Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

“A life for a life, my debt is repaid.” Shang said, voice low and dripping with disdain. Eyes distant and filled with resentment.

Mulan’s face was practically buried in the snow from how low she was bowing. She could feel the icy floor seeping into every inch of her half covered body. Her knees were frozen in place, the blanket she grasped around her shoulders to cover her dignity was starting to feel heavy from the melted snow it had soaked up, her overheated face felt like it was steaming against the cold ground. She grit her teeth so hard her jaw began to hurt, tears burned in the back of her eyes daring to spill out any moment.

She collected herself slightly before she looked back up to Shang, when her eyes rose she saw his back turned toward her. Not once looking back at her small form in the snow. None of the soldiers she fought with could look at her. Not even Chien-Po. She looked around for anyone that would help her, stand up for her. No one did. All bound to the laws of honour, they coward in fear.

“Move out!” Shang shouted at his troops. They began marching with him, snow up to the mid shin.
“B-but you can’t just…” Chi-Fu started as he ran up to the Captain, clearly upset that he didn’t get to see the spectacle of Mulan’s beheading.
Shang grabbed him by the collar of his robes, “I said move out.” Shoving him slightly out of his way as he carried on toward the peaks of the mountains.

Then they left her. Half naked in the frozen peaks with nothing more than a thin blanket over her shoulders. Her father’s sword glistened in the snow, the look of it seemed to taunt her, laughing at her decision to think she could have done this. Her fist closed even tighter around the blanket until her knuckles were ghostly white and her fingertips were numb. The tears returned and this time with no men around to judge her they fell. Rolling down her cheeks and freezing when they hit the snow beneath her. Her emotions rose. Anger, hatred, shame, all of it rose at once, spilling out of her soul.

She slammed her fist into the frozen floor, her hand easily broke through the thin layer of ice and into the soft packed snow beneath. It stung, a mix of heat and cold burning flooded her nerves. As she pulled it out of the hole, the ice caught her skin and tore cuts into her hand. Streams of red crimson dripped from her fingers and down her wrist. She did not care. She squeezed her fist shut, feeling the burn of the cuts being pulled tight.

She stood quickly, the ache of her knees almost took her down again but she managed to stay upright. She stepped over to her fathers sword and grabbed it by its hilt and stomped over to the cliffedge. She raised the weapon over her head. She wanted to throw it. Get the damn thing out of her sight, it’s just a reminder of all her failures in life. She held it there for a long moment, hot tears running down her face like waterfalls. After a long moment had passed she collapsed with the sword in her lap. She couldn’t. Her fathers sword was the only familiar thing in these strange mountains. She wept, her tears falling onto the blade. Her father. She loved her father so much. All of this was for him, to save him. Relieve him of having to go through the trauma of war a second time.

If only she were a man, all of this wouldn’t have happened like this. She would have gone to that damned army camp and fought just like any other soldier. Not having to hide who she truly was and knowing she wouldn’t get away with it. Knowing deep down that she would eventually be caught. But she never thought she would be caught like this. Her side sliced open by a mad warlord, her needing to get medical attention for it because if she didn’t she would have died. The doctor being the one who found her female body under the armour that was Ping while she lay unconscious. That being the way she was discovered made her angry because she had no control. Just like everything else in her life the control was always in the men's hands never hers. Never in control of her own choices for her life, she was tired of it. But what could she do about it other than be angry. Nothing. Men ran the world she lived in, everything was always up to them.
She clutched the weapon in her hand and stood, looking over the mountain pass letting the freezing wind bite her naked skin. Her hair finally free of the confines of the hair wrap brushed gently across her face. Her mind began to stir again as she watched the last of the Chinese soldiers disappear into the snowy abyss. Her face twisted into a hateful sneer. Mercy they called it. As if she should be grateful they left her here with no more than a medical blanket to cover herself and a fresh wound festering at her side. No food, no water, no nothing. How is that any better than being beheaded and letting her blood spill onto the pure white snow. It’s not. When she really thought about it’s actually worse, being left out here to die a slow cold painful death trying to get back to her home village. She would not make it more than a few hours, maybe a day if she's lucky. That basically is execution, just without the sharp blade and the bloody mess.
She stared at the footsteps her once fellow soldiers left in the snow. Her emotions began to rise again. She had saved them. She saved them all from a vicious death the Huns would have most definitely given them. She saved them and they abandoned her. Like nothing more than a piece of garbage. The sneer on her face turned into a rageful blankness. How dare they. They would rather stick to law than see the righteous truth right in front of them. A burning rage lit inside her. Honour was a broken word men used to blind themselves to the truth. A word that they would hide behind even when they knew they were in the wrong.

How dare they.

She quickly pivoted back to Khan, walking over to her steed. No longer being able to stand the sight of the footsteps that walked away from her. She placed the thin blanket over Khan’s back, giving him a scratch on the neck. The bite of the cold fully hit Mulan's body, in nothing but her chestwrap and trousers she stood there. Mushu hopped up onto Khan’s back and surprisingly he actually let him.

“What’s the plan then?” He asked. Mulan looked over at him, she really didn’t know. She took a deep breath in letting the cold air burn her lungs. When she exhaled her breath looked like that of a dragon. She reached into Khan’s saddlebag and pulled out her training robes. Dirty but it will have to do, it was better than freezing to death. She went to put the robe on, lifting her arms above her head. As she did an excruciating jolt of pain ran through her body. She folded in on herself, her hands rushing to hold her side. When she placed them there she was met with a hot, sticky, soaked through bandage. She looked down at her hands and they were saturated with blood.

Panic rose in her throat. “No no no, not now.” She said to herself. She then looked to her side, her whole right side was painted red. The bandage was doing little to nothing to keep any blood in her body. When Chi-Fu yanked her from the medical tent by her arm and threw her on the ground her stitches must have split open. The adrenaline and emotion just has been blocking the pain the last few minutes. She felt herself start to go cold, find something to wrap it with. She could do that. The blanket will work for now, she grabbed it off of Khan and cut it into a long strip. Tying it as tightly as she could around her body, the pressure seared her side but it worked. At least for the next few minutes it would. She calmed for just a moment, she reached for her robes again this time throwing them on her injured body. Tying the sash around her waist gave it even more pressure to keep the blanket piece in place.

“I’m going to have to face my father sooner or later, let’s just go home.” Mulan said with disdain in her voice. “Mulan you gushing out blood like a cherry filled dessert! There’s no way you can make it back there in time.” Mushu exclaimed. “I’m fine, Mushu. Please let’s just get off this damn mountain.” Mulan retorted. Mushu went to say something snarky back but by the look on Mulan’s face she wasn't in the mood to hear it. “Fine. Fine! But if you fall off this cow from blood loss I’m not dragging you all the way back there.” He grumbled.

As they collected the last of their things into Khan’s saddlebags Mulan heard a cawing from above, a falcon flew high in the sky. She thought nothing of it, it’s just a bird. She needs to get at least to a doctor before she actually bleeds out.

 

Shan Yu’s falcon, Hayabusa, flew above the snowy graveyard. The aftermath of the avalanche was despair. Over half of the Hun Army was dead. Hayabusa cawed and cawed, hoping that at least a few of the Huns survived. His call sounded like a death whistle echoing through the mountains.

Shan Yu, buried in the snow, heard the call of his loyal companion, but everything around him was frozen. It was cold and dark but inside him a rageful fire smouldered hot and alive. He kept seeing the face of that small soldier that brought down the mountain with a cannon. How? How could a soldier that small, that miniscule outsmart his entire army? His dark eyes opened full of wrath, he then closed his frozen hand into fist and punched through the layer of ice. Using his strong, callused hands he climbed his way out of the deep snow. His talon like nails clawing his way out of his frozen grave, straining every muscle he has in his body to pull himself up. He manages to get himself free, his frozen muscles melting with the fiery rage inside his dark heart. He looks around, to his horror, all he sees is his victory taken away right from under his nose. Swords and spears shining in the moonlight like metal tombstones marking the death of another fallen Hun, dark tuffs of hair poking through the surface of the snow, dead horses with no riders were peppered throughout the pass. That fire within him surged at the sight, it burned into his lungs filling them with frigid air. A yell tore from his throat, echoing against the peaks of the mountain, calling out to whoever survived the disaster.

Across the pass a few Hun soldiers climbed out of their own snowy graves. Bursting out of the ground and from underneath rubble like men reborn. Anger surged from their bodies, followed by confusion. Each one of them spotted their Khan at the top of the pass, they climbed their way toward their leader. Loyal to him until death claims their souls. Only 5 remained after the avalanche. Lieren, Zhencha, two of his top soldiers, the brute twins Bao and Bai, along with one of his best archers, Sheshou. Hayabusa landed on his shoulder as he always did, he turned to face his remaining soldiers. Another wave for wrath flowed through him when he realized this was all that was left of his two hundred plus riders.

“What the hell happened Shan Yu?” Lieren asked him. Shan Yu answered him with a huff of air. “It was that puny soldier, he shot a cannon into the loose snow.” Bao answered back, “He did this, he killed our whole squadron.” The men started to become antsy, itching to get their blades into the soldier who did this. “Did you see him Khan?” Bai asked Shan Yu. The Hun leader looked out at the valley of death, “I saw a man aim a cannon at a wall of snow instead of my chest because he knew that would be the only way their pathetic army would survive another day.” Shan Yu finally responded. “Are you saying you’re impressed?” Bai asked. Shan Yu quickly glared at him, “I’m saying we’ve never encountered a soldier from the Imperial Army think that abstract before.” Shan Yu said.
Shan Yu thought to himself as the others spoke among themselves for a moment. He was outsmarted by an Imperial soldier and it cost him half his army. He’s killed hundreds of Imperial soldiers just in the few weeks he’s spent here. None of them thought like that, they were all brute force. Attack with blades drawn and cannons aimed at Huns. So what made this man so different? What made him think so quickly? So many unanswered questions, all he thought would not be answered soon enough.

“We need to regroup, head back to the rest of the army.” Zhencha advised. Bao retaliated, “No! We invade the city now, we can take them, there aren’t that many left.” The men argued while Shan Yu remained silent. “Us and what army? The one buried under the snow we stand on or the one that’s fit to fight back at camp?” Zhencha threw back. That quieted Bao down.
The men turned to look at their leader who saw the Imperial City on the horizon, still hundreds of kilometers away. A few months journey away, most of the land being low mountain ranges, tundras and glaciers.

