Go alone my flower
And keep my whole lovely you
Wild green stones alone my lover
And keep us on my heart
.
"I'm not so sure about this, Aurora."
Aurora smiled at the mention of her name. Every time the female warrior let her name sweetly flutter off her lips a little thorn, like the ones that had once hid her sleeping form away from the rest of the world in, tickled her heart. It was painful yet somehow enjoyable, this sting from a bush filled with treacherous roses. She found herself preferring the flowers Mulan had told her about one dark night by the fire. Light pink ones that blossomed for only a week, before their petals would start raining down like snow in your hair. She remembered the name in Chinese…
"Yīng huā…" she whispered it quietly to herself, loosing herself in a daydream where she would stand inside the forest made up of only those pink trees, the petals burying her under a light carpet of fallen flowers.
"What are you saying Aurora? Are you sleepwalking again?" Aurora blinked and realized Mulan was gripping the side of her arms, her face a little bit too close for comfort. She felt her cheeks flush as she shook her head, quite violently. The hands let her go, but Mulan's almond-shaped eyes still studied her with a slight sharpness of worry in them.
"N-no!" she managed to stutter. "I was just thinking of the possibilities… of this road being the right one." She felt a little relived. They were standing at a crossroad and they knew they were getting closer to finding the horrible monster that had stolen their prince away. The forest had grown darker by each day and the trees had started losing their leaves. Soon there would be nothing but black, deformed hands clawing up at the sky above them. Aurora shivered at the thought.
"Well, I tried using the magic in the sword, but… I'm not sure it's right."
"Mulan, it's a sword not a compass…" Aurora teased, rolling her eyes.
"I'm aware." Mulan grumbled. They were in the middle of the dark woods, dodging werewolves, trolls and a handful of mean pixies and Aurora still found a way to get on her nerves; and being charming while doing so. It was hard to believe if you had not experienced it firsthand.
"I think I'm getting used to the dark," Aurora said and even though she had a hard time making out Aurora's features in the darkness, Mulan could almost hear her smiling. Mulan grumbled an answer and led them down the path in the dark. Now she just went with the one that felt wrong, out of place. The one that felt like there might be an evil soul sucker on somewhere further down.
Aurora was close behind her; she could hear the rustling of her skirts. The princess' movements had grown quieter with each week and now she was barely audible. It had helped that Mulan had used her sword to cut the hem shorter. But Mulan always listened for those little tells that assured her that her companion still kept her pace.
The moonlight sipping through the trees made her think of being underwater, and even though she tried to avoid the places where the trees stood further apart she wished she could pull Aurora out into the moonlight and just… watch her.
"It's so beautiful…" Aurora said as if she'd heard the warrior's thoughts. "It's as if when the light touched something it wakes up and become alive anew." Mulan sighed, looked around and decided it would be a good a place as any. It was early morning anyway, and if they were to get some sleep before dawn it might as well be now.
"Let's spend the night here", she murmured. And she was sure she could hear Aurora smiling again.
They did their duties which they had now both grown into. They did them every morning and each night. Aurora packed up the tent and put out blankets; Mulan picked out stones and branches and made up a fire. A fire scared animals and magical creatures; which were much more common out here than any human. They took the chance to boil their water and cook their food for an hour or two, and then they would let it turn into nothing but glowing embers that would keep their fingers from growing stiff with the cold. When they sat down to drink their soup made on herbs, rabbit and wine Aurora smiled into the coals and said:
"I never had much of an idea of how it is to be married, but I'm guessing it will be something quite close to this…" Then she closed her eyes and took another sip. Mulan felt a warm blush settle on her neck. She had been thinking something along those lines, but knew that if Aurora thought this then she was in the wrong. Mulan knew these would all be Aurora's duties once she became married. And if she became a queen she would not have to do anything. Mulan did not know what the princess would like the least. Having to do everything, or not having to do anything at all.
.
.
"I still don't think it's a good idea."
She side stepped as Aurora threw herself to attack. Mulan turned around and smacked Aurora's behind with the flat side of her sword. Aurora gave up a loud gasp, grasped her bottom with both hands and blushed furiously.
