Anastasia laughed as Napoleon sped through the Chinese countryside; her now unkempt hair whipping behind her in the wind. Turning slightly in the saddle, she called back to her sister, " Come on, Ella! Keep up!" Happy to obey, Eleanora soon had Major racing flank to flank with Napoleon. The women whooped with joy, urging the horses to go on even faster. They continued like that for the next half-hour, only slowing down to a trot when Major and Napoleon began to show signs of breathlessness.
To their relief, they soon came upon a village, and decided to stop there to rest and replenish their supplies. Any villagers they passed froze at the sight of the foreign women, gazing at them either in fear or awe. Anastasia and Eleanora glanced at each other, their eyes sparkling with amusement. This reaction was the same one they had seen on the faces of the people in the other countries they had traveled through, so it came as no surprise to them.
Dismounting the horses, the sisters attempted to ask for provisions. Unfortunately, no one seemed to really understand, so they resorted to simply pointing at the things they needed and producing the coins they had procured along the way. That seemed to do the trick, and they soon went on their way.
Sighting some stables up ahead, Eleanora and Anastasia led their horse companions inside, finally allowing them the leisure time they deserved. As it turned out, the sisters themselves were tired, so they dropped down to the ground and leaned against the stable doors. Shutting their eyelids, both of them were soon snoring away.
An hour later, however, their slumber was interrupted by a hard kick to their legs and a voice yelling angrily in another language. Anastasia and Eleanora jolted awake, jumping up in defense against the intruder. To their surprise, it was a woman; only, she was not dressed in the traditional attire that the other women in the village had been. Even her demeanor was different from the rest. She had a scowl on her face that seemed to have been permanently cemented into her features.
Anastasia gulped. " Mademoiselle, please forgive us if we have overstepped our bounds. Is this your place?" In her mind, she scolded herself, for she knew that the chances of the woman understanding were slim, if not nonexistent. But seeing as Anastasia, let alone Eleanora, was not yet very familiar with the language of this country, their original French would have to suffice.
To their astonishment however, the woman responded in nearly perfect French. " Yes, it is part of my family's ancestral home, and I demand to know who you are and what you are doing here."
Eleanora laughed nervously. " Forgive us. I am Eleanora Tremaine, and this is my stepsister, Anastasia Tremaine. We have left our homeland forever, and have come here to start anew. If you would kindly show us a place to stay, we promise to continue on and leave you be."
The woman's scowl faded away, and was replaced with a sad smile. " In that case, I apologize for my ungracious behavior. In fact, to show my sincerity, I insist you and your animal companions stay here with me."
The French ladies' eyes lit up. " Oh, thank you!" They cried in unified gratitude. But then Eleanora paused. " Ah- might I ask the name of our gracious hostess?" Said woman's eyes widened in alarm. " Oh! My apologies! I am Li Mulan, soldier in the Imperial Army."
The others' eyes widened in turn. " Soldier?" They cried incredulously. Mulan sighed. "Yes. I shall gladly explain once you have settled in. Now, if you will please follow me?" The guests obediently followed their hostess through the courtyard and into the house, marveling at the simple but elegant designs. Finally, they reached a spare bedchamber, and Mulan set about arranging the meager furniture and essentials. "There." She said once she was finished. " Please make yourselves at home, then come into the central chamber for some tea.
After unpacking their belongings and making sure everything was in order, the women joined Mulan, sighing in delight at the welcoming aroma of steaming lavender tea; a pleasure in which they had been denied from for so long. They each thanked Mulan, and proceeded to sit down with her at the table. For the next couple of hours, the Tremaines listened in awe as Mulan told the tale of her past: a tale of war, adventure, honor, dragons, and even romance.
Then it was Mulan's turn to be the audience. She gave her guests her undivided attention: frowning or even shedding a tear at one point or another.
Once the story was finished, Mulan growled, " I am sorry you had to endure all of that. As I said, I met the Crown Prince once before, and he is everything you said he was. If I had been present during that incident, I would have certainly taught him a lesson."
Anastasia chuckled. " That would have been a sight to see!"
Eleanora, on the other hand, shook her head, trying not to laugh as well. " Oh Mulan…" she sighed.
Suddenly, the lighthearted moment was interrupted by a man's booming voice, and Mulan paled at the sound. " Who is that?" Anastasia gasped. In response, the mysterious man stormed in, and the women each sucked in a breath. His height and Herculean build would be enough to intimidate anyone; but with the added scowl and dark, looming shadow, it was no wonder they were frightened.
Mulan gave her new friends a sheepish look. " Ladies, meet my husband; General Li Shang, Hero of China."