Getting out of the Thalmor Embassy was a blur. The only thing Erik could recall thinking was that it shouldn't have been that easy. By the time he reached the forest's edge, the realization had hit him. Twenty-five of the nothing's men had joined the original five, making only thirty men. Brynden was not one of them.
"He's not here, is he?" He asked quietly as Atla bundled him into a black cloak with a thick fur collar. "He's inside."
Atla pursed her lips. "You're quick, Erik. Bryn feared you would think he'd abandoned you."
"He'll die in there, Atla!" Exclaimed Erik in panic.
Atla stroked Erik's matted hair fondly. "Don't discredit my son. Death does not stop a Nothing's Man. It merely delays them for a while." ---
Elenwen's conjured sword collided with Brynden's dagger, making a metallic shriek as her spell dissolved. Brynden blasted a frost spell at Elenwen's stomach, making her stumble back. Their positions shifted as the Thalmor and the Nothing's Man circled each other in a flurry of conjured blades and spells. Brynden's dagger met Elenwen's hand in in mid air, slicing through her palm and making her cry out in shock and rage. Elenwen swiftly retaliated with a shock bolt that struck Brynden in the chest and sent him flying straight back into the wall.
Lightning crackled under Elenwen's fingers and victorious smile lit up her face. "If you want the boy to remain safe, you will do exactly as I say." She said with a smugness to her voice.
"If you wanted my cooperation, you wouldn't have touched him." Brynden snarled back, his head pounding.
Desperately he tried to get up. Elenwen's shock spell was still sending spasms down his legs and shaking him up so he couldn't regain his balance and stand. The elf was perfectly aware of it, stepping towards him with a gloating look. She placed one of her hands under Brynden's chin, the other to his chest with a conjured blade. She pressed herself up to the man, getting into his space and by extent, under his skin.
Elenwen smiled at her own cruel joke. "Your choice, Nothing's Man. Your death and his extended torture, or your compliance and his safety and the safety of your organization.You will not see him in your precious Sovngarde if you defy me. And maybe there would even be a reward for you, as my ally..." She purred.
Brynden spit in her face.
"I am Oblivion bound already, Elenwen." He growled. "We would've never met in Sovngarde anyways. I don't want your rewards."
Her scathing reply of "Bastard, I-" was cut short by Brynden's second short blade slicing the side of her robes. She jerked back in surprise, and Brynden took the opportunity to spin his blade around and plunge it into her throat. The mer's healing spell quickly died in her hands. She fell back, and Brynden darted forward on unsteady legs to yank his dagger from her neck.
For the first time in her life, Elenwen felt fear. Brynden grinned like a son of Sheogorath as he sent an ice spike straight through her heart.
The laughter that consumed the solar as Elenwen's gave her final breath was chilling to the bone. It was the laughter of a man who had both nothing and everything to lose all at once. "You died as you lived." He proclaimed to the corpse. "With a heart encased in ice. May Death judge you wisely."
Brynden made a funeral pyre out of Elenwen's desk after cleaning it of anything valuable. He laid her body across it and rested a copy of the Talos Mistake and a golden necklace against her chest. A flame spell set the pyre alight, flames catching within moments. Just because he had to kill her, it didn't mean the Nothing's Man was going to slack off on respect for the fallen.
And with all of the documents collected and no further reason to stay, Brynden turned around and left. It should not have been easy it felt. It should have weighed on his shoulders and yet Brynden found himself with no regrets. At the end of the day, Erik was always worth it.
Nothing Gold Can Stay (Part 7/?)
"He's not here, is he?" He asked quietly as Atla bundled him into a black cloak with a thick fur collar. "He's inside."
Atla pursed her lips. "You're quick, Erik. Bryn feared you would think he'd abandoned you."
"He'll die in there, Atla!" Exclaimed Erik in panic.
Atla stroked Erik's matted hair fondly. "Don't discredit my son. Death does not stop a Nothing's Man. It merely delays them for a while."
---
Elenwen's conjured sword collided with Brynden's dagger, making a metallic shriek as her spell dissolved. Brynden blasted a frost spell at Elenwen's stomach, making her stumble back. Their positions shifted as the Thalmor and the Nothing's Man circled each other in a flurry of conjured blades and spells. Brynden's dagger met Elenwen's hand in in mid air, slicing through her palm and making her cry out in shock and rage. Elenwen swiftly retaliated with a shock bolt that struck Brynden in the chest and sent him flying straight back into the wall.
Lightning crackled under Elenwen's fingers and victorious smile lit up her face. "If you want the boy to remain safe, you will do exactly as I say." She said with a smugness to her voice.
"If you wanted my cooperation, you wouldn't have touched him." Brynden snarled back, his head pounding.
Desperately he tried to get up. Elenwen's shock spell was still sending spasms down his legs and shaking him up so he couldn't regain his balance and stand. The elf was perfectly aware of it, stepping towards him with a gloating look. She placed one of her hands under Brynden's chin, the other to his chest with a conjured blade. She pressed herself up to the man, getting into his space and by extent, under his skin.
Elenwen smiled at her own cruel joke. "Your choice, Nothing's Man. Your death and his extended torture, or your compliance and his safety and the safety of your organization.You will not see him in your precious Sovngarde if you defy me. And maybe there would even be a reward for you, as my ally..." She purred.
Brynden spit in her face.
"I am Oblivion bound already, Elenwen." He growled. "We would've never met in Sovngarde anyways. I don't want your rewards."
Her scathing reply of "Bastard, I-" was cut short by Brynden's second short blade slicing the side of her robes. She jerked back in surprise, and Brynden took the opportunity to spin his blade around and plunge it into her throat. The mer's healing spell quickly died in her hands. She fell back, and Brynden darted forward on unsteady legs to yank his dagger from her neck.
For the first time in her life, Elenwen felt fear. Brynden grinned like a son of Sheogorath as he sent an ice spike straight through her heart.
The laughter that consumed the solar as Elenwen's gave her final breath was chilling to the bone. It was the laughter of a man who had both nothing and everything to lose all at once. "You died as you lived." He proclaimed to the corpse. "With a heart encased in ice. May Death judge you wisely."
Brynden made a funeral pyre out of Elenwen's desk after cleaning it of anything valuable. He laid her body across it and rested a copy of the Talos Mistake and a golden necklace against her chest. A flame spell set the pyre alight, flames catching within moments. Just because he had to kill her, it didn't mean the Nothing's Man was going to slack off on respect for the fallen.
And with all of the documents collected and no further reason to stay, Brynden turned around and left. It should not have been easy it felt. It should have weighed on his shoulders and yet Brynden found himself with no regrets. At the end of the day, Erik was always worth it.