MULAN

"On your left! Grab 'em!" Hearing the young woman's quiet command, Taya of the Tiger folk stepped smartly over and seized the arm of the "middle-aged man" to his left. He angrily ripped away his fake beard to reveal the panicked face of the woman responsible for cheating them of their money. She'd thought she could slip away unnoticed in disguise, never expecting the young woman to see through her ruse so swiftly. "How did you spot her, Mulan?" "She still has a lot to learn, if she wants to pass as a man," Mulan said with a smile, before fishing a coin pouch from the swindler's pocket and carefully counting out what was theirs. "Let's go. We can still make it to the market before it closes."

Taya had only met Mulan a couple of weeks previously, when he'd been in a spot of trouble. Taya, his caravan companions, and their wagons had all become stuck in the mud. Unable to move an inch, all they could do was call out helplessly. That's when Mulan appeared. A figure, strangely dressed, strode out of the forest, before cleanly slicing through some nearby vines. These were tied to rocks, which were then thrown to rescue the marooned caravans. Eventually the wagons and the crates were also extricated from the muddy trap. While the caravaners were out of trouble, the same could not be said of their cargo. The crates were caked in mud, while water had seeped in and soaked the contents. They'd originally intended to sell their goods at the Mutt'Heer harbor, but would never get a decent price now. The caravaners all grumbled and groused with each other, before all seizing on Taya as a scapegoat. They swore they'd been bewitched by a Hypogean into doing business with one of the Tiger folk, as if one of them could become a respectable businessman then steelthorn hens would fly! In the end, most of the others left. They took their wagons and share of the cargo, and abandoned Taya, leaving him silent and alone. While the caravan may have suddenly disappeared, Mulan had not, and she extended an invitation to Taya. "I'm headed for Mutt'Heer Harbor too, as it happens. If you still wanted to go..."

The pair soon arrived at a small town, where they sold what they had for what they could, purchased new goods, and hit the road again. As they traveled, Taya found himself admiring Mulan more and more: whether she was fetching water, making a fire, or pitching camp, everything was meticulous and tidy. Neither leaking wagons nor wandering bandits could ruffle her seasoned feathers. During one of their evening chats around the campfire, Taya did find out that Mulan had once been a soldier. But she never spoke about where she came from, only saying that it was somewhere far away. It took a couple of weeks of trading to recoup Taya's losses, but in recent days he'd been following Mulan's suggestion and purchasing medicinal herbs. The sailors in Mutt'Heer Town often stocked up on such things before a voyage.

Taya had been pretty confident over the past few weeks, by and large, yet the memories of being swindled and bullied kept percolating in his mind. "Perhaps us Tigers really aren't any good at business." "No one is ever an expert from birth." Mulan paused but, with no response from Taya, continued: "I don't know what it's like for your people but, where I come from, it was once the case that no women ever went to war." Shocked, Taya listened as Mulan told her tale, of how her father had been conscripted over a decade ago. She had worried that her father was too weak to fight, so dressed as a man to take her father's place on the battlefield. Her military achievements were many, and lasted until the war ended that very year. She refused the khan's offer to become an official, instead choosing to return home. It was only then that her old comrades on the battlefield discovered that she was really a woman. Taya finally understand how Mulan had seen right through the swindler's disguise. As someone who had spent a decade living as a man, undiscovered, in the army... Well, there were still some glaring flaws in a seemingly ingenious disguise. "That's right. How can your identity at birth determine your entire life?"

It took over a month, and a lot of trouble, for the two of them to finally reach the harbor at Mutt'Heer Town. As they sold their last batch of herbs, Mulan's judgment proved correct: the herbs were a hot commodity, and they made a small fortune from the sailors. Taya came over to Mulan as she gazed out at the sea. He recalled that she had been heading for the harbor too, and pointed out where the postal service was: "Look, you can send a letter to your family over there." "My family is so, so far away. I doubt my parents would ever receive it." Mulan spoke stoically. "It's even farther than this Lightbearer Empire you mentioned. But what about you? Aren't you going to write a letter home?" Taya merely shook his head helplessly, before finally explaining the inherent contradiction and conflict between Maulers and merchants: the Maulers were a warlike people, valuing military prowess and regarding trade as a worthless profession. Both his parents were particularly outstanding warriors, who had sworn as his caravan departed to sever all ties with him... "I'm not like you. You're so powerful I bet everyone in your hometown is proud of you." Mulan heard the envy in Taya's voice, but knew that the customs in her hometown were not as he thought they were. She had also once thought that leaving the battlefield for good and returning home would mean a peaceful life, but had felt uncomfortable soon after getting back. She had been at war for so long that her skills, habits, and even her friends, were all completely different. To her people, the model woman was certainly not what she had become. After a long struggle, she realized that her goal of protecting her father had been achieved, and that it was time to seek another. Thus she had decided to leave once again and, after traveling countless miles, just so happened to arrive in Esperia. "You're the only one who can walk your path. That is so much more important than what others think of you." Mulan said, before clapping Taya on the shoulder. Taya knew Mulan was right, and that his own problems paled in comparison. From the battlefield to her own home, she had been surrounded by people who didn't understand her, yet had never given in, never capitulated to anything. Taya made his mind up to write an honest, heartfelt letter to his family and, nodding, headed for the post station. Mulan watched his retreating back, then turned to gaze back out at the sea. So this was the sea... Just like the never-ending plains back home, the wind-whipped waves were like the grass bending in the breeze. Taya will return to his departure soon, maybe I should... set sail for new shores?

"The inn and its rooms and snacks are all very interesting. Do you want to try some… cake? Let me get familiar with the kitchen first, then I'll make some of my hometown's delicacies for you."

Has visit scenes with Estrilda, Gwyneth and Joan of Arc.