DISCLAIMER: this chapter doesn't belong to me!It belongs to icedragon6171.

Disclaimer: All characters in this story are the rightful property of Disney, except for Luo Jin and Captain Hsiao Tso-liang, who belong to me :)

A/N: Just a note on historical background - General Su Dingfeng was an actual person, and had a part in upcoming events which will become clearer later. I will add my own embellishments to his character, as I have nothing to go by save one quote and his whereabouts at this particular point in history.

WARNING: This chapter contains attempted rape. If readers are uncomfortable with or upset by the subject, please skip forward when you see 'SKIP'

Towards the Setting Sun

Chapter 10

Mulan hadn't known that firing a bow from the back of the horse could be so difficult. She had been practising all evening, riding Khan around the training fields and taking shots at a target placed at the opposite end, yet so far only a handful of arrows had found their mark. There was so much to take into account; her own movement in relation to the target, the jolts of the horse's run, aim and countless other factors. Even so, if there was one thing Mulan was certain of, it was that she would be perfect by the time they left for the west, in four months time.

Mulan withdrew her hand from the pommel of Khan's saddle in order to nock another arrow to the string of her bow. Steering the horse with her knees, she made for another pass, taking aim as she went. She let the arrow fly…

… It missed, again, and skittered away into the darkness.

Mulan sighed in disappointment, drawing Khan to a stop and dismounting. She'd give up for tonight; it was late, and both she and Khan were tired. She bent to retrieve a few stray arrows that had fallen short of the target, some of them embedded into the hard soil that was already glistening with frost, and returned them to the quiver. It took several minutes to gather all of them, as the darkness made it difficult to see the bamboo shafts against the grass, even with the lamplight coming from atop the walls. Once done, Mulan slung both bow and quiver onto Khan's saddle, and led him back towards the stables.

The fortress was quiet at this time of night. Only a few soldiers were still awake, on watch, and those that she passed she offered a nod of greeting to. Most returned the gesture, but the occasional one would ignore it entirely, although Mulan was beyond caring. She was a captain of the Imperial Army now, and there was no need to get upset over something so trivial.

After seeing Khan settled, Mulan followed the familiar path back to her room, which was situated among those of all of the other military officials currently garrisoned here. The infirmary was in the same building, also, and Mulan made a mental note to visit Luo Jin in the morning. His collarbone was healing gradually, but he was already back on his feet and quite mobile after having been confined to his bed for several days. It was a relief to Mulan, to say the least; the time she spent without him was lonely, even more so seeing as she was still on uncertain terms with Shang. Fortunately, however, Jin would be discharged soon, and then things would return back to normal. Or so she hoped.

The Kashgar bazaar was a daunting place to be lost in, and more often than not that was exactly how Mulan found herself. It didn't help much that the stalls that lined the cramped streets all looked the same as each other and their arrangement made navigation difficult, not to mention the crowds of milling Kashgarian locals who frequented them. Luckily for Mulan, however, she wasn't alone as she had been that time – she had made sure she had company for this excursion, in the form of Chang Hsin-pao, whose large frame would at least make any would-be attacker think twice before trying anything.

The locals were a curious group of people, and so alien to Mulan that she preferred to avoid them if possible. Their general bad temper was famous for many li, as well as their lack of decorum and low esteem for learning, but what was most peculiar about these people was the startling green shade of their eyes, which were like chips of emerald as opposed to the dull brown of her own. Their appearance took some getting used to, and even now Mulan had difficulty hiding her curiosity as she tried to negotiate the price of a small group of horses. With all of the soldiers arriving at the fortress, and the need for cavalry still unfulfilled, every available horse in the surrounding area was being bought. Unfortunately, at this late point in the year there were few available, despite their location in the centre of a wide expanse of breeding pastures. This particular merchant with whom Mulan was attempting to negotiate was proving to be uncooperative, demanding an unfair price for horses that were untrained and in a barely acceptable condition. Nevertheless, they were still needed, and she eventually reached an agreement with the man, although to what extent she was being ripped off was hard to determine. As Sun Tzu said, 'Those who are near an army sell at high prices.'

