IMPORTANT! Don't forget to check out the one-shot prize I wrote for the 400th reviewer! It's called Towards the Setting Sun: Rage, and it deals with Shang's POV during Luo Jin's assault of Mulan which takes place during chapter 10.

Disclaimer: All characters in this story are the rightful property of Disney, except for Luo Jin, Captain Hsiao Tso-liang and Captain Ma Yuan, who belong to icedragon6171 and Captain Wo Chen, Huo Feng, Hsien Loong and Tsai Lin who belong to me!:)

Towards the Setting Sun

Chapter 28

The Turkish Army was prepared when the Chinese arrived at sunrise. They were fearless and fierce in the defence of their fortress, and now, standing behind enemy lines while actually seeing them in battle, Mulan was able to understand why they were such a formidable opponent.

The Turks clearly had the upper hand, being able to attack the Chinese from behind their walls, but beyond that, Mulan didn't know how the battle was going, or what strategies each of the parties was using.

She hadn't got very far from her cell. There were men out and about, and even though they were distracted by the frenzy of battle, she couldn't afford to be seen. But she had to escape and this was probably going to be her only chance.

Using the map she had drawn to help her navigate the chaos around her, she stealthily moved towards the walls of the fortress and went up the stairs that led to the guard posts. Most of the guards were at the front section of the wall, where it seemed the Chinese army was concentrating their attack, however, some of the men were posted in other areas in order to ensure enemy soldiers didn't climb any section of the wall.

It was precisely one of these lone guards that was Mulan's target.

Suddenly a Chinese cannon blasted one of the watch towers that flanked the main entrance. The explosion destroyed the turret and the wooden door that made up the main entrance rapidly caught fire. That was good. The fire would debilitate the wood and the Chinese would have an easier time breaking it down.

Mulan used the distraction to silently come behind her target and slice his neck with one swift motion of her hand, which held Luo Jin's knife. She then proceeded to remove his bow and arrows as well as his cape and helmet. They wouldn't provide a very efficient cover, but would enable her to move around camp and search for an exit without rousing too much suspicion. If spotted, her disguise would throw anyone for long enough to allow her to put an arrow through their eye socket.

She ran back towards the building complex. The tents and buildings would offer sufficient cover as she advanced towards the exit. Again, she was forced to use the map she had drawn. She knew the Turkish camp very well, but Ashina Helu's arrival had meant several new tents had been set up haphazardly and without any logic, blocking pathways that had been clear before, and overall making it unnecessarily difficult for Mulan to reach her destination in the midst of such chaos.

As she approached the entrance, she could see the Gatehouse had sustained considerable damage from the Chinese cannons, and that the wooden door had been successfully knocked down. Chinese soldiers were pouring in: some were riding while others were on foot. Many of them carried torches and burned everything in their path.

It was odd. To Mulan's eyes, the attack seemed awfully desperate and disorganised. Nothing like the disciplined strategy the Chinese Army was well known for. Despite that fact, she endeavoured to help, incessantly shooting arrows from hidden positions as she advanced towards the gate.

And then she saw him.

Shang.

Time stood still for a moment as she gazed at him. Her memory of him hadn't done him justice. His beautiful features were set in an angry growl as he parried blows left and right from atop his horse. She wasn't yet free from her captors, but seeing him there gave her the hope she had believed lost forever. The hope for a future spent surrounded by her loved ones and away from the horrors of war.

It gave her the strength she needed to carry on.

His General's armour was not as shiny as she remembered it to be. It had definitely seen better days, and it had been a while since it had been properly polished. Shang was ever the perfectionist, so Mulan figured they had been following Ashina Helu's trail without rest for some time.

Mulan managed to tear her eyes away from him to assess the situation before her. Although the Chinese had dealt a heavy blow to the Turks, all but destroying their fortress, they were now being forced to retreat in the face of the Turkish Army's greater numbers. The retreat was as disorganised as their break in had been, and it would undoubtedly be as swift. Mulan had to act now, and get out of there if she wanted to be free once and for all.

She left the cover the building complex gave her and ran towards the Gatehouse, ducking the sword of a Chinese soldier, who mistook her for a Turk.

'Perhaps my disguise is proving to be too effective', she thought as she removed the helmet and looked at the soldier who had just attacked her. "It's me, Captain Fa!" she exclaimed and saw the other man's eyes widen. "Retreat with haste! This is still very much enemy territory!" The man didn't need to be told twice.

Shang caught her attention as he fell off his horse further ahead. Some of his men, that were close by, did their best to shield him from attack as he recovered from the fall. He did so quickly, not attempting to get back on his mount, but aiding his men in fighting off the assault.

Satisfied to see that he was, for the moment, safe, Mulan continued to fight her way towards the main gate. Now that she had taken her helmet off, her cover was blown, and so she was one more target to the Turks' attacks.

She reached for another arrow in her quiver, but her hand came up empty. Her inactivity, her lack of either offensive or defensive play made her the target of a rather burly Turk, who attempted to slice her head off with his axe. She was quick enough to duck and roll, and couldn't believe her luck when she found a sword on the ground. She stood up just in time to block another swing from the axe.

The strength of the blow threw her slightly off balance, giving her opponent the chance to advance on her. However she was quick to sidestep him and deliver a strong punch to his throat, which caused him to struggle for breath. This gave her the opening she needed to deliver the killing blow.

She was out of shape. She had struggled with a less than average opponent. It was unlikely she'd be able to withstand too much more of this. She needed to get out.

"Run towards the gate! We have to leave now!" Mulan was close enough to hear Shang crying out orders. She did as he said, running to catch up to him as he once again mounted his steed.

