This chapter is a bit sad but at the same time funny. Thanks to the people
who have been reading this story so far especially to the ones that gave me
really nice reviews for the last chapter: Lynn, ToughSpirit, Traum, Kat and
Angel 452. ( Yeah, keep the encouragement! Lol.
Chapter 4 Eavesdropping
Night had fallen; Mulan was fast asleep. The fever had vanished for a few hours, but it came back to her making her weak, her eyes moist, her whole body drenched with sweat and trembling. Mushu arrived then; after checking her temperature, he went to seek for herbs that would relieve her.
Not only Mushu had been the one checking her; General Li Shang had entered and exited her tent more than once during the day. Aware that she was not healthy, Shang considered sending her home if she remained ill the next morning. He knew she would come up with the excuse she had to fight, alas, it would be very selfish to send her to battle when she had no chance to survive. Li Shang knelt right next to Mulan, predicting the peaceful temper she had while she was lost in her dreams would change drastically when he would tell her what he had in mind for her own sake. He sighed, admiring the beauty within his soldier. Mushu tiptoed into the tent with Cri-kee behind him; therefore the cricket hid inside Mulan's shoe and the dragon inside one of her socks.
Sensing she had company, Mulan opened her eyes and groaned at the sight of Shang. His response was a laugh. Sitting up straight Mulan murmured, "Seeing you makes me even more sick."
"Really?" he replied, exaggerated sarcasm on his voice, "I didn't notice. Well then I shall feel flattered."
"That's great for you," she said puffing her cheeks and covering her mouth, "I want to barf." She kneeled clutching her stomach, a painful and frustrated look upon her features.
'She's a great actress' he thought to himself and then replied, "Yeah right," he shook his head, "Go on and puke on my uniform." By the way she said things it seemed she was only faking it all for a jest but then she gripped his arm and vomited on his robe. That was her revenge for his mockery, the debt had been paid. It was until then that he turned serious and told her, "Lay down. Why didn't you tell me you were going to."
She looked up into his eyes fiercely, "I told you, idiot, but you just made fun of me." Indeed, she had all the right to get mad at him. He couldn't explain his foolishness, nor could he justify his wicked actions. Shang had teased her in one of the worst ways he could've done. He regretted deeply, feeling guilty, admitting he did not deserve the mercy of being forgiven, although he did not reject to speak from the heart with an honest, "I'm sorry."
"Just go," she whispered, the hurt on her voice was revealed but she managed to restrain the tears.
He stood on the entrance. "I understand if you don't wish to see me." The young man was gone with a swift movement from his scarlet cape behind him.
"Fool," she said through gritted teeth while blinking her eyes trying not to cry.
"What?!" the dragon exclaimed pulling the hairs on his head, "He, you.you can't get angry at each other!"
"Who said so?" Mulan replied in woe, resting her head on her knees, "We've been fighting since the day I got here."
Mushu reached Mulan's shoulder and stroked her straight black hair. "Listen, babe, I'm back to help you out like old times."
Cri-kee chirped something that meant, "Me too."
"Yeah whatever," said Mushu.
She grinned lopsidedly and laid back.
"Here," Mushu offered a cup with a mixture of what he called medicine, "Drink this and you'll feel good as new tomorrow."
Mulan took the cup in her hands and sniffed the odour of the 'medicine'. "Are you sure this works?" she wondered aloud, staring at her guardian doubtfully.
Insulted, Mushu replied, "Of course it does. It cures all kinds of pain and sickness. I can't believe you don't trust me.the guardian who helped you succeed." He feigned hysterical cries.
Mulan drank a sip of the medicine and said, "It's already making effect on me.I would never mistrust you."
"I knew that," Mushu said, "Come on, won't you give old Mushu a hug and kiss."
"Right," said Mulan as she took Mushu in her arms embracing him warmly and placed a kiss on his head.
"That's better, my precious." Mushu went on, "So what about Shang?"
Mulan rolled her eyes and answered, "If you don't want me throwing up again please don't bring up the subject."
"You hate him?"
She let out a heavy sigh and thought carefully. "I don't know," she placed her head on her knees; "I thought he was some kind of friend." She made a pause frowning confused, "But he's teasing me every time he cans."
