Whohoo! Here's the last chapter everyone! After this, I will be posting the first couple chapters of the sequel. And if you liked this story, I think you're really going to like the sequel. But that's just in my own opinion, and in my opinion, the sequel is really fun! At least I'm having fun writing it. :D

Enough of my ramblings, here's the last chapter and I hope you enjoy! Please review!

-Shire from CollieandShire

Chapter seventeen

Return to Scotland

Queen Elinor looked out the window of the castle, watching the snow fall. It was beautiful, and collected gracefully on the ground. Already the depths had reached a foot, and soon travel would become impossible.

She sighed, and a stray tear fell. How she wished Ilene and Merida were home. She doubted that Ilene would ever return, but she knew Merida would eventually come back. With this snow, though, it would be Springtime before she returned.

Elinor turned away from the window, yet something drew her back. She didn't know what, for the land was barren of any sights, but for some reason…

Elinor looked out the window again. Nothing. She began to leave once more, when movement caught her eye. She peered through the falling snow, wondering if it was just her imagination, or if she'd seen a horse and rider. The snow was thick, and it was practically impossible to tell, but there was something out there!

Elinor leaned on the window as three large figures became clearer and clearer. Three horses. Two riders. She thought, disappointed. Merida and Ilene had left with only two horses. That couldn't be them.

The riders were astride two large draft horses, both of them black. The horse one of the riders was leading was skinny and brown, yet tall just the same. An English horse, no doubt. Elinor decided.

The riders were wearing cloaks with hoods to protect them from the snow, their heads bent low as they pushed forward against the swirling white flakes. Suddenly, the wind picked up, and the cloak of one of the riders was blown off, revealing red hair-

"Fergus!" Elinor screamed. "Merida is back!"

Elinor ran from the window and down the stairs, yelling the whole time, "Merida is back! Merida is back!"

Fergus, who was at the moment wrestling with his sons, stopped, staring as Elinor rushed out the door, laughing and crying at the same time. It took him a moment to register, but when he did, he leapt up with a shout of joy.

"Me wee lassie is home!" he hollered, running out the door, the boys following.

Elinor reached the gate at the same time the Merida and the other rider did, shouting with joy, "Merida! Merida!"

Merida reined Angus in, and leapt off, running towards her mother. "Mum!" she cried as Elinor enveloped her in a hug. Merida hugged her back.

Fergus reached the mother and daughter and hugged both, shouting, "Praise God yer home!"

The boys caught up with their parents, and hugged Merida too. As usual, they didn't say a word.

The other rider dismounted off the black Shire horse, still holding the lead rope of the brown skinny horse. The rider stood there uncomfortably, realizing that no doubt they'd seen Merida's red hair and realized she'd returned.

It took a minute for Elinor and Fergus to realize there was more than one rider, and they looked up to see Ilene standing there.

"Ilene!" Elinor gasped. "Ye came back!"

Before Ilene could say anything Elinor ran over and hugged the blond girl. "Oh Ilene! I thought you'd never come back!"

Elinor started crying, and Ilene wrapped her arms around her neck. Fergus approached, and Ilene glanced at him. He looked at her for a couple seconds, than hugged her too.

"Me wee child." He said, choking back his tears. "I never thought we'd see ye again."

Ilene hugged him too, and she started to cry.

Merida, Hamish, Hubert and Harris watched in silence, wondering what to say.

After a couple of minutes, Elinor and Fergus released Ilene, who wiped her tears away.

"Ilene," Elinor whispered, "I am so sorry. I am so sorry. I am a horrid mother, to have treated ye different than Merida. I never trained ye for marriage like Merida because of something we agreed on with the other clans. When Fergus brought you back, it was decided by the Lords and him that since ye weren't from one of the four clans, that in order to follow tradition ye couldn't be married. I didn't want ye to feel different, so I gave you some lessons along with Merida so ye wouldn't feel left out. I hadn't the faintest idea that ye thought ye weren't good enough because I didn't train you the same way! Well, after Merida defied tradition, and after it was decided that we'd let the young of our clans find love in their own time, we met with the Lords once more." Elinor paused, her voice faltering. "It was decided that since we weren't following tradition to the T anymore, that when ye were old enough, and if ye found someone ye loved, you could be married. I wasn't continuing Merida's lessons to the extend I used to, and didn't see any reason to start ye just yet, as ye were still young. Oh, if I hadn't been so blind, I would have seen yer bewilderment, yer confusion and how ye questioned yerself, wondering if ye weren't good enough. How could I have not seen it? I was a terrible mother not to realize how ye felt, and for that I am eternally sorry." Elinor broke down and sobbed. "Oh Ilene, will ye ever forgive me for the terrible mistake I made?"

