"Mulan...?"
I barely croaked out, but she interrupted sternly whispering, "Keep quiet Princess!" I felt my mouth shut from her seriousness, holding my breath from fright. Then, I heard the shrieks of the spirits from the distance, coming closer. I felt a violent wind pick up around us, but Mulan did not waver from her spot. She stood like a statue. I peered over her body and saw a Spirit wandering out in the cliff's edge. It was searching all around, but for some reason it did not see us. I knew I had seen the Spirit spin our way a few times before it headed off. I released my breath only now noticing I had held it in for so long.
Mulan stayed put until she felt it was safe.
"Okay Aurora, it's safe." She said releasing her body from its position, slowly and carefully creeping off the edge toward the clearing. I shivered a bit from the sudden chill as she left my side. As we carefully walked off the cliff side, she held onto my hand helping me leave the edge safely. Her warm fingers wrapped themselves with mine and I felt my heart pound again.
After we got to safety, I saw her eyes look around then giving me all of her attention as she addressed me. "Next time, let's try not to break anything in a burial site?" Mulan smiled patting her pants down.
I blushed from her comment, " I didn't mean to make trouble. I'm sorry..."
Mulan stepped forward a bit confused, "Why are you sorry? Did anyone get hurt?" She asked stepping closer to me, making me blush even more.
"N..no?"
"Then there is no need to apologize." She flashed a small smile, giving me the courage to smile back. She looked up toward the sky and observed the sun telling me, "We must keep searching in the cave before nightfall."
Before she turned to head back toward the cave, I stopped her, "Shouldn't we make camp and just search tomorrow? It's getting fairly dark..." She looked at me contemplating the camp for a mere second. Her eyes darkening with seriousness, then she spoke again.
"I believe I found the vase the witch talked about." Mulan's stoic expression faded into a somberness I had never seen before as she spoke those words. I couldn't help but feel she was not at all in this mission as she intended to be. I felt her sadness and somehow I knew that she was not doing this for me, but she was doing this for herself. I wanted to speak out again, but she turned away quickly with a stone cold expression and walked on, calling me without looking my way again.