"A woman!", Chi Fu exclaimed as he dragged an injured Mulan from the tent, yanked out her hair tie and threw her roughly to the ground. She was naked from the waist up after just having had her wound from Shan Yu stitched up. Luckily, the blanket was still over her and she pulled it over her chest, shoulders and back.

"High treason! Ultimate dishonor!"

"My name is Mulan. I did it to save my father. There was no other way. Please believe me."

Captain Li stood, unmoving, with his back to her. The rest of the soldiers in her regiment stood to the side shocked and silent, staring at her.

"Hmph...Captain?" Chi Fu stood by his side, looking at him expectantly.

When he didn't respond right away, the advisor reminded him of the penalty for a woman infiltrating the Chinese Army.

Slowly, Shang turned around and grabbed Mulan's sword from where it was sheathed on her horse, Khan.

Suddenly, Chi Fu grabbed her arm and threw her roughly at the feet of her fellow comrades and yanked away the blanket. "She's all yours, boys, take her!"

Now she really did lay half-naked on the snow in front of all these men. With a sob, she steeled herself for what was about to happen to her, and wished she was already dead.

To the eternal credit of the other soldiers, not a single one of them moved an inch toward her. They actually backed up and stared at the Emperor's advisor like he was crazy to suggest they would consider gang-raping Mulan.

Captain Shang turned to Chi Fu. "Are you crazy?" He stood a head taller than the weak, spineless bully and glared right into his eyes as he walked straight up to him and stopped an inch from his face.

"How dare you suggest my men would do this to her?"

"That's all a woman is good for. What are you all waiting for? I know none of you have been with a woman in months. Unless some of you already knew the little slut was a woman! Maybe I'll go first then." Chi Fu started towards her. She started to shake as he grabbed her hair and threw her onto her back.

"Like hell you will!" Shang roared as he charged Chi Fu, the sword still in his hand, and drove the blade into his heart.

Tossing the blade aside, he grabbed the blanket and covered her with it. He tried to help her to stand, but she gave a cry of pain because she had roughly landed directly on her wound not once but twice. Blood was spreading on the snow under her. He quickly scooped her into his arms and carried her to the medical tent.

After checking her wound, he saw how the rough treatment from the weakling had opened up the freshly applied stitches . He hollered out an order for Yao and Ling to get the doctor again. Seeing Mulan was shaking and crying from the ordeal, he knelt down by her.

"It's ok. You're safe now. None of my men are going to hurt you and neither will I. You're my bravest soldier and you're not going anywhere. I need you in my army." Then he stayed by her until the doctor entered the tent. After briefing the doctor on what happened, he left her in his capable hands.

He turned to face his men. "What happened today does not leave this company of soldiers. No one is to say a word to anyone about her being a woman or what really happened to Chi Fu. The Huns captured him when he ran away and hid as we exchanged fire with them. I already know none of you will touch her, so I don't need to tell anyone not to."

"Yes, sir." They all replied in unison.

"Prepare to make camp here for the night. She's in no shape to move right now. Ling and Chien Po, you're on first watch. Yao, you're with me on second watch." He pointed to two other men. "You two take care of his body. Make sure it's not gonna be found any time soon."

A fire was built and dumplings were heated over it. After eating, Shang brought some to Mulan, but she was sleeping. He sat next to her and watched her sleep for a moment. Dried tears were evident on her cheeks and she grimaced in her sleep.

Now that he knew she was a woman, he noticed how beautiful she was. But, he would not let his budding feelings towards her be known, especially not after what Chi Fu would have done to her had Shang not intervened. He had a feeling though, that one or more of his men would have killed him rather than allow the coward to rape their fellow soldier.

"It's ok, my love", he quietly whispered as he kissed her forehead and left the tent. If they both survived this war, then he would make his feelings known.