"Mulaaaaan! That is no way to treat a princess!" She huffed and Mulan knew that had her hands not been caressing her buttocks they would be balled up into small fists. She couldn't stop herself from laughing at the princess behind the shelter of her own glowed hand.
"Well princess, that is what any man who gets the chance will do to you! You've got to be quick enough to prevent it. Cut his hand off."
Aurora's eyes grew big as boulders and her hands flew to her mouth in horror.
"Cut it off?" she whispered in fearful astonishment. Mulan stopped smiling and explained.
"No, I mean cut his move off before he-" she trailed off when Aurora kept looking at her like she'd just told her she was biologically a man. Mulan started laughing, not able to hide it this time. Of course she really should get used to cutting people's body parts off if going into battle, but Aurora was so unlikely to hurt a fly in Mulan's eyes that it was a ridiculous thought. She'd seen her wanting to slash Snow's throat that one time, but she still believed Aurora was driven by kindness. So she believed she would not have cut Snow back then, but she knew that the princess did have it in her. And with some guidance; could learn. She went back to the basics of body language, the way Aurora would've been taught when she was growing up.
"Look… You've been taught to dance, right?"
"Well… yes…"
"Think of it as dancing. Two steps forward, once step back. One hand for balance and one hand on your partner; which in this case is your weapon."
Aurora stared as if Mulan spoke in her mother tongue.
"Look, I'll show you. Take my hand."
Aurora looked at Mulan like she was asking the impossible, but she still let her hand into hers. She could hear every breath coming out of the princess' mouth and it made her fingers tingle. Mulan pulled her sweetly closer to her as she spoke kindly.
"Look, you take one step towards me, and look how close we are. You could put that sword into me without me being able to see it." Aurora blushed and moved the sword, but Mulan's hand, holding her sword, was on top of hers. "But I can feel it. Your muscles tense up and you… well, you blink."
"I do?" Aurora said surprised and blinked again. Mulan nodded, before taking a step back. Then she tugged at Aurora again, and when the princess stepped close, the warrior stepped back.
"Like that. You have to be aware of your opponents every movement. You can't miss a moment or you might get cut." They stepped back and forth a few times, then Aurora stepped to the side and Mulan followed. It was as if their bodies worked in perfect harmony despite their opposites. The grass rustled under their bare feet and the wind was sweetly pulling their hair. Mulan noticed all of that and more, while trying to ignore Aurora's eyes filled with wonder. She felt like she was being evaluated.
"Mulan, you must be an amazing dancer," Aurora said in a sweet voice. Mulan swallowed hard.
"Not in particular." She made sure to stare at Aurora's chin, just to make sure she wasn't pulled in by those eyes.
"I don't believe you..." She teased softly.
"This is about you learning to fight Princess. Stay focused, will you?" Mulan tried to scold her, but the princess only giggled.
"But you lead so well, it's like dancing with a man!" Mulan huffed a little but said nothing. "Okay, so if I can disarm you, you'll dance with me?"
"That won't happen," Mulan said sternly. She gripped her sword tighter. That's when Aurora took a step back, and right when the warrior followed Aurora took a step forward instead, coming so close that their noses almost touched. Mulan felt her face grow hot as she tried to step away, catching her breath. That's when Aurora kicked her feet out from under her and put the blade of her sword to Mulan's side. Half on the ground, Mulan stared at her in amazement.
"You see, I usually do anything to get what I want." Mulan's stomach fluttered as Aurora dropped her sword, took her hand and pulled her up to her feet again. "You just have to put the right price in front of me." Then she leaned into Mulan and whispered into her ear, teasingly;
"Now dance with me, my noble warrior." Mulan shook her head, but did as the princess asked. Twirling her around in her skirts, they danced to the music of the birds, the wind and their own laughter. Soon Aurora would start humming a melody from faraway lands and Mulan could for a moment forget the quest they were on. She wished she could be that noble warrior forever.
.
A/N: I was working on this for a couple of days, and well, there's more where this come from. But I need a few more stories in between, so be patient with me.
If you like it, there'll definatly be more. Let me know! ;D
