"Amberle, you still alive?" "Relax, Uncle Ander." "It's not like I'm gonna break." "How many times have I missed that jump tonight?" "Five." "You lose count of your steps tomorrow, it'll be the shortest half mile of your life." " I'm going again." " No." "It's late." "The race starts at dawn..." "you need to rest." "But only the first seven runners across the line become members of the Chosen." "I didn't do all of this just to lose." "Princess, are you sure you wanna step on thousands of years of Elvin tradition?" "There's no turning back." "We need to get in there and stake out my starting place." "Don't worry." "As your friend and loyal servant, I've got you covered." "Okay, let's stay focused, Catania." "Bet you wish you'd told Lorin you were running now." "He's a big boy, he can handle it." "Jace told me that if Lorin becomes a member of the Chosen, he's gonna ask you to marry him." "Amberle." "You're not allowed here." "Have you come to wish me luck?" "Yes... and no." "I'm racing too." "You're kidding?" "Is there a rule that says a girl can't run the Gauntlet?" "That's the way it's always been." "We have female commanders in the Elvin army, and women on the High Council." "It's time the Four Lands had a female Chosen." "You knew about this?" "Who do you think sneaked her past the Home Guard and out of the palace?" "The Gauntlet is dangerous, Amberle." "These guys will do anything to win." "So will I." "Then good luck." "May the best elf win." "I'm definitely sensing a lot of sweaty elf boy hate." "Are you sure you want to do this?" "Tie me up." "Steady!" "Only the first seven to cross will be anointed." "On the sound of my horn..." "Get up, Amberle." "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight." "One, two, three, four..." "Jump." "They're coming!" "One!" "Two!" "Three!" "Four!" "Five!" "Six!" " Don't give up!" " Go!" "There's one Chosen left!" "Get up!" "It's a girl." " Look." " I can't believe it." "Is that the princess?" "I thought you were teaching her how to fence?" "She was a quick study." "Congratulations." "As king, I welcome you to the Order of the Chosen." "At the dawn of every new year, we gather in this sacred garden to recount the story of the Ellcrys." "Thousands of years ago... our Elven ancestors fought a war against an army of Demons." "The Elves were at the point of annihilation, when their elders turned to magic." "Using this powerful gift, they managed to imprison the Demons in a realm known as the Forbidding." "The Ellcrys was created to stand sentry." "As long as it lives, the Demons are locked up for all eternity." "Now, I realize that for some of you, this is merely... folklore." "But in no way does this diminish your responsibilities." "And you are now its protectors." "Now step forward, place your hands on the tree, and be accepted by the Ellcrys." "I can't believe you let her embarrass our father like that." "This is his last ceremony before he abdicates the throne." "I didn't let Amberle do anything." "Okay, this was her idea." "I just aided and abetted." "She could have seriously hurt herself." "I thought for Aine's sake that you'd want to keep her safe." "Invoking our dead brother, that's very subtle." "You should work that into your coronation speech." "We made a pact to protect her, remember?" "Well, at least you'll know where she'll be for the next year... locked behind these walls, watering an old tree." "Do you have any respect for Elvin traditions?" "Only the ones with parties." "_" "_" "_" "_" "_" "It has begun." "Had to go all the way to Olney, but I found white willow bark." "Afraid it won't do any good now." "I'll leave you two alone." "Wil..." "Hey, Mom." "You hang in there, I've got something new to try." "I promise, this will ease your pain." "Always... such a... a sweet boy." "So much..." "I need... to tell you." "Open it." "They're Elfstones." "Belonged... to your father." "They're magic." "I know you thought... your father was crazy... but he was... a good man." "He believed in those." "Mom, you're not making any sense." "My precious... boy... find... the Druid." "Find... the Druid." "Promise me." "No, Mom, don't leave me." "No, Mom, I'm not ready." "She always loved this spot." "Said she could see the whole world from here." "I'm sorry, Wil." "Hey, um, Uncle