“The army is still a two months walk away from the Imperial City, we need reinforcements if we are to do this successfully. We will head back and inform the rest of the army what happened here tonight and we will continue to follow the army from the shadows. They think we are all dead, we will use that to our advantage. Pick them off bit by bit until there is little of them left and then we strike and take the city for ourselves.” Shan Yu ordered.

Shan Yu knows he needs to think more carefully now. He just lost all these men that were under his command; he can't afford to be too reckless anymore. But he will not let this event stop him from completing his conquest. The Huns nodded their head to their Khan, following his lead. They turn and walk toward the Hun hideout in the mountain peaks.

As they walked higher up the mountain Shan Yu heard the sound of a horse's reins in the far distance, he signaled to his Huns to stop their movement immediately. He then pointed two fingers signaling them to scatter. As they continued to move forward, the sound of horse reins got louder, they heard snow crunching underneath boots. The Huns looked at each other, someone is here and it’s not one of their own. They followed the sound like animals, predators hunting in the night. Catching the scent of a new prey to bite and kill, they continued to follow it through the snowy hills.

Soon they got to a wide opening in the hills and Shan Yu spied around the stone wall of the mountain from where the sound was coming from. He saw a single man and his horse, he seemed to be in quite the rush. Packing his belongings in his horse's saddlebags. He looked back to his Huns, he signaled “It’s a single Imperial soldier. Surround him.” The Huns did as they were told.
Shan Yu moved close, still stalking his new prey. His back was to him, he couldn’t see his face but this man was small in stature. His hair was down which was odd coming from a soldier. This man was as good as dead, Shan Yu thought to himself. He quietly pulled out his sword and walked out to him.

 

Mulan heard the yell some minutes ago, she didn’t know where it came from or what it was but she knew that it wasn’t a good sign. All of her things were packed up and ready to go, her vision was becoming more blurry by the minute. She needed to get out of here. Fast. As she was about to climb onto Khan’s back she heard someone speak.
“Well what do we have here?” A dark voice taunted. Mulan’s whole body went rigid, her blood, or what she had left of it, went ice cold in her veins. “Looks like someone fell behind.” Another voice rang to her left. “All alone in dangerous territory.” Said another to her right.

So she was surrounded, fantastic.

“Who are you?” Mulan said softly as to try and not give her feminine voice away. “A group of very dangerous men that your army has pissed off.” Another new voice said behind her. “Hands up and turn around slowly.” That first dark voice said. The very depth of it sent a shiver up her spine but she did as she was told nonetheless.

As she did so the men came into her view, the Huns. Alive and walking. No. No thats not possible she killed them all, buried them underneath that avalanche. They were supposed to be dead. But yet here some of them stood. They all were radiating anger from their bodies, Mulan could feel it in the air around them. A horrid feeling of dread filled the empty spaces between the anger. Fear rose in Mulan’s throat but she did her best to keep it hidden, she would not show weakness in front of these men. So she held her chin up, trying to ignore the searing pain in her side.

“What’s a lone soldier like you doing out here?” One of them asked. Mulan didn’t answer, there was no good answer to give. “I thought all of you got killed.” Mulan said. Some of them laughed roughly, “You can’t kill all of us that easily.” They moved closer to her, some with their blades drawn, others just stalked toward her with horrible looks in their eyes. Mulan was backed against Khan’s powerful chest; she could feel her horse's heartbeat at her back. “Dont try and hop on that horse of yours, or Sheshou will put an arrow through its neck.” A Hun with long hair threatened. She looked in the distance and saw the archer in the treeline, pointing an arrow right at Khan. “Okay! Okay, what do you want? I don't have anything for you.” Mulan pleaded. “Oh you have plenty for us.” Another said while they approached from all directions, surrounding her completely.

This was it, Mulan thought, this is how she dies, at the hands of these monsters.

But before any one of them could touch her, that same dark voice shouted, “Enough!” It boomed. The men stopped in place immediately. “Back away.” The same voice said but closer this time. The men did as they were told and stepped away from her. As they stepped away, Mulan saw the source of that dark powerful voice.

Shan Yu, Khan of the Huns, stood there with his sword in hand and falcon on his shoulder. Mulan’s throat went dry at the scene. No, no, no she killed this man, she saw him go under the snow. Saw him drown in it! How? How is it possible that he’s not dead? This is not good, she thought to herself. He’ll recognize her. They were practically face to face at the front when she fired that cannon. Mulan swallowed and looked down at the frozen ground. Shan Yu moved closer to her, he was so large compared to her. His shadow enveloped her completely, she felt tiny in his presence. Her heart started to race and her face began to flush, nerves, it’s just nerves and fear she told herself.

Shan Yu studied her for what felt like an eternity. His eyes went dark, “You…” He said quietly. Mulan gathered some courage and looked at him right in his eyes. “Me.” She retorted back. Shan Yu stepped closer to her. She could smell him, pine trees and ash filled her senses. She swallowed again, trying to wet her dry throat. “You are the one that brought the mountain down on us.” Shan Yu said aloud for his Huns to hear. The Huns stepped closer behind their leader. “What? You’re sure?” One asked. Another said, “This tiny thing killed half our army?” Mulan’s face drained of blood. Half? Only half? Which meant there were more of them? No. She couldn’t believe that.

She said nothing, too afraid to give anything away, in too much pain to articulate her words properly. Shan Yu looked at her again, as if he were studying her. Then he looked around and his eyes found the footprints of the rest of the army that left. His eyes looked like he was trying to piece together a puzzle in his head.

He walked up to her again, using his size as a physical intimidator. “Why did they leave you here?” He asked. Mulan tried to come up with a valid reason she could stomach saying out loud, “Th-they had no choice.” She answered. That was a lie, or perhaps it was not. Honour made the choice for them, it did not matter at the end of the day. It still hurt her the same. Shan Yu almost smirked at the white lie, “Armies do not leave useful soldiers for dead in the snow.” He retorted. Mulan’s anger bubbled, damn him. Since when are Huns capable of thinking rationally? “I am not useful to them anymore.” She said back. “Why?” He asked. She did not answer because didn’t have one she could give to them.

It started to snow then. Flakes landed in her raven black hair, on her long eyelashes, melting on her heated face. Shan Yu came even closer, their faces only a couple inches apart. Mulan stepped back, inched closer to her sheathed sword. In the blink of an eye she pulled it loose and held it up to Shan Yu’s chest. She had no strength to hold it any higher. The Huns reacted quickly but Shan Yu held up a hand to stop them from moving.

“What do you plan to do with that?” He asked. Mulan’s arms shook from the effort to hold the heavy blade up, “I could cut you down where you stand.” She said through gritted teeth. Shan Yu saw how much she was shaking. “Hmm.” He hummed to himself. He pushed the sword’s blade away with his hand and like lightning he grabbed Mulan’s wrist and twisted it so the sword fell out of her grip. She tried to shake him off but it was no use, his hands were so large on her arm. They felt like a vice because of how strong they were. “Let go.” She demanded. He did not comply. He twisted harder, feeling this man's bones creek under his powerful grip. Mulan whined grasping at the massive hand that held her to let go.

Shan Yu tossed her back, not hard but not gently either. But Mulan was so far gone that she had little to no balance left. When he threw her she collapsed to her knees, clutching her side as she felt another rush of blood gush out of her. It was starting to soak through her robes. Shit. She was running out of time quickly. As she knelt there on the ground Shan Yu turned to his Huns.
“Khan, this is the man who took down the mountain?” Bai asked. “He is.” Shan Yu answered simply. “Then we should just kill him now.” Shan Yu didn’t necessarily disagree. But he didn’t understand why the Imperial Army would leave the man who took out Shan Yu’s entire front line in the snow to die. There has to be a reason for it.

Behind them Mulan whimpered in agony, her robe was turning more and more red by the second. If the Huns didn’t notice her wound before they definitely will now. She had to take the robe off. It would freeze to her skin if she didn't, but if she did her identity would be discovered. And if the Imperial Army abandoned her she doesn’t want to know what the Hun Army will do. She already felt the blood crystallizing, freezing to her tender wound. She untied the sash and let it fall open pulling off the freezing fabric. And there Mulan was, chestband out for eyes to see. The curve of her waist on display. So what if the Huns saw her like this she decided there and then. She was tired of men making choices for her, she was tired of hiding among them. She is Fa Mulan and no man was going to take that from her again.

One of the Huns looked back toward her, he only saw the massive amount of blood first. “Khan.” He said to Shan Yu and he quickly turned around. His mouth fell slightly open at the amount of crimson that covered her. “That must be the reason they left him here.” Bao said. That still didn’t make any sesen though, "The Imperials have medical carts, they would have taken him if it was just that wound I gave him.” He said to Bao. Mulan had had enough of this guessing game they were playing, like her life was no more than a game. She stood up and balanced herself on her two feet and stood straight. Showed off her body for these men to see the truth. The Huns looked at her like she was a ghost, something that wasn’t supposed to exist in this setting or even this world. They saw the soft curves of a woman beneath the oversized training robes. Her slim waist, the roundness of her hips, her breasts beneath her chestwrap. “My lord, that is no man.” Zhencha said not believing his own eyes. Shan Yu stepped closer to her, she did not step back. For the first time confusion flashed over his features. Not much but enough for her to notice. With the attention on her Mulan’s face flushed with heat, she was not topless but her open blood-soaked robe did little to hide her figure. One of the Hun laughed, another muttered a curse, the other said something in their native tongue Mulan didn’t quite understand. She stepped forward this time, “Say it.” She demanded Shan Yu. He looked at her with such a complex look she couldn't distinguish what was going through his head. “Say what?” He asked. Mulan scowled, “What they said.” She replied. The words came out bitter. “Call me a traitor. A liar. A disgrace. Is that not what men say when they are frightened by a woman holding a sword.” She spat.

The Huns fell silent. Shan Yu stared at her with such intensity it was hard for Mulan to hold his gaze. He stepped closer to her, they were merely a half meter apart.
“A woman.” He said. There was no disgust in it, no disdain. That almost made everything worse. Mulan braced herself for the worse anyway. But he merely turned his head toward the snowy graveyard where his army lay dead. “You did that.” He commented. Mulan held her chin high, “Yes I did.” Shan Yu’s eyes filled with a new emotion she couldn't distinguish. He looked back at her, “You crossed into an army that would kill you for standing among them.” He also stated. Mulan didn’t answer that one. She didn’t need to because Shan Yu understood. That understanding moved across his face slowly, like a dark door opening to new possibilities.

