A/N: I am so, so, so, so sorry it has taken me years to continue with Marieka's tale.
The End of All Things
Brynjolf.
His name repeated in her head, mirroring her own beating heart. It thumped rapidly. There had been no rest from the time Odahviing left her to find the entrance to the Skuldafn Temple. Her ire quickly replaced her grief as she fought dovah and undead alike. Each adversary fallen before her replaced another tear that would have fallen for her love.
She was relieved for it.
But now, having passed through the portal to Sovngarde, her thoughts returned to him. To Brynjolf. To the loss of her child. To all she had lost. She had given up more than she thought anyone should be asked.
Marieka stood on the cobbled path, her eyes slowly adjusting to the foggy air all around her. Were there figures in the haze? Or did her eyes deceive her? She closed them slowly and bowed her head.
How could she go on without him? She'd survived without him for many years. She'd lost many others. But he was different. Her life had intertwined with his in ways that she no longer wanted unwound.
And he deserved to live. He deserved redemption.
And what of myself? Do I not deserve the happiness I've gained?
She absentmindedly lifted her fingers to her temple, rubbing it gently. Running her fingers into her hair, they caught on a tangle. Ignoring the knot of hair, she pulled her hand from her head, and opened her eyes. A quick examination of her hands revealed bloody knuckles, scrapes, cuts, and a burn from a spell gone awry.
Her thoughts returned to Whiterun. To all those who had faced down Odahviing while he circled Dragonsreach. To those buried under rubble from toppled homes and shops. To the children who had lost parents. To the parents who had lost children.
Marieka was not nearly the only person who had dealt with loss, and grief, and anger over it all. She was one of many. The war between the Stormcloaks and the Imperial Army. The return of the dragons. There was so much death. So much loss.
The Breton put one foot forward. Then the next. And the next. Before she realized it, she was walking further into the fog-covered valley.
The losses needed to end.
And the end could only begin with one being.
Alduin.