You no the drill guys, owe nothing have nothing so don't sue yadda yadda
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!
Thanks for the feed back guys! And sorry about keeping you waiting just
that I had some exams to do..nice...(
With Mushu on the look out and Khan near by for a hasty retreat if trouble comes, Mulan swam in a distant part of the lake, away from the rest of the men to preserve her modesty.
Here the water was calm, warmer and clearer with lilies growing nearby, their perfume floated across on the current. Cherry blossoms trees dipped their branches in the water letting the sweet blossoms drift on the lake's surface.
Swimming out she saw the churning water and heard the yells and laughter of the men bathing on the far side of the lake. Feeling content and relaxed, Mulan left herself drift on the water.
Hearing movement she stood up and looked to see Shang leading his horse nearby, sword in his hand and towel over his shoulder, obviously intent on having a bath too.
Disappearing behind some rocks she saw his hand placing his clothes on top of it and heard a splash. He swam out, kicking and frolicking in the sensual water. Watching him stand up, the water dancing flirtously round his waist as he let his hair down which reach low between his shoulder blade.
From what she saw she knew he was very handsome and her cheeks blushed a deep crimson as she realised h would make a great lover. In all her years she never once had a thought sexually of the opposite sex so why now? Because he was Shang.
She slowly swam back to shore as thoughts muddled her brain. Upon a large rock laid Mushu and Cric-kee sunbathing idly.
"Had a nice swim?" Mushu asked as he lazily opened one eye.
"I did." Mulan replied simpily.
Mushu shot up with his eyes wide as he gibbered and pointed idiotically at the lake, Cric-Kee jumped up and slapped him across his face to make him speak sense.
"No wonder you enjoyed that! There's a naked general in the lake you naughty girl!"
"Mushu.."
"You! Breaking the rules.."
"Mushu!"
"The law..you could be killed!"
Mulan shot him a glance which sobered him, Mushu curled himself round her neck making her stop changing.
"Mulan! I thought better of you!"
"It wasn't like that!" "Really." Mushu crossed his arms showing he didn't believe her.
"As soon as I saw him go in, I got out." Mulan said, Mushu dropped his arms and looked at her quizzically.
"I'm not sure whether to believe you or not..hormone crazed teenagers today!" Mushu gave up his fight and slinked up to Khan's shoulder where he continued his mutterings to Cric-kee.
On the way back to camp, Mulan kept her eyes forward trying to ignore the fact that only a bush separated her from a naked general! With Mushu's jibs getting at her, she didn't speak but only rolled her eyes.
"You know.. When you get married. You can ogle at your husband all that it pleases you." Mushu continued from his long speech on married life, he grinned and slapped her on her shoulder causing her to lose balance and topple over the edge of the bank and down through the bushes.
She landed with a bump and rubbed her head, she haltered when she saw a sword blade held dangerously at her neck. Looking up she blushed with the humility of the moment. Shang stood over her naked, strands of his wet hair stuck to his face showed he had rushed to get his sword on hearing the commotion.
Uttering a gasp of surprise, Shang leapt behind the rock and grabbed his towel round his waist.
"Sorry.." Mulan uttered uselessly.
"What are you doing here?" Shang asked as he reappeared round the corner clutching the towel in an attempt to cover as much flesh as possible.
"Having a bath like you ordered when I was walking back and part of the path gave away." Mulan said, looking down at her soaking knees as she realised she was sitting in the lake. Heat flooded her cheeks when she imagined what a sight she looked.
"You ok?" Shang held out his hand. Mulan looked up at him with surprise. She slipped her hand into his as he pulled her to her feet.
"I'm ok..sorry." Mulan almost whispered.
"Don't worry, at least you weren't spying on me were you?" Mulan blushed rapidly and shook her head.
"To be honest I wouldn't have cared anyway..you get back to camp." Shang smiled.
"What do you mean by that?" Mulan asked as she stopped turning.
"I'd rather have a woman looking at me than a man." Shang said politely as his cheeks blushed as he considered whether to tell a young innocent girl the darker side of military life. "Oh." Mulan said smally, she heard stories in the camp and even seen such things. She gave Shang a small smile and climbed back up the bank to the path where Khan waited patiently with a scowling Mushu.
"You couldn't wait till you got married huh?" He looked at her with half closed eyes as he surveyed her for any signs of what she been up to.