Flick... have you ever seen these before?" "Mom called 'em Elfstones." "I told her to bury those damn things after your father died." "Why?" "Because they put him in an early grave." "He was never the same person after he used 'em." "Used 'em?" "Wait, you're not seriously telling me you believe in magic." "I believe in evil, Wil, and those things will bring you nothing but misery." "Do yourself a favor, throw them in the river and be done with 'em." "I'm sorry." "Someone's here to see you." "I told the Home Guard not to let anyone in." "That's why Catania helped me avoid them." "If you won't tell me what's going on, maybe you'll talk to him." "You owe me." "You didn't need to check up on me." "You passed out in front of the Ellcrys." "I was worried about you." "I'm fine." "Then why have you locked yourself up in here?" "You wouldn't believe me if I told you." "Is that one me?" "Oh, oh..." "You definitely got the ears right." "Come on." "Hey." "Can I ask you something crazy but you have to promise not to laugh?" "Yeah." "Do you think the story of the Ellcrys is true?" "You mean the part where it's a barrier holding back a Demon army?" "Come on, Amberle, we both know magic died out with the Druids." "Yeah, you're right." "Forget I asked." "Come to the celebration tonight." "People need to see you." "I need to see you." "Leave your demons behind and come and celebrate." "You just buried your ma." "Now is not the time to be making reckless decisions about your future." "I know my future's not here." "That's the Elfstones talking." "Give me a little credit, Uncle Flick." "I threw those things away like you said." "I'm moving to Storlock to train as a healer." "You've never been more than five miles outside of Shady Vale." "The world outside is dangerous, Wil." "It's full of Gnomes and Trolls and Rovers." "They all hate each other." "The only thing they have in common is they hate Elves more." "I'll keep my ears covered..." "just like always." "You're the same as your father." "Never happy with your place in the world." "What is that suppose to mean?" "Stay in Shady Vale." "Let me talk to Dax." "I'm sure he could use an apprentice." "Dax couldn't heal a stubbed toe." "Storlock has the best healers in the Four Lands." "Wil... you did everything you could for your ma." "It wasn't enough." "I never want to feel that helpless again." "Uncle Ander." "Thanks for the save." "The Gauntlet's easier to navigate than this party." "Just don't faint again and you'll be fine." "My fainting days are over." "Good, because as you can see, there are a lot of people who are very eager to meet you." "Grandpa still hasn't spoken to me." "Don't worry about it." "You know, sometimes I think the only member of the family that he actually likes is Manx." "Speaking of loyal dogs, how's your boyfriend?" "Be nice." "Lorin's a good guy." "He deserves someone who truly loves him." "I'm just not sure that someone is me." "Well, then you'd better tell him or else you're going to spend a very awkward year together in the Sanctuary." "Not nearly as awkward as watching you pine for Commander Tilton." "No..." "No, I'm not pining, I'm..." "I'm observing." "That's been over for a very long time." "And I think we can both agree she made the wiser choice." "Happy hunting." "I need you." "You look absolutely amazing." "Thanks." "Would you like to dance?" "I just need some food." "I haven't eaten all day." "I'll make you a plate." "Closer." "Lorin!" "Why?" "Stay back!" "What are you doing out here?" "The Ellcrys called to me." "I heard it during the Gauntlet and then again tonight." "I tried to ignore it, but it won't let me." "Amberle, you're not making any sense." "When I touch the tree, it shows me visions... horrible visions of the future." "Like what?" "That I'm going to kill you, Lorin." "Kill me?" "I saw it." "I stabbed you." "I don't know what to think anymore." "I should never have run the Gauntlet." "I have to leave Arborlon." "There's only one person who can help me." " Calm down." " No, I won't put you in danger." "You need to stay as far away from me as possible." "Seriously?" "I'm sorry." "Whoa!" "Well, so much for my shortcut." "Hey, I don't like it any more than you do." "Great." "Now I'm the guy who talks to his horse." "I thought