Chapter 10- Everything Is In Place

Mulan and Jang Lu walked with soft steps on the soft ground which they walked upon. China now seemed quieter in more ways then one. They could tell by less movement and sadness in the villagers faces. But at the same time china seemed more hectic, lives were at stake, families torn apart from their love ones. The tension was raising and everyone could feel it. "This war has sure done damage to everyone." Said Mulan.

"Yes….and it's not even over yet, it's merely just begun." Mulan knew he was right and it scared her. What was to come of all this? What would happen to China if they did not make it, what if the troops failed? What if her father was right and Shang wasn't going to make it? Mulan's face began to show worry. Jang Lu looked at her and saw the fear in her eyes. "Hey….it's going to be ok."

"But what if it isn't? When the Huns came and tried to take over that didn't even take this long. Are forces are strong but what if there is something greater going on that none of know about? What if Sh…..what if our troops are in trouble?" Mulan began to get hysterical. Jang placed his hands on her shoulders and her got closer to her and looked her deep in her dark brown eyes.

"I don't know…." He whispered softly to her. "Mother also told me about this General that you are so worried about, is there something between you two?" He asked.

"Shang and I….we're, we're…" she couldn't get it out, she wasn't sure. She figured they were just friends but were they something about to become? "Me and Shang are just friends, we were staying in contact till my father found out and now I have no idea how is he? What he is doing…just nothing, and it worries me."

"I'm sorry. If I could do something I would."

"Thank you." Jang took Mulan's hand and smiled, she returned the smile and they began to continue to walk back to her place.

Back at the Fa house hold Fa Li and Fa Zhou got deep into conversation. They too were now feeling the tension in China. "This war is getting closer to us more and more by the second, I almost feel as if we should all leave." Fa Zhou began.

"Leave? But we can't leave…what about Mulan; you know that she would not like that plus that would freak her out even more about the war and Shang."

"That does not matter now…all that matters is her safety, our safety."

"Well atleast let her write to Shang again, she worries about him, you should giver her that letter that he sent her."

"No Li…Mulan has her duty and that is to marry to a fine man, and from what I heard from the matchmaker she has a fine man that would be suitable for her. Someone that she thinks she will be happy with."

"Zhou…our daughter needs to know about Shang, they are good friends…." Fa Li argued.

"Maybe too good of friends….once Mulan gets home we will tell her what we believe is going on…besides we are not the only ones who are leaving, many have heard the roomers. Prisoners, death, I will not have us be taken captive or even treated like cattle or worse, if we have a chance to live we will take it."

"It's not that I don't think that's a good idea…I just believe that we should wait a day or two more, maybe something good will come?"

"Li…..not even one solider has come back from war yet, hell, not even a dead one from what I hear. Do you know how bad this is? The Mongols have a new leader and I fear this leader has many tricks up his sleeve. Shang is as good as gone, and you know I hate to say that but it's the truth. Even in the letter that he wrote he sounded very concern, even though he did not mention anything about going into battle, I can tell something is going down."

"So were just not going to tell her anything about him? No news no nothing?"

"I feel that if we tell her that it will make things worse!"

"Not telling her anything at all is making things worse!"

A sudden knock at the door interrupted the argument. Fa Zhou left to go answer it. "Mulan your home…come in and you are?"

"I am Jung Lu, and I pleased to meet you sir." He bowed down in front of her father.

"Well please come in. Are you…?"

"I am the matchmaker's son and also the one that hope to take your daughters hand." Jung Lu said politely. Fa Li and grandmother Fa looked through the doorway and seemed surprised yet concerned. But all the well they made their way to the fine young man, and met the man.

"Would you like to join us in dinner Jung?" Fa Li asked.

"Yes we would be most honored if you joined us my son." Added Fa Zhou.

"It would be an honor sir."

Dinner was served in the finest manner and prepared well. There was much to talk about mostly about the recent events and they tried to stay off the subject about war but it came none the less.

"Before we go any further sir, I am honored to with you all especially here with Mulan, she has much strength and I'm not just talking about from what I have head from so many but just being with her, the way she talks lets me know that she is strong and spirited and I value that. So if it is alright with you and of course Mulan I would like to have your daughter's hand?" Jang Lu asked.

Mulan got all wide eyes along with her mother and grandmother, her father of course was smiling with pride, "Of course my son.."

"Honey…." Fa Li interrupted.

"Is something wrong?" Jung asked.

"It's nothing really I mean nothing against you but I think maybe we should have Mulan decide instead of her father, don't you agree dear?"

Fa Zhou was a little upset that his wife had to do that, it made him look weak and not in control. But he forgot all about it as very fast. "I think that since I did put my daughter through this whole matchmaker thing again, I think should decide weather you are the one for her or not."

