I am not certain, and it is a long shot but it sounds a bit like *A Companion to Wolves*: > *A Companion to Wolves* is the story of a young nobleman, Isolfr, who is > chosen to become a *wolfcarl* -- a warrior who is bonded to a fighting > wolf. Isolfr is deeply drawn to the wolves, and though as his father's > heir he can refuse the call, he chooses to go. > > The people of this wintry land depend on the wolfcarls to protect them > from the threat of trolls and wyverns, though the supernatural > creatures have not come in force for many years. Men are growing too > confident. The wolfhalls are small, and the lords give them less > respect than in former years. But the winter of Isolfr's bonding, the > trolls come down from the north in far greater numbers than before, > and the holding's complaisance gives way to terror in the dark. > > Isolfr, now bonded to a queen wolf, Viradechtis, must learn where his > honor lies, and discover the lengths to which he will to go when it, > and love for his wolf, drive him. > > Source: Amazon description of [*A Companion to Wolves*][1] It could also be *The Elfstones of Shannara*: > Allanon returns, having spent the intervening years in magical sleep, > and conscripts Shea's grandson Wil and elven princess Amberle to save > the world. It seems that long before human history, the elves > (revealed to be the real thing, not mutant humans) and other good > faeries locked all the evil faeries, known as Demons, inside the > Forbidding, using a magic tree called the Ellcrys. Now the Ellcrys is > dying, and the Demons are beginning to escape. Amberle, as the last of > the Ellcrys Chosen, must make the journey to the Bloodfire, to > fertilise one of the tree's seeds. Since Allanon will be busy helping > the Elves defend their homes from the Demons, he convinces Wil, who > has inherited the anti-dark magic Elfstones that the Druid gave to > Shea, that he must protect Amberle on her dangerous trek. > > Source: [TV Tropes page on the *Shannara* series](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Literature/Shannara) [1]: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/333356.A_Companion_to_Wolves