Elves were supposed to be smart." "I'm half-Elf." "Clearly the wrong half." "Only an idiot would travel these woods alone." "Trolls hunt here." "Wait, that's a Troll?" "!" "Was a Troll." "The Troll must have picked up your scent." "I hear Elf ears are their favorite snacks." "Huh." "Even short tips." "If you're going to keep insulting me," "I should at least know your name." "Eretria." "I'm Wil." "Thanks for saving my life." "Hey, wait up." "Prince Ander, any word on Amberle?" "The Black Watch are still sweeping the countryside." "I wish there was something I could do." "You can start by telling the truth." "I told Prince Arion everything." "See, I'm an excellent liar, which means I can tell when somebody's lying to me." "Amberle left the party upset and you followed her out here." "You two got into a fight... and now she's missing." "As far as I'm concerned," "I'm staring at the prime suspect." "She said the Ellcrys called to her and showed her a vision of the future." "In it... she killed me." "You honestly expect me to believe that the tree was communicating with her?" "I know it sounds crazy." "That's why I didn't say anything." "You better pray she's still alive." "Hey, what do you think that was?" "Don't know, don't care." "Aren't you curious about ancient humans?" "How they were able to build these incredible things?" "Look, they're dead, we're not." "End of story." "Anyone ever tell you you're kind of cynical?" "Anyone ever tell you you're kind of naive?" " What is it?" " Not sure." "Some kind of fungus or bark rot." "The Ellcrys is sick?" "When's the last time that happened?" "Never." "So you don't recall any accounts of the Ellcrys ever having been sick?" "It's never even shed a leaf." "I understand the symbolic importance of the Ellcrys," "Father, but it is, after all, only just a tree." "The Ellcrys is more than just a tree." "I can assure you of that, boy." "Stop there!" "How did you get past the Home Guard?" "Eventine, please tell your son I mean no harm." "Allanon?" "Put down your sword, boy." "It has been a long time, my old friend." "Father..." "Father, who is this Human?" "This is Allanon... the last Druid of Paranor." "Druid?" "You said the last Druid died in the War of the Races." "Did you now?" "No one has set eyes on you in 30 years." "I assumed the worst... but it appears you have not aged a single day." "I have been called by the Ellcrys." "I must go to the Sanctuary immediately." "If you really are a Druid... prove it." "Show us some magic." "I don't do tricks." "Let him go." "If Allanon is here... there are dark days ahead." "This is your house?" "You're welcome to camp out with the Trolls." "I didn't picture someone like you living in a place so... woodsy." "Take off your clothes before you come in." "All of them." "You're joking, right?" "No." "You need a bath." "And I don't want you tracking mud all over my "woodsy" little house." "So, uh, you live here alone?" "Don't worry, we won't be disturbed." "Mmm." "So aren't you worried about Rovers?" "What do you know about Rovers?" "One look at you and they'd take the clothes off your back and steal your little bag of blue rocks." "I need those back." "Why?" "Are they valuable?" "Only to me." "Someone's got a little secret." "What's it going to take for you to tell me?" "They're called Elfstones." "They belonged to my dad." "They're supposed to have magical powers." "They're very pretty." "Compared to you, I hadn't noticed." "I'm sorry." "I'm the one who should apologize." "For what?" "The epic headache you're gonna have in the morning." "It's much worse than I thought." "The Ellcrys is dying." "Are you certain?" "You need to mobilize the Elven army." "Why does a dying tree require an army?" "You do know the story of the Ellcrys, don't you?" "Each leaf represents a single Demon." "Once they begin to fall, the creatures of darkness will be released from the Forbidding, one by one." "We all know that story is just a fairy tale." "Father, you're not actually listening to this, are you?" "You've allowed him to believe this when you know the opposite to be true." "After the War of the Races," "I believed that magic had disappeared, along with you and the Warlock Lord." "Well, then you tell that to your people when the fairy tales are ripping