Hsin-pao was quiet, as usual, on their trip back up the hillside to the fortress, the horses they had purchased led by ropes attached to the saddles of their own mounts. In Luo Jin's absence these past weeks Mulan had taken to keep company with the next most familiar person, and while Hsin-pao was hardly the best substitute for Jin she felt she could trust him. He respected her both for who and what she was, even though, like many of the soldiers Mulan found herself among these days, he had been sceptical at first. Their journey here had changed that.

The sight of newly arrived soldiers streaming into the fortress was not an unfamiliar one anymore, and this was what greeted Mulan and her companion as they rounded the last hairpin bend in the road leading towards the gate. It hadn't been since her arrival at Wu Zhong that Mulan had witnessed the Imperial cavalry, and currently what must have been at least five-hundred soldiers mounted on Imperial stallions were making their way up the road, like a great white snake. Mulan exchanged a wordless glance with Hsin-pao, and almost simultaneously they spurred their horses forward into a gallop. They charged past the baggage train and rear guard towards the head of the line, where Mulan could see the barest glimpse of red capes – the command – beneath a standard bearing the Emperor's insignia identical to the one hung above the fortress gate.

Slowing her horse down in front of the gate, Mulan waited for Hsin-pao to catch up, and then untied the rope leading the horses from her saddle and handed it to him.

"Take them to the stables and arrange for their care and training. I'll be there soon." He merely nodded in reply, and disappeared inside the fortress.

Khan shifted where he stood as rows of men and horses passed them, tossing his great head now and then. She lay a hand on his wide neck to calm him, while she waited for the men under the banner to approach. There were five men, it seemed, in command of this force – a general bedecked in ornate armour, and four captains. Mulan caught the eye of the general as he came, and he nodded in reply, peeling away from the ranks to greet her.

"Captain Fa Mulan, I presume?" He asked, and Mulan gave a nod of affirmation, although she was slightly curious as to how he knew her. His voice was strangely hoarse, but was commanding all the same. He removed his plumed helmet, revealing more clearly his aged and battle worn face. The light illuminated his greying hair, lending him the appearance of wisdom. He looked kindly enough, although it was too early to tell what kind of person he was.

"I am General Su Dingfeng," the older man said, proffering a slight, friendly smile. "I knew your father, when he was in the military. He was a good man, and an excellent soldier, and so, I hear, are you."

"I was lucky." Mulan replied, blushing and looking away modestly. Strange that she should behave like a shy maiden now, when she was the captain of the Imperial army and ready to go off to war. It gave her a small amount of hope; she wasn't necessarily doomed to remain unmarried for the rest of her life.

General Su chuckled a deep chuckle at her reaction. "I would very much like to engage you in a proper conversation, sometime, but for now I have my men to attend to." He said, turning his horse to the gate. He glanced back at her briefly before asking, "Who is in charge here?"

"Sha-…" She caught herself. "General Li Shang."

The older man cast a curious glance in her direction, his brows drawn into a half-frown. Did this man have some sort of problem with Shang? Silence stretched between them briefly. General Su cleared his throat to speak, but the hoarseness was still there.

"Really?"

"Yes."

He didn't reply. The frown on his face deepened for a moment as he surveyed his troops, broodingly silent. Then, without a word, he rode off into the crowd, leaving her alone by the open gate.

What was that about? Mulan wondered, her own brow creasing. I suppose I'll find out eventually…

Mulan glanced towards the sky, trying to gauge the time from the position of the sun. She was meant to be leading a training session in hand-to-hand combat about now. The sky was overcast, however, which made it hard to tell what time it was, but after several moments of inspection, she located the faint glow behind the grey. She frowned. That meant that…

Ah! Mulan's mind jumped in realisation, I'm late!

(SKIP)

After the afternoon's training session, the soldiers had been allowed the evening in the city, which, Mulan presumed, would probably be spent drinking in the local inns. She, too, had the evening to herself, although it had been a close call. Her trip to the city this morning and brief stop at the gate had made her late for the training that afternoon. Thankfully, however, she had arrived before anyone of higher rank had noticed she was absent. Had she been found so she would probably have been assigned to some awful task for the evening; captains weren't exempt from punishment, she had found. After that, the afternoon had passed without incident, much to her relief.

So, she found herself once again riding around the training fields, taking shots at the very same target as the night before. She was having more luck this time, and had already managed to score a near-centre hit with four of her arrows. A substantial number still missed their mark, though, but every small triumph raised her spirits all the same.

