Chapter 11:

The sun had just begun to rise into the morning sky, turning it deep shades of purple and pink when Wil woke from his sleep.

Stretching his body out, his hands touched the damp, cool blade of grass. The night air had created a thick layer of frost over the grass, that had yet to fully melt. The embers from the fire they had burning the night before sat long forgotten and dead in a pit of ash left from the once burning logs.

Wil turned his head to the left and let his eyes roam over Amberle's still sleeping figure. His blanket lay draped over her shoulder in the same place he had put it the night before, only her fist had reached out sometime in the middle of the night and grasped onto the material.

Sitting up on the blanket he had been laying on, Wil raised a handed to his head and scratched it before releasing a yawn from this mouth.

Amberle stirred, but did not wake.

Getting to his feet Wil made his way towards the horses, who gave him a neigh as he came into their view.

Patting his horse's back Wil went to grab a fresh shirt from his saddle bag.

Pulling his dark blue tunic over his head, Wil throw it onto the back of his horse.

A twig snapped behind him.

Without hesitating Wil pulled the dagger free from its place at his hip and spun around. The dagger nearly gliding with the neck of Amberle.

Amberle's eye bulged from her eye sockets.

Wil's hand opened and the dagger fell to the forest floor with a thud.

"Amberle…."

Shaking the shocked look of her face Amberle bent down to retrieve the dagger, "It's my fault. I should know better than to sneak up on an armed man."

Taking the dagger from her hand and placing it in his saddle bag, Wil took her chin in his hand, and moved it up so he could get a clear view of her neck.

Her ivory skin remain unblemished.

Releasing the breath he had not realized he had been holding Wil dropped his hand from her chin and lent down to gather his clean shirt from his feet.

"I didn't hear you get up." Wil said turning around as he pulled the shirt over his head and smoothed it over his chest.

"Elves are light on their feet." Amberle said coming up beside him to pet his horse, "Thank you for the blanket last night."

Wil gave her a small smile and nodded.

"I didn't hear you come to bed after I laid down?" Amberle questioned.

"I couldn't sleep." Wil replied looking at her, "Plus it's hard to fall asleep with all the snoring."

Amberle glared at him, "I do not snore."

Wil smirked and kissed her cheek, "Whatever you say princess."

He did not give Amberle time to rebuttal, instead he walked back to their blankets and proceed to roll them up.

"I do not snore." Amberle repeated following him, and picking up one of the blankets.

Wil did not reply, he simply went about his work on cleaning up the area they had stayed in. Making sure that anyone who ventured by would not see anything disturbed, or out of the ordinary.

By the time Wil and Amberle had packed up their bags and mounted their horses the sun had already rose high in the sky. Although with the colder months slowly approaching the days had begun to get shorter, and a lot more chilly.

"How far till we reach the Valley?" Amberle asked when they pulled their horses out onto the open trail, on the other side of the trees.

"We should be there by dinner, if we get luck and the storm has not flooded the path." Wil replied steering his horse around a fallen log.

Amberle stopped her horse, and raised her hand above her eyes to block out the sun's bright light.

Hills and plains of beautiful yellow and white flowers lay before them, going on for as far as her eyes could see. It was one of the few remaining beauty's of the old world. the Vale was home to many of the Four Lands natural wonders, and the Valemen and Valewomen did their best to not disturb any of them.

"Amberle?" Wil's voice called her her.

Amberle looked over to him, not realizing she had been daydreaming.

Tapping her foot gently against her horse's side, she followed Wil around the fallen log and they continued on down the well worn path. The path itself had turned to mud and clay, and was marshy which made it hard for the two of them to gallop the rest of the way to the Valley.

The sun had just began to set over the rolling hills of the Vale when they finally reached Wil's childhood home.

They had stopped atop the large hill that overlooked his uncle Flick's farm.

Wil smiled to himself as he took in the land he hand run across as a young boy, memories coming back to his mind.

His eyes fell on the tree by the well, and he could just make out the small pile of rocks. The only indication that his mother remained under the earth there.

A steady stream of smoke came from the chimney of the house, allowing Wil to know his uncle was indeed home and not in town.

"How do you feel?" Amberle asked after they had sat there for several moments in silence.

"It feels weird. When I left to go to Storlock, I had every intention of not coming back. I know this place holds good memories, but it's where my parents died. I felt like i was being suffocated here. But, now I feel relieved to be back." Wil replied after contemplating her question for a moment. "I guess saving the world from demons, really makes you appreciate the little things."

He let out a small chuckle.

They sat there in complete silence for a few more moments until Amberle placed her hand on his thigh.

Wil looked down at her hand. The small silver ring on her third finger sparkled in the fading sunlight.

