Disclaimer: see chapter 1
A/N Please Review
Chapter 2: Training and War
They reached the camp an hour later. The new recruits had already started
pouring in and the enlisted soldiers saluted as they rode into the camp.
The new recruits followed suit and went back to what they were doing. At
the Officer's tent Mulan spotted Yao, Ling, and Chien-po. They all were
officers and when Shang dismounted he seemed confident gesturing the bunch
into the tent. A map was already laid out.
"These new enemies are not as strong an army or as smart but they aren't to be taken lightly. They entered here. They are moving from what we can tell through the mountains toward the Imperial Palace. I say that we cut them off here at the beginning trail to the Tung-shou pass. Now I am going to take the trained troops but as we have to have someone to train the new recruits I am leaving you in charge Mulan. You are promoted to Captain and you will train them. I know you can do it. You may have one other stay to help you but I need most of the men. You were the best in your group after all well in the end anyway." Shang smiled.
"You want me to train the new recruits? They will never respect me. I am a girl-" Mulan began to protest.
"You are a soldier Mulan. You survived my training ending up on top, took out the whole Hun army in one shot, then took out Shan-yu in a dress. They will respect you or you can beat them to the ground to get that respect. Now we move out. Who will stay with you Mulan?" Shang interrupted.
"Yao. He is intimidating where I am at loss and he was good at the training." Mulan smiled.
"Then you three are dismissed. Mulan a moment." The other three left the tent. Shang turned to Mulan. "I promise I will stay safe. Join us when you think they are ready."
"Shang be careful. I want you to come back so that we can get married. Please don't do anything rash." Mulan looked at him pleadingly. He came to her and kissed her softly.
"I will be back and then we will go get married and show that matchmaker that she was wrong." he smiled and kissed her once more then left the tent.
Mulan watched him ride away then turned to the new recruits. "Solders!" she yelled loudly they looked up and laughed at her trying to command them so Yao stepped forward.
"Attention now." He yelled and every man stood at attention deathly silent. "This is Captain Fa Mulan. She is going to train you. You will listen to her as she is your only hope of survival in this war. Got it?"
Silence followed then one big man finally stepped forward. " You are joking right sir. She is a girl, what could she teach us?"
Mulan stepped forward waving Yao back. " A lot. Tell me what is your name?" she was not trying to be intimidating.
"Zang." he answered.
"Attack me Zang. Go ahead I won't discharge you." Mulan gestured him forward.
He ran at her hands poised to take her down. He ended up on his back when she flipped him.
"Lesson one. Don't underestimate your opponent." Mulan stated simply. "Shan- yu made the same mistake and look what happened to him. Get some sleep it will be a really long day tomorrow." Mulan walked to her tent to plan the next mornings activities.
The next morning Mulan started the training the same way Shang had by challenging them with the arrow. "To retrieve the arrow you need Strength and Discipline and a little bit of brains. That is what I'm here to teach you. When I was training I was the first to reach the arrow. I'm telling you now that this won't be easy. Now lets get started on your first lesson." She threw staves at everyone and handed one to Yao.
That night Mulan and Yao were eating together in the mess tent when a young boy came up to them. "What can I do for you Soldier?" Mulan asked not really looking at the young boy.
"I was wondering if you could tell us how you survived training and how you got to be captain. I mean how did you not die when they found out you were a woman. We all know that the penalty for a woman being found in the army is death and yet you are an officer. I'm just curious Ma'am." He said this kind of quickly thinking it might offend her.
Mulan finally looked up at him and flinched. The boy could be no more than fifteen or sixteen. He was quite thin and only an inch or two taller than Mulan. She smiled at him encouragingly. "First tell me your name. Then I will tell you all the story of the woman in the army." She heard Yao laugh at that.
"What do you find so funny?" Mulan asked.
"Yeah what's so funny about Mulan's story." A voice said from next to her making everyone turn to see Mushu standing there.
All the men began to leave the tent when Mulan stopped them. "Calm Down this is my Guardian Dragon Mushu. He helped me survive training. And the cricket next to him is Cri-Kee a lucky cricket who tagged along for the ride." Mulan smiled as both Mushu and Cri-Kee bowed. She told the story of her training and saving China. When she was through the troops just stared at her.
