ear.</p>

“I’m Cricket,” the boy was saying.</p>

“Longwei,” the other conscript said, introducing himself.</p>

Cricket nodded. “My mother said I was born—” He stopped, lifting his hand to swat away the “insect” that was tickling his ear.</p>

Behind him, the older conscript bit back a laugh. Another conscript joined him, pointing to the weed and miming for him to do it again. Mulan watched them with narrowed eyes. Cricket had done nothing to them. What was the point of teasing him in such a way?</p>

Unaware of the situation, Cricket continued chatting. His voice was friendly and open. “She said I was born under an auspicious—” The tickling had grown more aggressive and Cricket swatted harder this time. Only, instead of slapping a bug, he accidently slapped Longwei.</p>

“Ow!” he shouted, putting a hand to his cheek.</p>

Behind them, the two bullies howled with laughter. Then, pushing Cricket and Longwei out of the way, they took their place in line. The younger conscripts stumbled against each other, trying to keep their balance.</p>

Sensing she was about to get tumbled into, Mulan moved out of the way. But she hadn’t seen the conscript who had come up beside her. With a shout, she crashed into him, the impact knocking her to the ground.</p>

She lay still for a moment, trying to catch her breath. Then she saw a hand held out to her.</p>

“Sorry, tadpole,” the conscript said. “My mistake.”</p>

Mulan tried to keep herself from blushing. The young man in front of her was tall, lean, and very, very handsome. His eyes were twinkling and kind.</p>

He offered his hand again.</p>

Distracted by his good looks and the charming smile he was flashing at her, Mulan almost, almost took his hand. But then she stopped. Tadpole he had called her. Embarrassment, delayed, came rushing over her. This was exactly what Skatch had said would happen. She wouldn’t be taken seriously.</p>

Ignoring the outstretched hand, Mulan scrambled to her feet. Then she reached for her sword. But her hands were clammy and her fingers shaking, so what she had hoped would be a quick grab turned into a bumbling attempt to pull the sword from its belt. She pulled it free and, lifting it in the air, pointed it at the other conscript’s throat just as Skatch had done to her. “Insult me again,” she said, forcing her voice to go deep, “and you’ll taste the tip of my blade!”</p>

Instantly, all humor left the young man’s face. Before she even heard the swish of his sword, she felt its tip at her own throat. Mulan gulped. She might have been a bit hasty in her actions. Skatch hadn’t told her what to do if the other person also had a weapon.</p>

“Lower your sword,” the conscript said.</p>

“Or what?” Mulan had been trying for tough, but even to her, her voice sounded flimsy.</p>

Mulan felt Cricket’s and Longwei’s eyes on her, as well as the bullies’. She could sense them looking back and forth between her and the young man across from her. She heard someone whisper “Honghui,” and a few others repeat the name. Her arm shook and she wanted to drop her sword, but she couldn’t. Not until the other conscript, or rather Honghui, dropped his.</p>

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw another person approaching. It was an older man, his face lined with age and experience. There was a flash of movement. Before Mulan could blink, her arm was twisted behind her back. A moment later the sword was removed from her hand and her arm dropped to her side. Next to her, Honghui rubbed his own arm, his eyes on his weapon.</p>

“I am your commanding officer—Commander Tung!” the man shouted. “Fighting will not be tolerated. Am I clear?” He stared at the young man, his eyes icy.</p>

“Yes, Commander,” the other conscript said immediately.</p>

The commander turned to Mulan and repeated the question. Mulan’s voice stuck in her throat. She nodded.</p>

“With your voice, soldier,” Commander Tung ordered.</p>

“Yes, Commander,” Mulan said.</p>

Across from her, Honghui took back his sword and glared at Mulan. She had messed up. Already she was gaining enemies, not allies.</p>

Handing Mulan her sword, the commander hesitated, his gaze catching on the engraving on its blade. Recognition flashed over his face and he looked up at Mulan with renewed interest. “What’s your name, soldier?” he asked.</p>

“Hua Jun, Commander,” Mulan said, the fib gliding off her tongue.</p>

“Is this your family’s sword?” Commander Tung asked.</p>

Mulan nodded and then remembered that the commander wanted words. “It belongs to my father, Hua Zhou,” she said.</p>

There was a moment as the commander looked back and forth between the sword and Mulan, his face still but his eyes flickering with emotion. Then, noticing her bare feet, he nodded toward a tent behind them. “Go get yourself a pair of boots,” he said. Before Mulan could respond, Commander Tung had marched off, disappearing into the hustle and bustle of the encampment.</p>

Mulan watched him go. When he was out of sight, she let out the breath she had been holding. The commander could have had her punished or sent her away. Instead, he had seemed to take an interest in her—or at least her family name. While she wasn’t thrilled that she already had enemies among the other conscripts, the encounter at least meant she was getting boots. Which, she thought, looking down at her bloody feet, couldn’t have come at a better time.</p>

Mulan gathered her things and headed toward the clothing tent. The more distance she could get from Honghui, the better. In another world and another setting, Mulan had a feeling Cricket would’ve been a friend. But she wasn’t going to stick around to find out if her hunch was right. She would get her boots, and then she would think about the mess she had gotten herself into. She had been so worried about surviving the war that she hadn’t even thought about surviving boot camp.</p>

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