"It was an accident." Mulan dusted herself down and took Khan's reigns to continue walking back to camp. "And if I remember correctly some dragon made me fall down there." Mulan shot him a look which made him cringe and the journey back was in silence.
Mulan laid on her roll that night, tired and battered from her day's training. She yawned and rolled over to sleep. Cric-Kee was snuggled up in her slipper and Mushu was mumbling in his sleep and the end of her bed like her ever faithful dog, Little Brother.
Silence fell upon the camp, nothing stirred when suddenly a sword ripped through the side of Mulan's tent. She jerked awake to see the blade shooting towards her, rolling over to avoid it she no sooner escaped when the sword blade resumed its lethal journey towards her heart. Screaming she tried to avoid the sword except it caught on her top which ripped from her body as she rolled away leaving her topless.
The sword disappeared as yelling and shouts broke out. Mulan laid on her stomach sobbing as the collapsed tent laid on top of her. Mushu tried to comfort her but had to disappear when a pair of hands pulled the tent off the small body of Mulan.
Shang took one look and realised she was topless. To preserve her modesty he shrugged out of his shirt and wrapped it round her shaking body. Putting his hands under her knees and back he picked her up and carried her to his tent, shouting orders as he went. The camp was alive with soldiers yelling orders and torches being relit.
Shang gently placed Mulan on his bed, sitting next to her he gently brushed her hair from her face and softly asked Mulan if she was alright.
"Mulan..open your eyes." Shang pulled her hands from her face and smiled as she obeyed him. The bright candle light made her blink and survey her surroundings. She never been inside Shang's tent before. It was full of military equipment alongside his personal belongings and papers which were scattered on the tables.
"I'll make some tea." Shang got to his feet and pottered around in a far corner.
"There's nothing to be found sir." A guard addressed Shang as he burst in.
"Thank you. Double sentry guards and have half a dozen men patrolling the camp. No torches to be put out till sunrise. No one is to roam the camp without any good reasons so. If anyone is found lurking place them under arrest and inform me as soon as possible." Shang looked up from stirring a pot of tea as he delivered his orders. The guard saluted and exited. "Here drink this." He handed Mulan the cup of tea and sat next to her as she sipped it.
"Who would do something like this?" Mulan asked quietly.
"Someone who is under orders and know the layout of the camp to where your sleeping." Shang said. The idea of such intelligence processed made them sober up, they were in danger from this intruder.
"You'll sleep here tonight. That way I can guarantee your safety." Shang turned to face her.
"Shang.I cant do that! I would only intrude on your privacy." Mulan replied feeling much more alert. The idea of sleeping in the same tent as Shang played on her mind. Erotic thoughts pestered her and her cheeks dyed a deep red.
"I insist..and as for invading my privacy, you have already done that earlier." Shang smiled.
"That was an accident!" Mulan protested.
"Rest. Come on get some sleep." Shang pushed her gently back down on his bed, Mulan's head danced with all the possible scenarios that could occur this very night. Would he kiss her, take her, sleep with her?
"Where will you sleep?" Mulan hoarsely asked.
"I'll sleep on the floor and besides I wasn't asleep, I got paperwork to go through. Relax Mulan, I'll be here when you wake up."
Mulan laid back and aloowed him to draw the covers close to her body which has long stopped shaking and was now basking in a warm foreign glow. He brushed a stray strand of hair from her face and watched her close her eyes before resuming his job.
Tired, she felt her eyes close and buried deeper into the bed. The sheets had an intriguing aroma, a masculine smell soothed her rattled nerves. She realised it was the scent of Shang, a natural warm smell that made her smile into the covers, truly believing he was right next to her throughout the night.
The days that followed were busy with training, Mulan hardly spoke to Shang till night fall. Shang erected a screen where they both changed in privacy for customs that a man and woman even sharing a room was forbidden. Mulan slept on the floor much to Shang's objections and she got to witness the general's night life she didn't knew he had.
Whilst the camp was asleep, he would still be awake pouring over the scrolls with other generals. Even when the other officers retired long ago, he would still be there, pen poised in the act as if he was to write something. He'll sit there oblivious to the time till Mulan takes the pen and ushered him to bed. He would grin as she tittered like an old woman and their mutual affection grew stronger. Though they slept in the same room, they hardly spoke due to the rigorous life as a soldier. Mulan missed speaking to Shang in a deep conversation, they would sit there and discuss anything, but now only quick sentences were exchanged between as they came and went, in and out of each other's lives.
