By Pooky
Chapter Four:
"Snow? In the Summer?" Yao growled as they pulled their horses up the mountain slopes. They had been on the road for three days, the alpine terrain harsh and frozen even in the warmer months. Snow capped peaks rose high around them like tombs, their barren faces shining like mirrors under the sunlight.
Ling twisted his mouth into a playful sneer. "I thought you were tough," he berated his friend, then turned around. "Hey, Mulan, why are you riding by yourself? Come ride closer to us."
Mulan bit her lip nervously, glancing at Shang who rode a little ways behind her, conversing with Tai-shan. The slightest tightening at the corners of his eyes revealed he had heard the invitation, but he made no move to turn away from his friend. Still Mulan took the hint.
"Oh, no reason," she waved them off. "I just feel like being by myself today."
She tried to tell herself it was not because Shang disapproved of them and that she wanted to please Shang. Instead she convinced herself that Shang had been in the military longer and knew what was best.
"Must be one of those womanly moods," Yao grumbled.
Embarrassed and hurt, Mulan lowered her head. He wouldn't be in so great a mood either if he had to stuff his underclothes with bandages. At least that was not the problem now though.
It surprised her when Shang spoke. "What do you know about women, Yao?" It was clearly angry, but sounded no more than a casual taunt. Ling and Chien-Po laughed.
"He knows... " Tai-shan made a long pause, as though carefully weighing and considering. "They have breasts!"
Everyone save Yao broke into loud laughter, Mulan blushed horribly and pretended not to hear. It took the men several moments to notice her discomfort, after which she was showered with shy and half-hearted apologies. She had to put up with worse the first time around, explicit descriptions of things she would rather not hear about, and likely never happened in the first place, naked men, and all their disgusting habits. That was different though, very different.
Yao dropped back a little, teasing in a peace offering. "Aw, what's the matter, chicken boy?"
"I am not a boy!" she snapped without thinking.
Stunned that Mulan had actually raised her voice at him, he saluted her mockingly. "Yes, mam!" She just gave him a shallow grin so he would be satisfied and turn away.
~ * ~
Mulan paid little attention to the goings on that night. They were back to sleeping in tents for the officers and the rough mountain ground for the soldiers. It would be another two days before they reached the garrison at the Wall. She set up her tent quickly, but did not feel like retiring so early, and instead decided to walk a bit through the shadowy camp dusted with half melted snow.
Torches and lanterns were lit, and the usual cookfires, soldiers grouped together and talked and laughed. Shang was no where to be found, but neither was Chi fu or Tai-shan. That was enough to make her grumpy, she got the impression her duty was not to assist in the planning like the men, but she was here as a sort of good luck charm to come up with spectacular ideas on the spot. The Emperor thought her a bauble, and an effigy, and she knew it. With power came responsibility though and she wanted none of that, she supposed she should feel fortunate.
She decided she was going to go find her friends. Shang had not said it was a bad idea to talk to them, only to be seen touching in less than appropriate ways. It was not considered proper for an unmarried man and woman to be seen touching unless necessary, these courtly men seemed to observe that rule more than the others, life was less formal in the army.
The three of them were seated around a fire, but they were not arguing and laughing as always. Mulan felt guilty for the way she had treated them earlier, and Shang was not around to complain. Hiding behind a tree, Mulan waited for the right moment to sneak up on them, surely that would start them laughing again.
She decided against it though when she heard what they were saying.
"I don't know what's wrong with her these past few days," Yao was complaining. "It's like she doesn't want anything to do with us."
Ling scowled. "I guess because she's a general now, she thinks she's too good for us."
"That doesn't sound like Mulan," Chien-Po looked thoughtful. "I'll bet it has something to do with Shang." She crossed her arms, at least someone was defending her.
"Well you have noticed he doesn't like us very much," Ling pointed out.
Yao chuckled. "What would pretty boy do if he found out about that time in the lake?"
"Oh, man!" Ling was shaking with laughter. "All three of us too! He'd cut off our heads. I'll never forget how shy and nervous she was when you stood up on the rock and I kept trying to persuade her! Poor Mulan." Mulan hoped their laughter was more out of embarrassment than amusement. She was struggling with the same mortification all over again. Mulan wanted to die.
All of a sudden, Shang stalked right in front of her, seeming to appear out of nowhere, clenching his fists with his eyes narrowed in fierce anger. He must have had a bad argument with Chi fu, Mulan thought.
