A/N: Thanks to all for reading and reviewing. Next chapter up!

oooOooo

Chapter 4

There was no sound in the room but the clinking of chopsticks against ceramic bowls as the family ate in silence. Her father put his chopsticks down for a moment and reached for his cup of tea, lifting it to his lips and draining it. When he set it down on the table further away from him Mulan immediately picked up the teapot and refilled the cup.

As the food disappeared and they sipped the remains of the tea, Hua Zhou finally spoke up.

"Jin Hao's house is outside the confines of the Imperial troops' defense perimeter. General Li is trying to relocate him to a more central place until the threat of an attack no longer exists. I have offered to put him up since we have the room, Li."

Her mother nodded. "I'll make preparations and have the guest room made up."

"Baba, have you ever seen falcons around here?"

He gave her a quizzical look.

"I saw one flying out of the Xiao family's garden before. Shang told me he was just catching his dinner."

"Shang?"

"Li Shang walked by here before," Grandma explained, grinning at Mulan. "She invited him in for tea."

He sighed. "Well, as long as your mother and grandmother were here with you, it's okay. It would not be proper for you to be seen out alone with him, Mulan."

"Yes, Father. About the falcon…he had something in his beak. Shang said it was probably his dinner."

A concerned frown crossed her father's features as he lifted his cup and stared into the liquid thoughtfully. He set it down again without taking a sip.

"Did you notice the direction that the falcon flew in?"

"Yes. He flew north…" she trailed off as Hua Zhou released a worried sigh.

"I was afraid that's what you would say."

"What is it, Baba?"

"Many of the men of the northern nomadic tribes use falcons for hunting and scouting. Shan-Yu is one of those men."

"Do you think it was his falcon spying?"

"It's possible."

He stood up.

"Zhou…?" Li began.

"I must go into town to speak with General Li."

Li hurriedly stood and went to retrieve his cloak for him. He took it from her and put a comforting arm around her shoulders when he saw her anxious expression.

"The three of you will be fine. I will stop by Xiao Chen's home first and ask him if one of his sons wouldn't mind coming to stay with you while I'm gone. They are all skilled in fighting and can protect you."

He left and a short time later one of the wiry, teenage Xiao boys arrived, his little sister Lien in tow. Mulan could see that she had been crying and Xiao Long was scowling slightly at his younger sister, obviously irked that she had been left to his care along with three women from an entirely different family.

"Oh, what's wrong?" Mulan asked, crouching down so she would be eye-level with her.

"She can't find one of her dolls," he answered, clearly annoyed but keeping it in check. She was his little sister after all and he knew the importance of family as well as any one of them did. "We thought if she came to visit you she'd feel better."

"Aw. I'm sorry about your doll, Lien. Come with me. You can play with my dolls. Would you like that?"

She stood up and held out her hand to the little girl. Lien hesitated for a moment then nodded and stepped forward, reaching out and grasping Mulan's hand. She led her down the hall to her room.

"Here you go," she coaxed, kneeling down beside a chest that was in one corner of the room and opening it. Beckoning the little girl over, she showed her the collection of dolls from when she was a little girl. She hadn't been able to bring herself to give them away, even though she no longer played with them; in fact, she'd almost completely stopped playing with them once she became interested in martial arts. "You can play with as many of them as you want."

Lien glanced over the dolls and her eyes widened as one in particular caught her eye, a small figure with a red dress. She scooped it up eagerly.

"You like that one? That was one of my favorites."

"She looks like Mei-Mei."

"Is Mei-Mei the doll you lost?"

"Yes," Lien answered sadly. "She had a red dress, too. I was playing with her in the garden. I don't know what happened to her. She was my favorite one."

Mulan frowned. Maybe an animal had gotten to the doll; or a falcon. She'd seen that falcon fly out of the Xiao's garden after all.

"Did you leave her out in the garden?"

The little girl nodded. "I just went inside for a minute. When I came back out she was gone."

"Well, I'll tell you what. If you'd like, you can have this one."

"Really?"

She nodded and smiled. "I know it's not Mei-Mei, but you can think of her as a sister to Mei-Mei."

"Okay," Lien answered, her eyes brightening. "What's her name?"

"I called her Su. But you can change the name if you want to."

"No, I like Su. Thank you, Mulan."

"You're welcome."