A woman destroyed his charge, a woman had worn a soldier's armour under China’s nose, a woman saved the same men who then stripped her, judged her and abandoned her with an open wound to the cold.

He looked back at the tracks in the snow. “They did not leave you because you failed.” Mulan’s temper flared, “do not pretend you understand.” “I understand men,” he said. “They fear what makes them feel small or weak.” Mulan laughed harshly, “And you don’t?” She questioned. “No.” He simply said. Mulan looked at the blade in Shan Yu’s hands, “Then why do you still hold your sword?” She asked. None of them moved at that moment. He then lowered his blade in his hand. “You are not what I came here to kill.” He said. Mulan smirked, “No? But I am the reason your army is dead.” Shan Yu paused, “you are.”

The honesty of the moment passed between them like a punch, brutal and clean. Shan Yu should hate this woman but he could not get himself to do so. There was an assessment going through his eyes. Anger, interest, respect, it all came in flashes in his eyes.

He leaned down slightly more to her level. “What is your name?” He asked so naturally. She almost said Ping, the lie rose so easily in her throat. A habit, an amour. Then she remembered Shang’s face in the medical tent. The horror, the judgment. She thought of Chi-Fu’s mouth shaping law around her neck like a noose. She thought of her army turning away and leaving her for dead. Ping was dead, they killed him before they left her here. The girl beneath him was all that remained. Mulan started at Shan Yu through the falling snow, “Fa Mulan.” She told him. The name hung between them for a moment. Shan Yu grinned ever so slightly. “Mulan.” He repeated. No mockery or correction. Something inside her starved for validation reacted before she could stop it. He continued to look at her with wonder, “Why did you join them?” He asked. Mulan didn’t want to tell her whole story here but she could give him something. “I did it to save someone.” She answered. Shan Yu stated again, “you took his place knowing that you would be killed if you were discovered.” Mulan’s breath shook, “Yes”. Silence passed between them for a few moments but then Bai broke it, “My lord, woman or not she is the enemy blood. Kill her and be done with it”.

Enemy blood, Mulan shook her head. That truly was all she was now. She was too false for China and yet too Chinese to be Hun, a thing between armies.

Shan Yu left her proximity, the space he gave her should have felt like relief but it didn’t it felt like absence. Mulan was running out of energy very quickly, her vision darkening around the edges. As she was fading in and out, he bent down and picked up her sword. It was small compared to him. Admiring it as he walked over to his Huns, “enemy blood?” He questioned. “Yes,” Bai replied. “She destroyed the pass and killed our men, not only that but she deceived her own.” Shan Yu looked at the craftsmanship of the hilt, “She did. But yet China trained beside her, ate beside her, marched beside her and they never saw what stood among them until blood forced their eyes open. Then they threw away the sharpest blade in their camp because they disliked the hand that held it.” Bai lowered his gaze and Shan Yu turned back to Mulan with her sword in his hand, “if China calls this dishonour, then China deserves every fire I bring to its gates.”

Mulan wanted to tell him to go to hell, spit at him. But she couldn't, she had no strength left in her body. Her vision was going dark and splotchy. She was running out of blood. The Huns were talking about something that Mulan couldn’t make out, her ears were ringing, her head felt heavy. Soon her footing gave out underneath her and she collapsed to the ground, still awake but unable to move. She heard mutters and saw blurry objects moving around her. After a moment she felt a pair of arms scoop her up and lean her into a strong chest. The scent of pine trees and ash filled her senses again. Her head laid on a solid yet comfortable shoulder. She didn’t know what was happening, all she knew is that her body felt safe. Safe enough that she fell into a deep slumber, trying to let her body heal.

As Shan Yu picked up Mulan’s limp body in his strong arms his mind wandered to many different places. But in that moment all he could do was carry her back to his camp and make sure she survived. “Live Fa Mulan.” He whispered to her, her body responded by pressing into him even more. Yes, she’s right where she’s meant to be.

Chapter Text

The Huns continued to debate what the best choice of action to do with this Imperial Chinese woman was.

“We should kill her.” Lieren blurted out, “One less Imperial to worry about, she has no purpose anymore other than to cause dishonour to her family. I’d consider her death to be an act of mercy at this point.”

He looked over to Mulan, glaring at her with eyes that were impossible to read. As she stood there, she looked like something out of a ghost story. Her face was deathly pale and the contrasting red that spilled out of her ribcage made her seem unearthly. Not human and more spirit-like.

Lieren didn’t know what to think of this situation. The concept of a woman being here and still alive was so asinine to him that he couldn’t wrap his head around it.

“Lieren is right, we can’t have any loose ends. If we let her go she could run to the Imperials and let them know of our presense. You said it yourself Khan, they think we are all dead, we need to use that to our advantage.” Zhencha said in a hushed voice.

Shan Yu huffed in response to his Hun’s sharing their opinions.

Of course he understood where they were coming from. The smart idea would be to shove his blade through her heart and put her out of her misery. She was a reject, a stain on the Imperial's livelihood. She killed most of his best riders in just a few moments with one cannon and quick thinking. He should want her dead, to feel her warm blood seep out onto his hands. Knowing that he killed the soldier, no…the woman, responsible for his men’s deaths should bring him a sense of closure and victory.

But his cold heart was telling him there is something worthwhile burning inside this small woman. The capability, the bravery, the intelligence. Any smart warlord knew that a soldier like that should not to go waste.

Yet China threw it all away like it meant nothing. The fact that she was a woman trumped all that she had done for them.

An evil grin appeared on Shan Yu’s face, the Imperials were even more foolish than he originally believed them to be. So blinded by idiotic laws and nonsensical traditions, so much so that they were willing to waste something like her. Something extraordinary.

“What is that look for Khan?” Bao asked his leader. “You must agree that she should die. What else are we supposed to do with her?” Shan Yu looked back to Mulan, she was barely holding herself upright. Leaning forward and stumbling on her feet like newborn deer. Her blood was dripping down her waist and soaking into her trousers all the way down to her ankles. It dripped into the snow, looking like red rose petals against the stark white of the mountain floor.

She was running out of time.

“China was senseless enough to waste this woman to the cold.” Shan Yu started, “How shortsighted of them.”

The Huns glanced at each other for a short moment, not understanding what their leader was getting at. They’ve seen that look on his face before but most of the time it was because he was planning to take out an entire village of civilians in no more than an hour. That’s not what that look was this time.

“My lord you cannot be thinking what I believe you are to be.” Bai said with an exasperated tone. “She’s not worth any of the trouble.” Shan Yu looked back to his soldier, “She’s not?” He questioned. Bai didn’t back down so easily, “No my lord I don’t believe she is. She killed our brothers, she has the same worth as the dirt under our boots.” He said. The Khan of the Huns looked back to the woman in the snow, “This woman ran up to an entire army with nothing more than a cannon in her hands and the armour on her back. And instead of firing the cannon at my heart she thought on her feet and fired it at a wall of snow because she knew that it would be the only way her companions would survive our attack.” Shan Yu looked back to his men, “Can you think of any other soldier that we’ve encountered here that could complete such a feat with their head still on his shoulders?” He questioned all of his men.

They were all silent.

“Now, take all of that fact and put it into perspective that a woman was behind all of it.” Shan Yu continued, “Yes, she did kill our brothers, buried them under the snow we walk on.” He took a couple steps closer to Mulan, “This woman did all of that, and China threw her away because of honour. Foolish, so very foolish.”

Mulan was looking off into nothing, trying to keep herself awake and upright took all her remaining energy. Her resilience astounded him even now, this is a strong woman.
No, no she would not be wasted again…

Zhencha stepped forward, “My lord I understand what you are getting at but is she truly worth the trouble? The others back at camp will not see things the way you do, when they look at her all they will see is the Imperial woman who killed their brothers. They might kill her as soon as she walks through the front gates.” He said. Shan Yu looked over to him, “I do not need them to see things the way I do. This is an opportunity that cannot be wasted. She will be a useful asset to my conquest.” He said sternly. Zhencha sighed softly, “Sir, do you really think that this Imperial woman could be convinced to assist you in taking over her homeland?”

Shan Yu walked around to stand in front of Mulan, looking in her eyes he saw all he needed to see to know the truth. The anger, the hurt, the betrayal.

“Anger can be a tool. Tools can be turned into weapons. All they need is a place to be sharpened." Shan Yu replied.

The Khan’s men did not reply, they knew that his mind had been made up and when the Khan’s mind was made up nothing can be done to change it.
“Grab the horse, do not harm him.” He commanded. The Huns stood there for a moment but did as they were told nonetheless.

As the men moved to grab the reins of Mulan’s horse, the black stallion huffed and bucked. The commotion of his tantrum seemed to breathe a gust of life back into Mulan’s body. She turned her head to find Lieren holding his reins with great force.

“N-no…” She whispered lightly.

She went to take a step forward but as she lifted her foot all her muscles finally gave out. The exhaustion, the bloodloss, the lack of any food or water, finally caught up to her. She felt her body fall through the thin air. She felt breathless, weightless as she collapsed.

But before her broken body could hit the cold floor she felt a strong pair of arms catch her. Warmth spread throughout her body, a scent of pine and ash filled her senses. She didn’t know what was happening. She tried to open her eyes but all she could make out were blocks of blurry colour.

“N-no, no…Khan…” She whimpered into the night sky.

Shan Yu looked down at her as she lay in his arms, she weighed practically nothing in his grasp. He studied her face for a moment, long eyelashes, ink black hair, soft colourless lips, sunken in dark brown eyes. Even at death's doorstep she really was quite beautiful. He pressed his lips together, looking away from her limp body.

He didn’t mean to catch her, an instinct took over to do so. Why did that happen? He decided not to think about it too hard.

Bao looked over to him, spying the girl that lay in his arms. Shan Yu did not back down, “Get moving.” He ordered.

The burly man walked to his twin brother, trying to restrain Mulan’s steed from kicking someone's head off.