"Shang," Mulan tried for a friendly greeting, maybe he needed someone to talk to.
He stared at her, she almost jumped back physically at the fury in his eyes, hurt and angry. It was all too familiar. Mulan struggled with the memory, on her knees in the snow, with him standing over her... Her stomach clenched, she turned away and ran back to her tent before her friends could see her.
~ * ~
Mulan tried to fall asleep early that night, crawling under the covers in her white pajamas, wanting to hide from the world. She was tired of Shang and his rather cursory changes of mood, one moment gazing but glaring the next. He seemed to think it was alright to take his anger out on her, but she was expected to provide company when he sought it, and after that, she was supposed to leave him alone. Where was the fairness and joy in that? At least she had some dignity, at least she hadn't told him that she cared for him. Since he clearly did not return those feelings, she would keep that sorrow to herself.
What did she expect? She chided herself. Only the gods knew what kind of courtesans and kept ladies he was used to, he was a rich man after all. No doubt he was lonely like the other men, and she was the only woman in the camp, of course he was going to be sweet on her. She didn't know why she had placed him above the other men in that respect, only because he was not as open about it as the others. She sighed, wishing she could just go home.
Sleep was too much to ask for, and within another hour of tossing and turning Mulan was out of the covers, peeling back the tent flap to gaze out at the night. Most of the men were asleep by now, though a few dotted the white and brown slopes. Her three friends were still awake, sitting around the remnants of their fire. She was too far away to see exactly what they were doing, but she suspected they had passed the time gambling.
A flicker of motion caught her eye, two shadows making their way down the slope, disappearing and reappearing as they crossed in and out of pools of moonlight between the trees. Her eyes were fixed on the two moving shapes, both tall, one broad shouldered and the other athletic and slender, the silver light glinting every now and then on well polished armor. Their walk alone declared them trained warriors, each step measured with discipline, befitting their proud bearing, their heads carried high. Such a sharp contrast to the men around the dead fire, who sat huddled and slumped with no finesse at all, not even a pretense of it, much like her. Why would such a proud man want anything to do with that sort?
It did not surprise her when the shadows became Shang and Tai-shan, storming up to the unsuspecting trio who whipped their heads around in shock. It was what happened next that did surprise her. Ignoring the other two, Shang and Tai-shan seized Yao by either arm, dragging him away. Ling stood up and tried for a helping blow at Tai-shan's arm, but was easily pushed aside by the captain.
Mulan drew back nervously into her tent, but through its thin walls she could hear the shouts of Shang and Yao's argument.
"What are you going to do about it, pretty boy? Execute me?"
"Shut up! All you ever do is run your mouth!"
"Execute me then! Execute anyone who looks at her! You won't have an army left! Or be a man and fight!"
She heard Yao growl in pain and then a thump on the ground. Mulan peeked her head out just in time to see Yao rubbing his cheek where Shang must have punched him. Tai-shan was nowhere to be found.
Yao rose to his feet. "Alright then, pretty boy, come on!"
He took a fighting stance just as Shang did, but the general dealt him a kick which sent him to the ground again before Yao had a chance to attack. Shang moved in on Yao, and at that point Mulan had enough.
Running out of the tent in only her under layer of clothing, Mulan darted barefoot towards them, paying no mind to the twigs and pebbles and the cold snow which bore into her feet. Shang's fury seemed to rise as he saw her coming, but he did step back from Yao.
"If you want to fight, fight me," She planted herself in front of him, her anger more than matching his. Deep inside she battled a haunting twinge of fear, feeling as if she didn't know him at all, and what he was capable of in this state of ire. She knew well what he was capable of, the memory flashed behind her eyes again, the sword over her head, at the same time reassuring her of what he was not capable of. "Leave my friends alone. I thought you were a man of honor! Even the lowest street thug has more honor than you!"
For the longest moment he stood frozen and silent, his eyes burning with hate then darkening in pain. He seemed so betrayed. Mulan's heart swam with guilt, washing her anger away, to see how she had wounded him.
"Don't talk to me about honor," his words were so quiet, so cold. An involuntary chill fluttered across her back. He had distanced himself from her as though in another world, leaving her cast out, forsaken.
"Shang," she tried to seize his arm.
Fending her off, he whirled around. "Go back to your tent!" It was the first time he had ever screamed at her. Even as a recruit, he had never regarded her with that depth of rage.
Risking a worried glance at Yao, Mulan turned tail and dashed for her
tent