out their throats!" "_" "_" "_" "_" "_" "_" "Get dressed, Wil." "How do you know my name?" "Where's Eretria?" "Your Rover girl is long gone." "Rover?" "I don't understand." "This is her house." "No, it's not." "It's theirs." "Oh..." "I'm an idiot." "You'll get no argument from me." "You were supposed to be in Shady Vale." "Did my uncle send you to bring me home?" "Flick had no intention of telling me your whereabouts." "But his thoughts were never hard to read." "What..." "Who exactly are you?" "I am Allanon." "We must reach Druids' Keep." "Wait, you're a Druid?" "Right before my mom passed away, she told me I needed to find you." "Perhaps you should have listened to her." "You would have saved us both a lot of time." "She gave me these Elfstones..." "That..." "The Rover stole those too." "This is going to be harder than I thought." "You have put our quest in jeopardy." "What quest?" "I can't believe this is the Shannara I've been dealt." "That's my horse!" "Hey..." "Yes!" "Hey." "The Four Lands is in grave danger." "Only the last son of Shannara can save it." "My name's Wil Ohmsford." "You've got the wrong guy." "You're a Shannara." "Your ancestors were kings and warriors... heroes who lived and died defending the Four Lands." "Men like your father." "My father was a deadbeat drunk who died alone and destitute." "You've been lied to." "Do you believe in magic, boy?" "Of course not." "Well, magic flowed through your father." "And it flows through you too." "It's in the Shannara blood." "If I had magic inside me, why didn't it help me save my mom?" "It could have... if you'd known how to unlock it." "I can show you how." "Come." "Your destiny awaits." "_" "_" "_" "_" "_" "_" "Next one goes straight through your heart!" "Who are you?" "I mean no harm." "Please." "I saw your fire and was hoping to warm myself." "You're the second Elf I've run into this week." "Actually, the first was a mongrel." "Cute but not too bright." "Where are you headed all by yourself?" "To the Elvin mission in Culhaven." "I'm a teacher." "You pack light." "Unlike you." "My husband found work near Balinor." "I had to pack up my stuff and meet him there." "Thank you." "You have no wedding band." "Not that I'm surprised." "Who would want to marry a Rover?" "Well, your jewelry gave you away too, Princess." "I don't know of any teacher who wears the royal seal of Arborlon engraved on their cuff." "What was your plan, drug me and then rob me?" "I steal to survive." "Don't try and justify your actions." "You and your kind are a blight on the Four Lands." "Ouch." "Does the arrogant attitude also come on a silver platter?" "You wouldn't know the first thing about my life." "Well, you don't have an escort." "My guess, you're running away, probably from a guy who either broke your heart or knocked you up." "Whatever your drama, it doesn't even compare to what you're gonna have to face out there in the real world." "Thanks for that nugget of Rover wisdom." "Amberle, I need you... come back." "Afraid of the dark, Princess?" "Now who's the thief?" "Believe me, you got the better end of that trade." "There it is." "Druids' Keep." "I can't believe I rode all night for this." "For hundreds of years, this fortress was the center of the Four Lands." "The wisest men and women from each race, they were called here to study and train in the art of magic." "It's just a ruin." "This is sacred ground, Wil." "Don't touch anything." "I don't know what you're hoping to find, there's not much left." "The Codex of Paranor is here." "What exactly does a Codex look like?" "It's a book containing the magical history of the Four Lands." "If there is a way of saving the Ellcrys, it will be found within its pages." "Why don't you just call it a book of magic?" "Is it a Druid requirement that everything has to sound so mysterious?" "I spoke to Lorin." "Amberle told him that the Ellcrys was communicating with her." "Giving her visions of the future." "I dismissed it until I found this in her room." "Demons?" "She sketched them before the Druid showed up." "It can't be a coincidence." "Until we are certain, I want all the Chosen and the entire Elvin Council taken to the palace for safety." "Black Watch will guard them night and day." "My mentor told me that he hid the Codex