A Kind Of Bravery: A Mulan Retelling [1st Draft]

14. Off to Battle

Chapter Fourteen:

Off To Battle

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Her fingers were trembling, and she knew for a fact that her face was much paler than it usually was, but regardless of all of that, Harriet's fingers were flying across her work.

She laced up her boots. She sharpened her sword. She greased the joint areas of her armor. All the while panicking on the inside of her mind. Leopold had said they would be leaving in less than two hours. In less than two hours, she would be on her way to an event that would most definitely change her life.

It made it even stranger that she knew it, too. She sighed through her nose as she stroked Clark gently, trying to find some comfort in the little animal. He seemed to acknowledge how nervous she was, as he had been eerily quiet all morning.

She peered down at Clark, her brow furrowing. "Well, Clark? Do you know what is going to happen to me?" She asked him. He didn't answer. "Yeah, me neither."

She placed him onto her shoulder, letting him sit on his normal perch. She had decided that she would take him with her in his little mouse holster. It was for mostly selfish reasons, but she couldn't stand to leave him behind. If only for the fact that if he was with her maybe she wouldn't feel so alone.

Harriet glanced up as Garreth walked into the tent, a scroll of paper in his hand. He frowned at her and then at Clark.

"Did you finally write your letter?" Garreth asked, and Harriet nodded, not trusting her voice to sound steady when speaking about such a fragile subject.

After seeing Garreth writing a letter to his family the night before, Harriet had reluctantly followed suit. It just seemed so inadequate. In one letter to her family she had to apologize for leaving, explain why she left, as well as express how much she loved them and how glad she was that she took the opportunity to fight in the war. All without trying not to feel incredibly guilty over how self-seeking she was being. She had barely been able to sum it up in a single letter, and it left her feeling like she could've, or should've, written a novel on all of those subjects instead.

With any luck, they'd never see it, but Harriet was more than happy never to think about it again. Both she and Garreth had agreed to burn their letters to their family the moment the war ended... if they survived that is.

"Where are you going to put yours?" Garreth asked. Harriet cleared her throat before answering.

"I don't know. I was thinking about giving it to you, but you don't even live in Ecrivenia, so maybe not."

"You could always give it to King Frederick," Garreth suggested, his eyebrow raising as Harriet shook her head quickly.

"No. Absolutely not."

"Then what about King Leopold? He's your only other option." Harriet's shoulders slumped as she realized he was right. She didn't even want to think about how risky it was to give a letter like that to Leopold. However, she knew that he would only ever open it if she died in order to give it to her family. She shuddered to think what his reaction would be to find out who she was through a letter. She squeezed the bridge of her nose with one of her hands. She would have to tell him just before she died if it ever came to that. But then again, maybe that would be worse.

"I wish there was someone else," Harriet said, groaning, and Garreth gave her a sympathetic look.

"I'll bet, but you know there isn't. Plus, I'm sure he wouldn't mind the company right about now. King Frederick left earlier so he's probably alone."