The Dark

Okay this is my first story, so it may be a bit bad.

Lief was sleeping peacefully in his bedchamber. Jasmine crept in quietly and slipped into bed beside him. Lief's eyes snapped open as she bumped against him.

'Jasmine!' he snapped sharply. 'This is the third time I have caught you coming into here at night! I didn't say anything before, but now, really! Where have you been? I have been sick with worry about you!'

'I was… in the Forests,' said Jasmine, sticking out her bottom lip. 'You know I can look after myself.'

'Don't go out again,' Lief said sharply. He turned over on his side. Jasmine sighed. Lief was getting snappy these days.

'Where were you, Mother?' asked Endon and Jarred at the same time to Jasmine. 'We were waiting for you to teach us how to swing on vines!'

'I was somewhere else,' said Jasmine, smiling down at her sons, the twins. She hesitated for a moment before continuing. 'And I have to go now. I am… going with Anna somewhere.'

'You don't like Anna and her dresses,' said Jarred at once. 'Why would you go somewhere with her and not us?' Jasmine smiled at the twins and just laughed.

'Don't worry, I'll be back soon,' she promised.

'Not too late,' reminded Lief. Jasmine was about to turn around and walk out, when Lief grabbed her arm.

'Not too fast,' he added. 'Barda is coming with you too, on my orders.' Jasmine scowled.

'I can look after myself, remember? I lived in the Forests by myself when I was young, didn't I?' she said stiffly.

'I know, I know,' sighed Lief. Jasmine could be difficult. 'But at least take this.' He unclasped the Belt of Deltora and clasped it around Jasmine's slim waist. 'And take this too.' He slipped the rough leather bag containing the Pirran Pipe off his neck.

'So many things,' exclaimed Jasmine, but she didn't touch them. 'I don't need these good luck charms.'

'They're not good luck charms!' burst out Lief. 'Don't you remember the journeys we went through, the suffer?'

'Of course,' said Jasmine icily. 'But no thanks, I don't think I will be needing these.' She took off the Belt and pushed the Pipe back to Lief. 'I'm off.' She leapt lightly out of the Dining Hall before he could stop her.

'Kree! Filli!' cried Jasmine shrilly. Kree flew out of one of the Palace trees and Filli leapt into Jasmine's outstretched hand. She cooed over them, then spoke.

'Lief is being so hard on me. Why is he suddenly so worried?' she said curiously. She reached the Forests of Silence. She leapt lightly onto the bottom branch of a tree and climbed up quickly, to the tallest branch. She looked all around, her sharp observant eyes noting everything. Suddenly, she saw an Ak-Baba in the sky. She quickly ducked under the branches.

'Swish swish,' went the tree. Jasmine looked up into the sky for the shadow of the Ak-Baba. It passed over, squawked twice, then flew away. Jasmine waited for a moment before standing up and looking around.

'Oh, no!' she remembered. 'I promised Riealle!' She quickly slid down to the bottom and made her way through the Forest floor.

'Phee!' she whistled. A dark, tanned girl with the similar untidy black hair and deep brown eyes looked down from a tall tree.

'Phee!' she whistled back. She leapt down lightly exactly like Jasmine.

'Jasmine!' she cried, as she landed. 'I've been waiting for you all morning! Where were you?'

'I was only gone for 8 hours, Riealle,' smiled Jasmine. 'And watch out. I saw Ak-Baba flying overhead. You'd better be careful.' She patted Riealle on the back, but Riealle shook off her hand.

'I can look after myself,' she said, having that expression that Jasmine wore before. Suddenly, there came a dangerous squawk from above. Riealle and Jasmine looked up.

'Ak-Baba!' screamed Riealle, and that was the last they both remembered…

Okay please review! And yes I know it is bad it is my first story ever!