in this chamber before the Keep fell." "When was that?" "300 years ago." "Wait, that would make you... way too old to be alive." "My Uncle Flick was right, this is crazy." "The Codex is here." "Good luck finding it." "I'm going to Storlock." "You can't walk away from your destiny, Wil." "Watch me." "You were never going to Storlock." "The Elfstones were guiding you to me." "You know it to be true." "Don't move!" "Don't speak." "Let your eyes bear witness!" "Whoa!" "And now, do you believe?" "Magic is real." "Yes." "Will I be able to do that?" "One day... maybe." "Behold, the Codex of Paranor." "Your hand..." "Magic always comes with a price, Wil." "Never forget that." "My ancient Druid's a little rusty." "Maybe you can fill me in." ""When the Ellcrys comes to the end of its days," ""a flower will bloom" ""that will bear a single seed." ""A member of the Chosen" ""must carry that seed to Safehold" ""and immerse it in the Bloodfire." ""Only then can the seed be returned" ""to the Sanctuary and the Ellcrys be reborn."" "That doesn't sound so bad." "It's not like you need a human sacrifice or something." "Where's Safehold?" "I've traveled all over these Four Lands and I've never come across such a place." "Perhaps..." "_" "_" "_" "_" "_" "_" "_" "_" "_" "_" "_" "_" "_" "_" "_" "_" "_" "Hey, Allanon!" "It's me, it's me!" "Wil, we must return to Arborlon." "Hurry!" " Amberle." " I'm fine." "Listen, the Ellcrys called to me again." "We're all in great danger." " There's a Demon headed here." " Demon?" "We have to warn the Chosen, where are they?" "The king moved us to the east wing of the palace." "I snuck past the Black Watch to check on the Ellcrys." "I thought I'd lost you." "You have no idea." "Demons in Arborlon?" "Never thought I would live to see the day." "The Chosen must be protected at all costs." "They alone can save the Ellcrys." "The Black Watch should be guarding that door!" "The Chosen... they're all dead." "No... one still lives." "This must be the work of Gnomes." "They've struck at the heart of the palace before." "Gnomes had no part in this." "It is the work of the Dagda Mor." "The Dagda what?" "He's a powerful Elvin Druid who was corrupted by dark magic." "He has been plotting his revenge now for thousands of years." "If he's a Druid, can't you find and destroy one of your own?" "I tried, but he is cloistered in a black henge which cloaks his location." "I don't understand." "If he really has escaped the Forbidding, why doesn't he attack himself?" "According to the Codex, the weaker the Ellcrys gets, the stronger he becomes." "But he will not be truly free to walk this Earth until the last leaf has fallen." "Kill the Chosen, kill the Ellcrys." "Until then, he will dispatch his Demons to carry out his murderous biddings." "Like he has done here." "Can my father and I please have the room?" "Father, you need to send this Druid away." "People are starting to talk, they don't understand why you're under his thrall." "You mean you don't understand." "No, I don't!" "Six innocent lives have been slaughtered inside our walls and you want to blame Demons and magic?" "What would you suggest?" "You had planned to step down in a few months." "Do it now." "Let me take control of the situation." "Let me do what I have been training to do." "I will lead the Elvin army and I will root out our real enemy." "My son... a true leader does not abdicate at the start of a crisis." "And as for your training, it is no match for my experience." "By the time I was your age," "I had won the War of the Races and I brought peace to the Four Lands." "You are the greatest king since Jerle Shannara." "But..." "But think of your legacy." "After everything that you have done for the Elven people, do you really want to go down as the mad king who believes in Demons?" "If Princess Amberle is the last of the Chosen, how come the tree can't find her?" "The Ellcrys has called to her, but she needs to return voluntarily." "Nobody can be forced into service." "Can't you use your magic like you did at Druids' Keep?" "Finding a dusty old book is much easier than tracking a willful girl who doesn't want to be found." "I need you to search the princess's quarters." "Don't tell anyone of your mission." "Dagda Mor has an agent within these