Note: Quite a bit of violence in this part. Sorry. But, well, no more than in the Redwall series. ;) Feedback appreciated, as always.

"Wait
There's no mountain too great
Hear these words and have faith
Have faith."—They Live in You (The Lion King: Original Broadway Cast Recording)

Warpaint always has an affect on the mood of beasts going into battle. At least this battle. The forces of the free people of Phuri Dae were gathered in a clearing. Weapons were at a ready, faces were painted in wild colors, and everyone was on edge. It was a month after Llewellyn, Nata, and I had arrived at our homeland. During that month we had gathered forces for our insurrection. Now we were ready; ready to crush Grijalva and his vermin and reclaim our home.

"Stri… You ready?" Llewellyn asked quietly from behind me. "Ready to take your home back?"

My paw rested on the hilt of Destiny. "I've been ready for this day… So ready," I whispered.

Nata stood on my other side, Loyalty held in her paw tightly. "We'll destroy those vermin for everything they're worth," she spat. "I can't wait to see Grijalva begging to be spared."

From our clearing, we could see the castle of Phuri Dae sitting atop a rocky hill, waiting for us to save it from the rule of vermin. I could see many heads peering between the many crenellations of the wall—vermin soldiers waiting for us to attack.

"We're at a disadvantage," I shouted so all could hear me. "But we can and will defeat the scum who have invaded our island and corrupted it! We have fate on our side." I paused and lifted Destiny above my head, the sun glinting off of her metal. "Mystical power is on our side! And, most importantly, I have all of you brave souls on my side! We will crush them where they stand!" I roared.

Excitement rushed through my blood when a chorus of cheers rose from all assembled. I grinned wildly, taking almost no heed of my sore face. "Don't forget your separate battle orders. Stay with your assigned leader. If you follow the plans and fight your hardest, there's no reason victory can't be ours!" I finished.

I turned from my army to once again face our target. A light breeze touched my cheeks, the sun caressed me lightly. "Let's go home!" I shouted and waved my sword towards the castle. I led the charge.

The sound of hundreds of footpaws rumbled around and behind me. One hundred beasts behind me, one hundred behind Llewellyn, one hundred with Nata, and one hundred hidden in the trees on the far side of the castle with Robert. They had been sent for a surprise attack: while Grijalva kept busy with the main force, the hidden one would enter the back gate for a back attack.

The vermin had the advantages: they were greater in number, probably had better strategists, and were in a defensive structure. But we had much more determination than they would ever have. We would reclaim what was ours from the scum who had stolen it.

When we neared the front gates, Llewellyn and his forces split to the right while Nata split to the left. A volley of arrows rained down on us and I heard some beasts scream out in pain. I didn't look to see who was wounded. I motioned to some others to get their ropes ready while others threw slingstones and shot arrows at the vermin to keep them distracted.

The first rope, with its grappling hook, was thrown up. It caught on the crenellations and its owner began scaling the wall. The rope was pushed over by a rat, though, and the mouse fell a few feet. He tried again.

I shouted beasts on, encouraging those climbing. At the bottom of each rope waited at least ten other beasts, ready climb up or catch fallen comrades.

The first vermin blood was spilled: one otter had made it to the top and had slain a ferret, pushing him over the wall and screaming "Victory". This roused cheers from all my followers.

I began scaling the wall, a strong mouse close behind me murmuring encouragement. I made it to the top with little effort. So little effort that the arrow hitting me in the left shoulder almost made me fall back over; not because of its force, but because of the shock. I grimaced painfully and broke off most of it with my right paw, ignoring the blood dripping down my arm.

From the top I could see Llewellyn's force had also made it over, but Nata's was having more difficulties—it seemed most of the vermin were concentrated on that area of the wall. I couldn't tell how Robert's force was doing and hoped that, if they were not yet in the compound, they hadn't been spotted yet.

I launched myself onto the nearest rat, cutting him down with little trouble. I had to get to the main castle at any cost. I had to slay Grijalva, who was probably watching from one of the high windows, save and comfortable. For now. By now our ropes were all protected: it was almost impossible for us to be stopped from climbing over the wall.

I saw Nata clambering up the side of the other wall, followed by a good number of other beasts. I sighed with relief and sliced at a nearby ferret. He blocked with his sword and barred his teeth at me, chopping at my belly. I dodged and plunged my sword into his belly, not even waiting for him to die before I ran around him.

I ran down some of the stairs, followed closely by a good number of other beasts. I made my way across the courtyard, cutting down any beast who dared to oppose me. Everywhere around me, beasts were fighting and dying. I took no heed of most of them as I continued my race.

As I was making it to the gate of the main castle, I heard the gate behind me open and the rest of the army poured in. Victory was almost ours and we knew it. Vermin were retreating into the recesses of the compound, only to be confronted and killed by Robert's forces, who had made it in.

"Get this door down!" I roared, motioning with my sword to the gate. A battering ram had been brought through the gate for this specific purpose; I had known Grijalva would not fight along with his army. Cowering was his style. But, before they made it anywhere near me, the doors flew open and out barreled an angry wild cat..

"You!" Grijalva screamed, barring his teeth at me and trying to plunge his sword into me.

I leaped to the side, successfully dodging his blade. I sliced at his back, grazing his arm. "I've come to claim my destiny," I spat at him before crouching into a fighter's position.

"Hmph. Let's see if you actually know how to use that toy," he snarled, launching himself at me. He chopped violently at my head but I deflected the blow easily enough.