Mushu rubbed his chin pensively, imitating the old wise men, "maybe he wants call out your attention, and he wants you to notice his presence."
"What?" I notice him and believe me," she cleared her throat, "he doesn't need to behave like an idiot to be noticed."
"Let me explain this to you," the dragon began patiently, "Some men find it hard to express their feelings, so they choose being a pain in the neck to feel important."
"You're joking," she said, "He feels nothing for me."
"Why not?"
"Because.because," she turned her eyes to the ceiling in search for an answer and the first thing that happened to be, "because the other day in the lake he said I would be the last woman he'd like to see naked." She wanted to strangle herself for saying that.
"You were in the lake with him?" The guardian eyed her suspiciously raging with curiosity.
"No.nothing happened! We.we both were at the same place at the wrong time.far enough."
"Why does Mushu miss all the fun?" he said miserably.
"It wouldn't be funny to se us both discussing who was getting out first!" she snapped.
"Oh, I bet it was for a viewer."
"Would you shut up?"
"I knew you missed me, babe."
A voice from outside called, "Excuse me, can I come in."
Mulan glared at Mushu; just by the look in her eyes he knew it was an order for him to hide somewhere. "You can come in."
It was only Chien Po, and she was glad to see her friend. "Were you talking to someone? 'Cause I think I heard voices in here."
"Not at all," Mulan answered blushing, "Maybe all the practice is making you hear things."
"Maybe."
Mulan pulled on her hair nervously and questioned, "What brings you here?"
"The general said you were sick." he coughed, "well I just want to say get well soon."
"Thank you."
"And Shang sends his apologies for what he did." he scratched his bald head, "I don't know what he did, and he said that if you don't feel well and you wished to leave you were allowed and he would deal with the emperor."
A wide smirk spread across Mulan's face. "Actually I am beginning to feel better, there won't be the need for me to go home."
Chien Po nodded. "That's wonderful. Well, I'm not allowed to stay long here, so see you tomorrow." He walked out of Mulan's tent.
"Yeah goodnight," said Mulan giggling, "Let Shang enjoy my presence here."
Shaking his head disapprovingly Mushu said, "You bad girl. Don't even think of it."
"Oh sweet revenge."
Chapter 4 Eavesdropping
Night had fallen; Mulan was fast asleep. The fever had vanished for a few hours, but it came back to her making her weak, her eyes moist, her whole body drenched with sweat and trembling. Mushu arrived then; after checking her temperature, he went to seek for herbs that would relieve her.
Not only Mushu had been the one checking her; General Li Shang had entered and exited her tent more than once during the day. Aware that she was not healthy, Shang considered sending her home if she remained ill the next morning. He knew she would come up with the excuse she had to fight, alas, it would be very selfish to send her to battle when she had no chance to survive. Li Shang knelt right next to Mulan, predicting the peaceful temper she had while she was lost in her dreams would change drastically when he would tell her what he had in mind for her own sake. He sighed, admiring the beauty within his soldier. Mushu tiptoed into the tent with Cri-kee behind him; therefore the cricket hid inside Mulan's shoe and the dragon inside one of her socks.
Sensing she had company, Mulan opened her eyes and groaned at the sight of Shang. His response was a laugh. Sitting up straight Mulan murmured, "Seeing you makes me even more sick."
"Really?" he replied, exaggerated sarcasm on his voice, "I didn't notice. Well then I shall feel flattered."
"That's great for you," she said puffing her cheeks and covering her mouth, "I want to barf." She kneeled clutching her stomach, a painful and frustrated look upon her features.
'She's a great actress' he thought to himself and then replied, "Yeah right," he shook his head, "Go on and puke on my uniform." By the way she said things it seemed she was only faking it all for a jest but then she gripped his arm and vomited on his robe. That was her revenge for his mockery, the debt had been paid. It was until then that he turned serious and told her, "Lay down. Why didn't you tell me you were going to."
She looked up into his eyes fiercely, "I told you, idiot, but you just made fun of me." Indeed, she had all the right to get mad at him. He couldn't explain his foolishness, nor could he justify his wicked actions. Shang had teased her in one of the worst ways he could've done. He regretted deeply, feeling guilty, admitting he did not deserve the mercy of being forgiven, although he did not reject to speak from the heart with an honest, "I'm sorry."
