Love or Law

Plan B

Time for plan B

After Ping had run from the tent, Shang tapped the back wall a couple times. Before too long, the men that he had stationed back there to listen in on the conversation were standing at attention before him.

“You heard?”

“Yes, Sir!” Came three confirmations.

“What are your thoughts?”

“Well, we half expected him to react this way. He has worked really hard to stay.” One of the men replied.

“Do you think you can change his mind?”

A few quick glances were exchanged between the men then all three nodded in confirmation once again.

“Yes, Sir!”

Shang ran a hand over his face, wondering if he was doing the right thing. Then he remembered what could happen to the girl if he didn’t take these drastic steps now.

“Then you have my full permission to do whatever you want to try and convince the boy to leave. You have until tomorrow at sunrise.”

He looked up in time to see three slightly evil and mostly mischievous grins cross over the faces of Ling, Yao, and Chien-Po. Shang had to wonder what exactly they were thinking of doing as he dismissed them. It couldn’t be anything too severe. After all, they were Ping’s three closest friends.

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So for a change of pace I’m going to change the POV for the rest of this chapter. Hope you like it!

Mulan couldn’t believe it. How could Shang do this to her? He had trained her and pushed her past all her limits and praised her when she finally achieved all her goals. He had been the one who made her feel like she could do anything. Now, however, he was throwing all of that in her face and telling her it didn’t matter because she was too young! Mulan had heard the stories. Shang had been the same age as her the first time he had seen battle. The fact that his excuses were so weak and had nothing to back them up just made her angrier. Couldn’t he see that she wasn’t doing this just to have something to do? She had to do this!

“Hey!.....Ping!......Ping!......Hey Ping!!” Someone grabbed Mulan’s shoulder while she was in the middle of her thoughts and in a sudden movement she spun, caught the wrist of her opponent and bent it back at a painful angle.

“Ouch! Hey, let go!”

“Oh! Sorry Yao. You startled me.”

“You didn’t hear me yellin'?” Yao grumbled as he rubbed his wrist ruefully.

“Sorry.” Mulan apologized again, wincing in sympathy. She had not held back when she had attacked, “Why were you yelling for me?”

“Ling needs your help hitching up that devil-of-a-horse of yours. You know he won’t listen to anyone but you.”

“Oh, of course. Where are they?”

“South side of camp.”

“Alright, I’ll head over there now. Thank you Yao!” As Mulan jogged away, Yao grinned evilly, “Don’t thank me yet.”

When Mulan reached the wagon it was to find Khan already hitched to the wagon but looking none too happy about it. Speaking soothingly, Mulan strode up to him and stroked his nose, then, looking around, she snuck him an apple from one of the nearby baskets. Once Khan was looking much happier, Mulan started looking around for Ling. She headed towards the back of the wagon and that’s when she heard them.

“Alright that should be the last of them.” Po stated.

“Now all we have to do is move this wagon over to the rest of them and free that beast of a horse.” Ling continued.

“It’s amazing how difficult that horse can be. I don’t know how Ping can control him, he’s such a tiny thing.”

“Speaking of Ping, what do you think of him?” Ling asked.

Mulan knew she should walk away but she couldn’t bring herself to do so. She was curious to find out what her friends were saying about her.

“He’s a nice boy.” Po answered calmly.

“Yeah he’s nice when he’s not picking fights!” Ling cackled, “No, I was wondering what you think about him going to war with us. Do you think we can trust him to hold his own?”

“He’s proven himself a good fighter and a stubborn one.”

“True, but he’s so small…and young, when I think about it. How old is the boy anyway?”

Mulan could practically hear Po shrug, “I always pegged him at around 16 or 17, but I could be wrong.”

“No, I was thinking somewhere around there too.”

“Captain Shang fought when he was that young.”

“Yes, but that’s the Captain! He’s practically military royalty! He trained his whole life for that moment. Ping is, well, Ping. When he first showed up, he didn’t know anything! He didn’t even know how to spit!”

Mulan found herself flushed with embarrassment thinking back to that first day.

“Well, I doubt that the Captain knows how to spit.” Po stated solemnly.

Ling spluttered angrily for a moment before spitting out, “You’re kind of missing the point!”

“I was joking, Ling. I understand what you’re trying to say. Ping is too small, too young, and too inexperienced to trust on the battlefield. He will probably end up getting himself killed in the first skirmish and, because we care for him, we will probably die trying to protect him.”

Mulan had heard enough. Holding back tears of anger and embarrassment, she ran away from her friends. She didn’t even notice the two of them poke their heads around the side of the wagon to watch her go.

“Alright!” Ling exclaimed, holding up his hand for a high-five.

Po ignored the hand, stating, “I don’t feel right doing this to him. Couldn’t you tell that we really hurt him?”

Ling’s face hardened, “We had to do it. We may have hurt him, but we're his friends and we are doing this so we can protect him. Better to have his feelings hurt now, than to have him die later.”

“I suppose you’re right.”

Both men turned back to their duties but their expressions were far from elated or happy.