The arrival of Chi Ying from the south added another barrier between Shang and Mulan. The two young generals would sit till dawn talking and arguing. One conversation made Mulan listen curiously much to Mushu's dismay.
"Our soldier's morale is low, we should boost it." Ying said.
"How?" Shang asked as he looked up from writing.
"Well how about a competition and the winner get to have a trip to the local brothel?"
"Sounds good. The competition we'll start with a run in the mountains with weights.."
"Then archery." Ying suggested, Shang nodded.
"Followed by a run to the finish line."
"Tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow." Shang confirmed.
Some hours later Shang still sat there as Mulan watched him. His head kept dropping forward as he fought sleep. Mulan got to her feet and placed her hands on his shoulders and slowly massaged them. He groaned and slowly reached over his shoulder to give her hand an affectionate squeeze. He smiled sleepily and got to his feet and fell straight into bed asleep. If he kept this up he'll fail his job as a general as he'll be too tired, Mulan thought as she removed his armour to let him be comfortable.
The past few days haven't been what Mulan hoped of in being in Shang's presence. Honour came first for him, any feelings he had for her he wouldn't show as he kept things strictly professional. He rarely showed affection towards her.
She sprained her ankle in training and Shang ordered her to the medical tent. Seeing her difficulty he picked her up and carried her there himself. Another time was when she struggled to light a fire due to the freezing cold weather. Shang came over and lit it for her and gave her his gloves which she still got. When she came to think of it there was a few moments when she had a small glimmer of hope that he had the same feelings for her.
Like when he flicked a grain of rice at her when they were having dinner, his smile made her quiver with the memories. Or when he played wrestled her in an exercise, he pinned her and started gloating of his supreme strength. He joked, he laughed and he reacted to her presence but in a sisterly way. Her smile faded when she remembered on one such exercise when Shang got sidetracked by a group of women by the road. He held up the patrol for a long time as he flirted with them. Mulan's chest throbbed painfully that day as she realised he didn't look at her in the adoring way as he did at the other more decorated, painted women. She signed and returned to bed and gently pushed Mushu aside from her pillow. She grimaced as she spotted a pool of drool in the centre of the pillow and turned it over as she gave the sleeping dragon a reproachful look. Whether Shang had any concealed feelings for her, she vowed silently to push them aside. Let him realised what he's missing..that if he does at all!
With Mushu on the look out and Khan near by for a hasty retreat if trouble comes, Mulan swam in a distant part of the lake, away from the rest of the men to preserve her modesty.
Here the water was calm, warmer and clearer with lilies growing nearby, their perfume floated across on the current. Cherry blossoms trees dipped their branches in the water letting the sweet blossoms drift on the lake's surface.
Swimming out she saw the churning water and heard the yells and laughter of the men bathing on the far side of the lake. Feeling content and relaxed, Mulan left herself drift on the water.
Hearing movement she stood up and looked to see Shang leading his horse nearby, sword in his hand and towel over his shoulder, obviously intent on having a bath too.
Disappearing behind some rocks she saw his hand placing his clothes on top of it and heard a splash. He swam out, kicking and frolicking in the sensual water. Watching him stand up, the water dancing flirtously round his waist as he let his hair down which reach low between his shoulder blade.
From what she saw she knew he was very handsome and her cheeks blushed a deep crimson as she realised h would make a great lover. In all her years she never once had a thought sexually of the opposite sex so why now? Because he was Shang.
She slowly swam back to shore as thoughts muddled her brain. Upon a large rock laid Mushu and Cric-kee sunbathing idly.
"Had a nice swim?" Mushu asked as he lazily opened one eye.
"I did." Mulan replied simpily.
Mushu shot up with his eyes wide as he gibbered and pointed idiotically at the lake, Cric-Kee jumped up and slapped him across his face to make him speak sense.
"No wonder you enjoyed that! There's a naked general in the lake you naughty girl!"
"Mushu.."
"You! Breaking the rules.."
"Mushu!"
"The law..you could be killed!"
Mulan shot him a glance which sobered him, Mushu curled himself round her neck making her stop changing.
"Mulan! I thought better of you!"
"It wasn't like that!" "Really." Mushu crossed his arms showing he didn't believe her.
"As soon as I saw him go in, I got out." Mulan said, Mushu dropped his arms and looked at her quizzically.
"I'm not sure whether to believe you or not..hormone crazed teenagers today!" Mushu gave up his fight and slinked up to Khan's shoulder where he continued his mutterings to Cric-kee.
