Wow! This is the story with the most reviews I have. Thanks to all of you
who reviewed. For now, I'd like to thank the people who reviewed for the
ninth chapter: Jeanine, Anna, Crazygurl06, YunCyn, jynkang, Katie Carr,
zumamoonlight (I will read it), RowenaR, Wyle Corn-Flake, Angelic Pyro,
AD, and the people who read this and don't review. Oh yes, and Ingrid for
reading this and for correcting.
Enjoy. (
Chapter 10: Stubborn Woman
Shang turned around to the other side of the bed. It had been a long night and he was trapped in confusion; he couldn't tell if Mulan's kiss had been a dream or real life. Still, his emotions were very strong and he had let the scene repeat all night long inside his head. By dawn, the birds outside chanted with joy. Shang smiled to himself as he thought life had played fair with him for once. He was very grateful. Maybe he should pay her visit and kiss her while she slept, even if it was against traditions.
It was now or never, he decided. The young man got out of bed and stepped on a scroll. Ignoring the object he headed to the room where was Mulan was sleeping. Once in the room, he found both children fast asleep, but there was a pillow and a blanket on the floor, completely abandoned. It was a bit strange; given the fact Mulan was always one of the last soldiers to wake up. Shang made his way outside, guessing Mulan was probably feeding Khan or something. His peace was disturbed when he noticed her horse was nowhere to be found. Where could she be? Shang hurried back into the house. Maybe the scroll he had stepped on before contained something about her whereabouts. It had to belong to her, she couldn't just go unannounced. Then again, Mulan was so unpredictable. Carefully, he unrolled the scroll and read it to himself. There was a slight feeling of relief for the General, at least he knew where she had gone.
"Dear Shang, Sorry to make this decision without consulting you previously, but I knew I had to be quick. I'm on my way to the Imperial City for I couldn't sleep with the knowledge there were still some Huns alive. Mushu is here with me, fulfilling his job as a guardian of the Fa family. I hope you feel better.
Sincerely, Mulan."
Shang dropped the scroll immediately after reading the message. She couldn't go and face the Huns all by herself. Mulan could be so stubborn at times and so carefree about risking her life as if there was no one who cared for her. He sighed reminding himself he would've exactly the same.
He had to go after her, wounded or not, she was his responsibility. He couldn't betray Fa Zhou and break the promise he made. Besides, Shang wouldn't let anything happen to his porcelain warrior.
Without thinking things around much, the General put on his shoes, armor, and red cape. His wound was healing properly; he smiled to himself with the thought that Mulan had cured him. Shang tripped with a stone and fell flat on the floor. He shut his eyes and clenched his fists because of the pain. His landing sounded loud enough to wake up sleeping Mei Hyung next room and started to cry. Naturally, everyone in the house woke up. Tanni rushed out of her room and found Shang getting up with a painful expression on his face. "What happened, sir?"
"I just slipped. Nothing serious," he replied.
"Are you sure?"
"Definitely."
This time, Mei Hyung's cries were even louder.
"What's wrong with that baby?" Tanni spoke up, "Mulan must be having a hard time to calm her down." She walked into the room. Tsien was covering his ears and yelling, "Where's Mulan?"
Shang stood on the entrance of the room. "Mulan's not here," he announced solemnly, "I'm going after her."
Tanni raised her brow confused. "Where did she go?" She lifted the baby in her arms, at least Mei Hyung wasn't crying so loud now.
"She went after the Huns."
Tanni gasped in response. Wasn't she afraid of them? She inquired, "All by herself?"
"Mulan is a very responsible soldier as you can see," Shang answered, "but I can't let her do this alone."
"That's very romantic", she dove in.
Shang blushed but remained composed. He cleared his throat and the lady covered her mouth with her hand. She shouldn't have said that.
"Anyway," Shang changed the subject, "I need a favor."
"Sure, anything you want sir."
"Could the kids stay here a few more days?"
She turned to Tsien who was paying close attention to their conversation and smiled at him, and then fixed her eyes on the crying baby a little uncertain if she could take care of her. "Oh, that would be no problem."
Shang nodded. "Thanks."
He said goodbye to Tsien. "I'll be seeing you soon. Behave and take care."
"Ok," The boy replied. He stayed thoughtful for a few seconds and asked, "Shang, are you going without a horse?"
The General shrugged.
"One of my neighbors has a horse," Tanni offered, "He will be glad to help one of our heroes."
"It's ok, there isn't the."
Before he could finish the sentence, Tanni had already run out of the house with Mei Hyung in her arms to ask the man for the horse.
Shang didn't want to be such a pain in the neck, but then again, she had been the one who insisted. He shook his head.
+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+
For hours, Mulan had been riding her horse, full speed. She had reached the Tung Shao Pass by that time. So many memories, still fresh on her mind; she could perfectly remember the picture of all the dead men scattered on the cold snow. The snow was gone now, and so had the corpses, gone with the wind. Grass had grown over the ground where those bodies had laid, and where those burned homes had been established once.
Mulan dismounted her horse allowing him to rest, while she looked for any trace of the invaders.|
"That was about time," Mushu complained.
"Sorry, we need to get there faster," she replied.
"Let me prepare you breakfast," Mushu said.
"I'm not hungry."
"Look at you." The dragon chided her, "You are very skinny. You haven't been eating properly." He was starting to sound like her mother.
"We don't have any time to waste. This was just a little break."
"Young lady," Mushu went on, "Your nutrition is not a waste of time."