"'Anger makes a poor fighter'," I quoted, something Robert had lectured me on regularly. Fight like a winter breeze and let your foe howl like a summer blast. I kicked at his legs while slicing for his sword-arm.

Grijalva noticed the kick and dodged it but my sword hit his shoulder. He jerked and I felt my sword hit bone. He didn’t' drop the sword, though, and jumped away from me. I ignored the colorful language and sliced at him again. It hit his side: more a graze than anything else, but still it drew blood.

"You've gotten clumsy," I scoffed. He came at me but I didn't dodge. Instead, I ducked at the last minute and plunged my sword into his tender belly. The sword sang in my ears; joyful and victorious.

Grijalva fell off the sword and gaped stupidly up at me, clutching his belly. His sword had fallen uselessly at his side and I picked it up. I glared contemptuously down at him and broke his sword over my knee, dropping the two broken pieces onto his chest. "Y-you…" he gasped.

"Have a great time in the Dark Forest, Grijalva," I said softly as his eyes faded and his blood drained out. I turned away from my dead foe.

~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~

The battle had ended almost immediately after my victory over Grijalva. Phuri Dae had wiped vermin life from it, but now it was time to clean the blood and filth from the land.

I burst into tears. I'm nut sure why, but it just happened. Nata was there, hugging me; who knows where she came from. "Ow!" I protested: her tight embrace had pushed the arrow further into my shoulder.

"It's finally finished!" she sobbed, moving back a little from me. "We should get you patched up," she amended.

"Not yet… There's something we have to do first," I argued.

"…What?" Nata asked, confused.

"Come on…" I replied. I headed through the doors. It was just like returning home after an extended period of time; everything felt so familiar yet so strange, a feeling of belonging and one of distance welling up inside.

"Where are we…" Nata started, but stopped hard. "…the dungeons?!" she exclaimed.

We both ran to the nearest stairwell, partially racing one another to release the nervous tension that had built up from the battle. I heard Nata laughing, tears welling up. Laughter was something she tending to lack.

We swerved down another set of stairs before making it to the dank dungeon. Once there, I saw so many hopeful faces peering out at us. I located the keys, hanging on a hook. I handed Nata one key, which unlocked the left-paw cells, and kept the other.

I set to work and unlocked the first cell, pushing the door open. Cheers erupted as the beasts who had been confined within flooded out in a deluge of fur. Five doors total, at least ten beasts in each.

"Nata!" I heard a childish voice shriek.

Nata had just finished unlocking the last cell. She spun around as a little otter flung herself into her arms. "A-Ama?" Nata gasped, hugging the little otter of about eight years close to her. "You're alive!"

"I missed you!" Ama wailed, clutching her sister. "Momma and D—" she stopped.

"You're alive…that's all that matters now," Nata comforted.

I glanced around, letting them have their private moment. I knew Llewellyn's mother was there somewhere. "Has anyone seen—" I stopped; I saw a lonely-looking mouse making her way slowly from a cell. I ran up to her. "Excuse me… Are you Llewellyn's mother?" I asked her, not remembering her name.

"Llewellyn?" she gasped, clasping my out-stretched paw.

~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~

I stood in my old room, which now was a mess from some vermin interloper inhabiting it. Nata had someone, and so did Llewellyn… But my whole family was dead. I had no one to hug.

I shook myself. Crazy talk. I had Nata, and Llewellyn. Even Robert. They were good enough for a family now. And I also had my people. It was time to become a queen. It was my destiny, and I would claim it.

"Stri?" Llewellyn asked softly, cautiously entering the room. He noticed the arrow was still in my arm. "Come with me now!" he ordered.

"And who are you to tell me what to do?" I asked, irked.

"Well…I'm hoping to be your husband. But until then I'll settle for a worried friend," he sighed.

I gaped at him before laughing. "Okay… Let's get going. Just think… The lots child of Phuri Dae returns and becomes its King!"

"You mean—" he stammered.

"I meant what I said…" I whispered. I flew into the arms and we kissed: a kiss that was ruined when Nata, followed by many beasts, popped into the room to take us down for the celebration.

~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~

Our wedding was held during that celebration. A bit rushed, we agreed, but we didn't care. A day later we were officially made King and Queen of Phuri Dae.

Llewellyn sent the Sword of Martin back to Redwall when the Redwallers returned, sending a message with it. He knew he'd never return there, but told me Phuri Dae was now his home.

A year later our first princess was born and we named her Nata. She's already created enough havoc to live up to that name. Hopefully she'll never have to go through anything harsh again, now that Destiny and her sisters have been returned. Phuri Dae is ours, and it will forever stay ours.

————

Author's Note: About her scars. You'll notice it was only mentioned ONCE in this entire section of the trilogy… There's a reason for that. I used it basically as a symbol of her misery; when she was a slave in the first part, she thought of it nonstop because she always was miserable. When she kept noticing it she was remembering the past, worrying about the future. The mention of it in this part was in the context of "…almost taking no heed of my sore face"—in other worse, she's pushed her miseries behind her. Or at least that's how I'm using it. Sorry if I'm being too deep. :D

Another point: If this seems a bit rushed, don't think it's because I was in a rush when I wrote it! And it's not because I'm just writing really crappy today. I'm trying to convey a rushed battle; that's how this battle is supposed to feel, kinda like "Whoa, wait a second, it's already over?". Hopefully it works…but just letting you know that's what I'm goin' for. :D

Thanks to everyone who has read this trilogy (which is what…two, maybe three, people?)! As always, I appreciate any feedback (and give my hearty "Thank you!" to anyone who has/does). …after, what, two years of this sitting incomplete…it's finally finished! *throws confetti around*