She was running down the valley with shivers more the cold. Her heart beat was the only thing she could hear, other than the crunching of the snow beneath her. Her long blue hair came undone as the gusts of wind tried to push her to the ground. She saw her village up on the cliffs about a mile away. She would make it.

"Who goes there?" One of the guards saw her approach the gate.

"It is I, Jasmine, the daughter of your lord. Let me in."

Once hearing this, the guard quickly let her in knowing the punishment for not obeying one of the noble blood. As soon as Jasmine got in, she quickly got to her home. Men at night really are not the best thing a girl at her age would want to run into. Not that her family would care anyways. She was only the 14th daughter out of a family with 20 daughters, and six sons. Her father had 10 wives, but none of them were her mother. They didn't know who her mother was. Jasmine sighed as she got to her oversized room. Nothing about this life made her happy. She wanted to be out there with her brothers hunting, fighting, and doing all the stuff that they do. Her nurse always said she had the spirit of my mother burning inside her. Her nurse was the only person who knew my mother. She shook her head and went to her bed. She was too tired to be thinking of her unknown past.

Begin Dream

"Where is the prisoner?"

"She escaped, sir, and she had a child with her."

"Follow her, and see what she is up to, then capture her again when she is not in an area that can cause havoc."

"Yes sir."

"Salena, why have you run from me and taken my creation"

Jasmine woke with a start. She has been having this dream for many nights. It would start with darkness and then two voices would talk through it. It was always the same thing too. A woman escaped with some man's child and he was mad and sorrowful about the whole situation. He seemed to be the leader of something, but what? And his voice surely is not human.

She walked over to her nurse's quarters. She entered to find that she was not there. She was probably picking flowers or something. She walked back down the hall to the courtyard. She saw her favorite brother, Satya, practicing his fighting skills. She ran over to join him.

"Hey, little sister. How are you on this fine day?" He called to her.

"I am feeling great because I know that I will whoop you in about 5 minutes!" She called back. She picked her choice of weapons. A long wooden staff and a small dagger were her favorites. Her personal motto was, 'the smaller, the deadlier.' And it really fit well since she was small, even with her height, her sisters younger than her could easily pick her up. She hustled over to where Satya stood in his fighting stance.

"How many times do I have to tell you, Satya? You would be killed instantly if you stood like that!" She constantly had to tell him this but she knew he would reply with the same answer.

"Well, it impresses the ladies!" As he said this he turned to wink at a girl but was quickly thrown to the floor.

"Let's see if that impresses them as well." Jasmine growled into his ear.

"Aw c'mon Jas, you know I need to marry soon. I can't do that if girls see you constantly beating me up!"

"I will stop beating you up when you find a girl I like." With this, she stuck out her tongue and got into her own stance, knowing this will anger him.

"You little brat!" Satya lunged at Jasmine with full force, letting his anger fuel his efforts. Jasmine easily evaded him knowing that he can't do anything with being mad like that.

They continued to spar matching each other's attacks with blocks and vice versa. Soon the two of them were too tired to move.

"Shall we call it a draw, little sister?" Satya panted.

"Have we had enough brother?" Jasmine loved to tease. She stood back to prepare for his angry blows when her nurse came running towards her.

"My lady, my lady! Your father summons you!" She cried out with urgency.

"Thank you." Jasmine said this with a shiver. Usually when father summoned it wasn't good. She slowly walked over to put her weapons away. Her brother walked over to her.

"Little sister, don't worry. The world is not going to end." He put his arm around her and gave her a squeeze. "You know the deal."

"Yes brother, as soon as I am freed from his lecturing, I will fill you in." On that she turned and left the courtyard with haste. Father usually does not like to be kept waiting.

Jasmine continued to the throne room where her father usually is seated, acting pompous. Each step she took ran shivers down her spine. Her father rarely summoned her and when he did, it often involves pain. She got to the door and stood there. She could hardly breathe. Any other situation, she would have been fine, but father truly is her greatest fear. She knocked on the door.

"Enter." A gruff voice sounded from the room.

She slowly opened the door and listened as the creaky hinges sang to her ears. She slowly approached the table where her father sat with her head bowed. She was shaking on the inside but as still as stone on the outside. She reached the table and stood there, awaiting her father's command. Her father finished his writing and looked up at her with a pompous scowl on his fat face.

"Sit."

Jasmine quickly sat down and stared at her hands. She really did not… accept this man as her father. The only thing he is good for is the basic provisions for life. That's it.

"It has come to my attention that there is a problem with the family lineage." He began to lecture her and Jasmine braced herself for two hours of boredom.

"Apparently, you don't fit."

"What?" Jasmine was shocked and confused. What did he mean?

"What I mean is that you are not part of this family. You are not my daughter."

"Then, who am I?" It took a minute to let this sink into her mind. Half of her sighed with relief knowing that she was not related to this man, but she was worried as well. What was to become of her?

"I do not know, or care. Your mother, Salena, was dear to me. We were childhood sweethearts..."

Jasmine snorted at this. She could not believe her mother ever saw something in this man. Of course this earned her an ugly slap across her face.

"Do not mock me, brat!" She waited while her father regained his pompous state of royalty. Her cheek was on fire.

"But you are not my child, I do not remember any 'intimacy' with her and you do not bear the family genetic traits." At this he pointed to his eyes and hair. His eyes were a deep gold and hehad deep brown hair. Her eyes were violent violet and she had brown hair, but there were deep blue traces. Her nurse always said that there must have been a storm raging outside when she was born, due to the fact of her eye color and hair. Her nurse was always superstitious. She was snapped back to reality when her father stood.

"You have one month to leave our home. If you do not leave by then, well, we will treat you the way intruders are treated." With that he walked out of the room as fast as his pompous, fat body would allow.

Jasmine just sat there, replaying the conversation over and over in her head. She couldn't believe it; Banishment. That word sent chills down her spine. What would she do? Sure she can survive, but, how? She hurried to her brother, Satya's room to tell him the news. Maybe he can help her.

"Banished!?" Satya paced his room angrily while letting her story sink into his brain. "I can't believe it. That, that, that-" Satya stumbled over adjectives and nouns that had profane meanings. Jasmine sat as her brother threw things here and there. Satya finally calmed and turned to his false sister.

"It's true then. You aren't my sister at all?" Satya looked at her with sorrow on his face.

"It is brother, well not any more. Do you mind if I still call you brother?"

"Of course, my make-shift sister." He ruffled her hair as he said this. "So, you need to pack for your big field trip huh?"

Jasmine shot him a dirty look. "I need to go rest. That is what I need to do." She stood up to go.

"Jasmine, even if you aren't my lil' sister, you make a pretty good one." He gave her a quick hug before she left. "I know you will be strong."

"Thanks big brother."