"Just go," she whispered, the hurt on her voice was revealed but she managed to restrain the tears.
He stood on the entrance. "I understand if you don't wish to see me." The young man was gone with a swift movement from his scarlet cape behind him.
"Fool," she said through gritted teeth while blinking her eyes trying not to cry.
"What?!" the dragon exclaimed pulling the hairs on his head, "He, you.you can't get angry at each other!"
"Who said so?" Mulan replied in woe, resting her head on her knees, "We've been fighting since the day I got here."
Mushu reached Mulan's shoulder and stroked her straight black hair. "Listen, babe, I'm back to help you out like old times."
Cri-kee chirped something that meant, "Me too."
"Yeah whatever," said Mushu.
She grinned lopsidedly and laid back.
"Here," Mushu offered a cup with a mixture of what he called medicine, "Drink this and you'll feel good as new tomorrow."
Mulan took the cup in her hands and sniffed the odour of the 'medicine'. "Are you sure this works?" she wondered aloud, staring at her guardian doubtfully.
Insulted, Mushu replied, "Of course it does. It cures all kinds of pain and sickness. I can't believe you don't trust me.the guardian who helped you succeed." He feigned hysterical cries.
Mulan drank a sip of the medicine and said, "It's already making effect on me.I would never mistrust you."
"I knew that," Mushu said, "Come on, won't you give old Mushu a hug and kiss."
"Right," said Mulan as she took Mushu in her arms embracing him warmly and placed a kiss on his head.
"That's better, my precious." Mushu went on, "So what about Shang?"
Mulan rolled her eyes and answered, "If you don't want me throwing up again please don't bring up the subject."
"You hate him?"
She let out a heavy sigh and thought carefully. "I don't know," she placed her head on her knees; "I thought he was some kind of friend." She made a pause frowning confused, "But he's teasing me every time he cans."
Mushu rubbed his chin pensively, imitating the old wise men, "maybe he wants call out your attention, and he wants you to notice his presence."
"What?" I notice him and believe me," she cleared her throat, "he doesn't need to behave like an idiot to be noticed."
"Let me explain this to you," the dragon began patiently, "Some men find it hard to express their feelings, so they choose being a pain in the neck to feel important."
"You're joking," she said, "He feels nothing for me."
"Why not?"
"Because.because," she turned her eyes to the ceiling in search for an answer and the first thing that happened to be, "because the other day in the lake he said I would be the last woman he'd like to see naked." She wanted to strangle herself for saying that.
"You were in the lake with him?" The guardian eyed her suspiciously raging with curiosity.
"No.nothing happened! We.we both were at the same place at the wrong time.far enough."
"Why does Mushu miss all the fun?" he said miserably.
"It wouldn't be funny to se us both discussing who was getting out first!" she snapped.
"Oh, I bet it was for a viewer."
"Would you shut up?"
"I knew you missed me, babe."
A voice from outside called, "Excuse me, can I come in."
Mulan glared at Mushu; just by the look in her eyes he knew it was an order for him to hide somewhere. "You can come in."
It was only Chien Po, and she was glad to see her friend. "Were you talking to someone? 'Cause I think I heard voices in here."
"Not at all," Mulan answered blushing, "Maybe all the practice is making you hear things."
"Maybe."
Mulan pulled on her hair nervously and questioned, "What brings you here?"
"The general said you were sick." he coughed, "well I just want to say get well soon."
"Thank you."
"And Shang sends his apologies for what he did." he scratched his bald head, "I don't know what he did, and he said that if you don't feel well and you wished to leave you were allowed and he would deal with the emperor."
A wide smirk spread across Mulan's face. "Actually I am beginning to feel better, there won't be the need for me to go home."
Chien Po nodded. "That's wonderful. Well, I'm not allowed to stay long here, so see you tomorrow." He walked out of Mulan's tent.
"Yeah goodnight," said Mulan giggling, "Let Shang enjoy my presence here."
Shaking his head disapprovingly Mushu said, "You bad girl. Don't even think of it."
"Oh sweet revenge."