So guys....this is it. The last chapter in this trilogy. *sobs*

This is the part where I'm supposed to thank all the friends and stuff that have gotten me through this, and supported me, but we get that at the end of every story. So I'm going to do something slightly different.

When I started these books, I was seriously depressed. I had just lost basically everything. Crappy times. But whatever. I never expected anybody to read any of these. At all. But I guess some of you thought it was interesting or whatever and it did take off.

You guys, because of your encouragement, literally pulled me out of my depression. This past year has been tough, and even though none of you personally know me-you guys were my safety net. Wattpad is the place I go when I can't deal with life and you guys always encourage me to metaphorically get back on the horse. So I needed to say thanks. Thank you can be pretty meaningless sometimes, but this is the most heartfelt thank you I can manage. I couldn't have done it without all of you. You have all made me a better writer and make me strive to work hard. I'm giving you all a cyber hug right now. :)

Anyway-enough with all of the cheesy stuff. I just wanted to say that you guys are the best! Even though this series is done, I'm not done writing, so I hope that you decide to check out some of my other work sometime! But if not, just know that you guys mean the world to me.
And there you have it! A 300 word authors note that most of you probably won't read. :)
I'll get on with the chapter now, but I'll leave you with one last song quote.

"And though where the road then takes me,
I cannot tell
We came all this way
But now comes the day
To bid you farewell

Many places I have been
Many sorrows I have seen
But I don't regret
Nor will I forget
All who took that road with me"

I would put the whole song in here, but I think you guys are already mad at me for taking up this whole part. So I'll just go now. But thank you. Thank you so much.

Now on with the last chapter!!!!!

Eadu's POV

Thinking back, I wouldn't have done anything different. I always said I wished I could have changed details of my life, but thinking about it now, I'm proud of my decisions. Not everything was a cake walk, but then again, it never is is it?

When the stool is kicked out, I react immediately. I jump, using the falling stool as leverage. That gives me the extra second I need to rip through the twine binding my hands, and grab onto the wooden frame of the gallows above my head. I slice through my rope necklace and drop to the ground.

This all happens in a fraction of a second. But in that fraction of a second, chaos breaks loose.

Soldiers disguised as villagers pull out their weapons and start attacking the unprepared Echidninarian army. The Amazons appear out of the trees and start joining our men. Jaosh throws me a dagger. I catch it by the hilt. For a moment I stop and stare in wonder.

This is incredible. Not the war, or the bloody battle taking place before my eyes, but how well orchestrated it is. It must have taken days of planning. And I knew nothing about it. That's pretty incredible in itself.

"Stop gawking and start fighting!" Jaosh yells happily. He has a maniac grin on his face as he engages in battle with a opponent.

"Did you do this!?" I shout back over the noise.

Jaosh takes down his opponent.

"You know it!" He yells before charging at another enemy soldier.

I'll thank him later. Right now I have a war to win.

A thought hits me as I look around. Where's Artol? And Gai? They must have fled into Asenhouse. This battle will be over as soon as they are dead and no earlier.

I turn away from the battle and sprint back into the mansion.

"Sir, we need to leave!" I can hear Gai's frantic voice as I creep silently through the empty halls.

"Quiet fool!" Artol snaps at him. I'm close enough to peer in through a crack in the door. Artol is facing away from me.

"But sir-" Gai pleads, but is cut off.

"I said shut up!!!" Artol roars. He pulls out a sword, and before I can blink a eye, he plunges it into Gai's chest.

"I never liked you anyway." Artol hisses before yanking out the sword, and letting Gai fall to the ground.

I have to clap a hand over my mouth to stifle my gasp. Unfortunately Artol must have heard me because he storms towards the door and throws it wide open.

"You signed a contract!!!!!" He roars, swinging the sword at my head. I duck.

"Why don't you read the contract. I wrote on it yes, but I never said I signed it!" I laugh, jumping backwards to avoid Artol's sword.

Artol's face turns another impossible shade of red as he continues to swing his sword in a sloppy, but powerful manner, forcing me to keep backing up.

"I'm going to kill you!!!!" He screams. I dodge another swing of his sword, and go in. I manage to stab him in the arm before ducking away. He roars in pain, but continues to try to lop off my head.

"I tend to have that effect on people. Artol, it's over. You lost. Call off your men and I'll let you go in peace." I say calmly. Well, as calmly as I can with crazed man trying to hurt me.

One more shade of red.

"I'm not losing a war to a 15 year old girl!!!" He shouts.

"I'm almost 17!" I scream back.

Good comeback Eadu....not. I sound real mature throwing my age in his face.

"Only a couple of years away from being a legal adult! Good-then I have no qualms about killing you. I've never killed a child before, but there's a first time for everything!" Artol yells in victory as he backs me into a corner. I have no where left to go.

"If I'm going down I'm taking you with me!" He screams as he lunges towards me. I dive to the floor and slide under him. Before either of us realize it, I come up standing behind him. My knife sinks into his neck before he has time to react. Artol falls to the floor, dead.

It's over. I won.

Instead of feeling victorious, all I can feel is a sense of loss. So many people have died. So freaking many.

But no more. I'm not going to let anybody else die. This war is over. Artol is dead. Gai is dead. That's good right? But my Mom is dead. Laura is dead. We haven't come away without serious battle wounds.

I see Derrin approaching from the end of the hall. He is in the middle of s fight with the enemy. Within seconds, the other man is on the floor, and Derrin is trying to recover his breath.

