Author's Note: VERY sorry that it took me so long to update this but this will be the last chapter of these so I hope you all enjoy them!

I am not Tamora Pierce

Death of the Duani

"We have come together in this time of despair to honor our dear loved one." The small, raka woman's voice was raspy from crying. She looked at the small gathering of people in the the private courtyard. "She came to us in odd way, but it only seemed right to fit her her personality." Her sad eyes looked over the group as she blinked away tears.

*(~)*

They had been looking into the reports of rebellions and had moved to a southern island to begin their grand progress. They thought it was safe, despite her warnings. They had thought wrong.

A woman with strawberry blonde hair and green hazel eyes burst into her friend's study. Her brows pulled together as she saw her short friend sitting behind the desk.

"Your majesty," she said frantically, "we have to hurry. Come on!" The blonde woman grabbed her friend's dark hand and pulled her out of the room. They jogged down the hall, fleeing the yelling and soun ds of battle behind them.

*(~)*

"It will take us a while to stop setting out her cup of juice instead of arak at our meetings. We always thought of her as too smart for her own good, but she claimed to be as plain as dirt." A few people chuckled in the crowd.

She opened her eyes and looked out into the room at her friends. Advisers that were once servants. Old laurin nobility sat quietly with their heads bowed in reverence. New Raka Nobility looked up at their promised one. She let her eyes wander to her deceased friend's pack and she smiled grimly at all the different people that were close to her friend. Until her eyes landed on a small family in the corner of the room.

"But we could never call her plain, she was a teacher, a protector, a fighter, a mother and wife to her family, to this country she was our forwarning, but to me, she was a friend, a true one."She choked back a sob seeing the tears falling from her godschildren's eyes.

*(~)*

Her friend pulled her through the halls, avoiding as much chaos as people threw knives and loosed arrows. All of them were heading towards her chest. The blonde fought through it all, her silver daggers were a blur in the air around her as enemies of the crown fell at her feet and blood flowed over the dark wooden floors.

They both pushed on, into the higher levels of this small castle. They were going to the towers and the dark haired woman knew what her friend was planning, but could b arely form words of protest.

*(~)*

"She gave up so much for all of us, for our newborn country in its fragile state." Her dark eyes filled with courage thinking of her friend. She looked up and past them all. "She rose in the ranks of this country, going from a foreign slave, to one of the most respected advisers to the queen, and she clawed her way through that on her own, not doing it for glory or power but for the honest reason like everyone else. For the people." Her voice grew in strength and volume as she tilted her head up and no one dared to doubt the emotion and pride in her voice or eyes as she thought about that awful day.

*(~)*

The dark haired woman was pulled into the room by another set of hands. As she was yanked into the room she saw who was puling her, a lean man that had raven black hair and well tanned skin. The blonde woman shoved the door back into place.

"You all have to go." The woman's green hazel eyes glared at them. "Now!"

The raka woman looked around the room and saw three children huddling close together by the door that led out onto a balcony overlooking the sea. Outside on the stone balcony stood a kudarung, waiting patiently.

"We can't leave you, I can't," the man told his wife passionately.

"Neither can I," the woman told her friend.

"You both can, and will," The blonde told them fiercely, her friend thought that the voice she used reminded her of her friend's mother. "Now go!"She shoved them both towards the balcony wall.

"For them," she said as she grabbed her husband's neck and pulled him down into an emotional kiss before releasing him and murmuring, "I love you. Take care of them, and yourself."

She looked down on her three children and gave them each and tight hug and a kiss on top of their heads."Mind your father," she warned them all before squeezing her eyes shut and and wrapping all three of them in her arms."I love you all very much.

Finally the woman turned to look at her friend. They embraced each other before she pushed the younger woman out and helped her mount the kudarung. "Be safe, Its been wonderful serving you, you've been a true friend, possibly the best."

Before the raka woman could reply, the kudarung took flight, taking her away from the sight below her. She looked back and saw the four crows flying around her and then she screamed when she saw that a man had come into the door and her friend was fighting to latch the door and stay alive.

*(~)*

"She protected the nation's information, and uncovered other secrets that we needed to know. She was like an elder sister to me when I needed one and mine was an ocean away." The woman's knuckles turned white as she clenched them at her sides."She gave her life up for me, for her husband, for her children!" A sob broke free from her throat and tears leaked out of her eyes, leaving wet trails over her dark cheeks.

*(~)*

The woman shoved the door closed behind the man, keeping another out. She bolted it and felt the blow on her head as she heard a scream pierce the air. Her green hazel eyes focused on the man in front of her as she threw a dagger and it sliced across his neck, but not doing enough damage to kill him.

She threw herself at him next grabbing around his throat with one arm, reaching for another dagger with her free arm. He threw her to the ground and raced out onto the balcony.

The man saw the direction that the kudarung was heading and turned to face the door."She's going--"

"No!" the woman yelled to prevent anyone from hearing where her friend was going. She ran at the man with her knife pulled out and he grabbed her by the neck. He picked her up off the ground and held her out over the edge of the balcony. She pulled her blade back to throw at him while gripping his arm with the other.

She had to decide; live or die, but the decision was going to be one and the same for both of them.

She shoved the blade into his throat. Blood bubbled out from his mouth and he pulled the knife out and managed to put a thin slice in her throat before dropping her and falling to the floor of the balcony.

The strawberry blonde woman twisted in the air, unable to form a scream in her poorly slit throat. Everything was ending for her. She had a loving husband, three beautiful children, and it was all being ripped away from her. She couldn't help but wish that she had spent more time having fun with them, then a small chuckle broke free of her mouth at the irony of the thought.

A crow's loud cry broke the silence in the air as one of the four birds flying around the kudarung dove through the air towards the dying woman. The black hero's flight was useless though as her lifeless body fell into the sea below, as her soul broke free of her body she had to smile, no one would ever no where her body was laid to rest except for the god that favored her.

*(~)*

Queen Dovesary Balitang looked through her tears at the man that tried to be with his wife in her final moments but Nawat Crow was holding his three children around him.

"She was the luarin rebel, our spy, The Cunning One, The Duani, and much, much more. She will always be loved by us all and will be remembered greatly for being expected to do the unexpected. May we all carry the memory of her close to hearts and cherish the fun times we had with our dear friend, Alianne Crow of Pirate's Swoop."

"The bittersweet tears shed over graves are for words left unsaid and deeds left undone." -Harriet Beecher Stowe

A/N: There was the ending quote for this little piece. Remember to tell me what you think! I hope you all enjoyed it, if not tell me why :D

~Kate of Carlay~