Chapter 7: Betrayal

The sun fell and out a silver moon and its starts lit up the sky. They had been traveling ever since they left camp. Up ahead was a sign that would direct them to the Dark woods. "Woo..." whispered Shang for his horse to halt. His horse stopped right in front of the sign. Shang got off and brushed off the old wooden sign. It had an arrow going to their left. When Shang turned to his left, he saw that the woods were rather spooky.

The trees looked all black and the branches were like claws. As he looked at the pathway he noticed that it was misty. "Doesn't look good" He said to himself. He mounted his horse and proceeded down the path with the others only a couple feet away from him.

From up on top of the hills beside the path was a lone spy, watching their every move. He creped under the misty air and below the trees. It was Hang Lu he was sent by Shan Tao to see if they were bringing her or not.

Seeing that there was a carriage, he wanted to double check that it wasn't a trick. As he got closer to peek into the small little window, he saw a girl in there and he knew that it had to have been her. He had seen her face before when he was with Shan Yu so he knew what she looked like.

Knowing that the plan was in motion, he made his way out of the woods and into the mountaintops where Shan Tao and his men were.

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An hour had passed and their horses and them needed to take a break. Shang got off his horse and led it to a small creak. "Here I'll hold onto your horse, you go get Khan." Said Wang taking a hold of Shang's reins.

"All right" making his way to the back of the carriage where her horse was tied up, he decided to see if Mulan was ok first. He quietly opened the door, so if she were asleep he would not wake her. When he peeked inside he found her lying across the seat, sleeping. Shang thought of it quiet cute.

He quietly went into the carriage and kneeled down in front of her. He softly placed his hand on her face to feel the warmth and softness of her skin. Mulan moaned a bit, knowing that someone was present. She opened her eyes and saw Shang kneeling in front of her.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you. We stopped to take a break; do you want any water, or food?" He whispered to her. Mulan sat up and stretched out her arms and legs from her little nap.

"Um...sure." Answered Mulan.

"Ok, first I'll give Khan some food and water then I'll be right back with yours."

"Ok." Said Mulan. Shang nodded and made his way out. "Shang." Shang turned around to face her again. "Thank you"

Shang smiled and closed the door softly. As Shang was out feeding Khan and giving him water. Wang was out scouting the land near them. He looked in the distance to see that there was nothing but the black trees and the mist.

Then there was a sudden ruffle of a buss up above him. He immediately took out his sword and looked around him and his surroundings. He heard it again but this time he heard a horse in the back ground too. He quickly climbed up the hill. What he saw was a man in the distance on his horse trotting away. Wang's eyes widened, he got down from the hill and headed overt to his horse.

"Shang I'm going to go I just saw someone, I'm going to follow him." Exclaimed Wang who mounted on his horse and began to walk away without Shang's approval.

"What? You can't go, at least not alone."

"Shang, what if that was a Hun or something? What if something is going on that we don't know about and China might fall because if it?" Declared Wang.

Shang sighed, "What if you get hurt?"

"Shang, I can take care of myself, plus it's me were talking about."

Shang sighed one more time. He knew that Wang could take care of himself and he was pretty good about keeping low. "Huh...all right but be careful"

Wang smiled, "Yes mother" he said joking with Shang once more. Shang just shook his head.

As everyone got finished with their little break, Shang walked into the carriage with some rice and water. "Thank you" She said as she took a hold of her food and began eating it. Shang sat down across from her and watched as she ate her food.

He was still curious as to whom the person was that she loved so much. But then again he didn't want to ask because he feared this would be a bad time to ask. Mulan looked up at him noticing that he looked uncomfortable for some reason. "Shang are you ok?" She asked.

"Um...Yeah I was just thinking that's all"

"What about?" She asked

Shang wished she didn't ask that. So he decided to just come out with it. "Well...about how lucky that guy must be to have someone like you."

Mulan raised an eyebrow in confusion then realized what he was talking about. "Oh....I'm not...I...." She sighed.

"What?" Shang asked.

Mulan looked up at him with a guilty look upon her face. "Shang the person that I told you about that I love was......." She got interrupted when the door flung open.

"Sir, we're ready to go"

"All right, I'll be right out." The door closed and Mulan and Shang were alone again. "You were saying?"

"Um...nothing"

"You sure?"

"Yeah"

"Ok" he said in a disappointing tone. "If you need anything just call ok"

"Ok" With that he made he his way out of the carriage. Once he got back onto his horse he couldn't stop getting what Mulan was about to say out of his head. "What was she going to say?" He thought. Then his thoughts went back to when she was sleeping and he had the chance to sample her soft, warm skin on her cheek. He sighed heavily he wish he could say something to her.

