Farewells is the twenty-first and final chapter in The High King, and the final chapter of The Chronicles of Prydain. Here one of the most heart-wrenching decisions in all of fantasy literature must be made; the writing of it caused author Lloyd Alexander to weep. Many readers have been baffled or disappointed by the choice the hero makes, but a close reading of the material makes it clear that he could not have chosen any other path without losing his moral authority or turning his back on the many promises he has made along the way -- both to himself and others.