"The Emperor bowed to you? I respected you after you took Zang out but wow." the boy who had introduced himself as Wang Lee finally spoke.
"You guys should get to sleep its going to be a long day tomorrow." Mulan told her troops.
They may have respected her but after a week of training they would eat and sleep when not training. When they were training they grumbled about it but Mulan was able to see improvement. Soon the men were fully trained and they were due to join the others on the front. The afternoon of the day before they were to leave Mulan caught sight of something on the Horizon.
It was Shang and the other troops. That meant the war was over and they could all go home. Yao who was standing next to Mulan watched as her eyes lit up at the sight of Shang.
He reached her and dismounted quickly as she ran to meet him. Mulan noticed he was limping slightly though he tried to hide it.
"Shang! What happened? Are we still needed in battle?" Mulan asked helping him walk.
"We defeated the enemy with no problem but one of them managed to get my leg with their sword. As soon as the other troops get here we will ride for the Imperial city." Shang answered proudly.
"Sit. While we wait I am going to bandage that wound before you hurt yourself worse." Shang obediently sat down and Yao came with bandages to wrap Shang's leg.
"I'll do it you go inform the troops of the news." Yao told her and watched her leave. "Now, General, where else were you hurt?" Yao looked at Shang.
"How did you know that I was hurt somewhere else too?" Shang looked confused.
"No one can get to your leg without hurting you somewhere else. It's your right arm isn't it? You seem to be favoring the left. Into the tent and off with the shirt." Yao bandaged the wounds before Mulan could see them and gave Shang a clean outfit.
The moment Shang left the tent Mulan hurried over. "The troops are here. Are we going straight back to my village afterwards?" Mulan asked.
"No we are stopping on the way. The Emperor wishes to be present at the ceremony. Lets pack up and go." Shang squeezed her hand and moved to mount his horse.
Yao caught this action and moved his horse next to Khan. "So you and Shang are getting married? I can't say I didn't see it. Do I have your permission to tell the guys Captain?" Yao smiled as she blushed. "Please at least tell us if we're invited."
Mulan was about to answer when Shang motioned her towards the front.
"These new enemies are not as strong an army or as smart but they aren't to be taken lightly. They entered here. They are moving from what we can tell through the mountains toward the Imperial Palace. I say that we cut them off here at the beginning trail to the Tung-shou pass. Now I am going to take the trained troops but as we have to have someone to train the new recruits I am leaving you in charge Mulan. You are promoted to Captain and you will train them. I know you can do it. You may have one other stay to help you but I need most of the men. You were the best in your group after all well in the end anyway." Shang smiled.
"You want me to train the new recruits? They will never respect me. I am a girl-" Mulan began to protest.
"You are a soldier Mulan. You survived my training ending up on top, took out the whole Hun army in one shot, then took out Shan-yu in a dress. They will respect you or you can beat them to the ground to get that respect. Now we move out. Who will stay with you Mulan?" Shang interrupted.
"Yao. He is intimidating where I am at loss and he was good at the training." Mulan smiled.
"Then you three are dismissed. Mulan a moment." The other three left the tent. Shang turned to Mulan. "I promise I will stay safe. Join us when you think they are ready."
"Shang be careful. I want you to come back so that we can get married. Please don't do anything rash." Mulan looked at him pleadingly. He came to her and kissed her softly.
"I will be back and then we will go get married and show that matchmaker that she was wrong." he smiled and kissed her once more then left the tent.
Mulan watched him ride away then turned to the new recruits. "Solders!" she yelled loudly they looked up and laughed at her trying to command them so Yao stepped forward.
"Attention now." He yelled and every man stood at attention deathly silent. "This is Captain Fa Mulan. She is going to train you. You will listen to her as she is your only hope of survival in this war. Got it?"
Silence followed then one big man finally stepped forward. " You are joking right sir. She is a girl, what could she teach us?"