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Wang was on his trail the whole time. He made sure he kept a good distance and kept quiet too. As the rider stopped, Wang had to stop too. He watched as the rider got off his horse and went off the trail to where a cave was, it was a pretty big cave that could probably fit many men.

Once out of site, Wang got off his horse and made his way to where the man went. As he crept closer he could now hear voices, many voices. He got down to the ground and crawled into a low bush. And watched as the man talked against what was now that he could see, hundreds of men. His eyes widened at the site.

"So what are we going to do sir, Shan Tao wants her alive?" Asked one of the men.

"Once Shan Tao has her, we will attack him and kill Mulan." Said the man.

"But Lung Dai, How are we going to do this? And also kill the Emperor and all of China?"

"Lung Dai? He must be the leader of the Mongols. This isn't good." Thought Wang. He continued listening to their conversation.

"First thing we'll do is surprise Shan Tao and his men once they have the girl. After that we will kill her and head for the palace to kill the Emperor." Exclaimed Lung. "We don't have that much time we have to get going."

The guys were off getting their stuff together and heading the other way on horseback. Wang had to wait till everyone was gone, just in case.

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Hang reached the mountaintops and reported to Shan Tao's tent. He bowed down in front of him, "Sir; they are bringing her, their are only about seven guys there with her."

Shan Tao smiled, "Good, Get the word out to the men that we are leaving to go get her now."

"Yes sir"

"Hang, have you seen Lung and his men?" Asked Shan Tao.

"Uh... no sir, they should have come back by now, why?"

"I think are little friend Lung might be up to something." Shan said pondering in his mind what some of the possibilities might be to why Lung and his men have not come back from there trip.

"What should we do?"

"We'll keep a good eye on him and his men and if they make one wrong move, kill them" Said Shan with a stern and evil look.

Hang bowed, "Yes sir."

As Hang left Shan got up and began to put on his armor and place his sword on his side. "No one messes with a Hun" He declared to himself as he then placed a poisoned arrow in the back of his pack along with the bow.

He went outside where one of his men carried his reins of his horse. He took the reins in his hands fiercely and mounted up. He looked in back of him to see the hundreds of men, who were all put in armor and black cloaks, as was he. He smiled at the thought of victory coming closer.

"All right men, we ride!" He called out; pressing his heals against his black horse making him get on his back legs and gallop off. The scene of them all following him almost looked identical to his brother's army when the once rode to war down the very same mountain.

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The Sun raised, it shined through the small window of the tiny carriage that Mulan was in. Day had come. Mulan awoke from the sudden sound of Shang getting off his horse and coming in the carriage.

She sat up and stretched out her arms and legs. "Hi" She said but then noticed that Shang just sat there staring at her as if he was weak and about to die. "Shang? Shang, what's wrong?" She asked quietly.

"I....I just can't..." He looked down at the ground now. He couldn't take it any more all this time he had not said a single word to her of how he felt about her. He almost felt like breaking down and crying he was going to lose her for good.

Mulan went over and sat by Shang; with her tiny soft hands she cradled his head and lifted it for him to face her. He looked at her so guilty and weak she couldn't take it, it bothered her to see him like this. "What?" She whispered.

He looked deep into her eyes, "I can't lose you"

Mulan's heart raced now, he did have feeling for her. "I know that you love this other guy but....."

Mulan stopped him by placing her finger on his lips. "Shang, there was no other guy." She took a breath; "It was you" She whispered.

He too could now feel his heart pumping more then ever. He leaned closer to her thinking she might object but she was leaning closer to him too. As they got closer and closer to each other they heard a sudden stampede of horse hooves coming closer and closer.

Both Mulan and Shang stopped and looked at each other both in fear. "That's them, what will we do?" Asked Mulan. Shang knew that he could not change it now, he knew that he had no choice but to let her go. "Shang!" She called out to get his attention.

Shang looked at her with sorrow and hurt in his eyes. He put his hand on her cheek, "You have to go"

"What?" She couldn't believe he just said that and with all that both of them just said, he was still going to let her go like that? "But I thought?"

"I know, but if you don't go China could fall" He said in response. She lowered her head she knew that he was right but now that he told her she didn't want to leave but knew that she didn't have a choice. He was a solder and his country always came first.

The door opened, "Mulan it's time" Mulan not even saying a word just marched out and headed towards the front of the carriage. She was hurt by Shang's words. Shang got out quickly and followed Mulan out towards the front. They both stopped right in their tracks as they saw hundreds of Hun's surrounding them with arrows and swords out pointed at the solders but not at her. "Fa Mulan, How nice to see you" Mulan turned to the front where she saw a man dressed in black armor and a black cloak covering him. It was Shan Tao the one man that she feared never to see.

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So what do you think, is it confusing, did it make any sense, please review and tell me what you think! Thanks!