Mulan began to get beet red, and her heart began to pound even harder each second. She didn't know what to do? It came all too sudden and became all too real, she felt she wanted to because he was so nice and charming, but then she thought about Shang and the possibilities of them. "Um…Well….um….Jang may we both talk outside just for a second."

"Sure….excuse us…"

He followed her outside close to the bridge. "This was all too sudden I know…I understand…" He held up his hand in front of him telling her that he understood what he did.

"No, no….and yes I mean, I should have realized that this would happen heck that's why I was there with your mother in the first place, I'm sorry."

"And this is also having to do with Shang as well, am I right?"

"I think….I'm sorry I really am….I just, I just want to be sure that's all."

She lowered her head in shame, she shamed her family again, how could she? She felt bad yet a part was relived but why? All these questions. He took her chin from her and placed his nose up to hers then placed his fore head up to hers and stared into her eyes which seemed and looked so confused and hurt. "Don't worry about it….I'll see you later ok?"

"Ok…thank you…."

He nodded and let go of her chin and began to exit out of the yard. Fa Zhou, Fa Li and the grandmother who were all looking out the window watched as he began to leave. Fa Zhou lowered his head and pounded his fist on the table. "Why did you have to say that Li? He and Mulan could have been together but now, now look at this; we lost probably one of the best candidates for Mulan!"

"Well at least it shows us that she has feelings for Shang."

"Enough Li! You don't get it…..Shang is gone! He's not coming back."

Fa Li and the Grandmother got quiet and watched as their daughter came inside with tears streaming down her cheeks. She just looked at all of them for that second then turned her head and made her way down the hall and to her room. Where she would lay on her bed and cry, so much was going on at this time with her, life its self was beginning to get harder and harder, sure she liked the man, but was he the one she wanted to spend the rest of her life with? Was the war going to call on her? Would it end? Or was this simply just the beginning? She wept till she cried herself to sleep.

Shang and his men waited at the top all was silent, till the sudden death cry of what seemed to be more then a hundred men came rushing down the hill with their weapons held up high, Arrows were being shot from all directions there was no stopping them, Shang yelled in the air, they got ready and like a bolt of lighting they jumped at him and his men and it began, blood was being shed from all directions. Shang fought with all his might until he noticed that he was beginning to get tired. He screamed all of sudden for a sharp pain now through him off, and made him land hard on his knees. He screamed again!

Mulan flew up and screamed out his name, she looked around and noticed that she was in her room, it was another one her normal nightmares, she placed her hands over her face and whipped the sweet off her face. She now fully believed that Shang was in danger, but knew that she could not just go and try to save him because she had no idea where he would be now. There was no contact any more.

Morning came and Mulan felt uneasy as it was going through last night with the nightmare and Jang Lu which she still felt bad about already. Everyone was at the table eating silently.

"Baba I'm sorry about yesterday for not taking his hand in marriage." Mulan apologized.

"I told you that it was your decision, and you made it, but I hope you know that, that was probably your best bet right there." Answered, Fa Zhou.

"How would you know Baba? What about…"

"Don't you dare even say SHANG! I have told this family over and over again with the way things are looking, Shang will not be coming back, This war has done so much and I hear the worst now, I fear that were going to have to move out of her and find some place safe till the war is over, that's if there is going to be an end."

"We can't just leave, we can't leave our people!" Mulan argued.

"Many are leaving Mulan! Because people want to live!"

"But in the camps you were always taught never to leave your men behind! Why are we leaving them? We can't leave them!" She yelled, leaving steams of tears rolling down her face.

"But we were also taught never to leave your men or loved ones in the hands of the monsters who could hurt or kill them! And God damn it that's the last thing I'm going to do!"

All became silent, "I just don't want you guys to get hurt, I know that these men are capable of, they are cruel people, and to make things worse they are better then us! That's why no man has been sent home, none have been called out as dead, these men now what they are doing and being a solders, commander and father I say we pack as little as we can and we leave."

Mulan got up and left the table and headed outside, she ran to back yard and sat on the ground. Tears were now becoming a common thing to her. As she cried she noticed that it was quiet almost too quiet, she could sense that something or someone was watching her. She could also feel that it was more then one too……

SOOOOOOOOOOOO WHAT YOU THINK? THINGS ARE GOING TO GET INTERESTING! HEHEHE, AND SAD AS WELL, THERE IS GOING TO BE ATLEAST FOUR MORE SUPRISES, AND WERE NOT JUST TALKING THE REGULAR ONES, IM TALKNIG "OMG" KIND OF ONES HEHEHEH WELL HOPE TO HEAR FROM YOU GUYS SOON!