Chapter 4:

Agreement

The next morning as on schedule Shang had to leave with his men to go find Chi Fu. "I'll be back I promise ok." Assured Shang with his handsome smile. He placed his hand on her stomach where their child was growing. Mulan smiled, Shang lifted her head for one more long and warm kiss before he left. As they parted Mulan held onto him as if never to let go.

"Come home safe ok."

"I will." One of his solders came up to him with his white stallion in his hands. Shang placed a kiss on her forehead and turned around to mount his horse.

Mulan looked at Shang in his fine armor. As he took one more look at his wife he pressed his heels on the stallion making it jump into a nice steady gallop. He was gone before she knew it.

As she headed to her room her friend, Hang Tai, stopped her. "Hello Mulan."

"Hello Tai, so did you talk to him yet?"

"No, actually that's kind of why I'm here. See I saw him in the stables grooming his horse but I didn't know what to say."

Mulan thought about what her friend should do. Then she had it. "You say he was in the stables right?"

"That's right."

"I have an idea, come on come with me." Tai followed Mulan as they headed towards the stables.

Mulan slightly opened the wooden doors to peak inside to see if he was still there. He was, he was grooming his horse with care. "All right now just stay calm ok." Mulan whispered. Tai nodded her head to show that she understood.

Mulan opened the door all the way making the Captain turn his head their way. "Honorable Mulan, good morning." He said bowing down.

Mulan waved her hand in the air in protest. "Pleas don't bow down and just call me by Mulan please." She stared getting sick of people bowing to her. It made her feel like she was better then everyone else, and she truly believed that she wasn't.

"As you wish Mulan."

"Hum...Oh yes, this is Hang Tai, I was going to have her groom Khan my horse." She moved aside to reveal Tai. Sang smiled.

"Nice to meet you madam, I'm Captain Ta Sang." He bowed down to be respectful. She did the same.

"Um.. Captain I was wondering if you would be so kind to help Tai with Khan while I tend to some things." Mulan asked.

"Of course." He smiled at Mulan.

"Thanks." Mulan then began to walk out of the of the stables leaving Tai and Sang alone.

"So, uh...do you know where her horse is in here?" Sang asked breaking the silence.

"Um...no I don't but I think she said somewhere near the front." She said blushing. He smiled at her.

"Well then lets go look." He replied leading further into the stables. "So...uh, I take it you know Mulan." He said breaking the dead silence once more.

"I meet her yesterday when I took her to her room. We talked and we became really good friends I think." She began to feel a little more comfortable around him. "There's Khan." She pointed to the black stallion.

"Hey there boy." Said Sang patting Khan's neck. He opened the door and went inside. Tai was right behind him the whole way. Khan backed up slowly he didn't like unknown people coming into his stable. He only trusted Mulan and sometimes Shang since he was part of the family now.

Khan neighed as Sang tried to put his halter on. He bobbed his head up and down and towards the sides every time Sang got close. Tai shook her head. "This isn't working." She pronounced to herself.

She then had an idea pop into her head. She went up to Sang and put her hands on Sang's arm. "I have an idea, may I have the halter?" She said with such innocents in her eyes. Sang for that second almost got mesmerized by the beauty in her eyes.

He handed the halter to her, and watched as she approached Khan slowly. Khan backed away at first but she calmed him down by petting him on the neck and back. She placed her head against Khan and continued rubbing him.

Sang continued watching her calm the animal down. He then noticed that each time she stroked Khan she brought the halter closer to his head. She finally had the halter on Khan and smiled at him. "Good boy."

"Wow, I should have given the halter to you from the start." She laughed at the comment. As they brought Khan out to groom, Sang would look at Tai, for some reason he couldn't keep his eyes away from her. Tai would catch him looking at her and would start giggling.

As the day went by they finished grooming Khan and decided to go for a quick walk.

"So how long have you lived in the palace?" Asked Sang.

