Been trying to figure out what to write for fanfiction, but I have a problem. Most of my fandoms are either dead, or sparsely crowded. Take Quantum Break for example, I just wrote one for that game but got only a single review out of it. Believe me nothing sucks worse than putting a lot of thought and work into a story and nobody reads it or comments/reviews.

So here I am now, coming back to Shannara since people seem to still be writing for this. Hopefully I still have readers to be found in this fandom. Plus I love writing triad romances.

I started this at the finale of season 1 but never finished it. I think it's about time I fixed that. And on a side note, if I still have readers then I have a second chapter planned for Dreamland. Maybe other stories as well.

And this will be a two-shot.

Enjoy.

Okay so maybe Wil had not properly thought this plan through. Now that he was out in the wilderness, it was dawning on him he shouldn't really be out here without someone traveling with him.

In fact, it was doing something similar to this that allowed him to meet Eretria. Crossing troll territory on his own hadn't worked so well that time. He'd have been troll chow if the rover hadn't shown up when she did.

Apparently Wil didn't learn his lesson the first time because here he was again. Except trolls were not the only problem. Elf-hunters and rovers, not to mention the normal hungry wildlife, doing this by himself hadn't been one of Wil's wiser judgment calls.

But a promise was a promise, and he had one to keep to Eretria. He'd already lost Amberle, he wasn't about to lose Eretria if he could do anything about it. Besides, the rover girl was way too tough to be taken out by a small army of trolls.

The memory of his last encounter with the elven princess still burned like hot coals in Wil's stomach. She was right there, albeit in tree form, and he couldn't hear her. Allanon said she would talk when she was ready but why wouldn't she want to? Was it too much for a simple 'hello, don't worry, I'm okay'?

Unless she didn't want to talk to them anymore...

Don't think about it, Wil had to constantly remind himself. He needed to focus on finding Eretria first, then maybe together they would figure out what to do about Amberle. Perhaps there would be some way to reverse it without bringing the demons back.

Unless that was impossible...

"Damn it Wil Ohmsford you need to stop thinking so much." Wil growled under his breath.

At least Wil was close by now, he would reach Safehold in the morning. The only reason he stopped tonight was because the sun had gone down and travel was difficult in the dark. Not to mention he didn't fancy the idea of being almost eaten by some night predator, again.

Coming alone might have been unwise, but so far Wil had few complications. Almost as if somebody was watching over him, or his luck had decided to take a turn for the better. Either way he didn't care, he had a rover to find.

Staring into the flames of his campfire, Wil allowed his thoughts to drift back to the last time he and the girls had been together. On the run from the trolls with the horde right behind them. She could have ran at many points, she could have abandoned them multiple times, but that just wasn't Eretria's way. For all her snark, defiance, and selfishness, Eretria had one of the largest heart's Wil had ever seen.

Everything was all wrong. It should be Eretria the people of Arborlon heaped the praise upon, not him. After the life she had lived, Eretria deserved better. A place to call her own, no longer needing to steal just to survive, Eretria should have had all these things and more.

He hadn't figured that part out yet, but gods willing Wil was going to make sure she got some of what she should as soon as he found her and brought her back. The Four Lands were going to know they owed a large part of their lives to a certain rover.

"Wil..." For the last couple hours every time Wil felt a breeze he could have sworn he heard someone talking, but he had assumed it to be his imagination. But now it was definitely sounding like a person's voice.

Looking up from the fire, Wil's hand drifted of its own accord to his hidden boot knife. He was no fighter, but Eretria had taught him a few things at least.

"Wil..." The voice called out weakly again. There was something odd about it, beyond that fact that Wil was literally listening to the wind speak. The sound was distorted and broken, but just hearing it even partially clearly was strangely comforting.

"Hello?" Wil spoke softly before slapping himself in the forehead. "And now I'm talking to the wind, great, I really have lost it."

"Wil... this way." This was the first time Wil had heard something beyond his name being spoken. He hadn't a clue why, but Wil let go of his knife and stood up. "This way."

The only thing stupider than traveling this region alone was traveling this region in the dark. But here Wil was, following a disembodied voice around. He couldn't even figure out why he was doing it, it was like his body knew where he was going but his mind didn't.

"Over here." Walking around a large tree, Wil was first greeted with the sight of a pair of leather leggings. The more he moved around the trunk, the more the person came into view. When they did, Wil felt his heart nearly stop.

"Eretria!"

Usually trolls would simply kill you or just skip that part ant eat you alive. Eretria had seen both a few times too many. What she hadn't seen was trolls trying to take a person alive with minimal damage. To the best of her knowledge such a thing was impossible.

Sure the trolls had beaten her up pretty good, but they could have done a lot more harm. Just a few cuts and scrapes, no broken bones. Only after meeting their leader did Eretria understand why they went so easy on her despite how many she killed.

When Eretria escaped she would need to tell Wil and Amberle what she had discovered. It could be nothing, but 'nothing' could quickly become a huge problem down the road later. Better safe than sorry.

A small part of Eretria cautioned her that Wil and Amberle could be dead already. Torn limb from limb by blood thirsty demons. But the rover had told that line of thought to go to hell within seconds.

Amberle was way too stubborn to die, and Wil? That half-elf might have some of the worst luck in the world, but he was a survivor. He may not know it himself, but Eretria knew he was tougher than he thought. And if Amberle were in danger, well... let's just say the demons were going to need a bigger army.

