Chapter 9: Arrival

"Captain, are you sure we should be continuing this way? No one in these villages has seen her. She probably went in a different direction."

Shang was silent for a moment, thinking about what their next move should be. The innkeeper where they had stayed the previous night had told them that the next village wasn't very far. He was trying to decide whether they should stop there for the night, even though they would not have traveled very much. They had been pushing their stallions and the horses were showing signs of fatigue. They did not have the power and stamina that Khan had. And, although he hadn't mentioned anything to Chi Fu, he knew for certain that Mulan was on this road. No one had seen a lone woman because the lone woman was disguised as a boy again.

"Captain Li," Chi Fu reprimanded him sharply. "I don't care who your father was. I am the Emperor's council and you will learn to listen to me and show me the proper respect."

Shang groaned inwardly. But he spoke calmly, almost tonelessly. "I'm sorry, sir. I was concentrating on something. I meant you no disrespect."

Chi Fu looked at him, surprised at his reply.

"I have a hunch that she has been continuing along this road," Shang continued, ignoring his look. "It leads south, and I think that is where she is headed."

"What makes you so sure, Captain?"

"It's warmer in the south. It will be easier for her to survive there."

That seemed to appease Chi Fu and he remained willing to go along with Shang's direction.

"Very well, Captain. But I still don't understand how she passed through these villages and managed to be seen by no one."

Shang shrugged. "Maybe they just weren't paying attention."

The councilman grunted, annoyed. "Well, the innkeeper where we stayed last night said that the next village isn't too far. We should be arriving soon."

xxxxxxx

Shang and Chi Fu put their stallions in the corral when they arrived in the next village in the early afternoon. They walked through town until they found an inn and went inside. They rang for service and a man came shuffling out to the main room after a few minutes.

"Ah, welcome," the man greeted them. "It is an honor to have an officer of the Imperial army with us."

"We are merely here for information," Chi Fu snapped.

"And you appear to be a statesman, sir."

"I am the Emperor's council," he told the innkeeper, sniffing at him.

"Ah, a great honor indeed, sir. There are two rooms available for the evening for you gentlemen. Would you like to see them?"

"We will not be staying. As I said, we are here for information," Chi Fu told him. "We are looking for a female fugitive. She has been sentenced to death by the Emperor for high treason, but she escaped."

The man thought for a moment. "I had heard about a strange woman that came into town."

"She was on a large black horse."

"Oh, I wouldn't know about that. I just heard about a female stranger that arrived here. She was wounded and bleeding."

Shang started at that, realizing that her wound must have opened yet again. "Where is she?" he asked.

"She is at the medic's house, being treated."

Chi Fu demanded that he show them where the medic's house was. Shang and Chi Fu left the inn and walked to where the innkeeper had pointed.

They walked through the gate and headed toward the front door. As they passed the medic's stable Shang caught sight of the large black steed that was tied up there and his heart skipped a beat. It was Khan.

A woman admitted them and led them to a room, gesturing for them to sit.

"My husband will be with you shortly."

After several minutes, the meanest, scariest looking medic Shang had ever seen in his life entered the room. Chi Fu questioned him about the woman he was treating.

"Is she a member of your family, sir?"

"Absolutely not!" Chi Fu retorted. "She has been sentenced to death for treason by the Emperor. We are here to take her back to the Imperial City."

"I'm afraid she won't be going anywhere for awhile. She has a wound that has re-opened, for what appears to be the second time, and it is badly infected. She is very ill. She may die here, in which case your execution will be taken care of for you."

Shang felt his heart sink when he heard that.

"Are you gentlemen staying in town?" the medic asked. "The innkeeper is my friend and I am there all the time. I would be happy to stop in and let you know of her progress."

Chi Fu nodded and stood up. "That would be acceptable."

"Very well. I will contact you with any news. Good day, gentlemen."

"Captain Li."

Shang looked up, realizing that Chi Fu had already stood up.

"Thank you, sir," he said to the medic and stood up, heading out with Chi Fu.

"Well, Captain, it appears that we will be checking into that inn after all," Chi Fu stated.

xxxxxxx

"I am honored that you gentlemen decided to stay with us," the innkeeper said, showing them to their rooms. "I am Pei. Just ring for me if you need anything."

Shang thanked Pei and went into his room, shutting the door. He walked over to the bed and sank down onto it heavily, tossing his pack aside. He was upset and worried about Mulan's wound. It was the second time that the wound had re-opened and had begun to become infected. She was very ill now and the medic had said that she could die.

She deserved so much better than everything that had happened to her.

He decided to go out and take a walk. Sitting there worrying about her wouldn't help the situation. Maybe he could go back to the medic's house by himself and ask to just see her for a minute.

He left the room, shutting the door behind him, and walked down the hall, out into the main room. He stopped suddenly and stared as he saw the small, lithe, familiar figure walking through a door off of that room.

"Mulan."

He strode toward the door that the figure had disappeared through.

"May I help you, Captain?"

Shang started and turned around as he felt someone tap his shoulder.

"I…" he trailed off for a moment, turning and looking back toward the door. "There was…I was…"

"The kitchen isn't open until later," Pei told him. "For dinner. But there is a tea-room down the street where you can get a meal now, Captain. I will point it out to you."

xxxxxxx

"Shang and Chi Fu are here in this village now," Mushu told her as she washed up and got ready to go to work in the kitchen. "They came to this inn, then went to Guang-Zhi's house."

"Guang-Zhi's house?" she exclaimed, alarmed.

Mushu shrugged. "The medic, Guang-Zhi."

"Guang-Zhi isn't the medic."

"He isn't?"

She shook her head.

"Well, I only know that when they asked for you, Pei told them that a woman had come to town, wounded and bleeding. He told them that you went to the medic's house and sent them to Guang-Zhi."

Maybe Pei and Guang-Zhi really were on her side. That story was completely fabricated. Pei was throwing them off by telling them she was wounded again and sending them to Guang-Zhi's house, saying he was the medic. And that was why Pei had told her to bring Khan to Guang-Zhi's home; to set up a convincing appearance to them that she was there, being treated. That way they wouldn't leave town.

A moment later Pei met her in the kitchen and spoke softly, confirming what she had been thinking.

"They are here. The councilman and the captain. We have convinced them to stay in town. In fact, the captain almost walked in here, not realizing that it was the kitchen." He grinned mysteriously for a moment. Then he became serious again. "When the men arrive for the nightly 'game' tonight we will be implementing our plan for Chi Fu. You will remain safe in here."

"Okay."

She was afraid to ask what their plan was.