Lien grinned at her and hugged Su against her chest.

oooOooo

There would be a shift change a couple of hours after midnight, but right now Shang stood in the forest with the other soldiers on his shift and kept watch, changing position every once in awhile for variety and so as not to become fatigued. Very few soldiers liked the night shift; often it was the younger soldiers that were put on that watch, along with the more seasoned soldiers with low or no rank. Shang had very good night vision having already trained for this sort of thing, and he knew that his father was making certain that he didn't receive special treatment as his son. It would breed resentment. Besides, Shang wanted to achieve his successes and rank on his own merit and hard work, not because his father was the general. He knew that in truth General Li was looking out for him and his method would ensure that he gained respect rather than scoffing from his peers.

They were on the south side of the village and, as even a fifteen-year-old girl had pointed out, the enemy was coming from the north. Of course, she was a unique fifteen-year-old girl. But he knew that this was a precaution; it was important to defend every border, no matter what the likelihood of it being crossed.

Shang found his thoughts drifting to Mulan as the other soldiers bantered quietly, mostly about women. It was obvious that she had the talent and inclination for the martial arts, as unusual as that was, and she seemed amiable to him helping her. A smile came to his lips as he thought about the first exercise he could demonstrate for her, something his father had shown him for the first time when he was only eight years old. He remembered how amazed he was when he saw it as a little boy; and he longed now to see the same look of wonder on her face as he performed the very same exercise for her.

The laughter of his comrades became louder, snapping Shang out of his reverie and he refocused his attention on his surroundings, frowning at his own error. Even if the enemy wasn't likely to be coming from that direction he knew better than to let himself become distracted like that when he was on watch. He had better training than that.

Straightening to his full height, he cleared his mind and concentrated on his surroundings, determined to not let it happen again. All soldiers knew that it was a difficult part of the job; watches could be long and boring, and often a man only had his own thoughts as company. It was still more difficult at night, and there were times when soldiers fell asleep on watches; they were usually killed for that. There was no excuse for slacking on a crucial part of defense.

"Hey, kid, relax," one of the soldiers remarked softly with a chuckle. "Come and join in the discussion."

"What?" the young man responded, bewildered.

"You haven't told us about your women yet," a second soldier piped up.

"Leave him alone, Deng. He's too young to have been with a woman yet."

"I understand that you have a promising future, kid," the soldier named Deng spoke again, regarding Shang coolly. "Being General Li's son and all, who would doubt that?"

His tone was sardonic and Shang felt himself stiffen on hearing it.

"He's my father, but he treats me no differently. I work as hard as anyone else in this regiment," he responded, keeping his voice even despite his annoyance.

"Yeah, we know. Deng just wants to tease you a little bit. It's his way of initiating you."

Deng remained silent, sizing him up. The other nicer soldier turned to him now.

"Besides, women are just a distraction. A promising young man like you should just concentrate on your career and ignore the girls. As difficult as it may be," he added with a laugh.

Shang turned his face away so they wouldn't somehow see in the dark that he was blushing.

oooOooo

Hua Zhou returned a couple of hours later, his mood somber. Mulan wanted to ask him what had happened but thought better of it. He disappeared into his own room shortly after his arrival home.

Restless and unable to sleep, she threw on a robe and lit a candle. She left her room and moved quietly through the house, stepping outside and stealing across the front courtyard. It was a beautiful, clear night and she glanced up at the star-covered sky and took a deep breath.

Enjoying the soft breeze that brushed her face, she moved to their front gate and gingerly opened it, standing on the threshold and gazing off toward the nearby forest. Li Shang would be there now, taking his turn on watch. She smiled to herself as she thought of him. He was a little bit full of himself but she supposed he had a right to be, being that handsome and well-built. In other ways he was very nice; and there were even times when he was unsure of himself and seemed to embarrass so easily. She giggled as she thought of the blush on his face when she invited him in.

She'd been pleasantly surprised when he showed up that afternoon, though a little miffed that he was laughing at her while she was practicing. But he'd offered to help her with that one move that she had been trying to master lately, the one that he'd caught her faltering on. There was nothing to lose accepting his assistance and she had the added bonus of spending time with him. And she knew it would please her grandmother no end.

Another bout of giggles began to build up inside of her as she pictured her grandmother's face when she'd walked into the house with him earlier. Grandma had almost looked like a cat that had just swallowed a bird.