Placing his hand on hers he gave her a small smile.

Moving her horse forward Amberle took the lead down the hill and towards the little farm house.

Wil followed slowly behind.

A man's shadow darkened the stoop of the house as they stopped their horses at the edge of the house.

Wil slide off his horse and walked around to help Amberle off hers.

"The towns that way." Called a husky dry voice, as the man walked into the last remaining light of the day.

His hair was just as blond as Wil's, although it had begun to turn grey from age. His eyes were brown and strong looking, even though he looked to be old enough to be Wil's grandfather. Age had not been kind to Flick Ohmsford.

Moving a strand of hair out of Amberle's face behind her ear, Wil gave her a quick peck on the lips, before turning around revealing himself to his uncle.

The man staggered back as if he had seen a ghost, but he quickly regained his footing, "Wil?"

"Uncle Flick." Wil replied stopping in front of the man who had helped raise him.

Flick laughed and took his nephew in a giant embrace, "I thought you had traveled to Storlock."

"I had. Turns out I knew more about healing than most in there did." Wil laughed pulling away from this uncle.

Flick looked over Wil's shoulder and noticed Amberle for the first time, "Do my eyes deceive me…"

Wil smiled and turned around and held out his hand for Amberle to take. She walked the few steps to his side, and slide her fingers in between his. Wil brought their joined hands to his lips and gave her fingers a kiss.

"Flick I would like you to meet Amberle my wife." Wil said.

Flick gave Wil a confused look as his eyes jumped back and forth between him and Amberle.

Amberle shifted between her legs feeling uncomfortable.

"He's doesn't beleive it." Amberle thought to herself. Wil looked down at her and smiled.

Flick's hand jetted out from its place in his pocket and he pushed Amberle's hair away from her ear.

It fell to his side almost instantly, when he saw her full ears.

Wil knew his uncle had trust issues with much of the races the lived within the Four Lands, but Elves he distrusted the most. Ever since his father and Flick had ventured with Allanon almost 30 years early to save the Four Lands from the War Lord.

"An elf?" Flick questioned.

"Amberle." Wil corrected him, "I missed home, and when I told Amberle of the Valley she thought that it would be an amazing place to start our lives together."

Amberle gave a fake smile.

She knew Flick was not believing a word coming out of Wil's mouth.

Flick grunted in acknowledgment, "Well best come in out of the cold, I suspect it is going to rain tonight."

Wil smiled at his uncle.

Flick's eye flickered to Amberle's face for a moment, before he turned around and walked back into his house.

"Well that went well." Wil whispered as he pulled Amberle towards the door.

"He doesn't believe it." Amberle replied in a hush tone.

"He will think what he wants, he want say anything." Wil said stepping to the side and letting Amberle enter the house first.

Hesitating for a moment, Amberle stepped into the front room. The warm air coming from the fireplace hit her like a wave.

She let her eyes run over the room. It was homey in every sense of the word. Simple decorations adorned the walls, and any surface that was free. Most were sculptures and silly little nicknacks. A table and 4 chairs sat in the far corner of the room, in what appeared to be the kitchen.

A pot of stew was sitting on the table, steam pouring out of edges of the lid. It smelled heavenly.

"I was just about to sit down for some dinner. There's lots if you are hungry." Flick said taking a seat in one of the chairs around the table.

"Thank you." Amberle replied moving a few steps more into the house unsure of what to do.

Wil walked past her, and as he did he grabbed her hand pulling her towards the table. He took a seat next to his uncle and nodded to the one across from him.

Wil and his uncle began to chat endlessly about harvesting, and hunting. Amberle just sat there listening into their conversations, moving her spoon around her half eaten bowl of stew.

She did not realize her eyes had begun to grow tired, and that she had begun to fall asleep until she felt her body being lifted up.

Her eyes shot open, and zoomed in on Wil's face as he began to walk away from the now clean table. Flick was nowhere to be found.

She closed her eyes, and laid her cheek against his chest. The thumping of his heart lulling her back to sleep.

She didn't even wake up when Wil laid her down upon the bed in his old room, or when he removed her cloak and replaced it with a soft fuzzy blanket.

She had not felt this relaxed since before she had ran the gauntlet, but something about the way this room made her feel told her she was safe. Wil made her safe.

Hey guys, so I don't know if i am going to continue this story. I have not been getting a lot of reviews to know if people even like this story... Shouts out to the people who review every time I update. So I have decided that if i do not get to at least 22 reviews before Friday I'm going to stop updating. I know there are a lot of people who read this fanfic so I think you guys can give me those 6 reviews i am asking for. Let me know what you guys think of this story. I really only write because of you guys.

xoxox

-Cassie