Mulan paused to briefly assess her success, and give Khan a scratch on the neck, eliciting a snort of appreciation from him. She had done enough for tonight, and seeing as her instruction from Shang had been put on hold until the last of the soldiers they were expecting to come had arrived, she supposed she could go and pay Luo Jin a visit. She had been planning on doing so anyway.

There was no need for that.

Mulan had just finished brushing Khan down and settling him into a stall for the night, as apparently even the stable-hands had taken the night off. She was alone save for the horses, standing in the dim lamplight near one end of the long building. Just as Mulan gave one final pat to Khan's nose, however, a shadow spread across the floor to seep up the side of the wall opposite Mulan. She turned. It was Jin, one hand against the doorframe and silhouetted by the lamps beyond. The bandages of his sling made for a stark reminder of what had befallen him.

"Jin." Mulan greeted, a smile on her face. At least she wouldn't have to make the trek up to the infirmary now that he had found her.

"Mulan," He replied in turn, gesturing for her to follow him. She did so, stepping out into the chill night with him by her side. They walked in silence for a while, crossing the courtyard and heading down the side of the fortress's main building, out towards the walls.

"How are you doing?" Mulan asked him, eventually, as they approached a set of stairs leading up to the wall walk. She led the way up them, regarding him out of the corner of her eye. They stopped in the shadow of one of the guardhouses lining the wall top, and looked out onto Kashgar where it lay faintly glowing.

"Fine…" He replied softly. Under normal circumstances, Mulan might have been worried about his quietness, but after his injury he had become more and more withdrawn every time she saw him. Mulan didn't know the reason for this, but she wasn't going to press him for an answer. In time, she was sure, he would recover.

"I met the General who arrived today," Mulan said, trying to keep up the conversation. A breeze caused her tunic to ripple around her; she had forgone her cloak for training – it was simply too awkward – but now she wished she had it with her. She crossed her arms in a vain attempt to keep warm while she gazed out over the city below. "He said he knew my father, back when he served in the army…"

Moonlight suddenly washed over them, and Mulan raised her head to see the cloud cover break to reveal the moon's pale face. She raised a hand to point at it, a smile on her face as she turned to Jin, but by then it had already vanished into the shadows.

Jin was staring at her, and his eyes looked almost… hungry.

"Jin?" She asked, concerned. Was he ill? Did he need her to get help for him?

As though brought to life by her voice, he moved towards her. Nothing could have shocked her more than what he did next.

He kissed her.

Mulan froze. What was he doing? He knew as well as she that it was improper for him to anything of the sort when they weren't married, even if they weren't under… normal circumstances. Besides which, he was her best friend, and she certainly didn't feel that way about him. Regaining the power to move, she pushed at his shoulders and forced him away from her. He looked down at her with confused eyes, panting.

She could smell the wine on his breath. Where did he get alcohol though? Surely the medic wouldn't have provided it for him. Perhaps one of the other soldiers had smuggled it in to him. After all, the inactivity he was being forced to endure must have been difficult for one who was normally so lively. Presently, however, Mulan had more important things to think about.

"Jin?" She asked again, keeping her hands on his shoulders.

He didn't reply, instead trying once more to gain purchase of her lips.

"No! Jin, stop!" Mulan protested.

He merely kept on, relentlessly. Mulan drew back, just enough to deliver a stinging slap to his cheek. He froze. Even in the dark Mulan could see the red seep into his skin where she had struck him. Somehow, she knew she would regret that.

His eyes rose to fix her own with a stare. Something about them had changed, and now she could see the barely concealed anger that lurked there, as well as the desire.

He lunged at her, and before she could move, he had forced her up against the stone wall of the guardhouse, her head cracking painfully against the stone with the force of his movement. Before she could draw breath, her lips were assaulted with the full force of Jin's pent up passion. She struggled, futilely, against his grasp; even with only one arm he was stronger than she was, and she was dizzy with pain. An awful sense of raw fear overtook her. If only there were someone who could help her – a soldier on patrol, a fellow captain, the cook, anyone – but almost every living soul was either in the town or the building complex.

