Jasmine awoke with a stiff back, to find herself binded with fine thin cord. She struggled, but gave up after a few minutes. She lay back and thought about how she had helped Riealle through the past month.

Flash back

Riealle was lying, helpless, in the mud. Jasmine looked on, sneering at the what was then, innocent girl.

'Help,' called Riealle. 'Please. I will repay you well… if you just…' She didn't have to say anything else. Jasmine helped at once. She couldn't bear to see someone like her in pain. Riealle was sinking, deeper, deeper… She slowly pulled out an arm from the mud, clearly in pain. There was a large squelch as her arm came out. She held it up to Jasmine, a beseeching look on her face. Jasmine grabbed her hand and said, 'Just for you.' She shifted all her weight to her legs to keep her steady, then pulled with all her might on Riealle's arm. There was a sickening crack, a squelch, then Riealle came out of the mud.

'Thankyou,' she panted.

'It's okay,' said Jasmine, brushing some sand off herself. 'I'm Jasmine. Your name is…?'

'Riealle,' said Riealle.

'Come up here to a tree that's safe,' said Jasmine, picking up a sharp sound in her ears. Riealle climbed up the tree that Jasmine told her climb up deftly and swiftly.

'You know your stuff,' said Jasmine, surprised. She looked at Riealle's clothes, then gave a small exclamation.

'Oh! You're from Tora, aren't you?' she cried. 'Oh, poor you, would you like to go back?'

'No, no!' begged Riealle. 'I… just… I ran away, okay?'

'That's fine,' said Jasmine. 'But I'm married to Lief, you can't…'

'You're Queen!' cried Riealle.

'Yes,' said Jasmine calmly. 'But anyway, as I was saying, you can't come to the Palace with me, because Lief would just send you back to Tora.'

'Of course not,' agreed Riealle, giving a toss of her head and a flick of her similarly tangled black hair.

'You can stay here,' suggested Jasmine. Riealle's eyes widened.

'Really! That would be great! I've never lived here before! It'll be such a change! I can make a new start!' Jasmine left and from then on came for visits with food and drink. The two acted as sisters.

Flask back to present

Jasmine shook her head and sighed deeply.

'Thinking, are you?' came Riealle's voice from a dark corner. Jasmine remembered that she could read minds. 'Ahh… the good old days… I could've just killed you right away… or even better…' Riealle said no more and turned on her heel.

Jasmine woke up again, this time facing a small polypan.

'Chett!' cried Jasmine, as she recognised him. 'How come you're here? Wait, don't tell me. You've turned to the Shadow Lord too, have you?' She snorted disgustedly. Chett the polypan made a few mad gestures with his hairy arms, then realising that Jasmine didn't understand, he just made the following mark in the sand.

'So you're still with us?' Jasmine inquired. Chett nodded, and wrote in the sand.

'Oh,' said Jasmine. 'So… can you free me?' Chett nodded eagerly, and put a finger to his lips. Jasmine silenced, and Chett set to work unbinding her. At last, his quick fingers undid the tight knots, and him and Jasmine slipped out unnoticed.

Soon, Chett and Jasmine were on the River Broad, Chett rowing strongly. He stopped for a moment and held out his hand.

'Alright, alright,' said Jasmine, grumbling, and gave him the brown gum that polypans like to chew. Chett made a strange cackling noise, then tore apart the small paper bag shoved the whole gum into his mouth and started chewing vigorously. He resumed rowing and soon they had reached Tora, where Jasmine was to depart.

'Thankyou, Chett,' she said, after a slight pause. 'I can never repay you. But take this.' Jasmine handed over a heavy bulging leather bag filled with silver coins with which Chett could buy the gum he loved so much.

'Not so much a returning favour,' she said. 'But it's the least I can do.' Chett chattered away and made a peculiar clicking with his teeth. He flung his hairy arms on Jasmine and hugged her, to her amazement. He let go and quickly rowed away, keeping the precious bag on his lap. Jasmine just smiled and started her journey back home. On her way, she heard a singing voice. She quickly ducked behind a bush, but then laughed and jumped out again. It was just Steven the Pedlar.

'Hello, Steven,' she said, as his bright worn caravan reached her. 'I've just been in the Shadow Lord's clutches. Luckily Chett the polypan rescued me.'

'Hello there, little missy,' said Steven cheerfully. 'But how come Chett was there?'

'Well, he said that the Shadow Lord liked to use polypans,' said Jasmine. For once, a small flicker of doubt about Chett working for the Shadow Lord, even if he was still on her side, came across. She wondered if Chett was lying.

'Don't worry,' said Steven, but he did look slightly worried. 'Would you like a ride home? Thought so. Hop in the back, and you can stay there while I ride along. Remember, singing helps!' He gave a slight wink, and Jasmine understood. His message would be given to Jasmine through singing. Jasmine hopped into the back of the caravan and heard Steven whistling. She settled down on the sacks of grain and tried to go to sleep.

Jasmine awoke with a jolt. She heard Steven's voice outside, singing,

'Here I come to the city of Del,

I can't see anyone dwell.

Here I come to the city of Del,

I can't see anyone dwell.'

(Okay the rhyme is not very good)

Jasmine sat up and slowly opened the caravan doors. Steven was just outside the Palace gates. Jasmine hopped out and quickly climbed over the wall, just as Lief came hurrying up.

'Jasmine!' he called sharply. 'Where one earth have you been? You've been gone for four days!'

'It's a long story,' smiled Jasmine, and headed inside. There came another warning squawk, before Jasmine and Lief hurried inside to the Dining Hall.

'Ak-Baba outside! Load your arrows!' called Lief to the Palace guards. Jasmine didn't stop him, but something wasn't right. If they killed the Ak-Baba… Jasmine could think no more. The sixteen Palace guards had already shot down the huge bird with sharp talons.

'Well done,' called Lief, and headed inside, his arm around Jasmine. She felt a little safer with one of the Ak-Baba gone. There were only six more to shoot down. Yet… something was wrong. Terribly wrong.