DISCLAIMER: so, as I said on the previous chapter, this does not belong to me! It belongs to icedragon6171!
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Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters mentioned in this story. They are the rightful property of Disney.
A/N: Here's the next chapter. I hope you all enjoy it. I have also re-posted the first chapter, clearing up a few minor mistakes I made.
For those of you who are interested, the Western Turkic rebellion is an actual historical event, although judging from the documents I have read concerning it, the date skips around between 650 AD and about 670 AD. I am hoping, as I said before, to achieve some degree of accuracy in this, although obviously I am going to have to change things to match the plotline and also add things here and there.
Towards the Setting Sun
Chapter 2
Li Shang sat at the table with Fa Zhou in his estate as Mulan poured a cup of steaming tea for him. The scent of it relaxed him somewhat, although it was still hard for the young man to be completely at ease, even in the friendly environment he found himself in currently. He smiled in thanks for the tea; taking the porcelain cup into his hands and feeling the heat seep through into his fingers. Gingerly, he took a sip of the hot liquid so as to not appear rude, careful not to burn his tongue, glancing towards the door that Mulan had just disappeared through. Letting out a quiet sigh of contentment, Shang gathered the courage to raise his eyes to meet those of Mulan's father, who was inspecting his reaction.
"Have you eaten, Shang?" Fa Zhou asked of Shang by way of greeting, "You are welcome to dine with us this evening, if you wish."
Shang dipped his head in assent, noticing that he was, in fact, very hungry. "It would be a pleasure, sir," he said, taking another sip of the tea in his hands and letting it trickle its way down his throat. "I have not eaten since this morning."
"Now, Li Shang," Fa Zhou began, frowning at the younger man's use of formalities, "We have known each other for long enough. You need not call me 'Sir' anymore. You may use my name, as I use yours."
Shang bowed his head in apology, and contented himself to listen to the sounds of the household; things that Shang had not heard for many years. In the corner of the room, Grandma Fa sat at a wooden loom weaving damp ramie yarn into a fine cloth with nimble fingers, despite the age of the body they were attached to. The rhythmic clicking from the loom was oddly calming, and helped to make him feel more at home. Besides the loom, more subdued sounds emitted from the kitchen to Shang's left, beneath which a barely audible mumble of conversation between Mulan and her mother, Fa Li, could be heard as they cooked the evening meal.
"You look tired, Shang," Fa Zhou remarked in the forward manner of people his age. "I trust your journey wasn't too difficult?"
"The journey from Chang-an is a good day and a half ride from here, under normal circumstances. I didn't wish to waste time, and so I rode through much of the night to get here as soon as possible." Shang replied.
"What, may I ask, is so important that you needed to come here so quickly?"
Shang's features set in a frown, and he looked down to the remaining tea in his cup. Pausing, Shang considered his choice of words.
"I need to ask something important of you and Mulan," he said, slowly. The clicking of the loom stopped for a second, and then resumed. "The Emperor sent me."
Fa Zhou's back straightened, and his mouth set in a grim line. It occurred to Shang that the older man probably had a good idea as to the purpose of his visit, and had asked him of it in order to clarify his suspicions. Thankfully, Fa Zhou chose to keep his silence, and cease asking further questions.
The heavy silence which had fallen upon the room was broken by the sudden entrance of Mulan and her mother carrying steaming dishes of rice and meat, along with two bowls of sauces to top it all off. The smell of it all was enticing, and caused Shang's stomach to clench noisily in anticipation. Shang urged it to silence as Mulan set a bowl and chopsticks before him and took the vacant seat to his right. She flashed him a quick smile as she settled herself, which Shang returned hesitantly, and then began to help herself to the food arrayed before them, as her father was also doing. Shang, having dined with the family before, also served himself, knowing that the household didn't rely on the rules of etiquette which governed banquets at the Imperial City.
Shang tried not to eat his food too hastily, afraid that he would embarrass himself in front of some of the few people he wished to retain a good impression with, and instead listened politely to the conversation at the table. He felt slightly out of place as talk turned to the harvest, having never done farm-work himself, and soon he found his thoughts drifting to other matters, such as his reason for being there in the first place.
Belatedly, Shang realised that Fa Zhou had asked him a question, and now attention had turned to him. Setting his chopsticks down on the rim of his now empty bowl, Shang swallowed nervously.
"Uh, I'm sorry…Zhou," He said, trying to calm his shaking voice as the family passed looks between themselves, "What did you say?" Shang felt like a fool for having to ask, and felt his cheeks grow warm with embarrassment.
"I said," Fa Zhou began, his voice conveying his humour, though his face remained stoically straight, "What is it you have to say to us?"
Shang cleared his throat. "The Emperor is planning to send an army west, to the border there, to suppress the Western Turks who have rebelled against the Empire." Shang paused, and drew in a long breath, and addressed Fa Zhou. "The Emperor requests that Mulan joins the army again."
There, Shang thought, gauging the reactions of Mulan's family, I've said it. Hopefully she won't go…
"I'll go." Mulan declared boldly. Her family kept their silence.
Shang looked to Mulan's father across the table, who sat with his eyes closed, confused as to why he said nothing. As though he had read his mind, Fa Zhou opened his eyes and met Shang's own eyes with a calm stare.
"It is Mulan's choice. I have no say in it."
Shang nodded in acceptance. It seemed that Fa Zhou's opinion was shared by all at the table save him, though they were clearly unhappy about it.
Mulan looked apologetically towards her parents.
"I'm sorry Baba, Mama," She said, her voice soft, "If I am needed, I will do my duty."
The word was almost a slap in the face to Shang, who had been raised upon such principles. He mentally scolded himself for his selfishness. He wouldn't prevent Mulan from doing her duty any more than she would prevent him from doing his own. With new resolve, he decided that whatever happened, it would be for the best.