"Pretty much my whole life basically, both my mother and father worked for the Emperor. My mother died when I was only twelve and my dad got killed in the army." She answered by lowing her head from the dark memories.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to......"

Tai stopped him from saying anymore. "It's ok." She turned away from him. Sang felt bad from bringing up the subject, he then placed his hand on hers to comfort her.

She looked at his hand on hers then turned to him and smiled. They stared into each other's eyes and never left each other's gaze. Sang found himself leaning closer to her. They were close enough to kiss now. Sang closed his eyes and brought his lips to hers. They enjoyed each other's warmth of their kisses as they intertwined.

"Sang I have to go..." Tai said as she pushed him away carefully.

"Will I see you again?" He asked.

"I hope so." She joked. She went quick with her feet and ran back to the palace. Sang sighed as he watched her leave. He turned away and went back inside the stables where his horse was waiting for him.

Sang leaned up against his horse and sighed of happiness. "I think I just found the girl of my dreams."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Chi Fu woke up with a huge headache. He looked around to see that one he was alone and two, he was tied up. Even though it was daytime, it seemed rather dark in this forest. Everything seemed dark and dead in where he was.

"Help!" Chi Fu said screaming to the top of his lungs. One of the cloaked men came up from behind him and put his black glove covered hand, and placed it over Chi Fu's mouth. Making him squirm and squeal.

The other black coated guys were surrounding each other and talking. They suddenly turned around to see one of their men holding Chi Fu. They watched as he dropped him on the ground and how Chi Fu tried to escape but they all surrounded him with their swords facing him. "Please, don't hurt me I'll do anything, anything!" Exclaimed Chi Fu in fear. He covered his face with his arms to hide himself.

They looked around at each other and all at once withdrawn their swords and tied them to their sides. Chi fu dropped his arms and looked bewildered at them. They actually listened to him.

"You're not going to hurt me?"

"No" said the one cloaked men with a devilish tone in his voice.

"Who are you and where am I?" Asked Chi Fu.

"This is the Dark forest, We are called Orcs." His voice was so fearsome and evil. It was making sense now. There were stories that a Dark Forest lurked around in China and that mysterious men in black were around here. Everyone called them Black Devils.

"What if these guys could help me kill Mulan and concur all of China?" He said to himself. "So why are you guys here any ways I mean...." He stopped when he saw one of them place a diamond dragon in their hand that was covered by a black glove.

He understood they were after the dragons but there were none here or were there? He then remembered that dragon he meets when the Wolf left him to die, and He pleaded for his life when Shang came along with his army.

But why did they want to risk their lives for a dragon? "You want a dragon?" Asked Chi Fu. They all nodded. "But for what for?"

"We seek the dragon's heart for power. But we do not know where these creatures live." Chi fu thought then remembered one time hearing where Mulan's dragon's friends were going. It was perfect.

"If I tell you where they are, you have to promise me that you will kill Mulan and help me concur all of China?" They looked at one another and turned their attention back to Chi Fu.

"You have a deal..." He took out his hand witch had the same black glove over his hand with sharp metal armor on the back of it. Chi Fu looked at it in fear, and slowly forwarding his hand into the Orcs.

The Orc being impatient took Chi Fu hand in his grasp and squeezed it tight. Chi Fu cringed of the pain in his hand.

"Take us to the dragons, now."

"Of course follow me." He said rubbing his hand where it was gripped tight. As Chi Fu got on the horse that he stole. He saw that the Orcs horses where all pitch black and protected by a silver metal. It almost seemed like all those scary stories and fairy tales actually came true right before his eyes.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

By the way I used the idea from LOTR.....The Orcs, the guys in all black that would follow Frodo. Well any ways this is just so you guys know ahead of time. They want a dragon's heart because a dragon's heart is very valuable and sometimes powerful. But the one thing that can protect them is Mulan because she has the necklace. Please review and tell me what you think.