Mulan stepped forward waving Yao back. " A lot. Tell me what is your name?" she was not trying to be intimidating.
"Zang." he answered.
"Attack me Zang. Go ahead I won't discharge you." Mulan gestured him forward.
He ran at her hands poised to take her down. He ended up on his back when she flipped him.
"Lesson one. Don't underestimate your opponent." Mulan stated simply. "Shan- yu made the same mistake and look what happened to him. Get some sleep it will be a really long day tomorrow." Mulan walked to her tent to plan the next mornings activities.
The next morning Mulan started the training the same way Shang had by challenging them with the arrow. "To retrieve the arrow you need Strength and Discipline and a little bit of brains. That is what I'm here to teach you. When I was training I was the first to reach the arrow. I'm telling you now that this won't be easy. Now lets get started on your first lesson." She threw staves at everyone and handed one to Yao.
That night Mulan and Yao were eating together in the mess tent when a young boy came up to them. "What can I do for you Soldier?" Mulan asked not really looking at the young boy.
"I was wondering if you could tell us how you survived training and how you got to be captain. I mean how did you not die when they found out you were a woman. We all know that the penalty for a woman being found in the army is death and yet you are an officer. I'm just curious Ma'am." He said this kind of quickly thinking it might offend her.
Mulan finally looked up at him and flinched. The boy could be no more than fifteen or sixteen. He was quite thin and only an inch or two taller than Mulan. She smiled at him encouragingly. "First tell me your name. Then I will tell you all the story of the woman in the army." She heard Yao laugh at that.
"What do you find so funny?" Mulan asked.
"Yeah what's so funny about Mulan's story." A voice said from next to her making everyone turn to see Mushu standing there.
All the men began to leave the tent when Mulan stopped them. "Calm Down this is my Guardian Dragon Mushu. He helped me survive training. And the cricket next to him is Cri-Kee a lucky cricket who tagged along for the ride." Mulan smiled as both Mushu and Cri-Kee bowed. She told the story of her training and saving China. When she was through the troops just stared at her.
"The Emperor bowed to you? I respected you after you took Zang out but wow." the boy who had introduced himself as Wang Lee finally spoke.
"You guys should get to sleep its going to be a long day tomorrow." Mulan told her troops.
They may have respected her but after a week of training they would eat and sleep when not training. When they were training they grumbled about it but Mulan was able to see improvement. Soon the men were fully trained and they were due to join the others on the front. The afternoon of the day before they were to leave Mulan caught sight of something on the Horizon.
It was Shang and the other troops. That meant the war was over and they could all go home. Yao who was standing next to Mulan watched as her eyes lit up at the sight of Shang.
He reached her and dismounted quickly as she ran to meet him. Mulan noticed he was limping slightly though he tried to hide it.
"Shang! What happened? Are we still needed in battle?" Mulan asked helping him walk.
"We defeated the enemy with no problem but one of them managed to get my leg with their sword. As soon as the other troops get here we will ride for the Imperial city." Shang answered proudly.
"Sit. While we wait I am going to bandage that wound before you hurt yourself worse." Shang obediently sat down and Yao came with bandages to wrap Shang's leg.
"I'll do it you go inform the troops of the news." Yao told her and watched her leave. "Now, General, where else were you hurt?" Yao looked at Shang.
"How did you know that I was hurt somewhere else too?" Shang looked confused.
"No one can get to your leg without hurting you somewhere else. It's your right arm isn't it? You seem to be favoring the left. Into the tent and off with the shirt." Yao bandaged the wounds before Mulan could see them and gave Shang a clean outfit.
The moment Shang left the tent Mulan hurried over. "The troops are here. Are we going straight back to my village afterwards?" Mulan asked.
"No we are stopping on the way. The Emperor wishes to be present at the ceremony. Lets pack up and go." Shang squeezed her hand and moved to mount his horse.
Yao caught this action and moved his horse next to Khan. "So you and Shang are getting married? I can't say I didn't see it. Do I have your permission to tell the guys Captain?" Yao smiled as she blushed. "Please at least tell us if we're invited."
Mulan was about to answer when Shang motioned her towards the front.