On the way back to camp, Mulan kept her eyes forward trying to ignore the fact that only a bush separated her from a naked general! With Mushu's jibs getting at her, she didn't speak but only rolled her eyes.
"You know.. When you get married. You can ogle at your husband all that it pleases you." Mushu continued from his long speech on married life, he grinned and slapped her on her shoulder causing her to lose balance and topple over the edge of the bank and down through the bushes.
She landed with a bump and rubbed her head, she haltered when she saw a sword blade held dangerously at her neck. Looking up she blushed with the humility of the moment. Shang stood over her naked, strands of his wet hair stuck to his face showed he had rushed to get his sword on hearing the commotion.
Uttering a gasp of surprise, Shang leapt behind the rock and grabbed his towel round his waist.
"Sorry.." Mulan uttered uselessly.
"What are you doing here?" Shang asked as he reappeared round the corner clutching the towel in an attempt to cover as much flesh as possible.
"Having a bath like you ordered when I was walking back and part of the path gave away." Mulan said, looking down at her soaking knees as she realised she was sitting in the lake. Heat flooded her cheeks when she imagined what a sight she looked.
"You ok?" Shang held out his hand. Mulan looked up at him with surprise. She slipped her hand into his as he pulled her to her feet.
"I'm ok..sorry." Mulan almost whispered.
"Don't worry, at least you weren't spying on me were you?" Mulan blushed rapidly and shook her head.
"To be honest I wouldn't have cared anyway..you get back to camp." Shang smiled.
"What do you mean by that?" Mulan asked as she stopped turning.
"I'd rather have a woman looking at me than a man." Shang said politely as his cheeks blushed as he considered whether to tell a young innocent girl the darker side of military life. "Oh." Mulan said smally, she heard stories in the camp and even seen such things. She gave Shang a small smile and climbed back up the bank to the path where Khan waited patiently with a scowling Mushu.
"You couldn't wait till you got married huh?" He looked at her with half closed eyes as he surveyed her for any signs of what she been up to.
"It was an accident." Mulan dusted herself down and took Khan's reigns to continue walking back to camp. "And if I remember correctly some dragon made me fall down there." Mulan shot him a look which made him cringe and the journey back was in silence.
Mulan laid on her roll that night, tired and battered from her day's training. She yawned and rolled over to sleep. Cric-Kee was snuggled up in her slipper and Mushu was mumbling in his sleep and the end of her bed like her ever faithful dog, Little Brother.
Silence fell upon the camp, nothing stirred when suddenly a sword ripped through the side of Mulan's tent. She jerked awake to see the blade shooting towards her, rolling over to avoid it she no sooner escaped when the sword blade resumed its lethal journey towards her heart. Screaming she tried to avoid the sword except it caught on her top which ripped from her body as she rolled away leaving her topless.
The sword disappeared as yelling and shouts broke out. Mulan laid on her stomach sobbing as the collapsed tent laid on top of her. Mushu tried to comfort her but had to disappear when a pair of hands pulled the tent off the small body of Mulan.
Shang took one look and realised she was topless. To preserve her modesty he shrugged out of his shirt and wrapped it round her shaking body. Putting his hands under her knees and back he picked her up and carried her to his tent, shouting orders as he went. The camp was alive with soldiers yelling orders and torches being relit.
Shang gently placed Mulan on his bed, sitting next to her he gently brushed her hair from her face and softly asked Mulan if she was alright.
"Mulan..open your eyes." Shang pulled her hands from her face and smiled as she obeyed him. The bright candle light made her blink and survey her surroundings. She never been inside Shang's tent before. It was full of military equipment alongside his personal belongings and papers which were scattered on the tables.
"I'll make some tea." Shang got to his feet and pottered around in a far corner.
"There's nothing to be found sir." A guard addressed Shang as he burst in.
"Thank you. Double sentry guards and have half a dozen men patrolling the camp. No torches to be put out till sunrise. No one is to roam the camp without any good reasons so. If anyone is found lurking place them under arrest and inform me as soon as possible." Shang looked up from stirring a pot of tea as he delivered his orders. The guard saluted and exited. "Here drink this." He handed Mulan the cup of tea and sat next to her as she sipped it.
"Who would do something like this?" Mulan asked quietly.
"Someone who is under orders and know the layout of the camp to where your sleeping." Shang said. The idea of such intelligence processed made them sober up, they were in danger from this intruder.
