Athena Elessedil

Chapter Nine: Wil Ohmsford?

Athena woke the next morning with Allanon lying by her side. They had not returned to the palace after their moment in the woods and had instead ventured in deeper. The king, despite hearing the protests of the princes, had not sent out a search party for them, knowing full well that they would be safe with each other. The two had walked until they could walk no more then sat down and slept beneath a large tree, and that's where Athena found herself when she woke that next morning. She yawned loudly and stretched, not noticing the now awake druid smiling up at her affectionately.

"Sleep well?" he asked causing the princess to let loose a small scream and place a hand over her heart. She smacked Allanon lightly as he chuckled and sat up.

"Very well thank you." She muttered, looking at the druid shyly. He smiled and cupped her chin, pulling her in for a light peck on the lips, before offering her his hand and pulling them both off of the ground.

"How's your hand?" she asked. Allanon showed her his now clear hand and Athena groaned in annoyance.

"How come you have super healing powers and I don't?" she grumbled, rubbing the cuts in the middle of her hand.

"Because they weren't my cuts." He replied, tightening his cloak around his waist and setting off in the direction of the palace, Athena in tow.

"Wait what do you mean?" she asked and he looked at her out if the corner of his eye.

"They were inflicted onto your body, so they were your injury. They just showed up on my hand as a kind of warning sign- a subconscious call of help from you. It happens both ways. If I got stabbed and the wound was not fatal, you would have the wound on your body as well, but it would heal faster because it's my injury." He explained and Athena nodded slowly.

"What if its fatal?" she questioned and Allanon stopped in his tracks and looked at her.

"Then we die."

The druid and the princess walked into the throne room of Arborlon to find the royal family gathered. The princes glared daggers at the druid whilst Eventine raised a single eyebrow at their appearance.

"I suppose that you being here must mean that you have a favour to ask." The king said, sitting back in his throne. He was now used to the druid's coming and goings and he knew that after their argument yesterday, Allanon would not have returned if he did not have good reason to. The druid would usually busy himself with a task or a mission until his anger had calmed down.

Allanon nodded slightly, glaring at Arion and Athena looked between the her father and Allanon confused.

"There is a task I must complete and I would ask your daughters assistance on that task. Her fighting skills are unparalleled and her knowledge of these lands is far beyond that of my own." The druid said causing Athena looked at him again.

"Did you not think to ask me first?" she hissed quietly so that only he could hear. The druid smiled and broke his gaze away from the king.

"Why should I? I knew your answer would be yes." He joked and she hit him lightly. Eventine raised his eyebrows at the two once more before nodding slightly. Allanon turned and stormed out of the room, Athena behind him. Arion and Ander looked at their father in disbelief.

"Tell me you're joking?" Arion spat and Eventine looked at him confused. "You're sending your daughter off into the wilderness with that...man."

"I hate to say this... but I agree with Arion, father." Ander chipped in, earning a glare from Arion. "This man has just arrived and now we are trusting him with Athena's fate. We have already lost one princess" Eventine stood up, now angered at the mention of Amberle.

"Last time I checked, Athena was my daughter not yours and if I say she may do something then she may without the unnecessary input from you two bumbling idiots." He shouted "Allanon is one of my oldest friends and most trusted allies she has never been safer than now when she is with him!" he finished stomping out of the throne room, leaving both princes shocked and bewildered.

Athena stood in front of her mirror, looking at her reflection dubiously. She was dressed in her fighting gear, something she had not worn for a long time, not since Aine had died. Ever since that day, the outside world beyond the borders of Arborlon had been closed to her. No matter how hard she had protested against said decree her father and brothers had not budged, taking away both her fighting gear and weapons and telling the guards, that on pain of death, she would not be allowed to pass. She had tried to sneak out many times of course, yet she was caught every single one and was dragged before her father and given a lecture about how unsafe the Four Lands were. So when she had returned from the throne room, in order to prepare for her journey with Allanon and saw her weapons and fighting gear on her bed, she had stopped in her tracks. She had closed the door behind her and walked slowly to her bed before sitting down and stroking her hand over the material gently, before standing up and putting it on. And that's where she was now. Standing, staring at herself in the mirror. At her braided hair, at her bow and quiver strung across her back, at the splatter of Aine's blood on her right sleeve. A stain no one could remove no matter how hard they tried, and believe me they had tried. The princess sighed deeply, tightening her quiver and sitting down on the bed, thoughts of Amberle plaguing her mind.

"She's safe." A voice said

"For now." Athena replied. The figure of the Ellcrys walked forward and sat next to her on her bed.

"And for many days to come." She said cryptically. "Amberle could not be in better hands than those of Pyria so stop your worrying. There is another you must cast your focus to first." Athena looked up at the woman.

"Who?" she asked standing and placing her owl necklace over her head once more.

"The last son of Shannara." Athena gasped and looked at the Ellcrys.

"Impossible."

"No just highly unlikely." The Ellcrys smiled. "That is your quest for now, go find him and return quickly. My first leaf has fallen. The Dagada Mor is awake." She paused and walked towards the princess. "He is plotting already, and I fear it will not be long until all the leaves have fallen and the army of demons has assembled." The Ellcrys reached forward and placed a hand over Athena's. The princess hissed as a burning sensation started in her hand, spreading up her arm and on to her chest. The princess yanked her hand away and gasped at the sight before her, a pattern of leaves and vines had been drawn into her skin, starting from her fingertips, all the way up her arm and ending on her chest. "These are the leaves of the Ellcrys." The Ellcrys said. "Every time one falls, you shall feel it." she leaned forward and kissed Athena atop her head. "Find Wil and return to Arborlon as quickly as you can."

'Wait." Athena said taking a step forward. "How do I find this Wil, I don't even know what he looks like." The Ellcrys smiled fondly at her.

"Use your powers, use the necklace." She whispered. And then she was gone. Athena looked at the place she had just been, in shock, before nodding and sitting down on her bed once more. The princess closed her eyes and placed a hand over her necklace, gripping it tightly.

"Wil...find Wil...Wil..." she whispered to herself. After a few moments of silence, still nothing was happening, Athena groaned in annoyance and stood up. As soon as her hand left the comfort of her bed, the room flashed white, images of a house, a bath and a rover girl flew through her mind. There was something else too. Three Elfstones lay in the boy's...in Wil's hand. At that moment Allanon walked into the room, only to see Athena standing still with a white mist over her eyes. he ran over to her and started shaking her.

"Athena? Athena!" he yelled but no response came. Instead the girl gasped and collapsed onto her bed. Allanon knelt next to her and shook her again. This time Athena's eyes went back to their usual blue and she stared up at Allanon in shock.

"I've found him." She muttered to a relieved Allanon.

"Who?" he asked, stroking the side of her face.

"The last son of Shannara."