walls." "And, Wil, don't screw up." "If the Dagda Mor finds Amberle before we do... the world ends." "Great." "Thanks for the encouragement." "Ignore Iggy." "Use him to scare the bark nuts off any Rover that comes sniffing around." "Aunt Pyria?" "You are the spitting image of your mother." "Now, what are you doing out here?" "You could have been kidnapped or killed." "I'm in trouble." "I need your help." "How far along are you?" "I'm not pregnant." "In your letters... you said you witnessed magic during the War of the Races." "That was a very long time ago." "But you still believe in it?" "What is really going on, Amberle?" "I ran the Gauntlet... and won." "I became a member of the Chosen." "Your grandfather must be furious." " Good for you." " No, it's a nightmare." "When I laid my hand on the Ellcrys," "I had a vision..." "Arborlon in flames," "Demons feasting on the dead." "It was a vision of the future, a future that's going to happen because I broke the rules." "You need to help me stop it." "Look what I caught." "Come on!" "Choke!" "Eretria!" "Eretria!" "That's enough!" "We scouted that house four nights ago." "I was beginning to think you'd double-crossed me." "And risk you putting a bounty on my head with every Rover in the Four Lands?" "Thanks for the trust." "Where's your haul?" "I stripped the place clean, just as you taught me, but I got ambushed on the way back." "Ambushed?" "They stole my haul with my horse." "Trolls would've eaten you." "Gnomes would've gutted you." "Who was it, another Rover clan?" "An Elf." "An Elf?" "Well, you should have killed the arrogant little snot, cut off its pointy ears, and brought them to me as a souvenir!" "Guess you're not cut out for a heist after all." "It was my first time going solo." "Just give me another shot." "This is a clan, not a charity." "I'm selling you to Boca Madrid." "He wants a wife and he's had his eye on you for a while." "Cephalo, wait!" "I didn't come back empty-handed." "But you've got to promise not to sell me." "They're one of a kind." "I'm sure you could get a good price for them." " Those are..." " Elfstones." "There's nothing rarer." "There may be hope for you." "Come on, sweetheart." "Why don't you tell your dad exactly how you got a hold of these?" "My son believes you're leading me astray." "I remember a younger king who wouldn't allow the whispers of the doubters to cloud his judgment." "Well, we can't all fall asleep for decades and forget that the world has moved on without us." "We found him trespassing in the princess's room." "He insisted on seeing the Druid." "Your Highness." "I..." "I think I know where Amberle is hiding." "She's with somebody called Pyria." "Pyria?" "No one has heard from my sister for years." "According to these letters, she lives in Wing Hove." "Amberle was secretly corresponding with her." "I found them hidden in her room." "Why would the princess need to write in secret to her aunt?" "We had a falling out many years ago." "She fell in love with a Human." "And when she asked for my blessing, I refused." "Because she didn't love an Elf?" "Because she loved you, Allanon." "I thought she understood that there was no future for us." "Well, evidently, she didn't." "However, thanks to your very capable young apprentice here, we now have our best chance of getting Amberle home safely." "I will instruct the scouts to go to Wing Hove." "No." "Wil and I will go... alone." "We will?" "Inviting a few soldiers might not be a bad idea." "Whatever killed the Chosen could still be inside the city walls." "Nobody else is to know Amberle's location or her life could be in danger." "As you wish." "What do you think, old boy, hmm?" "What do you think?" "He said the Elfstones belonged to his father." "But even he didn't believe they were magic." "Maybe he was lying." "Where did this halfling say he was from?" "Someplace called Shady Vale." "There used to be stories about an Elf who lived in the Vale." "He'd gladly tell you his wild tale of how he single-handedly won the War of the Races with nothing but a magic sword and three humble Elfstones to aid him." "Well, my father taught me not to believe anything" "I didn't see with my own eyes." "You think just because those pointy-eared bastards tell us that magic's dead, that's the