I am Laeilwyn Riverpool (A Skyrim Adventure)

Chapter Forty Two: Saying Goodbye

-Erandur's Perspective-

I took a deep breath. Stepping up on the podium at the dock, I looked out towards the crowd, raised my hands, and began:

"Lo, there do I see our fallen Brother and Sister."

"Lo, there do we see our fallen Brother and Sister."

"Our Brother, Sigaar Bjornsen, and our Sister, Karliah Indoril, unlawfully vanquished,"

"Our Brother, Sigaar Bjornsen, and our Sister, Karliah Indoril, unlawfully vanquished," 

"Honorable and valiant lives cut short by the gods."

"Honorable and valiant lives cut short by the gods."  

 I paused. Looking out, the crowd below me was a sea of black sorrow. 

"Let us pray to those gods that they may see the line of their people back to the beginning,"

"Let us pray to those gods that they may see the line of their people back to the beginning,"  

"And they allow our Brother to take his rightful place in the halls of Sovngarde,"

"And they allow our Brother to take his rightful place in the halls of Sovngarde,"  

"And they allow our Sister to take her rightful place under the wisdom of Azura,"

 "And they allow our Sister to take her rightful place under the wisdom of Azura,"  

"Where the brave shall live forever,"

"Where the brave shall live forever,"

"Nor shall we mourn but rejoice for those that have died this glorious death."

"Nor shall we mourn but rejoice for those that have died this glorious death."  

I bowed to the crowd and stepped off the podium. The band began to play the traditional funeral song, Glory of Skyrim. I nodded to the men holding the pyre to the dock. They waded out and pushed it towards the centre of Lake Honrich. 

"Ready archer?" The captain of the guard said to Elle. 

She looked over at him and nodded sadly. She pulled an arrow out, drew it back in Stormsong and angled it up towards the heavens. A second guard lit the tip of her arrow. 

"Fire on three. One, two, three."

She let the arrow go. It soared through the air in a perfect arc, striking the pyre and lighting it ablaze. 

I stepped back up to the podium. "A moment of silence for the fallen."

Not a peep came from the city, even the wind stopped blowing through the trees, almost as the gods came to pay their respects as well. 

"May our grief and sorrow fade away quickly, but may the memories of the good Karliah and Sigaar live on forever in our hearts. Thank you, my Children."

The crowd began to mill about and chatter quietly. Many people went up to Sigaar's son to pay their condolences. I did not, I had more important things to take care of.

"Elle? Are you alright?" I asked as I approached her. Her face was pulled into a sad grimace, as it had been since the incident at Irkngthand. She nodded her head yes, but I still wasn't convinced. "Please Elle, none of this is your fault. You did everything you could to make sure they could be at rest. That's more than anyone can ask for."

She looked up at me, sadly. "I just remember the stories Sigaar used to tell me about his family, and now his children are fatherless because I couldn't track down Mercer fast enough. And Karliah... she never even got to see Mercer avenged."