Prologue Saving Shan Yu

Shang grunted, feeling his grip on Mulan's hand loosen. Their eyes met for just a moment, and his fellow soldier's eyes were full of panic for him before he was swept away from her and her horse by the avalanche of heavy snow.

Shang woke partially buried in snow, his body sore and aching as he managed to push himself to his feet. He looked around himself to get his bearings, startled to see an arm sticking up out of the snow not far from him.

Shang winced with pain as he went back to his knees beside the thick, muscled arm and began digging, soon uncovering the injured, unconscious form of Shan Yu.

He hesitated for a brief moment, clearly uncertain, but it was not like he could just leave him there alone to die.

It just was not in him.

Such a cruel thing could never be in his heart.

By some miracle there was a cave nearby, so Shang lifted Shan Yu up carefully, draping the arm of the larger man that was not injured over his shoulders so that he could drag his limp body into the sturdy rock shelter.

He found blankets among the Hun's belongings, struggling to spread one out on the stony ground before laying him down upon it carefully.

First, he needed to get them both warm, or there was no way that they would make it at this height in the mountains.

Thankfully, there was flint in the Hun's things, as well as some kind of grassy-peat, most likely brought with him from his homeland.

Shang got a fire going quickly, relieved when the cave got warmer rapidly, stripping out of his armor and clothes.

Then he finally turned his full attention to Shan Yu, getting the large man out of his wet clothes and laying them to dry by the fire alongside Shang's own.

It was still cold, so his body shivered visibly, though he did not hurry the process of setting Shan Yu's broken arm and leg, not wishing to make his injuries worse then they already were.

After he tightly bound the Hun's limbs to keep them still and straight, Shang gathered the other blankets, placing two atop Shan Yu and leaving only one for himself.