The next day Shang woke up to the sun shining almost ferociously through his window. He forced himself to push the covers back and pulled his legs over the side of the bed so he could sit up.
He just breathed for a while, letting the nightmares roll off him, into the air just above his bed where he knew they would float until he couldn't fend sleep off any longer.
He finally let himself look across the room and his world tilted a little when he realized Mulan's bed was empty.
He was on his feet and half-dressed before he thought about it. So then he tried to. He made himself sit down on his own bed and took the same slow breaths he had only minutes before.
She couldn't have run away. She wouldn't have. First, why? Because of something he'd said last night? He highly doubted she valued his opinion so much. She'd made the exact opposite pretty clear, actually. And, second, where would she go?
Because she was rational enough to have thought of that before just leaving? Because consequence.. the next step.. was exactly what she was thinking about when she up and joined the army in her father's armor?
Shang pulled on his shirt and went to look for her.
Downstairs in the tavern that served now as a makeshift dining hall, Shang scanned the men wolfing down their breakfasts. He couldn't see her. His eyes lighted on the men he knew to be her friends. She wasn't with them. He walked over anyway.
"General." The three stood up, throwing out the hasty greeting around the food in their mouths.
"Yao, Ling, Chien Po, " he murmured, motioning for them to sit.
"How is...," Yao began, and remembering, lowered his voice. "How is she?"
Shang let the implications of that questions settle, hiding his concern for her as he answered.
"She's well. Better."
The three nodded, relief softly lining war-weary features.
"She's resting now, then?" Ling asked, apprehensive of the general's reply. Mulan was not, generally speaking, a safe topic. But in this his concern overruled.
Shang looked at him, lost a little.
"Right, yes.. resting."
"Perhaps I should save her something to eat," Chien-Po suggested quietly. "For later ... to keep up her strength."
It was an idea with merit. That she would need to eat something eventually. Of course, she had to turn up first. And Shang increasingly worried that he had effectually sent her home with his harsh words last night.
"It's.. it's okay Chien-Po. I'll have them make her something when she's ready for it."
He couldn't help scanning the room again. She wasn't there. This could take a while.
"Yao," he began, forcing his gaze back to the man in front of him, "act as my second-in-command today. Chien-Po and Ling will help you take the men through their drills."
"Yes sir," the three murmured, not a little bemused.
Satisfied, he nodded, and abruptly left the tavern, heading for the stables.
He just breathed for a while, letting the nightmares roll off him, into the air just above his bed where he knew they would float until he couldn't fend sleep off any longer.
He finally let himself look across the room and his world tilted a little when he realized Mulan's bed was empty.
He was on his feet and half-dressed before he thought about it. So then he tried to. He made himself sit down on his own bed and took the same slow breaths he had only minutes before.
She couldn't have run away. She wouldn't have. First, why? Because of something he'd said last night? He highly doubted she valued his opinion so much. She'd made the exact opposite pretty clear, actually. And, second, where would she go?
Because she was rational enough to have thought of that before just leaving? Because consequence.. the next step.. was exactly what she was thinking about when she up and joined the army in her father's armor?
Shang pulled on his shirt and went to look for her.
Downstairs in the tavern that served now as a makeshift dining hall, Shang scanned the men wolfing down their breakfasts. He couldn't see her. His eyes lighted on the men he knew to be her friends. She wasn't with them. He walked over anyway.
"General." The three stood up, throwing out the hasty greeting around the food in their mouths.
"Yao, Ling, Chien Po, " he murmured, motioning for them to sit.
"How is...," Yao began, and remembering, lowered his voice. "How is she?"
Shang let the implications of that questions settle, hiding his concern for her as he answered.
"She's well. Better."
The three nodded, relief softly lining war-weary features.
"She's resting now, then?" Ling asked, apprehensive of the general's reply. Mulan was not, generally speaking, a safe topic. But in this his concern overruled.
Shang looked at him, lost a little.
"Right, yes.. resting."
"Perhaps I should save her something to eat," Chien-Po suggested quietly. "For later ... to keep up her strength."
It was an idea with merit. That she would need to eat something eventually. Of course, she had to turn up first. And Shang increasingly worried that he had effectually sent her home with his harsh words last night.
"It's.. it's okay Chien-Po. I'll have them make her something when she's ready for it."
He couldn't help scanning the room again. She wasn't there. This could take a while.
"Yao," he began, forcing his gaze back to the man in front of him, "act as my second-in-command today. Chien-Po and Ling will help you take the men through their drills."
"Yes sir," the three murmured, not a little bemused.
Satisfied, he nodded, and abruptly left the tavern, heading for the stables.