A stronger breeze blew and Mulan quickly brought her free hand up to shield the candle from the wind, cupping her hand around the small flame.

Shang had told her that his shift ended in the middle of the night, a couple of hours after midnight. She was tempted to wait up so that when he passed by, she would 'happen to' be there. If she was caught by her father there would be hell to pay, though. And she hardly knew Shang; she didn't really even understand why she was behaving in this way.

Giving up on the idea, she turned back to the house after lingering for another moment.

"Mulan," a voice startled her from within the dark hallway as she quietly entered through the front door.

She jumped at the voice and her heart thudded rapidly in her chest. Another flame flickered in the dark before her, and she registered that it had been a female voice that she'd heard in the same moment that she glimpsed her grandmother's face in the dim light of the candle.

"Looking to catch a glimpse of your soldier on his way home?"

Grandma spoke sotto voce but Mulan could hear the smile in her voice.

"Come into the kitchen," she continued before Mulan had a chance to answer, taking her by the arm and leading her. "I'll make tea and we can talk."

oooOooo

"Balance is everything," he instructed her as she brought him the wooden bucket of water drawn from the well that he'd asked for. "I'm going to show you."

Mulan frowned. Right now all she'd done was fetch water for him and she was feeling somewhat annoyed at having to labor for him as part of his martial arts training assistance. She walked away to stand a few feet from him, as his highness had ordered.

Shang took the bucket and raised it up, placing it on the top of his head and letting go of it, balancing it easily. She watched as he picked up the staff that he'd leaned against the garden wall and held it horizontally in front of him with two hands.

"Okay, now pick up some pebbles and throw them at me." He bent his knees lightly and straightened them again, his torso straight and unmoving as it lowered and rose again, the bucket remaining perfectly balanced on his head.

She stared at him, hesitating.

"Go ahead. You won't hurt me."

Scooping up some stones from the ground she hurled them at him, intent on beaning him. Moving just his arms to maneuver the staff Shang deflected every single stone she threw at him, no matter how many flew toward him or where they were aimed. The bucket stayed where it was on his head and not a drop of water escaped.

"Show off," she muttered under her breath, though she had to admit privately that she was truly impressed.

"Now you try it."

He held the staff out toward her and she stepped forward to take it from him. He reached up and removed the bucket of water from his head, holding it out and placing it on the top of hers. It wobbled dangerously as she attempted to balance it, unused to the weight on her head. After a moment it tipped and she yelped and squirmed as she felt some of the cold water stream down the side of her shirt. The wooden bucket crashed to the ground with a thud and the rest of the water spilled out.

Shang laughed and she scowled at him as he bent to pick up the bucket. She reached down and peeled her partially soaked shirt away from her skin, attempting to wring out the water.

"Here, try it while the bucket is empty," he coaxed, handing it to her and letting her place it herself.

Her second attempt went a little more smoothly but balancing the empty bucket wasn't much easier than balancing it when it was filled with liquid. She never even got to try deflecting stones with the staff.

"Keep practicing your balance. Once you can stand still and balance the bucket with the water in it, then you can start learning to move with it."

He went over to the well and refilled the bucket. Returning with it, he held it out to her.

"Try it with the water now," he suggested. "I didn't fill it all the way. Just half."

She took it out of his hands and lifted it, placing it on the top of her head and attempting to balance it. Hesitantly she eased her hands away from the sides, but brought them back against the bucket instantly as she felt that it wasn't going to stay in place. She removed it and shook her head at him. Aside from feeling as if this particular day wasn't the day she was going to get the knack of this exercise, she also didn't want to deal with the embarrassment of him laughing at her.

Setting it on the ground, she straightened up and folded her arms, staring at him defiantly.

"It'll be easy once you figure it out. Let me show you one more time."

She unfolded her arms and nodded as he picked up the bucket of water and placed it on his head. He lowered his arms and grinned at her.

"See?"

Moving suddenly she shoved him, catching him off-guard. With a self-satisfied smirk she watched as the bucket tumbled off of his head and the water poured out, splashing him a little.

His mouth dropped open and he looked like he didn't know whether to yell at her or laugh. She giggled.

"That's the thanks I get for trying to teach you?" he exclaimed, feigning outrage. "I can't believe you did that."