The horse spotted Mulan in Shan Yu’s arms, he huffed and quickly calmed down. The look in his eyes, almost knowing that this was the only way to save his person’s life.

Bai smirked and slapped the stallion on the neck, “That’s right, you see we have your rider. Keep calm and you won't get hurt.” The horse turned his head and spit at the Hun, slobber getting all over his shirtless body. “Ugh!” Bai exclaimed. Bao on the other side of the horse tried to stifle his laughter.

Shan Yu rolled his eyes at the twins, “Let’s get moving before we’re snowed in.” Zhancha walked next to Shan Yu, looking at the girl in his arms. “My lord, are you positive this is a good idea, what do you plan to tell everyone back at camp?” He asked. Shan Yu looked over at Zhancha, he was always one of the overthinkers in the Hun Army. “Zhancha, you remember who the leader of this army is, correct?” He questioned. “You are my lord.” He answered in a hushed tone. Shan Yu tilted his head, “That’s right. It does not matter what the others think or believe, I do not need them to understand. This is my army and my conquest…China threw a diamond away to the mountains, that mistake cannot not be rectified.”

Zhancha nodded his head in respect to his Khan. He had faith in Shan Yu, that faith has never once been shaken, even when the avalanche was falling on their heads. So he’s just going to have to trust that Shan Yu knows what he’s doing. And if he’s wrong, that he’s prepared for the consequences to come.

 

As the Huns climbed their way up the snowy mountain side none of them spoke to each other, all of them trying to conserve as much of their energy as they could. The trek up the slope was brutal, snow coming up to their knees when they took a step, the bitter wind nipping at their faces, all they could do was just keep moving. He quickly glanced down at Mulan in his arms, he was trying to keep her as warm as he could and covered from the wind as much as possible. To do so he pressed her closer to his chest, her face was tucked underneath his jaw in the warm spot of his neck. He would not let her freeze to death. No she’s made it too far on her own to be taken out like that.

To keep himself focused on the task at hand of not dying, his mind wandered into possible futures. He knows that this plan will work. He knows what anger and pain can do to a person's soul. He knows that if those emotions are strengthened and pointed in the right direction they can be a powerful weapon.

He knows she’s angry, that’s not the part that has his mind turning. The part that has him thinking is how he’s going to show her that she can be something great here at his side. That she can be something powerful with him who will give her the respect she deserves.

How is he going to show her that China has turned its back on her? Her sickening loyalty to her home country won’t dissipate because the Imperial Army has deemed her a disgrace. She still has strong emotions tied to family, the land, maybe even still the people who left her to die.

He needs to give her a sense of purpose in a new and unfamiliar place. Show her that her skills are not going to be glossed over because she’s a woman but in fact they will be recognized. Show her that things are not as black and white as she believes them to be. Make her realize that the Huns are men with a mission on their hearts, just as the Imperials.

He knows it will take time, the rest of the Hun Army will not welcome her with open arms and he does not expect them too. He does know however that his men recognize and respect strength, capability, and skill.

With that he also knows that kindness and compassion are not going to work, not that he was going to go down that path anyway to convince her. Kindness and compassion can be rejected, thrown out…she won’t respond to that and he would never willingly act that way toward anyone no matter who they are.

Something like this won’t happen overnight. It will take time and patience. Showing her the truth of the situation, it will open her eyes and she will become his.
Become his.

He never really wanted anyone close to him that way before, maybe that was because there was nobody worthy of that spot. She’s something different, something special. Something that he could see standing next to him as an equal.

And he’d also be lying to himself if he didn’t enjoy the thought of having this beautiful woman next to him. To show off to China, show them what they lost and what he gained from it. He would make it a reality, no matter the cost.

When the Khan wants something he will stop at nothing to get it.

“We made it my lord.” Sheshou said, muffled because he was holding an arm over his frozen face.

Soon the soft orange burning fires of the Hun camp came into view. The camp practically covered an entire glacier. Hundreds of tents sprinkled throughout the valley, hundreds of horses waiting for their riders to mount them to ride…their numbers are still strong. Shan Yu needed to remind himself of that, the devastating loss was a punch to the face but the Huns still remained strong and alive.

An archer on the front gates saw their Khan approach, “Open the gates!” He shouted to the guards below.

The guards did as ordered and pushed open the large wooden gates, letting the six surviving Huns back into their camp. The Khan and his surviving men walked into the gathering area of the Hun camp. Dozens of Hun soldiers gathered around, confused as to why they came back here and why there are only a handful of them left. When they looked closer they realized just how rough they looked, frozen and bruised.

And finally they looked down into their Khan’s arms, there lay a person. Confused looks spread over the Huns faces but they knew better than to question their leader flat out without a good reason first.

Junjie, a general in the Hun army and a close friend of Shan Yu for many years, stepped toward their Khan and bowed, “My lord, you’ve returned much sooner than expected. What has happened?” He asked, trying very hard not to glance down at the person in Shan Yu’s arms. The Khan looked around his remaining soldiers, “We’ve been bested.” He started, “The men that I rode with to the Imperial City have been killed. Buried under an avalanche. The ones that stand before you are all that remain.” The Huns look around amongst each other, unable to comprehend what their leader is saying. “H-how is that possible my lord?” A young soldier blurted out. Another one stepped forward, “Yes how? We’ve taken out entire villages with ease, killed hundreds of Imperial soldiers like cutting through grass. How is it now possible that half of our army has been taken out in less than a day?” A ruckus started throughout the Huns, chatter and whispers. Shan Yu needed to collect his army’s faith again, “Quiet!” He shouted and the chatter quit very quickly. “Everyone listen, this loss is a hard blow to our army. But do not be mistaken, this will not set my conquest back. We will continue and push through, take the rest of the Imperial’s out and finally take the city and the Emperor with it.” He reassured everyone. That seemed to calm everyone at least a little bit. Junjie spoke again, “My lord what happened? How did this avalanche happen? The men deserve to know what happened to their brothers.” Shan Yu was silent for a moment, “An Imperial soldier fired a cannon at a wall of snow instead of my heart because he knew that it would be the only way they would survive our attack.” He said with a stoic tone.

Anger, confusion, all of it ran through the faces of the soldiers. All of them having the same thoughts that Shan Yu had when he clawed his way out of the snow in the pass.

“Is this soldier that fired the cannon dead?” An angry soldier asked. Shan Yu answered with nothing more than a huff of air. The same man looked down to the body in Shan Yu’s arms, “My lord, who is that?” He asked carefully. Shan Yu held Mulan tighter against his body, “This is the soldier who fired the cannon.” He said aloud for all to hear. Immediately chatter started throughout the camp, some with quiet outrage, some with confusion. “The man that lay in your grasp is the one who murdered our brothers? Well, do you intend to torture him my lord? Pry information out of him, anything that we could use to gain advantage over the Imperials.” Another commander asked.

Shan Yu slowly released his tight grip on Mulan’s weak body, turning her so that her face is out for his men to see. An audible gasp was heard when Mulan’s face was shown, her upper body also out for eyes to see.

“What is this my lord?” Junjie asked. Shan Yu spoke up, “This is the soldier that fired the cannon. This woman.” He shifted Mulan to his arms and held her up slightly to let others see all around him.

The crowd was getting bigger by the second, other men hearing the commotion. “A woman? How is that possible?” “Why would Khan bring her here?” So many questions arose and none of them were answered.

Shan Yu put Mulan in one arm and held up a hand so silent his men, they did so very quickly. “This was the woman who killed half of my army, then her identity was then discovered by the Imperials and they left her to die in the mountains…” He paused for a moment. “A woman did what hundreds of men could not in just a quick moment. Not just that but she saved the lives of her companions and they abandoned her.” He looked down at her, “She is an opportunity that is not to be wasted for my conquest. I do not expect you to understand but I do expect you to understand this, no harm is to come to her. If I find out that a man touched her, that man loses his hand. She is my prisoner. Not the camps. Do I make myself clear?” The Khan said with a deathly serious tone.

Glances were shared around the camp, not all of them friendly or understanding but they knew that their Khan meant what he said.

Junjie started, “My lord I-” He then was cut off by Shan Yu, “Do I make myself clear General?” He repeated. Junjie swallowed, “Yes sir.” Shan Yu stood to his full height, “Good, now bring me Wěijié.” The men parted ways and soon a short man with white hair came from the crown and walked up to Shan Yu. He studied Mulan’s body for a moment, “What happened to her?” He asked. Shan Yu responded, “I cut her side open, she’s been bleeding out for quite some time.” The healer sighed, “Of course you did. Bring her to my medical tent.”

Shan Yu followed the man to his tent, eyes on the small body in Shan Yu’s hands. They don’t know it yet but they will come to find out that Shan Yu is never wrong about his plans on conquest, she will be great and he will have her beside him.

Until death do them apart.

Chapter Text

The Huns practically parted like the Red Sea for Wěijié as he stormed through the snowy camp.

The stout man always walked like he was on a mission of life or death, and in a way he always was, someone's life was in his hands at all times. Dying of hypothermia from staying out in the deep snow too long, a deep knife wound from a grizzly battle, or something as simpleminded as eating poison berries, he was constantly looking after peoples' wellbeing.

Wěijié had been in the Hun army longer than Shan Yu had been alive.

Nobody knew how old the greying man truly was but they did know that he had served Shan Yu’s father before him and had even served his grandfather in his last few days of life before that.

The Lotus Healer, a name that had been given to him throughout the years, had seen the Hun Army go through its share of Khans over time. All of them descended from Shan Yu’s bloodline, all of them just as ruthless and bloodthirsty as he.

The Yu family remained in power through their iron fists, merciless tactics and consistently proving their ability along with their strength in war time throughout the decades.

He’d served them all as the army’s healer.

He lived for his work, perfected his craft throughout his years of life. So much so, some people called his work magic because of how well it worked and how quickly. He always laughed at statements like that, half insulted that people undermined his abilities to simply just magic. Something that didn’t exist...

Sometimes he thinks he’s seen everything that exists on the planet.

Nothing truly surprised his old eyes anymore, he had seen everything up, down, left and right.

But right now he’s seeing something that is as close to a surprise as he thinks it will ever get for him, something that he truly has never seen before.

Behind him, he sees his relentless leader carry a woman in his arms like a bride. Holding her with such a softness that, in a way, didn’t look natural coming from the murderous Khan of the Huns.