"You'll sleep here tonight. That way I can guarantee your safety." Shang turned to face her.
"Shang.I cant do that! I would only intrude on your privacy." Mulan replied feeling much more alert. The idea of sleeping in the same tent as Shang played on her mind. Erotic thoughts pestered her and her cheeks dyed a deep red.
"I insist..and as for invading my privacy, you have already done that earlier." Shang smiled.
"That was an accident!" Mulan protested.
"Rest. Come on get some sleep." Shang pushed her gently back down on his bed, Mulan's head danced with all the possible scenarios that could occur this very night. Would he kiss her, take her, sleep with her?
"Where will you sleep?" Mulan hoarsely asked.
"I'll sleep on the floor and besides I wasn't asleep, I got paperwork to go through. Relax Mulan, I'll be here when you wake up."
Mulan laid back and aloowed him to draw the covers close to her body which has long stopped shaking and was now basking in a warm foreign glow. He brushed a stray strand of hair from her face and watched her close her eyes before resuming his job.
Tired, she felt her eyes close and buried deeper into the bed. The sheets had an intriguing aroma, a masculine smell soothed her rattled nerves. She realised it was the scent of Shang, a natural warm smell that made her smile into the covers, truly believing he was right next to her throughout the night.
The days that followed were busy with training, Mulan hardly spoke to Shang till night fall. Shang erected a screen where they both changed in privacy for customs that a man and woman even sharing a room was forbidden. Mulan slept on the floor much to Shang's objections and she got to witness the general's night life she didn't knew he had.
Whilst the camp was asleep, he would still be awake pouring over the scrolls with other generals. Even when the other officers retired long ago, he would still be there, pen poised in the act as if he was to write something. He'll sit there oblivious to the time till Mulan takes the pen and ushered him to bed. He would grin as she tittered like an old woman and their mutual affection grew stronger. Though they slept in the same room, they hardly spoke due to the rigorous life as a soldier. Mulan missed speaking to Shang in a deep conversation, they would sit there and discuss anything, but now only quick sentences were exchanged between as they came and went, in and out of each other's lives.
The arrival of Chi Ying from the south added another barrier between Shang and Mulan. The two young generals would sit till dawn talking and arguing. One conversation made Mulan listen curiously much to Mushu's dismay.
"Our soldier's morale is low, we should boost it." Ying said.
"How?" Shang asked as he looked up from writing.
"Well how about a competition and the winner get to have a trip to the local brothel?"
"Sounds good. The competition we'll start with a run in the mountains with weights.."
"Then archery." Ying suggested, Shang nodded.
"Followed by a run to the finish line."
"Tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow." Shang confirmed.
Some hours later Shang still sat there as Mulan watched him. His head kept dropping forward as he fought sleep. Mulan got to her feet and placed her hands on his shoulders and slowly massaged them. He groaned and slowly reached over his shoulder to give her hand an affectionate squeeze. He smiled sleepily and got to his feet and fell straight into bed asleep. If he kept this up he'll fail his job as a general as he'll be too tired, Mulan thought as she removed his armour to let him be comfortable.
The past few days haven't been what Mulan hoped of in being in Shang's presence. Honour came first for him, any feelings he had for her he wouldn't show as he kept things strictly professional. He rarely showed affection towards her.
She sprained her ankle in training and Shang ordered her to the medical tent. Seeing her difficulty he picked her up and carried her there himself. Another time was when she struggled to light a fire due to the freezing cold weather. Shang came over and lit it for her and gave her his gloves which she still got. When she came to think of it there was a few moments when she had a small glimmer of hope that he had the same feelings for her.
Like when he flicked a grain of rice at her when they were having dinner, his smile made her quiver with the memories. Or when he played wrestled her in an exercise, he pinned her and started gloating of his supreme strength. He joked, he laughed and he reacted to her presence but in a sisterly way. Her smile faded when she remembered on one such exercise when Shang got sidetracked by a group of women by the road. He held up the patrol for a long time as he flirted with them. Mulan's chest throbbed painfully that day as she realised he didn't look at her in the adoring way as he did at the other more decorated, painted women. She signed and returned to bed and gently pushed Mushu aside from her pillow. She grimaced as she spotted a pool of drool in the centre of the pillow and turned it over as she gave the sleeping dragon a reproachful look. Whether Shang had any concealed feelings for her, she vowed silently to push them aside. Let him realised what he's missing..that if he does at all!