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And then he recoiled. “You should really consider skipping guard duty and take a shower,” he said. “You stink, man.” Then, standing up, he slapped her on the shoulder and left.</p>

Mulan groaned. That had taken a turn toward the mortifying. Lifting her arm, she took a quick whiff. Then she let out a louder groan. Honghui was right. She did smell. She smelled exactly like a man.</p>

Something had shifted. It had started in the dining area and had continued to grow as they spoke in the sleeping tent. A friendship had begun to form between Mulan and Honghui. A friendship laced with something else Mulan wasn’t sure she could name, but it was undeniable. She no longer feared Honghui, and time spent in the dining area and the sleeping barracks was easier knowing she had an ally.</p>

On the training ground, the relationship took a different shape. It was becoming clear, to the sergeants and the soldiers, that of all the conscripts, Honghui and Mulan showed the most potential. No one was surprised by Honghui. He was built to be a warrior. Strong, intense, and with brains to match. But Mulan was a surprise. She was never the first or the fastest, but she always accomplished her tasks, and she did so with a quiet dignity that made others stop and take notice. As the days passed, she grew stronger, too.</p>

Standing in the middle of the parade grounds one morning, Mulan held a spear out in front of her. The conscripts had graduated from their earlier training, when their weapons had been sticks, and were now being paired up to practice one-on-one combat with the real thing. Instinctively, Mulan and Honghui gravitated toward each other. When Sergeant Qiang gave the nod, they lifted their spears.</p>

And then they began to fight.</p>

Attack. Block. Attack. Block. Each move Honghui made, Mulan anticipated, lifting her own spear in a steady, smooth rhythm that Honghui met. The tempo built as they moved faster and faster. Mulan spun out of reach as Honghui kicked. Honghui blocked as Mulan came at him with her own attack. Back and forth it went, their movements oddly beautiful. They met each other with equal intensity, their eyes locked.</p>

Unaware that others had stopped their own fights to watch, Mulan and Honghui continued to go at each other. Harder, faster, fiercer they fought, each determined to make the other one falter. Soldiers cheered on the pair. Hearing the commotion, Commander Tung emerged from his tent and came to stand beside Sergeant Qiang. They exchanged looks before the commander focused on Mulan. Sweat dripped down Mulan’s brow, and he could see her shoulders shaking, but the concentration on her face didn’t falter.</p>

Mulan swung, catching Honghui off guard. He stumbled back and for a moment, it seemed Mulan had the advantage. But in one smooth move, he swung back around and knocked her spear to the ground.</p>

Throwing his hands in the air and letting out a shout of victory, Honghui didn’t see Mulan reach down and grab the spear again. Nor did he see the determination on her face and the renewed focus. But Commander Tung did. He saw the look and quietly cheered her on.</p>

With a shout, Mulan went after Honghui. Her ferocity was unparalleled, and Honghui had no choice but to go on the defensive, lifting his weapon to block as Mulan spun her spear through the air. Letting out a shout, she ran at him and jumped??6??2.??6??2.??6??2.</p>

For a moment, she appeared to hang in the air, as if held aloft by wings. And then, in a move so fast it was nothing but a blur, she brought her spear whipping down. There was a loud crack as spear met spear, and then a gasp as Honghui’s weapon was sent flying from his hand. It twirled across the parade ground, end over end. As the men cheered, Mulan leapt again, only this time she, too, spun in the air, her foot coming out and meeting the still flying spear. Whipping her foot fast and furiously, she kicked the blunt end of the spear, sending it hurtling through the air with speed and power. It slammed into the side of a pole with a ping and stayed there, embedded deep in the wood.</p>

Mulan landed on the ground. As she did so, she slammed her spear into the earth. The men’s cheers stopped. They stood open-mouthed as they looked from Mulan to Honghui and back again.</p>

Catching her breath, Mulan felt the adrenaline leave her body. Slowly, she became aware of the soldiers’ eyes on her. She cringed. She had let her need to win and her confusing feelings for Honghui overpower her. She had gotten carried away and brought unwanted attention to herself. That was the last thing she needed—especially now, when she was just beginning to feel like she could fit in.</p>

Mumbling an apology in Honghui’s general direction, Mulan ducked her head and hurried away. Behind her, the rest of the men watched, shocked into silence. What, they all wondered, had they just witnessed?</p>

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