Shan Yu said he was the one who sliced her ribcage open with his blade, that’s not the part that surprised Wěijié though, the part that surprised him was that he was willing to bring an enemy, not just of his army back to his camp, but the person who buried half his army under six feet of snow.

He knew that Shan Yu was smart, you had to be in order to command the Hun army properly, but this was a level of intelligence he couldn’t tell if it was up or down yet.

At the end of all things it really did not matter to him, Wěijié didn’t have a personal stance in the situation as most of the remaining Huns did, all he was there for was to do his work and heal injured soldiers. If the Khan commanded it, it would be done. So he continued marching through the crowd with Shan Yu not far behind him.

The two men did not say anything as they walked. Shan Yu mostly kept his eyes on Mulan passed out in his arms. He could feel her blood-soaked bandages and cloak start to seep into his sleeves. Her hot blood coating his arms like a blanket of death. Despite himself, he felt a pang of concern go through his heart.

She can’t die…no. No. He refuses to let that happen to her.

His eyes flicked to Wěijié, he kept a good distance between the two of them as they walked. The Lotus Healer was quite literally half the size of him. Height wise he barely came up to Shan Yu’s elbow, build wise it may as well be an anthill in comparison to a mountain.

Soon they walked up to a large black tent with white plumes coming out of a smokehole at the top. “Come in.” Wěijié said sternly as he entered his tent. Shan Yu pushed the tent flap out of the way with his shoulder and stepped inside the large tent behind the healer.

It was dark inside, only lit by the smokehole letting the soft sunlight in and it smelled of incense and tonic.

Shan Yu has been in here once or twice over the years for nothing more than a slight cut that he wanted to make sure it wouldn’t get infected. He was in and out as fast as he could be, needing to get back to commanding his army. He never stopped and actually looked around Wěijié’s tent, taking in the scene with his senses.

“Put her down there.” Wěijié demanded as he walked over to his medicine table.

Shan Yu walked over to the bed and crouched down. He gently lowered her from his arms, placing her down onto the bedroll, making sure to place her head comfortably onto the pillow.

A strand of her hair fell onto her pale face once she was settled, Shan Yu stared at it for a moment…Then he lifted his large hand to her face and ever so lightly he brushed his fingertip across her forehead pushing the ink-black strand of hair away from her face.

He didn’t stand up, he just continued to look at her. Her fluttering eyelashes against her ghost-white face showing how resilient she is. Her shallow panting proved that her body was fighting to stay alive.

He huffed a breath out of his lungs. His jaw started to tighten, grinding his teeth together at the growing emotions rising in his cold heart. But before anything could surface or make sense to his mind, he stood up quickly looking away from her in the bed.

Wěijié turned to face Shan Yu with a bowl of ground herbs in his skilled hands, “You’re sword did this?” He asked to confirm the cause of injury. Shan Yu felt a sting in his soul at the blunt words, “Yes.” He answered. “Hmm, then we'll have to assume an infection is taking over…” Wěijié said to himself more than anything as he tossed more green herbs into his bowl of medicinal paste.

The healer walked toward Mulan on the bedroll, practically pushing Shan Yu out of the way with his arm.

Once he got to her, he knelt down and looked at her for a brief moment. He then reached out and placed a hand on her forehead. Closing his eyes, he sighed softly. “Fever has already set in, this won’t be an easy recovery.” He stated. Shan Yu stood over them both, not hovering but just there and present. “She’s stronger than she looks.” He said gruffly. Wěijié looked over his shoulder at Shan Yu, his eyes unreadable. “You’re so sure of her.” He said with a dull tone. Shan Yu opened his mouth slightly to reply but nothing came out of his mouth. Instead Wěijié turned his attention back to Mulan and hummed. He examined her body more closely. Checking her eyes, nose and mouth by prying them open with his tools, “Vitals look stable,” He mumbled to himself, “Extremely dehydrated but stable.” He continued with his examination checking her body next. Pulse points, signs of any other trauma besides the major wound at her side, shivers from major blood loss. “No other signs of external injury…” He continued, writing some notes down in his little notebook. After he was done examining her to his satisfaction he stood and walked back to his table.
Shan Yu was still standing in the dark corners of the medical tent just watching the healer do what he does best.

Wěijié collected what he needed for his next steps, which also included a small sharp blade. He turned to face Shan Yu, “If you are going to stay here, you might as well be useful.” He tossed the blade to Shan Yu and he caught it with masterful ease, “Remove her cloak and cut off those soiled bandages around her chest and torso.” He demanded.

Shan Yu looked at the small blade in his hand, beautifully handcrafted and could cut through any fabric like butter.

He then went back over to Mulan in the bed. He stared at the filthy cloak she was wearing, it was stained a dark shade of reddish-brown. Oxidized blood crusting in the fabric of the old clothing, graphing to her flesh like a second skin.

As he got closer, the smell of the festering wound filled his senses with a strong odour. The warm air of the tent had thawed the cut enough that the vileness of the situation was beginning to show. It smelled of rusted copper mixed with raw meat from a fresh kill.

The scent didn’t affect Shan Yu, he’d experienced worse in his life as a warlord. Rotten gangrenous limbs, infected cuts that were far too gone to be healed, maggot-filled dead bodies decaying on a battlefield in the hot sun.

He’d seen worse.

He lifted his hands towards the bow around Mulan's waist and with gentle fingers he untied the waist strap. Once her cloak was untied he hooked his fingers into the fabric and carefully pulled it open, the fabric falling down to her sides letting her bandaged chest and abdomen out of the confines of the clothing. The bandages that were once a pristine white were now a mix of bloody colours. Different shades of red soaked through the gauze, the closer to wound the blacker it got. Dark solidified clots of blood were seeping through the slits between the wraps and her body.

The bandages were practically grafted to her skin, they clung to the curves of her body like a skintight crimson dress.

Shan Yu took the blade that Wěijié had given him and put it at the base of the wrap which started at her navel. With precision he sliced into the gauze and cut up her belly and chest all the way to her collarbone. Once he removed the blade from the gauze, the tip of it was slick with red. The bandages didn’t even move from the spot where they laid. The amount of blood that was in them made them heavy. They were all stuck together with blood and sweat, so Shan Yu placed the tool down and picked up the flap of the bandages from the left side of her body between his thumb and forefinger and pulled the second skin away from her body. The left side of her body was fine for the most part. A sheer coat of blood covered her left side but nothing else of concern was there. Then Shan Yu grabbed the right side of the bandages and pulled it open and off her body to see the horror inside.

As he pulled it open, thick, mucusy strings of blood spiderwebbed from her body and clung to the gauze. The sound it made then he pulled from her side was that of boots walking through a muddy marshland. He continued to pull it off her side slowly, being mindful of the gapping wound that was inches away from his hands.

The wound itself was almost black with how much oxidized blood was crusted in and around it. Around the cut itself, streaks and splotches of crimson dragged on her skin. Looking like the blood was a path leading to a dark cavern. It moved with a shine every time she took a breath in. Her lungs working hard to keep her alive with shallow, quivering breaths.

The leader of the Huns couldn’t tear his eyes away from the gash. He had done that to her. He’s the one who sliced her open like a steak with no effort.

He did not feel regret toward his actions, that would be foolish. She had deserved what he had done to him at that moment in time. His actions were fueled by rage, knowing that she had bested him with her cannon.

But now, looking at her like this. Lying down helplessly, bleeding from the ribcage. He couldn’t help but feel an…uneasiness in his stone heart.

His eyes moved away from the gnarly cut and back over her full body. Her entire upper half was exposed to the air of the tent now, naked and on full display.

This was not the first time Shan Yu had seen a half naked woman before. He has seen many women in his time. In bathhouses or prostitutes walking the streets with little to nothing on. He’s had a handful of naked women underneath him in bed many times in his life. Panting and sweating together, pounding his thick cock inside the warm walls of a woman, getting as much mutual pleasure as possible out of each other.

So seeing her exposed like that did not do anything to him.

But as he looked longer, his heart started to beat ever so slightly faster at the sight. Seeing her soft, round breasts covered in blood stirred something primal and dangerous in him. The rise and fall of her breathing made the soft sunlight from the smokehole shine off of her body in an almost angelic manor.

She looked like a warrior, painted in the blood of her enemies.

The sight woke up something guttural in Shan Yu’s body. An animalistic hunger rose from the depths of a deprived man's soul.

Everything suddenly felt too hot and too crammed in the tent. He let out a fast breath and stood quickly. Tearing his eyes away from the beautiful woman that lay half naked on the bedroll and back to Wěijié who was just returning from his table with a bowl of crushed herbs and a few tools on a tablet of solid pinewood.

He swallowed, wetting his dry throat, “Do what you must to keep her alive.” He commanded and turned to the exit of the tent. “Do not let her die.” He ended the conversation. He then rushed out of the tent, leaving Mulan in Wěijié’s trustworthy hands.

Wěijié watched as his Khan practically ran out of his tent, he looked back over to Mulan to see her stripped of those horrific wrappings. “You are going to be trouble for him…” He muttered as he knelt down and started working his magic.

Just outside the tent Shan Yu stood, taking in deep breaths of the frigid mountain air letting the cold burn his lungs. Relief hit him as hard as a rock when the frozen air wrapped around his overheated body. Do not dwell on those thoughts he had inside the tent now, he thought. He had an army that needed commanding and a hell of a lot of people who needed convincing about their current situation.

Before he started walking he realized how hard his cock had become in such a short amount of time. He shook his head and sighed, discreetly adjusting himself to make sure nothing was noticeable. Once he was certain everything was in its place, he headed to his command tent where he knew all of his top soldiers would be waiting.

 

As Shan Yu walked every one of his soldiers bowed to him as he passed by. He acknowledged them with either a glance or nod of respect. Everyone knew better than to speak with him unless he made the first move to.

He liked it that way. He was not a talker.

He made it to his command tent in just a few short minutes, he shoved the tent flaps out of the way and walked into the massive room with confidence only a Khan could carry. Inside the room his top soldiers were all gathered around the war table.

