BURTHR (Birth) The Inheritance Cycle

Chapter 2

It was a dreary day in the Spine.

Winter would be upon the Spine soon, and the cold air nipped at Xelena as she sat silently inside her hut.

A cloudy fog had settled in the dark forest and drifted slowly as the gentle winds urged it forward.

There was an odd chilling feeling in the atmosphere, one of apprehension and suspense.

Such was the effect the Spine had on those around it.

But once one was able to get used to it, the Spine was almost peaceful.

Xelena looked up to her mother, who sat beside her, eyes distant.

Thaylor was silent this morning. Too silent. Xelena's mother was hardly ever silent. Xelena had figured out that if her mother kept talking to her, and kept telling stories, then she could keep the Bad Feelings away.

But sometimes the Bad Feelings got to her anyway.

This seemed to be one of those days.

"Mom?" Xelena whispered hesitantly.

"Xelena..." Thaylor trailed off.

"Is it the Bad Feelings?" 

"It is not the Bad Feelings, but ... I have something I need to tell you, my Tiny Warrior."

Xelena did not like this. She was young, naive, but she was smart enough to notice the way Thaylor's shoulders thumped, the way her voice was low and soft, the way her eyes were dull.

Anxiety gripped Xelena. Even at her young age, it was not a feeling she was a stranger to.

"I must return to Du Weldervarden," Thaylor said slowly.

Xelena did not understand. Why must her mother leave her? How could her mother leave her? Alone in a forest, at six years old? She shook her head fervently.

"I will come back. I will come back, and I will scoop you into my arms," Thaylor turned to her daughter, cupping her little girl's face with her hands as she continued speaking. "And then, we will return to Du Weldervarden forever. And we will live there, forever."

"Mama..." Xelena felt tears prick her eyes.

"Do not cry, Tiny Warrior. You are strong. You are strong, and nobody can ever take that from you." Her mother said, a firmness to her voice.

Xelena nodded, sniffling.

"But before I go ... there is something I must give you. Two things. But you have to make me a promise first." Thaylor said, her voice still soft and emotional. 

Xelena nodded eagerly. Maybe if she could please her mother, then she would stay with her. If she could just be stronger, then maybe Thaylor wouldn't leave her behind.

Thaylor stood and fished around for something in the hut. She sat back down beside Xelena. In her arms, she had a large stone, about two feet long, a polished oval. The rock, or gem, or whatever it was, glittered unnaturally. It was pitch black, so dark it seemed to be absorbing the light around it. Tiny bright green veins ran across it like spiderwebs. She also had a letter in her hand.

Xelena felt her jaw gape in awe. It was a magnificent object, like nothing she had ever seen before. Her fingertips brushed the smooth surface of the stone, and she felt a strange energy coming off of it. Something about it was special, but she didn't know what it could possibly be. Before she could speak, her mother did.

"Xelena. You must swear to me you will not open this letter until you are 15." Thaylor said, speaking English now.

Xelena took a moment to understand English, which did not come as naturally to her as the ancient language, and she nodded. "I promise I will not open or read this letter until I am 15." 

"This is very special to me. I want you to keep it safe for me while I am gone." Thaylor lifted the heavy stone, placing it gently in Xelena's lap. Xelena was a little shocked by the weight, and the surprising warmth of the stone, but she cradled it against her chest protectively, as if it were a newborn baby. 

"I will, but ... why are you leaving me?" She felt her lower lip tremble again. Occasionally, her mother had left on short trips to gather a specific item or talk to somebody, but Du Weldervarden was a long trip from the Spine. And though she would never explain, Xelena sensed there was a reason that Thaylor had left Du Weldervarden.

Perhaps it had to do with Xelena. She felt she was different, somehow from her mother. Her features were slightly less sharp, her blue eyes rounder and less catlike, less agile than she felt she should have been. Maybe she was deformed, and so her mother hid her away.

But she was only six. It was impossible for her to reason the true reason she and her mother found themselves alone in the spine. She didn't want to pester her mother and call forth the Bad Feelings.

She hugged the stone tightly. The odd warmth coming from it gave her comfort. A tear slipped down her soft ivory cheeks and landed softly on the stone. She gingerly wiped it away.

"Goodbye, Tiny Warrior." Without another word, Thaylor stood and turned away.

So, she hung her head. She hung her head and watched as her mother, the only person she had ever known, walked away. She hung her head and let something she knew to be wrong happen. She hung her head and accepted defeat.

Weeks later, when her mother was long gone, she decided something. She decided she would never accept defeat again.