She stopped, however when something several feet to her right caught her eye.

Or rather someone.

Shad Kubrat stood poised, bow and arrow in hand; ready to strike down his chosen target. Mulan followed his line of sight only to realise with overwhelming horror that it was none other than Shang. A clear, perfect shot.

Kubrat pulled back his hand towards his cheek, and–

"NO!" Mulan's single word pierced the air, her shrill voice louder than the sounds of battle around her.

It was enough to distract the man, who looked at her in disbelief.

Mulan pulled her own hand back and then let the knife she was holding fly.

He had been a friend of sorts to her during her time of captivity. And now he would die by her hand. The thought sickened her.

'I'm sorry', she tried to convey with her eyes as he looked at him. 'This is my duty. That is the man I love. You would have done the same'.

The pure sadness and betrayal in his eyes drove a knife of their own into her heart, just as hers embedded itself in his forehead.

A clean, precise kill.

Mulan kept running towards the gate ignoring the sudden need she had to throw up.

…

"NO!" Shang heard the scream clearly, louder than anything else around him.

He looked back, and there she was.

Mulan.

She was alive.

And by the looks of it, he owed her his life. Again.

He turned his horse around and galloped towards her with renewed determination.

She was alive! His mind cried with joy over and over. The despair he had felt while mourning her death, agonising over the things he should have told her, but hadn't, suddenly fell away, like an ugly scab, leaving only the healed wound behind. She looked gaunt, and more tired than he had ever seen her, but he could have sworn by all his ancestors he had never seen a more beautiful sight in his life.

He pushed – if just barely – those thoughts to the back of his mind in order to concentrate on the task at hand.

"Mulan! Grab my hand!" he shouted as he rode by her, arm outstretched.

She did as was told and he pulled her up so that she sat sideways in front of him. He grabbed the reins with his right hand and put his left arm around her, pulling her close to his chest.

Mulan let out an audible sigh of relief. The first one in what felt like forever.

"It seems we have a penchant for riding together in the most ridiculously dangerous situations." He said recalling how they had been in similar (but reversed) positions at the Tung Shao Pass. Although she couldn't see his face, she could perfectly picture the lopsided grin she knew he was wearing. Even if his eyes looked ahead with determination.

In response, she let out a laugh that came out as a choked sob. As she brought her hands to her eyes, she was surprised to discover her cheeks were wet with tears.

Shang pulled her closer to him, and if she hadn't known better, she would have thought he had pressed his lips against her head in a silent soothing gesture.

…

They rode without stopping and Mulan wondered where they were going.

As she looked over Shang's shoulders, she saw the rest of the men following behind. There were so few. Where were the rest of them?

As far as Mulan could tell, most of them were cavalry (if she had to guess, they had all been when they attacked the Turkish fortress, but some had lost their mounts), and a mixture of Shang's and General Su's men. However, the latter was nowhere to be seen.

Where was everyone? Mulan was very confused. When she asked Shang, he told her not to worry. Everything would be explained soon, when they arrived at their destination.

He asked her in a soft voice to try to get some rest, and she felt once again what couldn't possibly be his lips brushing the top of her head.

…

Shang woke her up once they stopped.

They had finally arrived, it seemed. Their location, as Shang explained was at the shores of the Irtysh River, close to the Altai Mountains.

It wasn't too far from the Turkish fortress. In fact, the smoke coming from there was visible from where Mulan stood, but it was far enough that by the time the Turkish Army regrouped and followed them there, they would have had enough time for regrouping themselves, and would be ready and waiting. Because that was the plan. The Turks had to follow them there, and as their scout had informed them, they were going to.

Mulan sat inside the small tent that had been erecter for the officers who were present at that moment: Shang, Captains Hsiao Tso-liang and Wo Chen, and herself. There had been another Captain, but apparently, he had died during the attack.

"Your plan worked, Captain Fa," Tso-liang was saying. "We contacted Ashina Mishe and Ashina Buzhen and they agreed to fight beside us. Their men and their knowledge of Turkish battle tactics have proved invaluable. As well as all the information you and your scouting team gathered before your… disappearance. The attack on the fortress wouldn't have been so swift or efficient without it."

"Indeed," Shang continued, giving her a small upturning of the lips. "After so many lost battles due to the fact that they seemed to know our every weakness, the help of these loyal Turks proved to be invaluable. And China has you to thank once more."

"I think I might have an idea as to why they were so well informed of our strategies and plans of attack." Mulan said with a frown. "Luo Jin was with them." She felt Shang stiffen beside her. "He will be a concern no more, however. He is dead."

She looked at Shang remembering how she had pleaded for Luo Jin's life after he assaulted her. Maybe if she hadn't, the war would already have been won.

Shang seemed to read her mind and gave her an almost imperceptible shake of his head. 'Don't waste your time thinking on what could have been, on what ifs. Centre on the here and now.'

They had been playing bait, they explained. Now all they had to do is wait to be followed and the rest of the Army, led by General Su and aided by their Turkish allies, would descend the mountains, ambushing their opponents. It had been Shang's plan, very much inspired in the tactic that Shan Yu had used at the Tung Shao Pass. Hopefully, it would work better for them than it had for the Huns.

Now all they had to do was wait.

Historical Note

The battle for which our favourite characters are preparing here is a real one: called the Battle of Irtysh River or Battle of Yexi River, it took place in 657, and the strategy used involved a decoy army that was used as bait to lure Ashina Helu and his men to the river in order to ambush them.

You'll find out in the next chapter wheter they are successful!