Junjie, his highest ranking general and second in command, stood at the head of the table with his arms crossed. He had a slight scowl on his face as he studied the map. Next to him stood Xinyu, top drill sergeant of the Huns, he too stood by the map with his hands flat on the table. The next ones he spotted were his Knights of Khan, a squad of soldiers he personally handpicked for specific missions that needed a special touch. The six of them stood far back in the shadows of the tent just watching and listening. Fen, the leader of the group, stood closer with the rest of the heads of the army, the group didn’t speak much but they never needed to. There were other men around the table, all important to the functionality of the army but none worth taking a second glance at the moment.

Shan Yu took his spot at the head of the table, Junjie stepped out of the way to allow him to do so. There was silence for a moment, everyone waiting to hear what their leader had to say. All itching to see what his next words would be.

“What’s the plan now, Khan?” A lieutenant asked, unable to keep quiet any longer. “Half of our army is dead.” Shan Yu looked at the map, a knife was stabbed into the spot where the Imperial City was located. “You think I’m not aware of that lieutenant?” He asked back with eyes as cold as steel. “I pried myself out of the snow, stood on top of where our brothers were buried alive.” That quieted down the lieutenant rather quickly. Shan Yu took a breath in, “We need to reevaluate. I cannot afford to be so reckless anymore with my men. The reason we charged head first into the pass was because I had enough men to spare. I do not have that luxury anymore. So we need to be more calculated with our strategy and attacks.” He started with a dignified tone. “The Imperials believe us all to be dead, we need to use that to our advantage. Pick off the remaining Imperials one by one if we have to, then attack them when they are most vulnerable and take the city for ourselves.” He continued. The men in the room nodded their heads in agreement. “How many Imperials are left sir?” Xinyu asked. “Enough to be a minor threat but not enough that we need to be overly cautious. We still have the upper hand when it comes to strength and fighting skill. They just have numbers but that has been greatly diminished since our last successful attack.” Shan Yu answered.

The men looked at the map, specifically at the large knife in the city. Junjie bit his lip, working up the courage to ask, “And…and what of this new asset you’ve brought to camp Khan?” He said, finally asking what everyone wanted the answer to. Shan Yu’s gaze did not lift from the table, “She needs to recover first before she can be of any value to us.” He stated. “And if she doesn’t recover?” Shan Yu didn’t want to think of that possibility, “Then she dies and we get nothing out of my plan.” He said bluntly. “And what is your plan sir? I think everyone here would like to know why you decided bringing a half dead Imperial woman to our camp was a good idea.” Shan Yu’s gaze finally lifted to his next in command, “All you need to know for now, general, is that she has the potential to be one of the best assets we’ve ever had in our hands. She knows the Imperials inside and out, she knows their secrets. Their weaknesses.” He started, “And…she’s been abandoned by them after saving their lives. She’s angry and we can point that anger in the correct direction. Which is right back at them.” He said. Junjie’s eyes lowered for a moment, “How are you so sure she’ll be convinced to fight on our side?” He asked. “That is not your concern at the moment, general.” Shan Yu said sternly. “What if she won’t be persuaded? Will you kill her if she won’t budge? Because I can guarantee you Shan Yu no one here will be okay with just letting her go.” He rarely said Shan Yu’s name unless he was talking about something serious. Shan Yu held Junjie’s gaze not backing away, “As I said, she needs to recover before anything can truly be done. She is an opportunity that the Imperials wasted because of her sex. We can use their own foolish mistake to our advantage and gain a massive upper hand on them. All she needs to see is that she will be valued for who she is and what she can become. Which I know is something that will be very helpful to us. She will be convinced, I am sure of it.” He said with such ferocity and confidence that it was hard for anyone to feel any uncertainty.
“What about the fact that she killed our brothers?” Another lieutenant asked. “My lord, there are already whispers going about the camp. Whispers saying that we are housing and healing an Imperial Hun killer.” Shan Yu did not speak; he instead let the man continue his thoughts, “Even if she is convinced to fight alongside us, convincing our fellow brothers may be another difficult task itself.” Shan Yu stood to his full height, head held high, “The lower ranks of my army have no say in what I choose to do. They can think whatever they choose to, I do not care. As for the rest and for anyone in this room who is offended that a woman killed people in war…” The insult was deliberate. “Everyone in this room respects power, skill and strength. Let her prove herself worthy of your respect and then you can decide whether or not you think she belongs here.” His sentence ended with a deliberate open endedness. Something for the head ranks of the army to chew on and think about.

No man spoke up about her after that, it was not necessary.

They continued to talk about war tactics and different strategies they could use to gain an upper hand against the Imperials for the time being.

“As they continue to the Imperial City we will ambush them quietly. We need to keep them thinking we are all dead, that is our greatest tool here.” Junjie said pointing at the map. Shan Yu stood with his arms crossed listening to his top soldiers' ideas. He turned his neck slight to speak to his Knights, “Fen, you and the knights will be active these next few weeks. You six are our top stealth operatives. You’ll need to be used for the best possible outcomes.” He ordered. Fen bowed deeply to his Khan, “As you command my lord.” He said softly. His long black hair falling off his shoulders and over his face. “Be prepared for me to send all of you out at any point.” He said to all of them, “Yes sir.” They all said softly.

“Does everyone else here understand where we are and what the future plan is.” Shan Yu asked. All his men nodded. “Good. Then we are finished. Dismissed.” Shan Yu commanded.

The men dispersed, slowly leaving the tent over the next few minutes. Shan Yu watched as they all left, the next and last to leave were his Knights. He locked eyes with Fen for a moment and they acknowledged each other as warriors. Unspoken words flew between them and then they all left.

Shan Yu was finally left alone for the first time in what felt like years. He sighed a quick breath. Let his shoulders relax and his head hang. So much had happened in just the last 24 hours, he was exhausted and sore. He needed sleep. He may be the ruthless Khan of the Hun Army but he was still only a man. He started taking off his animal skin tunic, removing his glove from his one hand, finally being about to let his guard down for the next few hours.

He walked into the back of the command tent where his bed was, he threw his clothes down onto the mattress.

He felt a cold breeze on his face and he looked up to see the window flap of his tent was still open. He walked over to close it but he looked outside and saw that he had a perfect view of Wěijié’s medical tent where Mulan lay.

He stared at the tent for a long moment, thinking about her in the last position he saw. Topless, perfect tits covered in blood and panting. That same hunger started to rise again, he felt his cock start to harden again. He grumbled low in his chest and he palmed himself for any sense of relief.

He then closed the window flap of the tent. He was too tired to think straight at this moment, he needed rest.

 

Across the camp Mulan was still laid on the bedroll, but now she was wrapped in clean bandages. Her fever had started to die down thanks to Wěijié’s tonics as well. Her breathing evened out and she actually slept normally.

And deep in her sleep she dreamed about the large and powerful Khan leader holding her like a bride and even if it was unnoticeable to anyone else but a small smile appeared on her lips.
Only time will tell if it would stay there.

Chapter Text

Mulan had been asleep for almost seven days. As she slept, nothing more came from her than a twitch of a muscle or a sigh from her lungs.

As each day passed, Wěijié would stop by to change her bandages and complete any medical touch-up’s that were necessary. Along with that he would also check her fever for any sign of improvement, and each day she was better than the last.

Her fever had gone down drastically since she was brought to his tent half dead. She no longer was sweating profusely through her bandages. She no longer was panting like a wild dog from the heat exhaustion of the fever.

She just slept like any other person, calmly and peacefully.

Sometimes she would sleep so still that Wěijié would come over and check for her breathing to make sure she didn’t slip away in her sleep. But then he would see her strong chest inflate with each breath and he would watch her eyelashes twitch softly on her now rosy cheeks.

He didn’t expect her to be asleep for this long.

Of course, he had expected that she would be comatose for at least a few days. She’d lost so much blood, that gnarly infection had taken hold of her split flesh. Any normal woman…any normal person, would have succumbed to its clutches, but not her.

She truly is something remarkable, even the old Wěijié could see that.

She’d healed wonderfully the past week. Her stitches, though still tender and pink, were sealing together cleanly. Because of that fact, he expected her to wake up much sooner.

But instead, there she lay. Still in his medical tent, still in the bedroll, still asleep six days after she arrived.

Shan Yu had visited her thrice over the six days, when he walked through the tent entrance he always did the same thing. He would look right at Mulan and she would be in the same position she was the last time he saw her and he would ask Wěijié if there was any update with her condition. The healer would answer with what transpired that day. Then the Khan would demand Wěijié, if she awoke to report to him immediately and then he would leave. He would go back to what he did best, commanding his army with an iron fist.

The past few days there was much that was completed within the army.

The Huns had managed to kill off about two dozen soldiers the past six days. Those soldiers being stragglers that fell behind in the deep snow, exhausted from the days and days of marching. The Knights of Khan also managed to kidnap three Imperial officers. Once they were brought back to camp, they were inflicted with many different forms of torture. They all broke under easy pressure, giving the Huns somewhat useful information. Nothing that they could or would use for long periods of time, but it was something for that moment.

Shan Yu ended up killing all three officers with a swing of his sword, decapitating them, letting their heads roll in the snow when they had no other information to give. Then leaving their bodies to the wolves and birds of the mountains.

They followed the Imperials in the shadows of the mountains, never giving away their position. Always using the ignorance that the Imperials had to their survival to their advantage. The Imperials hadn’t noticed anything yet but everyone knew that this plan wasn’t going to be a long term solution. Sooner or later they would notice their men going missing.

But for now they did what they could to gain and keep an upper hand, and everything is going just how Shan Yu had planned.

 

Mulan awoke with a sharp gasp, her eyes snapping open and practically bulging out of her head. As fast as lighting, she sat up and immediately she felt a searing pain at her side. Blinded by the white hot pain, her hand came up to clutch her side to try and ease the burn at her ribs. “Shit…” She whispered to herself squinting her eyes shut. Once the stars in her vision began to dissipate, she pulled her hand off her ribcage and she looked down at it. She expected it to be covered in blood when she removed it from her side, remembering the last time she was in this position.

Memories from her last time being awake flooded her mind. Remembering how it felt when the blood gushed out of her side with each movement, scrambling to find a way to hold her body together with scraps of fabric. Remembering her hands and feet slowly going numb from the cold temperatures and the loss of blood.

But when she looked down, there was no obscene red on her hands. All she saw was her pure porcelain skin.

Clean. Her hands were clean. No dirt under her nails, no dried blood stuck to her palms. Just her clean, callused hands. She stared at her limb for a moment longer not fully understanding what she was looking at or the situation she was in. She closed her hand into a fist, broke her gaze away from her white knuckles and looked around to see where she ended up.