Mulan let out a laugh. "Come on. Let's get going."
"Oh you will not."
She mounted her horse again. "Are you staying?"
"Whatever you say, Captain," Mushu said as he jumped back on Khan.
Chapter 10: Stubborn Woman
Shang turned around to the other side of the bed. It had been a long night and he was trapped in confusion; he couldn't tell if Mulan's kiss had been a dream or real life. Still, his emotions were very strong and he had let the scene repeat all night long inside his head. By dawn, the birds outside chanted with joy. Shang smiled to himself as he thought life had played fair with him for once. He was very grateful. Maybe he should pay her visit and kiss her while she slept, even if it was against traditions.
It was now or never, he decided. The young man got out of bed and stepped on a scroll. Ignoring the object he headed to the room where was Mulan was sleeping. Once in the room, he found both children fast asleep, but there was a pillow and a blanket on the floor, completely abandoned. It was a bit strange; given the fact Mulan was always one of the last soldiers to wake up. Shang made his way outside, guessing Mulan was probably feeding Khan or something. His peace was disturbed when he noticed her horse was nowhere to be found. Where could she be? Shang hurried back into the house. Maybe the scroll he had stepped on before contained something about her whereabouts. It had to belong to her, she couldn't just go unannounced. Then again, Mulan was so unpredictable. Carefully, he unrolled the scroll and read it to himself. There was a slight feeling of relief for the General, at least he knew where she had gone.
"Dear Shang, Sorry to make this decision without consulting you previously, but I knew I had to be quick. I'm on my way to the Imperial City for I couldn't sleep with the knowledge there were still some Huns alive. Mushu is here with me, fulfilling his job as a guardian of the Fa family. I hope you feel better.
Sincerely, Mulan."
Shang dropped the scroll immediately after reading the message. She couldn't go and face the Huns all by herself. Mulan could be so stubborn at times and so carefree about risking her life as if there was no one who cared for her. He sighed reminding himself he would've exactly the same.
He had to go after her, wounded or not, she was his responsibility. He couldn't betray Fa Zhou and break the promise he made. Besides, Shang wouldn't let anything happen to his porcelain warrior.
Without thinking things around much, the General put on his shoes, armor, and red cape. His wound was healing properly; he smiled to himself with the thought that Mulan had cured him. Shang tripped with a stone and fell flat on the floor. He shut his eyes and clenched his fists because of the pain. His landing sounded loud enough to wake up sleeping Mei Hyung next room and started to cry. Naturally, everyone in the house woke up. Tanni rushed out of her room and found Shang getting up with a painful expression on his face. "What happened, sir?"
"I just slipped. Nothing serious," he replied.
"Are you sure?"
"Definitely."
This time, Mei Hyung's cries were even louder.
"What's wrong with that baby?" Tanni spoke up, "Mulan must be having a hard time to calm her down." She walked into the room. Tsien was covering his ears and yelling, "Where's Mulan?"
Shang stood on the entrance of the room. "Mulan's not here," he announced solemnly, "I'm going after her."
Tanni raised her brow confused. "Where did she go?" She lifted the baby in her arms, at least Mei Hyung wasn't crying so loud now.
"She went after the Huns."
Tanni gasped in response. Wasn't she afraid of them? She inquired, "All by herself?"
"Mulan is a very responsible soldier as you can see," Shang answered, "but I can't let her do this alone."
"That's very romantic", she dove in.
Shang blushed but remained composed. He cleared his throat and the lady covered her mouth with her hand. She shouldn't have said that.
"Anyway," Shang changed the subject, "I need a favor."
"Sure, anything you want sir."
"Could the kids stay here a few more days?"
She turned to Tsien who was paying close attention to their conversation and smiled at him, and then fixed her eyes on the crying baby a little uncertain if she could take care of her. "Oh, that would be no problem."
Shang nodded. "Thanks."
He said goodbye to Tsien. "I'll be seeing you soon. Behave and take care."
"Ok," The boy replied. He stayed thoughtful for a few seconds and asked, "Shang, are you going without a horse?"
The General shrugged.
"One of my neighbors has a horse," Tanni offered, "He will be glad to help one of our heroes."
"It's ok, there isn't the."
Before he could finish the sentence, Tanni had already run out of the house with Mei Hyung in her arms to ask the man for the horse.
Shang didn't want to be such a pain in the neck, but then again, she had been the one who insisted. He shook his head.
+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+
For hours, Mulan had been riding her horse, full speed. She had reached the Tung Shao Pass by that time. So many memories, still fresh on her mind; she could perfectly remember the picture of all the dead men scattered on the cold snow. The snow was gone now, and so had the corpses, gone with the wind. Grass had grown over the ground where those bodies had laid, and where those burned homes had been established once.
Mulan dismounted her horse allowing him to rest, while she looked for any trace of the invaders.|
"That was about time," Mushu complained.
"Sorry, we need to get there faster," she replied.
"Let me prepare you breakfast," Mushu said.
"I'm not hungry."
"Look at you." The dragon chided her, "You are very skinny. You haven't been eating properly." He was starting to sound like her mother.
"We don't have any time to waste. This was just a little break."
"Young lady," Mushu went on, "Your nutrition is not a waste of time."
Mulan let out a laugh. "Come on. Let's get going."
"Oh you will not."
She mounted her horse again. "Are you staying?"
"Whatever you say, Captain," Mushu said as he jumped back on Khan.