"Fancy trick. You've been holding out on me!" I call out. He starts in surprise, but smiles warmly at me.

"Says the girl who just escaped a noose!" He laughs. I shrug.

"I had help. I guess Artol held out his end of the bargain?" I ask. Derrin nods, and gestures over to the corner, where Artol lies in a heap.

"I guess so. Did you do that?" He asks.

I nod.

"And Gai?" Derrin wonders out loud.

"Taken care of." I say quietly. Derrin gives me a funny look.

"Really?!"

I nod again. I don't really feel like going into detail, so I say I'll tell him later, although I probably never will.

I just want to forget.

Derrin gives me a goofy grin.

"What?" I grumble. I'm not really in a celebratory mood. Derrin keeps grinning.

"It's over! We won!!! We won!!!" He laughs.

I feel a small smile creep onto my face. His childish excitement is amusing. And infectious.

"It's not over until the battle stops. Can you go tell them that Artol is dead?" I ask. Derrin nods and begins to walk off.

"I'll see you soon okay?" He shouts across the room. I can't help but smile.

"Okay" I respond.

The giant oak doors close with a boom as Derrin walks away.

And I'm alone.

In this giant great hall, I'm alone. And I like it that way. I'm sure when I go out there, there will be celebration. And maybe I can finally join in. But I need a moment to clear my head-accept that it's all over.

I see a patch of light, and walk towards it. There is a small glass window, cleanly broken. The fresh mountain air washes away the smell of death and makes me feel alive. I stand behind the window, and brace myself with my wrists on either side of the window. It's too cloudy to see the sun, but that's ok. The clouds are a soft grey, and snow is gently drifting down, burying the carnage below.

It's truly gorgeous. The snow, the mountains, the air. It makes me hopeful that there is something besides war and hurt out there. Maybe the worst is over. Maybe I can finally be peaceful. Happy even.

All of a sudden, I'm on the ground, gasping for air. Everything hurts. I see a slightly blurry face above me. It's Gray. Something wet drops onto my face as Gray looms over me

"You killed the only family I have left. You killed my father. I hate you!!!" She wails.

I try to speak, to come up with a witty comeback, but my brain feels foggy and I can't seem to get the words out. Gray looks at me scathingly.

"Revenge is too sweet, my friend." She sneers before stalking off.

Revenge?

I look down at my paralyzed body, and see a pool of blood pooling around me. What's happening?!

I try to call out for help. For Kaone, Briss, or Derrin. Somebody. Anybody. Derrin must have made the announcement by now. I need to go and celebrate with my people. I'm ready to celebrate. I'm not sad anymore. I'm peaceful.

Warmth floods my veins as I lie on the ground. I open my eyes to see that the clouds have broken, and a soft, gold light creates a square around me.

I think maybe that I'm dying.

No that's not right. I just started living! I can't die yet!!!!

Please-I can't die!!! I have so much to do-so much to see. So much to live! There's so many things I have to do-that I want to do. I'm not going to die here-I'm going to die 70 years from now, with Derrin by my side. And old lady, happy to die after living a long and happy life. This isn't fair. I deserve just one good thing right? Just one good thing!

Not this. Anything but this.

Black spots my vision, and my lungs can't seem to get enough air. Panic pumps through me, making it even harder to breathe.

A perfect, tall woman walks on the golden beam of light. She has a elegant black updo, and electric blue eyes. She kneels beside me and strokes my hair. Any previous panic dissipates in milliseconds. It's just me and my Mother.

"Mother?" I whisper. I can't see her anymore, but I hear the smile in her voice as she speaks.

"Hush Baby-I'm here." She murmurs, still petting my hair.

For a second I feel comfort. Then a sharp burst of pain.

Then the warmth is there. Comforting, peaceful, inviting me to sink into its embrace.

I muster the strength to smile, and then I let the warmth take me away.

Third Person POV

The streets are virtually silent, save the occasional sob. A horse walks slowly down the street, dragging a cart with a coffin in it. They are headed to the cathedral.

The final resting place.

The coffin is open and people strain to get a look at the hero.

Hair adorned with flowers, clothed in simple white dress, and bled white, most people wouldn't look twice at this girl. But she is a legend. A heroine. The face of feminism.

Women weep, children wail, and men salute the carriage as it continues along the long, windy path.

A little girl, no older then six grabs her mothers sleeve.

"Mama? Who was she?"

The mother wipes tears away from her red rimmed eyes, can't bring herself to answer her little girl. How do you answer a question like that? It's easier to pretend she didn't hear it.
But somebody did.

A tall man, with wavy brown hair and breathtaking green eyes breaks from the procession, and walks to the little girl. He drops to his knees and takes the child's hands. Everybody in the vicinity waits with bated breath. They recognize this man as somebody important.

"What is your name?" He asks.

"Leah." She states proudly.

"Leah-that woman that you see-she is the best woman, the most selfless, incredible, brave, true, and loyal person I ever knew. Her name was Eadu." The man whispers, tears sliding down his rugged face. The girl nods, and points at the carriage.

"When I grow up, I want to be like her." She says simply. The man smiles sadly.

"She would have liked that."

How do you move on? Simple. You can't. But you can move forward. You can keep going-keep staying alive. Because the tough times, they don't last unless you let them. You move on, but you never forget. You look back and remember, even if it hurts. But you keep walking, because at the end of the road, you'll be glad you did.