The first thing she noticed is that she was in a tent, a large tent. It was dark inside, only lit by the soft firelight of burning coals from the brazier. No sunlight was coming through the smokehole right above the firepit, as she looked closer she could just barely make out the soft glow of the night stars. As she looked around some more she realized that this must be some kind of medicinal tent. Many different herbs were sprouting from scattered pots, vials of liquid covered a wooden shelf in the corner of the tent, a table of metal tools were right next to the bedroll she was sitting on.

Nobody was in the tent and it looked like no one had visited in a few hours. The coals needed to be stoked and a cold cup of tea was placed next to her bed.

Her bare shoulders were exposed to the chilled night air and a shiver ran up her spine. When she looked down at her body she saw that her legs were covered by a thick animal hide blanket. Just above that though she looked at her abdomen and she saw bright white cloth.

She looked closer and brought her hands up to her belly, feeling the cottony texture of the bandages wrapped around her torso. She ran her fingers over the wrappings and her face contorted in confusion.

“What…?” She whispered to herself.

As she analyzed her body, she realized the bandages were pristine white. Like they had just been recently changed. She continued to drag her fingertips across the wrapping, inching ever so closer to the spot where she had been torn open. Her fingers then landed on the spot where her wound was. She lightly poked and rubbed at the covered injury. It was still very tender she quickly noticed, pushing on it even gently spreading a dull ache through her body.

The last time she saw this wound it was torn open and copious amounts of blood was pouring out of it. Now, clearly it had been stitched up again, cleaned and bandaged. This wasn’t just an amateur suturing job like the Imperials had done either. This work was done by an expert.

Mulan removed her shaky hands from her torso and brought them up to her face to steady herself. She rubbed her eyes with the palms of her hands, trying to get a grip on reality again. How long was she out for, where was she, how did she get here and who saved her life? So many questions ran through her brain like lighting.

With her face still in her palms, “What the hell happened…?” She muttered.

As Mulan worked her brain into overdrive to try and solve this puzzle that was her current situation, memories started to pop back into her mind. She was left for dead in the snow, she remembered that much with ease. Left in the snow with a festering wound.

But then she remembered she was speaking to someone before everything went black.

As she dug deeper in her memory, she recalled splotches of dark colour coming closer to her with each step. She remembered the warmth of another body enveloping her and the smell of pine filling her senses. A deep voice emerged in her head, vibrating her insides remembering how it said her name so dangerously but yet so intimate. “Mulan.” It echoed in her mind.

Her head snapped up from her hands, realization hitting her in the stomach like a ton of bricks, “No. No, no, no…” She blabbered.

Panic and heat rose in her throat. She scrambled to try and stand up, to place her feet underneath her for the first time in who knows how long.

The Huns. Shan Yu. She had collapsed in front of the enemy.

As she tried to move, her side screamed at her, the pain of the sudden shifting shot through every nerve in her body. Gritting her teeth she pushed through the agonizing heat radiating from her ribs. She wasn’t going to give up so easily, she couldn’t not if she was where she thought she was.

She managed to roll herself onto her knees, planting her hands onto the carpeted floor for some sense of balance. Sweat started to bead at her forehead, she took deep breaths that burned her side every time she inhaled. The anger she felt back on the mountain started to stir inside her chest again. Her hands closed into fists, nails digging into the meaty flesh of her palm.

Now absolutely determined to stand and walk out of this hellhole of a tent, she lifted her head and her eyes darted right toward the entrance. Her face shifted into a violent scowl. Eyebrows scrunched together, teeth bared out like an animal, she slammed her fist into the floor. The pain of her hand hitting the floor ran up her arm and into her body like a shockwave, she used the feeling of it to push herself harder and got one foot planted on the ground underneath her. She took another deep, side burning breath, shifting her weight onto her fists, she pushed with all her strength to stand up straight. With sweat dripping down her face, she got her other foot flat underneath her. Using all her core strength she stood upright, her legs burning with the effort of keeping herself balanced.

Her ribs screamed at her to stop, then suddenly a zap of crippling pain shot through her entire body. Her breath was instantly knocked out of her and she keeled over, hand rushing to her side to try and ease the shock.

“Fuck…fuck, fuck, fuck.” She swore through gritted teeth, trying not to scream so as to not draw any attention. She somehow managed to not fall over, her feet steady and strong under her.

Curled over in agony, she endured the pain. Only able to push through it with pure will.

After a few moments the pain subsided and she was able to think again. She sighed in relief and then slowly she stood back up to her full height. Her wounded skin pulled tighter and tighter with each inch. After however long she spent lying in that stupid little bed, Fa Mulan now stood at full height once again.

She was wearing an old pair of animal hide pants, slightly too big for her but they were comfortable and warm. She was topless from the waist up, the only thing on her body were the white bindings that wrapped around her torso. Her hair was loose around her shoulders. It was also surprisingly clean, she didn’t even want to think about how that occurred while she slept.

“I have to get out of here.” She said to herself. Her eyes scanned the room, looking for anything that she could wear as a top. Across the room she recognized her old training robe, hung up on a wall and still dirty but it was something to cover her dignity.

As she took a step forward she suddenly heard a scraping sound of metal on the floor but then she felt something tug on her right ankle and she fell forward to the ground. Her body hit the floor with a hard thud and instantaneously her vision went white again. Her side screeched in agony. Her body, unable to move or comprehend the pain it was experiencing caused her to blank out for a moment. Then the pain flooded her nerves. She tried to breathe but no air would enter her lungs, her mouth opened but no sound came out as she silently wailed in agony. Tears pooled in her eyes and dripped down her cheeks like waterfalls. Her forehead laid on the cold ground of the tent, hands balled into fists. She laid there, twitching in pain trying to get a hold of her being. Once she was able to breathe life back into her body, slowly she steadied herself. In and out. Opening her eyes, her vision was blurry but after a quick moment things started to clear up.

She sighed in annoyance, slowly with her side pulsing, she moved back up onto her knees and turned around to look what had happened. When she looked back she saw a heavy metal cuff clamped onto her right ankle. She let out a shaky breath and pressed her lips together, “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me…” She said. Sitting on the floor she tucked her right leg close to her chest so she could grab the cuff. The metal was cold to the touch, she tried to pull at it with as much strength as she could muster but it was no use. It was locked, and she was positive they didn’t just leave the key for it lying around here. No, because unfortunately these men are not as stupid as she’d like to believe.

“Mulan!” She heard a familiar voice call from behind her. Turning her head, she saw Mushu running up to her with Cri-Kee hopping not far behind. “Mushu!” She said, her body flooded with a warm pleasant feeling. Mushu ran right up to her and grabbed her by the arm, “You’re not dead! Cri-Kee and I have been waiting for you to wake up from that nasty bedroll for days.” He said. Mulan looked at Mushu, she couldn’t help but smile at the sight of her two small friends. Then she realized one of them was missing, “Where’s Khan?” She asked, voice full of worry. Mushu huffed, “Your cow is fine. He’s in the stables.” He answered. Mulan sighed in relief but then she remembered, “Stables. Where are we Mushu?” She asked, just needing to hear the confirmation from someone else. Mushu looked around for a moment, “Yeah…we’re deep in the shit sister.” He started off by saying. “After you passed out, the six apparently immortal Huns kidnapped you and brought you here to their camp.” He said. “And Mulan, there are still hundreds of them alive.” Mulan swallowed, “How long have I been out?” Mushu looked at the bedroll, “You’ve been lying in the bed like a lump on a log for almost a week.” He answered. Mulan pressed her lips together, “Shit…” She whispered. “Yeah no shit shit.” He huffed.

Cri-Kee chirped something, Mushu clearly understanding said, “Oh yeah! So how's the sliced up side?” He asked, walking over to her injured ribcage. “Better than it was.” She answered. Mushu looked at the exceptional bandaging job around her body. “Damn. That little man does know how to wrap, I’ll give him that.” He said. “You know who did this?” She asked. “Do I know him? No. I didn’t really go around introducing myself to the enemy.” He answered sarcastically. “Mushu, you know what I mean.” Mulan said. “Yeah I know…listen Mulan, not that I want to speak highly of your captures but they did save your life. If they hadn’t taken you, you would be wolf food by now. When he first brought you in, you looked like a damn corpse.” Mushu said. Mulan looked away from her companion, “Well, I’m not going to be giving them any gratitude…” She mumbled. “How have you stayed alive this whole time?” She asked. “I told you I’m travel sized, it’s not hard for me to hide around here.” He said. Mulan smiled, a huff that was almost a laugh escaped her lungs.

Mushu then paused for a moment, “Why are you still alive though is the real question.” Mulan stopped and thought. Why is she still alive? Why didn’t Shan Yu just leave her in the snow or chop her head off? Why would he bring her here? “I don’t know…” She started, “It doesn’t matter. We need to get out of here.” Mushu looked at the chain around Mulan’s ankle, “How do you plan on escaping with that around your leg?” He asked with a smug tone. “Go look for a key or something.” Mulan blurted. “That’s real funny Mulan. And where am I supposed to look for a key in this massive camp?” He asked.

Mulan was going to answer but then she heard footsteps coming from outside near the entrance. Mushu did too as he and Cri-Kee dove behind a pillow to hide. Soon, in walked a short man with white hair, immediately he paused when he walked in the tent. It seemed to take him a moment to figure out what he was looking at. Like seeing her up and awake was the last thing he expected. Mulan didn’t move from the ground but she didn’t shy away either. She looked at the man right in the eyes, silently letting him know she wasn’t going to be a meek girl.

“You’re awake.” He stated so bluntly that it shocked Mulan. She didn’t say anything in return, still just looking at him with a harsh expression. He walked over to his shelf of tonics and Mulan's eyes followed him. “How long have you been up?” Again she didn’t answer, still sitting on the cold ground. He turned back around to face her, holding a bottle of some kind of blue liquid. “Did your blood loss remove your ability to speak?” He asked. Mulan felt anger rise in her chest again, “Who are you?” She asked. “Ah, there we go.” He said smugly. “And who I am is none of your concern.” He took some steps closer to her, so much so she had to strain her neck to keep her eyes on his face. “You’re a Hun.” She spat at him. “Really? And what detective work did you use to come up with that obvious conclusion?” He asked. Mulan’s face burned, she looked away from the man, embarrassment flooding her heart. He crouched down to her level and held the bottle in front of his face, “Drink this.” He demanded. Mulan looked back at him and the bottle, “What is it?” She asked. He tilted his head, “If I wanted to poison you you’d be stone cold dead by now.” He stated. She took the bottle from his hand quickly and downed it in one gulp, not realizing how thirsty she was. He stood up back to his full height, “How’s your wound?” He asked. “It’s nothing.” She replied back quickly. “Hmm” He hummed to himself.