truth?" "What makes you think I haven't seen it, hmm?" "Find the halfling and I promise not to marry you off." "I find him, you grant me my freedom." "So you and the king's sister..." "Wow." "I never pictured you as the romantic type." "My relationship with Pyria is none of your concern." "I'm sure the age difference must have been kind of weird." "How old are you, like 350?" "Stop talking." "I can't." "It's the only thing keeping my mind off the fact that we could be ripped apart by rampaging Demons at any moment." "Nobody should die like that." "Well, thanks to you, we have a chance of finding Amberle and stopping them." "Whoa." "Was that a compliment?" "I'm not much of a conversationalist." "As you can tell, I don't get much practice." "If you don't want to talk about Pyria, at least tell me about my dad." "I met Pyria because she was keeper of the royal archives when I was tracking down descents of the Shannara bloodline." " How come?" " They were being murdered." "Of course they were." "I met your father when he was living in Shady Vale with the Ohmsfords." "He and Flick were like brothers." " Brothers?" " No way." "Uncle Flick refuses to talk about him." "Your father is the only reason this world didn't fall into darkness 30 years ago." "His courage and fortitude inspire me still." "If he's such a hero, how come nobody remembers him?" "Why did he die a sad, lonely drunk?" "Well, you might recall" "I told you that magic comes with a price?" "Your father mastered the Elfstones, he defeated a terrible evil, and the magic... took its toll." "Is that what's gonna happen to me?" "Magic affects each person differently." "But you are not your father, Wil." "So I'm supposed to use Elfstones I don't have to protect a princess who doesn't want to be found from a Demon horde bent on laying waste to the world?" "And even if I succeed, which is entirely doubtful, my life could still be doomed because magic will have fried my brain." "Mmm." "I liked it better when we didn't talk." "Allanon?" "We're here for Princess Amberle." "I can't help you." "She's at the waterfall." "Damn your Druid tricks." "Go now, time is precious." "That's Shea's boy, isn't it?" "I'm not convinced he'll be the man his father was." "After all these years, here you are standing right in front of me, looking like you haven't aged a day." "How can that be?" "The Druids' sleep." "A deep hibernation that restored my magic." "I was depleted after the war." "I had no choice but to leave." "No choice?" "You abandoned me to grow old without so much as a good-bye." "And now you return as young and strong as a spring stag." "Amberle told me about the Ellcrys and her visions." "The situation is more dire than she knows." "If you're here, I should have guessed." "And right now the destiny of the Four Lands rests upon Wil and Amberle's shoulders." "And once again... you are the puppet master, manipulating innocent lives as you see fit." "Princess Amberle!" "Princess Amberle!" "Princess Amberle!" "Uh-uh, eyes up here!" "I'm sorry." "Who are you?" "Uh..." "You're an Elf?" "Half-Elf." "And yes, they're small, so spare me the ear jokes." "How did you find me?" "Your letters to your aunt." "You went through my things?" "Look, it's really important you return to Arborlon." "Yeah, that's not gonna happen." "This conversation would be much less awkward if you were dressed." "Turn around." "Okay." "Let's start over." "Who the hell are you and what are you doing here?" "My name is Wil Ohmsford." "I'm here because the Ellcrys is dying and you are the only one who can save it." "The Ellcrys is dying?" "Yes, and I know the tree speaks to you." "Did Lorin tell you that?" "Well, not exactly." "What aren't you telling me?" "I think it's better if the Druid explains everything." "You're here with a Druid." "I thought they were all dead." "This one just took a very long nap." "Are you his errand boy?" "Actually, Allanon brought me along to protect you." "You're joking, right?" "When the sleep calls, there is no time for good-byes." "Being a Druid is not a choice." "It's a calling." "You will never know how sorry I am... or how much you still mean to me." "A Fury." "Stay behind me!" "Aunt Pyria!" "I think we should wait for Allanon." "Aunt Pyria!" "Amberle!" "Amberle... stay back!"