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Yumiko was the only daughter of the beautiful and wise Yumi. Yumiko was the bastard child of a night of fury, hate and loveless passion. This man was of the Shaylin, arch enemies of the Wudau he was dark haired and dark eyed and she inherited these traits which contasted against the white hair and grey eyes of the Wudau, but she also gained her mother's full pink lips which was foriegn to the world of the Shaylin where every woman's lips were thin and black...so Yumiko was condemened to a life of shame never belonging to either race.
Yumi herself married to the powerful Yuudai, son of the chief. He had four daughters already the eldest of which was Hana, the spoiled and favorite child. These children were daughters of Amaye who had died giving birth to the fouth child. Yumi had begged for Yuudai to allow place in his household for Yumiko, and Yuudai eventually yielded to her desire. Hana never took well to this and spent the bulk of her living taunting the younger Yumiko.
When Hana turned sixteen she was raised in front of the chief as finally a full woman, because her cycle had started and she was able to bear child. This meant that in the coming weeks Hana would be married to her bethroyed, the ever handsome Koyomi. Hana taunted Yumiko endlessly because she knew that nobody would dare wed a child of the Shaylin. Then that night as if in answer to Hana's taunts.. Yumiko's cycle started, she had become a woman at the tender age of thirteen, which was the beggining of all her problems.
Yuudai struggled with a plan as to how he was to rid himself of Yumiko, because it was proper culture in the land of the Wudau that when a women is of right to bear child she must leave the roof of her mother and father. He decided instead of shaming his surname with that of an old maid he would have her killed. When Yumi heard of this she instantly thought of a plan which she told her dearest and only child.
"sweetest Yumiko, you must leave the land of your loving mother...because the warmth of my womb can no longer protect and the milk from my bosom can no longer sustain you...you must go, and now for my husband shall come to you in the night if not dear child...I am sorrowed with my own proposel for you can not go to the land of your crazed and evil father and you can not stay here so you must wander with the thieves of the north..shield your face as the gypsies do and they will know nothing of your power..they will ignore your almost ningen appearance if you keep your ki high enough for them to always sense. but child! They can know nothing of your power...for the thieves they hunt all Wudau and Shaylin, and even Haidai...because of our power..so they can never know" said Yumi
"but I can't mother, I love you...don't you love me?" asked Yumiko tears briming at her eyes.
"yes dear, and it is my love for you that urges me so, you must find the caravan of Youko Kurama...he though cruel is the fairest of the thieves and he will allow a woman as his maid..go now dear child while the night can cover you, I shall search for you in my next life" said Yumi with tears streaming down her face.