HI PEOPLE!!

Thanx - to those of you who reviewed my last chapter.

Caution: Get out your tissues this chapter is sad at the end.

Remember: My characters are mine and C. Paolini's characters are his. Though they appear in this story they are purely his imagination ( I just happen to be borrowing them)

Please note: The made-up language in this chapter is not the ancient language. I just kinda … made it up.

PLEASE READ, REVIEW, AND MOST OF ALL . . . ENJOY!

Chapter 2:

Memories

When Zyna woke she heard the boys bickering like the day she met them.

It was a cool autumn morning and she was aware of someone, or something, else in the woods. Quietly she got closer and the noises became voices arguing over something or other.

" … bow string. Besides, you were breathing like you just ran a marathon" The first boy's voice said. It was kind of squeaky, yet somehow a little stern.

"SHH! You wanna scare all the other deer away?!" this voice was deeper and much more intimidating. Zyna moved closer and then … CRACK! She had stepped on a stick. The forest went deathly still. After a moment the boys got there arrows ready and crouched down. Zyna took a deep breath and thought. She needed to approach the boys, but if she simply stepped around the tree, they'd shoot her.

Scanning the tree she was hiding behind, she decided it was plausible and began to climb. When she reached the top, she had a look at the boys' faces. The squeaky boy had short, blonde hair covered in muck and leaves. His pale face was flecked with mud and had many scratches. The other boy was tall with longish, scraggly, brown-black hair. Though his hair was long and filled with leaves it still seemed clean. Both their clothes were pretty tattered and Zyna could tell they had lived in the woods for a while. Looking down at herself, she giggled. It had been a year since her mother died and she ran away from home, so her clothes were little more that rags.

The boys had begun to get restless. From her spot in the tree she stated "Ea taamé Paossosa – Ea Ki oonee." Jumping from the tree she translated "I come in peace – I am alone" Zyna slightly bowed her head and said " My name is Zyna. These woods have been my home for a year." The blonde boy's green eyes were wide and slightly adverted. she finally got a look at the tall boys face. He had a scar that went from the left corner of his left eye through to the right side of his chin. This boy's eyes were a mix of colors and they stared straight into hers.

Zyna and the boys did a round of introducing. Afterward, Gavin – the tall dark haired boy – noticed her bow.

" Is that … bone?" Zyna nodded in reply.

"I'm not sure what it was from. The animal had scales." she said, as she pulled a scale that was bigger than her hand , out of her pouch. The scale was an odd shade of blueish-black. When they began asking questions, she explained to them that she hadn't stuck around.

Thinking of her bow she looked over at it and the pouch next to it. In her spare time she had carved animals on to it, most were winged beasts. While some she had heard of in stories, others she had no idea what they were, even though she carved them. One that she was particularly fond of was a huge, muscular, reptilian animal with awesome bat-like wings. It wound itself around the area of the bone she had decided was the handle.

looking at the large scale she now held in her hand, Zyna decided to go for a walk. Grabbing her bow (and a few arrows),and her pouch she slipped out the back of the tent, as to avoid the still arguing boys. She walked around some familiar trees and after a while, sat and leaned against a great maple tree. Her hand reached into her pouch and produced a long sharp rock. With this rock she began carving her bow. This carving turned out to be a lovely fire bird and a bird of ice, entangled in a graceful battle. For a while she let her thoughts wander.

It was an icy morning and they were stuck behind a huge moving truck. There was a surprising amount of cars on the road despite the weather, so they were pushed uncomfortably close to the rear of the truck. " I think you'll be a bit late for your appointment." Stephanie said while looking in the rearview mirror at her daughter whose nose was buried in a thick book.

" Just a little." she said, looking up form her book, while they both started giggling. They were already 30 minutes late and not even half way there. Then, out of nowhere, the truck came to an abrupt stop. Zyna's mother slammed on the brakes only to send them spinning off the side of the road

She knew they hit at least one tree, but the only other thing that wasn't all a blur was the fiery pain that shot through her arm. When she cam to, in the hospital a few days later, she ws very disorientated and, for a while, had no idea where she was and why she was there. Finally it cam back to her. The ice, the truck, the crash, her mom …

"MOM!" she screamed and sat straight up only fall back because of a pain in her arm. Zyna looked at it in dismay. Her arm was wrapped tightly with a hard bandage; obviously broken.

"It's okay. We'll let you see her tomorrow, but for now just rest. I'll go get you something to eat. What would you like?" The doctors voice was clam as she said this, but her eyes were filled with worry, and sorrow, and sadness.

"I … I'm not really hungry"

The next morning Dr.Wielbury brought Zyna in to see her mother. At the sight of her mother Zyna could feel tears creeping up behind her eyes. She Knew her mother wasn't going to make it. The doctor opened her mouth to say something, but then closed it and walked away.

"Mom?" Zyna said softly. Stephanie turned her head and looked at her daughter. She smiled.

"Zyna." she said in a small, raspy, and barely audible voice.

"Oh, mom."

"I love you Zyna." were her last words before she closed here eyes and fell into a deep, peaceful sleep. A deep sleep known as death. Zyna creed as her mother slipped from the world.

A fat tear rolled down Zyna's face as she remembered this dreadful day. Her mother had said those words often but no time had been as meaningful as the last time she said them.

sniff, sniff

I almost cried while writing this.