If you could count on one thing about trolls, it's that their attempts at locking someone up were shoddy at best. Eretria was easily able to pick the lock and slip out of her pen unseen.

At least that was what Eretria thought. She hadn't made it ten feet before being spotted. Either they didn't care anymore, or their orders had changed, but either way the trolls put up a hell of a lot more fight on the way out.

This time they definitely had no intentions of taking her alive.

Unfortunately for the trolls, Eretria was no easy prey. In her haste to leave, Eretria had lost count of how many trolls she'd slain. But the beasts gave as good as they got. The first one to get the drop on her got a lucky hit in with a blade that bit deep into her side. But Eretria didn't have time to access the damage, she had to get out.

By the time Eretria managed to get outside, the wounds she suffered were starting to wear her down. She bled from over half a dozen deep cuts scattered all over her body. Multiple ribs were fractured or broken, her left arm though was definitely broken. The last troll she encountered at the exit had gotten hold of her and snapped the bone like a twig.

It hurt, a lot, but Eretria channeled her pain into rage and drove a knife into the thing's throat.

The dark of night outside Safehold was both a boon and a curse. Eretria would have an easier time losing the trolls in the dark, but she couldn't see where she was really going either. Within a minute of being outside, she tripped on a root and fell flat on her face.

That was when Eretria really realized just how injured she was. Adrenaline could only take a person so far.

Eretria didn't believe in shedding tears, but not even she could stop the few that fell. The pure agony radiating from her body was just too much.

She was going to die, this was how Eretria was going to meet her end. Wil and Amberle would never find her, she would be found by the troll. If the trolls or night creatures didn't get to her first, she was going to just bleed out. The grass beneath her was already becoming stained red with fresh blood.

She needed to get up, Eretria needed to run. But she just couldn't make herself do it, her body wouldn't respond anymore.

"Eretria." At least until Eretria heard that voice calling her name.

Forcing her head to look up, Eretria found the night still obscuring her vision. But even in the dark Eretria could tell nobody was there, troll or otherwise. But where did the...

"Eretria." The voice called again. "Move."

The rover had no clue why, but hearing that voice call out to her brought her renewed strength. It sounded so familiar... but something with it was wrong. It didn't sound right.

Regardless, hearing it gave Eretria the push she needed to force her body to her knees. She bit down on her lip hard to suppress the whimper that tried to escape her lips.

"Move." There was the voice again.

Cradling her broken arm close to her body, Eretria put on foot down on solid ground followed by the other. Starting from her kneeling position, she slowly lifted herself up. Most of the fatigue and pain was still there but Eretria was able to push past it.

The voice said Eretria needed to move, and that was exactly what she was going to do. The trolls wouldn't be having Eretria on the menu tonight.

"This way." It was distant, like someone trying to whisper from too far away. But Eretria could tell the general direction of the voice. Unsure where else she could possibly go, Eretria followed the sound.

What was the worst that could happen? She already had hungry trolls chasing after her. Most of her body was covered in strongly scented blood the predators of the night loved. There was literally no worst scenario left, she was already in it.

How long did she walk? Eretria couldn't tell, every direction was the same. The only saving grace was that since she had to move so slow, she could be more careful with her steps. She'd yet to trip again, but that could easily change.

Even though she was tougher than most, even Eretria had limits. She at last reached a point where she physically couldn't walk anymore. No matter how hard she tried to make herself keep going, it was a wasted effort. Her body couldn't take anymore.

The mysterious voice guiding her had vanished as well. As soon as Eretria reached the tree, it simply stopped talking. The rover chalked hearing voices as going crazy from blood loss.

Collapsing against a nearby large tree, Eretria slid down the bark to sit. She'd yet to hear any pursuers during her whole forest hike, maybe the trolls gave up. That or she'd managed to put enough distance behind her.

It didn't really matter in the long run. She had to rest here for a bit whether she liked it or not. Maybe once she caught her breath she could...

Who was she kidding? Eretria was done, her wounds were too severe. Maybe if she had a fraction of Wil's healer knowledge she'd have a chance but the half-elf was nowhere to be found.

Wil had made a promise he'd come back for her. Eretria was not stupid enough to believe in everything some guy tells her. No matter how much said guy meant to her... or how badly she wanted him to show up like a hero to save her.

If Wil didn't keep his promise, it was not his fault. Something else was stopping him from doing so. Hell, when Wil came back he'd probably bring the princess along for the ride.

Eretria let a tiny grin lift her lips at the thought. Wil would say he'd take care of it and Amberle would be having none of it and would forcibly invite herself along.

Even if she was about to die here, Eretria took some comfort in her final thoughts being of Wil and Amberle. Obviously it would be better if the pair were here in the flesh but Eretria would take what victories she could.

The first clue Eretria had a vistor was the rustle of leaves made by footsteps. Whatever it was, they sucked at hiding their movements. That ruled out wildlife, but it didn't sound large enough to be a troll.

With a wince, Eretria used her good arm to draw her last dagger. Who or whatever it was, was not taking Eretria without a fight.

Eretria had just pulled her arm back for a throw when the figure emerged from around the tree. She was so shocked that the knife slipped from between her fingers.

"Wil?"

Wow, that came out a lot easier than I was expecting. Makes me wonder why I never finished it in the first place. Anyway, review and let me know I still have readers thank you.