He turned on his heel toward the entrance of the tent, Mulan watched him go, “What are you doing?” She asked. He looked at her over his shoulder, “I am to report to my lord that his prisoner is awake.” He said. Mulan’s jaw fell open, Shan Yu. He’s going to tell Shan Yu. “Do not try and go anywhere while I’m gone again.” He said and he looked at the chain around her ankle, “Oh wait, you can’t.” He said smugly and then he left.

Then Mulan was left there and all she could do was dread what was to come in the next few minutes.

 

Wěijié quickly moved through the Hun camp as he always did, his destination of the command tent now only a few meters away. He stopped outside the entrance of the command tent, the two guards that were posted out there looked Wěijié up and down, already knowing that he needed to see their Khan. They stepped aside and Wěijié walked right into the command tent.

Right away, Wěijié’s eyes found the large figure of Shan Yu, he was leaning on the war table pointing and speaking to his top soldiers about something related to another possible chance at kidnapping some more officers.

All eyes lifted to Wěijié when he stepped inside, “My lord,” he started, “She’s awake.” Shan Yu paused for a moment, “Awake?” He asked with some disbelief in his tone. “That is correct my lord.” Wěijié confirmed. Shan Yu immediately stood back to his full height and walked toward the exit, “Junjie, finish the mission plan and report back to me. I won’t be long.” He commanded. Junjie nodded his head, “Yes sir.” He said. Then Shan Yu stormed out of the room, rushing past Wěijié without a second glance and headed straight for the medical tent.

 

He arrived at the tent sooner than it normally took to get there from the command centre. Immediately he pushed the entrance flaps out of the way and stepped into the darkened tent.
There in the room sat Mulan, awake and lively.

The sight at first, was strange to him, all he’d seen of her before this was her half dead in his arms and her deathly still in the bed she was currently sitting on. But now, the life in her body had finally returned and Shan Yu let himself be enveloped by the sheer presence of it.

She didn’t realize that he had walked into the tent yet. Her focus was entirely on the shackle at her ankle. Back hunched over her foot, she messed with the chain in any way she could to try and loosen it. He heard her scoff in annoyance at the metal binding.

Despite himself, a small smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth.

He continued to silently walk up to her. He moved his hand into a pocket on his clock and pulled out the key that unlocked her cuff. He shook the key so that it made a soft jingling noise, Mulan's head whipped around at the sound, a shocked look was painted on her face. He held the keys up, taunting her with them, “Looking for these?” He mocked. He took a couple steps closer, the light from the smokehole above him cast a shadow that completely enveloped Mulan. She looked up at him with doe-ish eyes, unable to put on the mask of anger in time for him not to see.

He liked that look on her pretty face he quickly realized.

But soon enough her eyes hardened, the scowl of anger spread across her face. “Is this really necessary?” She asked him, gesturing to the chain that locked her to a solid wooden pole. Shan Yu continued to look down at her, “It’s a precaution.” He said flatly. “A precaution of what exactly? Worried that I’ll run, or that I’ll steal the first weapon I see and shove it through one of your men's hearts?” She threatened.

A low laugh rumbled in Shan Yu’s chest at her comment. The sound of it rippled through Mulan’s body like velvet, she tried to stifle the shiver that ran up her back. She swallowed, needing to wet her dry throat.

She would not let him get the best of her.

“So violent.” He taunted. “And yet we’ve done nothing but be hospitable to you.” He crouched down to her level so that he could look in those dark eyes of hers. “I don’t know if kidnapping me classifies as being hospitable.” Mulan shot right back at him, never breaking eye contact.

He studied her face for a moment. She had long eyelashes that fluttered like feathers every time she blinked. Her cheeks that were once hollow and ghostly pale, now had a soft underglow of pink. Her full lips sat in a pout, Shan Yu stared at those for a little longer than he should have. But quickly he snapped his gaze back to hers.

“I saved your life.” He said softly, “After you tried to end mine at that.” Mulan’s lips pressed together, her scowled expression turning into slight amusement. “What?” She laughed with an arrogant tone, “Are you expecting a thank you?” Shan Yu inhaled, “Of course not, I would never expect words of gratitude to come out of your mouth.” He teased.

There was a moment of silence between the two warriors, both of them just looking at each other. Neither one willing to be the first to back down from this verbal battle of dominance.
He watched Mulan’s throat as she swallowed again, “Why did you bring me here?” She asked, voice barely more than a whisper. “Because you are worth more than dying out in the wild like an animal.” He said. Mulan was surprised by that answer. Despite her better judgment, the half compliment swam its way through her soul. The praise made her face warm. She took a breath, her side still burning. “And what am I worth to you?” She asked.

Shan Yu put one knee down on the ground to inch closer to her figure, she could feel the heat radiating off his body and seeping into her skin. The smell she remembered in the peaks of the mountains enveloped her, pine and warm ash. Her eyes fluttered shut at the masculine scent for just a moment. He was close to her, mere inches away from her. She had room to move back, move away from him. She should do that, it would be the smart thing to do. Put space between her and the man that kidnapped her while she lay unconscious.

Yet her body refused to move. It was like she was trapped in an invisible net, unable to pull away from his presence.

She did not move closer but she also did not pull away.

“What you are worth, remains to be seen.” He answered, his low voice rumbled through her body. “But let me tell you this, I wouldn’t have carried just any woman from the peaks of that frozen hell all the way back to my camp.” Mulan couldn’t take his intense gaze anymore. She broke away from his eyes looking down at her hands in her lap. She picked at the dead skin around her nails. She thought for a quick moment and then a smirk appeared on her face. “You carried me?” She asked, locking her eyes back on his. Finally Shan Yu was the one to pause, the question hanging in the air like a balloon waiting to be popped. Mulan smirked again, “You must really think I’m something special if the legendary Shan Yu was willing to haul me to my rescue. I wonder what you men thought of you carrying an enemy soldier? Maybe they thought you were weak, taking pity on the one who killed half of his ar- ”

Then out of nowhere, Shan Yu’s hand flew up and grabbed her by the jaw. Mulan gasped and her fingers dug into the sleeve of his cloak. His grip was stern but not painful, it was enough that Mulan knew she had nowhere to run. But it was also gentle enough that his ginormous, strong hand felt treacherously delectable at her throat.

He hummed and squeezed his fingers a little tighter around her jaw. “You will learn to watch that mouth of yours Mulan. You have no power here. At least…not yet you don’t.” He said. Mulan gasped again at the strength he displayed with just one hand, the air in her lungs came out shaky but she would not give him the satisfaction of caving so easily. She laughed breathlessly, “Not yet?” She asked, “Do you actually think I would ever fight for you? A power hunger bastard who invaded my homeland and killed hundreds of my people? You are even more deluded than I thought.” She spat out. He continued to hold her by her jaw, his fingers flexing and relaxing over and over.

Not that she would ever admit it but it felt…good.

“I think…” He started, bringing her face a couple of centimeters close to his. Mulan tried her best not to let any noise escape her throat. “That you were worth the trouble of dragging your lifeless body all the way here, putting you in the hands of my best healer and letting him use my army’s medical supplies to save your little life.” He said harshly.

He was now using his size and strength to intimidate her. Worst of all, it was working. Mulan’s mask of anger began to crack. Her eyebrows shifted together in slight fear, her hands that could barely wrap around his wrist tightened. Shan Yu looked at the expression on her face, watching her try and hold herself together out of pure pride.

“So tell me Fa Mulan,” He said, tilting his chin up. “Did I make the mistake of saving your life and you are truly as worthless as the Imperials deemed you to be? Or are you something more? Something that I can see within you. Who are you truly meant to be?” He said so truthfully that Mulan couldn't come up with a witty response. His grip had become tighter around her throat, she could still breathe but she could feel the blood start to pool in her head and her mind started to spin.

She rolled her eyes subtly at the feeling but Shan Yu noticed, of course he noticed. “You like this don’t you?” He said softly, lightly shaking her head in his grasp. Against her will, a small whimper escaped Mulan’s throat. “P-please…” She begged, not exactly sure what she was begging for. He hummed in satisfaction, “That’s it…beg for me.” He whispered.

Mulan closed her eyes and let herself fall into the depths of the pleasure she was feeling. But then, the pressure left her throat and all the blood flowed back to where it belonged. Her eyes snapped open and she saw Shan Yu standing back to his full height. He grinned down at her with such confidence that she wanted to slap it off his face.

“It is up to you what you decide to become.” He said, acting like nothing had just transpired between them. “You can either be the girl that the Imperials left for dead, or you can be who I see under all your anger and pain. Someone extraordinary.” Mulan was still panting from having his hand wrapped around her throat, “G-go to hell.” She spat. The Khan of the Huns smiled with such vileness it made her skin crawl. “Then I will see you there.” He said. Then he turned on his heels and walked over to the exit. “I will speak with you later, Mulan.” Then he left, leaving her gasping and hot to the touch. “Fucking bastard.” She spat.

She didn’t move much the rest of the night. She didn’t sleep at all. She chatted with Mushu about what she had missed the last six days. Wěijié had returned the next morning to check on her and she didn’t speak more than two words to him.

All she could think about were the Khan’s words. Who was she truly? She knew that she wasn’t Ping, the soldier that had died in the snowy mountains. Fuck him. She was Mulan. She knew she was strong, capable and brilliant. She also knew that she was angry at the Imperials. She wanted to be angry at the Huns but she couldn’t convince herself to be fully. Shan Yu had told her words about herself that she never in a million years thought would come from a man. She would be lying to herself if they didn’t make her feel good.

Her mind was scrambled, she thought. That’s all it was. But her heart was whispering dark things to her soul, things that made her feel powerful and strong.

Only time would tell if she would reject or embrace them…