"The Emperor will wish to see you before we go."
Mulan turned to face Shang, schooling her features into a calm mask, sorrows forgotten. "When will we need to leave?" She inquired, business-like; emotionless.
"There is no hurry," Shang replied, "We can leave tomorrow if you wish."
Mulan nodded, silent, and then, rising, proceeded to help her mother and grandmother take the dishes back into the kitchen, leaving Shang alone at the table with her father once more. The old man was studying Shang quietly, looking, now, very much older than his years.
"Don't worry," Shang said, hoping to offer some words of consolation, "I'll take care of her."
"I trust you, General," Fa Zhou replied, "but I think my daughter is more than capable of caring for herself."
Shang smiled half-heartedly, knowing that in truth the man was paying him a compliment for training his daughter so well. Shang, however, was uncomfortable receiving the praise, wondering whether her success could really be attributed to his tutelage. He may have given her the basic knowledge she needed to become a soldier, but the Huns defeat was almost entirely due to her brilliant ideas and courage in the face of danger.
Later that evening, Mulan was leading him to his room for the night, in the guest wing. She carried with her an armful of sheets to make a bed in one arm and a candle in the other, and he took with him the saddlebags from his horse. The corridor was dim, lit only by the candle flame which gave the hall a yellow glow, and gave their exposed skin a luminescent appearance. Mulan stopped before a door and clumsily tried to open it with her full hands, before turning to him with a sheepish smile. Wordlessly, Shang reached and opened the door, letting Mulan enter before him.
"I'm sorry about the room not being very tidy," Mulan apologised, as she busied herself putting the sheets on the bed, "but the roof over the other room has a leak. We had to move everything into this room to stop it from getting ruined during the storm we had last week." For a moment Shang was mildly surprised that Mulan was talking and acting so much like… well, a woman. His first impression of her had been that she wasn't concerned about these things as other women were, instead being something of a tomboy. Either way, Shang found that he didn't mind.
"The room is fine, Mulan," He reassured her, setting his saddlebags down on a chair by the door, "I have stayed in far, far worse, believe me."
"Oh yeah?" She asked playfully, turning around to flash a grin. "Like what?"
"The rooms at the Academy were pretty bad. When I was sixteen, I had to share a room with three other boys. None of them were very good at keeping tidy, and their ideas of personal hygiene were appalling." He told her, smiling in return.
"As bad as the men at Wu Zhong?"
"Worse." He chuckled. "Much, much worse."
"There." Mulan announced, finishing the bed. "Done."
Shang voiced his thanks to her and she turned to leave in a swirl of skirts. Upon reaching the door, Mulan turned back to face Shang as he opened the windows to the room, closing the shutters behind them. Seeing her still stood in the room, Shang took a step closer, a frown of concern on his face.
"Are you nervous?" Mulan asked quietly. "About the war, I mean."
Shang sat down upon the end of the newly made bed, studying the grain of the wooden floor as though the answers were written there. Was he nervous? He hadn't really had the time to figure that out yet.
"I suppose I am." He replied at length. "Why? Are you?"
"Yes." She said honestly. Suddenly, she broke into a beaming smile. "But we beat the Huns, right? This should be nothing."
"This is something completely different, Mulan."
The door to the guest room opened, and in came Mulan's mother bearing a pitcher of water and a deep basin for washing. She set the objects down upon a table, spying her daughter in the doorframe.
"Ah, Mulan! There you are." Fa Li said, pulling a small vial of oil from a pocket and setting it down beside the water. "You need to rest before your journey. Come, leave Shang to his own." Before Mulan could reply, she was bustled out into the hallway, the door closed behind her, leaving Shang in the peace of the room.
Shang sat on the end of the bed for a long moment, mulling over the evening's events. He knew that Mulan was ready to put her life on the line doing what was right, but tradition niggled at the back of his mind. Women weren't meant for battle, though by no means did Shang believe that they should instead be confined to the home. It was Mulan's decision to join the army once more, and he would abide by it. Dismissing any further doubts, Shang unbuckled the leather armour binding his chest, grateful to be released from the confines of it. Taking a deep breath, he poured some water into the basin Fa Li had provided him with. Like she said, he would need his rest for the journey ahead.
The morning of their departure was dreary with boiling clouds in the sky above Shang and the assembled Fa family, but as yet no rain had fallen. The family had spent much of their morning together in the temple praying to the ancestors, cherishing their last moments together for what could be a very long time. Now they stood solemnly in the courtyard of their home, facing each other across the stones.
Wind whipped Mulan's unbound hair into her face as she buckled her saddlebags to Khan, as though to hinder her preparations and convince her to stay in the safety of her home. Shang himself had made the necessary preparations for leaving earlier on, though his belongings were already packed. Now he watched Mulan say her farewells; it was a quiet affair, with very few words spoken between them, all necessary communication done through simple looks and gestures. When Mulan eventually turned away, Shang took a step forward and offered a bow to each of the people before him, before turning himself to mount his horse.
"Let's go." He said to Mulan, reining his stallion around to face the open gate. She nodded, sitting tall in her armour atop her horse, and, throwing one last look back at her family, spurred Khan ahead. Shang's own horse followed in pursuit without any need of encouragement, and soon they were off down the trail through and out of the village.
...
A/N: So, please leave a review, and let me know what you think. Also, I will be doing shout-outs to those people who do review, where I will answer questions if you have any. Thanks from the last chapter go to CluelessAngel, HayLin4, Canadarulz, pepeok, Niky13, FigureFreak, Roguefan212000, theITgirl and Mess531y.
icedragon6171
