Chapter One

A small girl ran through the forest at breakneck speeds. She was running for dear life from the only person who could ever hurt her; her father. His towering panther's body moved gracefully behind her, covering great distances with his great strides across the leaves. Suddenly a heavy weight was on the girls back and she screamed as she fell to the hard-packed ground.

"You can't run from you father, Ashen." An arrow came flying out of nowhere and hit the black looming mass of the girl's panther shifted father. He roared in pain before falling limp on top of the girl. Screaming and crying she pushed the carcass off of her small form and got up; limping away from his body.

_Ω_

Several hours later, the girl was unconscious with exhaustion and dehydration. A figure by the name of Shayd stepped from the trees; dressed in riding clothes. He bent down and picked up the five year old girl.

"Come on, princess; let's get you out of here." A masculine voice resonated from his chest. Quickly walking back to his grey stallion; he placed her in the saddle leaning against the horse's neck. Shayd swung up behind her, adjusted the quiver of arrows on his back, and kicked his horse into a long, hard gallop out of the trees.

_Ω_

Groggily, Ashen sat up and stared wide-eyed at the room around her. She was sitting in the softest of beds, fluffy blankets and doonas wrapped around her little body. Her purplish black hair was braided down her back and her old dress swapped to a pair of silk shorts and top. In one corner, sat in a plush red velvet chair, a middle-aged woman with wheat blonde curls and light hazel coloured eyes watched her intently. She smiled a genuinely happy smile once she noticed Ashen was awake and well.

"Hello dear. I'm Keirsa. You have been asleep for quite a while; why don't you come with me and we'll get something to eat. Here, put on this dressing gown, it's nice and warm." Ashen cautiously stood and took the dressing gown from the woman. Slipping it on, she sighed happily as the warmth from it seeped into her cold little body.

"Come along little one, there is much to see; much to learn." And Ashen followed, just like that.

Ashen was finishing her food when a tall, muscular teen of around sixteen years walked in. She stared at him as he knelt down to her level and held out his hand. "Well, hello princess. I'm Shayd. What's your name?" Ashen stared at him for a moment longer, making Shayd jitter because of the girl's violet eyes. "I'm Ashen. Where am I?" She asked with a childish innocence.

"You are in Chandler Haven. It's a refuge for supernatural beings." At Ashen's confused face he laughed lightly. "Supernatural beings? Your dad never told you what you were?" At the mention of her father, Ashen's face closed over. "Don't speak about him." She whispered fiercely. He nodded and she smiled.

Keirsa stood and placed a hand on Shayd's shoulder. "Come, son. Take her to the stables. She'll love that. And then the fighting rooms; especially arrows and blades." Shayd nodded and took hold of Ashen's hand. "Let's go princess." Ashen and Shayd took off down the hallways; leaving Keirsa to herself. "Shayd? Why do you call me princess?" Shayd looked down at her lovingly.

"Well, with that hair and those eyes, you look like one. And even now, you are so grown up for your age. That's a regal quality." Ashen giggled and skipped alongside Shayd.

_Ω_

Keirsa was right. Ashen took to horses and blades quickly. Keirsa and Shayd watched her every day as she got stronger and stronger. She trained by herself at first, getting used to the saddle and blades just with Shayd. Shayd also taught her to shoot arrows; which became second best to throwing blades and daggers. After some time, at around nine, she was placed with the fourteen year old boys.

At first Ashen held back and refused to fight them; but when taunting and teasing ensured and the teacher started to doubt Shayd's decision, she threw herself into her different training exercises. She surpassed them all, then all the sixteen year olds at twelve.

She hit puberty and her body changed, so she trained solo once more for some time before she was fourteen. She fought the trained soldiers of the supernatural and the army's soldiers.

When she hit fourteen, she changed.

Her supernatural side had shown threw at a young age, but Keirsa and Shayd finally understood what she had. She wasn't a normal supernatural; she wasn't extremely strong, or quick. She wasn't battle wise or an animal shifter. She didn't control the elements, appearance changer, telekinetic or a telepath.

No.

She was all of that.