Ilene stared at Elinor, her heart reaching out to her. At last she knew. Elinor had done her best to follow tradition and include Ilene, so she wouldn't feel left out. And after the decision was made that Ilene could marry after all, she had let her have her freedom. She hadn't known how she'd hurt Ilene, and now Ilene knew she had never intended to make her feel unequal to Merida. She had tried to keep the promise they'd made to Lord Edward and keep tradition and make Ilene feel included. It was an impossible task, one that Elinor never would have been able to complete. But she had tried, all for the sake of Ilene. And now Ilene had heard her story, now Ilene knew her past, now Ilene understood the reasons, and now Ilene knew exactly what she was going to say.

"While I was gone," Ilene said, tears still in her eyes, "I found Lord Edward. He told me about me parents, and I found out who me parents were, and I know who I am now."

"Who are you, Ilene?" Elinor asked, her own tears continuing to fall.

Ilene glanced from Fergus to Elinor, than cried out, "I'm yer daughter!"

"Oh Ilene!" and the King and Queen hugged Ilene again, their daughter. No more did they have to wonder, she had said it herself. She was theirs, forever and ever. She had forgiven them for their mistakes, and had proclaimed herself as their own child.

Merida walked over, and Elinor beckoned her to come closer. She wrapped her arm around Merida, and hugged both the girls.

"My daughters, my young ladies." Elinor murmured.

Ilene looked up at the sky, thanking God that he'd given her Elinor and Fergus. For they were her parents from the very start, even if she hadn't realized it at the time.

Hamish, Hubert and Harris joined the others, and they all hugged each other, laughing and crying. They were a family, and they always would be. Nothing could tear them apart ever again. Nothing.

A lone figure trudged through the snow, his whole body aching and groaning. He was tired, he was cold, and he was hungry. And it was all her fault.

Spying a cottage, he dragged himself to it, knocking on the door. He hoped someone was home, and even if they weren't he'd let himself in anyways.

The door squeaked opened, and an old lady with a crow on her shoulder eyed him. "Come in! Come in! I've been expecting you!" she said, beckoning him in. The man bent over as he walked through the small door, surprised at the woman's actions. How could she have been expecting him, if he was supposed to be dead?

The old woman clapped, causing a boiling pot to become brighter. With a start he realized what she was. She was a witch!

"So, let me guess, you want to read minds, breath under water, go to space and fight Darth Vader, go to the past, travel to the future, meet Indiana Jones, live forever, become a King!" she chattered as she grabbed some things off the shelves.

He stared at her, watching her work.

"Well, what is it you want?" she snapped, putting her hands on her hips. "And what are you willing to give me? I don't have all day, and spells cost a pretty penny. You better be able to afford it!"

He looked from the witch to the pot, and then back to the witch. Slowly, he put his hand in his pocket, and pulled out an old bracelet his father had given him. Etched into it was a large cat that was fighting with a wolf. He glanced down at it, wondering if he really wanted to part with this gift. But it was worth it, if it meant he would be able to finally kill the adversary's daughter.

He handed it to the old witch, and said with a low, menacing growl, "I want the strength of ten men."

The witch glanced at the crow, who cawed. "Here we go again." The crow said with a shake of his head, and cawed once more.

THE END

Thank you all for your support, reviews and for reading this story! I really appreciated all the feedback I received on this, and of course I always appreciate more feedback.

Since thanks are in order, I'd like to say a special thank you to:

T.E.M. For being a constant supportive of this story and for being my real life Merida.

Synchronized Harmony for always being faithful to review and to reading my story. And for being supportive, too.

sweenypotterlover, for encouraging me to post this story and for favoriting this story.

Ebony, for inspiring me to create a horse character off of her.

Nie, for reviewing and always leaving an encouraging note.

And, a special thanks are in order to all my reviewers!

sweenypotterlover, Synchronized Harmony, Nie, Origami-Pegasus, Awesome Story and Sha28. Your reviews mean so much to me, I really appreciate it. :)

And to all my readers who didn't review, I thank you just the same for reading my story. :D

Until the sequel, which shall be titled The Return of a Beast, I bid you all farewell and thank you all again!

-Shire from CollieandShire