"I'm sorry, Shang," she replied through her giggles. "Come inside for tea and I'll get us both towels, okay?"

His face softened into a smile and he bent down and scooped up the empty bucket. She turned and began to lead the way into the house. A moment later the bucket was over her head, covering her face, and she heard him laughing beside her. She lifted it up and turned her face to him with a grin.

"Okay, now we're even," she giggled again.

oooOooo

"It's going to be another clear day tomorrow," Temujin remarked as he glanced up at the bright night sky, studying the stars carefully. "With any luck the weather will stay in our favor."

He glanced toward his leader who was in earshot but had chosen to keep himself apart from them on this night, brooding moodily.

"I believe we're only a few days away, too," Arslan added, poking with a short stick at the small fire that they were gathered around and then tossing it into the flame. They were surrounded by peaks and forests and were well-hidden on this night; so it was decided that it would be safe to light small fires throughout the camp. Several soldiers were gathered around each of them, talking, laughing, bickering good-naturedly.

Shan-Yu stood apart from the others, near the edge of the cliff, gazing into the distance, toward the place where they were headed. He rubbed his chin absently, his face set in a scowl.

"A few days away from the village," Temujin responded softly, still watching his friend. "We're weeks away from the Imperial City."

"Getting past the Great Wall was the easy part," another of their comrades Bala chuckled.

"Our soldiers are as prepared as the Imperial Army," Arslan piped up again. "And twice as ruthless. We'll get through their defense."

"No doubt," Temujin answered, tossing a twig that he'd scooped up from the ground onto the fire and standing up. He strode toward the edge of the cliff to join his friend.

"We'll be visible coming down the hill. And they'll be hidden."

"You're not going to let this go, are you, Temujin?" the leader remarked quietly as his close friend continued to argue with his decision once again.

"We're sworn brothers, Shan-Yu. That gives me the right to tell you when you are making a rash and unwise decision. Besides, I know that you're already considering my idea. That's what's bothering you tonight."

Shan-Yu chuckled softly. But he nodded in acknowledgment and took a minute to weigh his friend's words.

"The Imperial archers would be able to just rain arrows on us as we come down the hill," he remarked thoughtfully, bringing a hand back up to his chin and absently rubbing it with his forefinger. "And we won't be able to see them. They'll be camouflaged by their surroundings in the valley."

"Besides," Temujin added, "this village will just be a distraction for us. Our real goal is the Forbidden City. And if this general is expecting us to come traipsing into that village, why don't we just completely throw him off and not show up?"

"You're right. Our real target is the Emperor."

"What if just a division of us went into the village while the rest of you continued on to Chang'an?"

Shan-Yu regarded his friend with a melancholy gaze.

"That occurred to me. But it would be a suicide mission, Temujin. You know that just as surely as I do. If you think our entire army would be destroyed, what do you think would be the outcome for just a small group going in without the backup of the rest of us?"

"None of us has any doubt that the troop stationed there knows we're on our way and is prepared for us. But still, we'll take as many of them with us as we can. We can keep them distracted and occupied. You'll need that. As you yourself pointed out, going around the outskirts of the valley will add weeks on top of an already lengthy trip."

"Yes," Shan-Yu agreed, musing on his friend's words. "And the distraction will keep them from figuring out too soon what we've done."

"And I'll reiterate, my friend; the important thing is getting to the Forbidden City and to the Emperor."

Shan-Yu frowned as the levity of the decision he was about to make with regard to many of his men, as well as a good friend, settled in his mind and heart. No more words were spoken between them about it ever again, but an understanding had been reached wordlessly.

Two days later, in the morning, they approached the path that would lead them into the valley and to the village. Shan-Yu saluted his friend and sworn brother as Temujin turned down that path with his division of men, men who had volunteered to sacrifice themselves for their kin. He watched them as they disappeared down the hill, descending toward their inevitable deaths, then turned to the rest of his men.

"Men, our journey will be longer and rougher as we circumvent this valley, but our comrades will keep our enemy busy while we bypass the Emperor's army and reach the Imperial City. Let's make a solemn oath that our brothers' sacrifices will not be in vain."

A quiet murmur of approval and sworn support rolled through the ranks as they followed their leader, continuing in the direction of the high mountain pass that would lead them toward Shaanxi Province and, ultimately, Chang'an and the Emperor's palace.