Tears pricked the corners of her eyes even as Jin's single hand roved up the side of her arm to shoulder, then down to her chest…

Suddenly, he was gone, and she slumped limply to the floor. The world was spinning before her eyes, but she could make out the blurred shapes of two figures in front of her. More clearly, she heard the sound of a fist striking flesh, and one of the figures crumpled and fell to the floor. Whoever had come to her aid had his back to her while they delivered a kick to the prone figure's head, no doubt blasting them into unconsciousness. Her own head was pounding still and she closed her eyes as though to block out the pain. It didn't work. She raised a tingling hand to the back of her skull, only to feel it come away damp, and sticky with blood. She was bleeding.

She felt gentle hands take her by the shoulders and pull her into a sitting position.

"Mulan?"

She didn't think it was possible to be so happy to just hear Shang's voice. She opened her eyes again to see his concerned face, wreathed in shadow, come into focus. She couldn't help the sob that choked itself out of her throat, or the tears that seemed to spring from her eyes. Her shoulders quaked as the full realisation of what had transpired came to her, like a delayed reaction.

Shang seemed uncertain and nervous at first, as though unsure what to do, but then he wrapped his arms around her shaking form, and waited for the tears to subside.

(End)

If the day before had been overcast, then this day was positively black. The sky was a stormy patchwork of roiling clouds, ready to unleash the fury of the heavens on those gathered below in the courtyard of the fortress. A post had been erected in the early hours of the morning, and now every soldier garrisoned there was assembled to witness the punishment of Luo Jin, Mulan's former friend, and, as of the night before, assailant. It was a crime to assault a military official, and one punishable by death. Had Mulan not intervened, that would have been Jin's penalty. However, even after what he had done, Mulan couldn't bear to see her childhood friend die.

The whip cracked again, shortly followed by Jin's agonised scream as he received another lashing. He was being made an example of, Shang had explained to her, to act as a warning to any who would think to do the same. Then, after his punishment was received, he would be discharged from the army and sent home, dishonoured. Maybe, then, Jin would have preferred death; his family were prestigious, and would not look twice at a son who had disgraced their name. It was bad enough that he had been Mulan's friend.

Another crack, another scream. Mulan winced, trying to stop her hands from shaking. Two hundred lashes. How many more were there now? This seemed to be going on forever, and every howl of pain drove another nail into her heart. She wanted to run to some remote place, away from this, but as a figure of authority and the victim of Jin's crime she needed to make an appearance. She only wished she had the same fortitude as Shang, who stood beside her, wearing a mask of stone and watching the proceedings with a stern eye, while she stood staring at the ground, shivering pathetically with remembered fear. He was probably secretly enjoying this, knowing how he disliked Jin so much and enjoyed to torment him. She wouldn't hold that against him, however; he was the one who had saved her from a much worse fate than a blow to the head. Her whole body shook, and dimly Mulan wished that this would be finished before her legs buckled beneath her.

The thud of a sword severing the ropes tying Jin's wrists to the post signalled the end, and Mulan raised her eyes to see Jin's limp form get dragged up and taken to the open gate by two guards. Now, with his back turned, Mulan could see the full extent of the damage. What greeted her eyes was a bloody mess of shredded skin. It would scar him for life, if he survived the trek back across the desert, and that way everyone would know what he had done.

The two men dragging Jin dropped him onto the dusty road outside the gate, before turning and marching back in. Jin, beyond, struggled up onto his hands and knees, his injured arm hanging limply by his side, even as the huge wooden gates began to close. Sitting back on his haunches, he seemed to stare at his hands for a moment, the gates drawing steadily closed behind him. Just before they shut, he turned to look over his shoulder, and caught her gaze, just or a split-second.

The gates shut with a resounding bang, sealing away the image of Jin's bloodied form. That would be the last Mulan ever saw of him.

...

A/N: So, Jin is gone! I hope no one hates me for doing that or anything. He was always intended as a temporary character.

I also apologise for the rather cliché rescue; I know everyone does this kind of thing, but it is necessary I'm afraid.

I'd love to get some feedback on this chapter (and the rest of the story too!). Did it move too fast, was it predictable, cliché, etc. etc. I'd really appreciate it if you could include something I could improve on, but unending praise is always nice!

Until next time!

icedragon6171