Two Graves - The Song of Nephiah and Brelyna

Chapter 26: There Should Be a Song

"She began to feel incredibly tired. She lay down in the snow at her side, resting her head on her shoulder. Her tears began to form little icy flowers on her face. It was a cold night. She closed her eyes." "What happened then?!" Eight children sitting around the campfire looked at the Khajiit with big eyes. "Did she die?", asked a Nord boy. "Did someone save her?", inquired a Bosmer girl. "She froze to death didn't she!", shouted a Breton boy. "Tell us, master cat, please!" "This one is called M'aiq. Not 'master cat'." "Please, M'aiq, tell us!" An old Dunmer woman in black robes stepped up behind him. "She didn't need saving. She was already saved." M'aiq looked up at her like he had just been caught doing something he wasn't supposed to. "Time for supper, children." A roar went through the crowd. "Please! Tell us how it ends!" "Now.", the woman said more firmly, pointing up the hill. "Awwww. Yes, Ma."

The children ran up the grassy hill to the old mansion that stood on top of it. The old woman turned her gaze to the cat sitting at her feet. "Isn't that tale a bit too grim to tell the children?" M'aiq stood up and brushed dry leaves off his cloak. "They wanted to know how Brelyna's Orphanage got its name. How could M'aiq refuse?" She gave him a disapproving look. Then she sighed. "Staying for supper?" "Gladly."

It was a sunny day, birds were tweeting in the trees, a soft breeze hushed through the air. They walked up the wooden steps that lead to a terrace at the building's side, two tables were filled with assortments of food, the chatter of the children was loud. An old Nord and a young Altmer woman were sitting in their midst. The old Dunmer pointed at the remaining open spot. "You can have my seat." M'aiq sat down and looked at the feast in front of him. The woman instantly reached down and took the bowl from under his nose. "I said my seat, not my food." He looked up at her. "Horker stew?" "Shh.", she replied smiling. She walked to the guard rail and rested her elbows on it, taking in a few whiffs of warm summer air. Down the hill between the trees Lake Ilinalta stretched out in front of her. She took a few sips from her bowl.

After a while of listening to the chatter behind her, she began to walk. The terrace reached around the back of the house. On a table there lay a book alongside a quill and inkwell. She placed the bowl down and picked up the book. She took a deep breath. "Is today the day?" Maiq had followed her, she turned around. "You know full well. Thought that's why you came." He stepped up to her, took her hand and smiled. "Do you want to hear a song?" the old Nord around the corner loudly proposed to the children who met the notion with cheer. A moment later they could hear a lute beginning to play a tune. The Dunmer smiled back at the cat, turned around and left for the stairs.

She walked a few minutes through the woods until arriving at her destination. A well kept grave with a ring of flowers resting on it. Instead of a name a dagger was encased in the grave stone, it had Dunmeri symbols engraved into its hilt. At its side was another grave, this one was empty, a blank stone on top of a long hole in the ground. It was overgrown with plantlife, it had been here for a long time. Two ancient looking ebony swords were sticking out of the ground to the left and right of the blank stone. She kneeled down at the grave that was full, tightly holding on to the book in her hands. Tears formed in her eyes.

"I miss you...", she began to speak. "You told me once you would like there to be a song... The song of Nephiah and Brelyna." She took a deep breath to fight the tears, her voice started to quiver. "Well, I finished it." She carefully placed the book on top of the grave. "Sorry it took me so long. I did have to learn how to write first." M'aiq approached from behind and stopped, keeping a respectful distance. "I don't know how else to thank you.", she continued, tears now rolling down her cheeks. "Except for trying to be what you saw in me, every day, every..." She gave off a sob, immense sadness showing on her face. She bowed her head and placed a hand on the grave. "Every day I hope... to prove I am worthy of you. Of your love." She took a deep breath. "So thank you. Thank you for your forgiveness for all the times I squeezed your hand too hard. For showing me kindness when all I could see was pain. And thank you for stew and nose licking and..." She exhaled loudly and closed her eyes. "For how you always touched me and how it always brought me peace." Her voice left her, she took a few moments to breathe deeply. "And I'm sorry. For blaming you. For not seeing you sooner. For all the times I got you hurt. Especially that last time." She opened her eyes and looked up to the dagger on the grave stone. "Thank you for saving me. In every way one can be saved by another." She got to her feet. "And maybe someday I will see you again." She closed her eyes and began to cry silently.

A hand was gently put on her shoulder. She took a couple more deep breaths to regain her composure. She turned around to look at him. "You will.", he said. "You will see her again someday. If you want to believe this old cat." She gave off a short laugh through her tears and nodded. "Just this once."

They turned to go back to the orphanage. "You know, M'aiq..." "Yes, noble warrior?" "I have lived a very long life." "Yes, noble warrior." "Khajiit don't live that long." No response this time. "One of these days you will have to tell me how you never seem to age." "One of these days, noble warrior." "Because if you keep yourself alive by sucking the souls out of people, I will have to kill you." "M'aiq will bear that in mind..."

Their voices became muffled as their distance to the graves increased and they eventually disappeared between the trees. The breeze blew open the cover of the book that was resting on the grave. The first page said:

The Song of Nephiah and Brelyna

Of the Love to heal her Wound

Of Kindness bravely meeting Rage

Of two Souls so well attuned

Of a Warrior

and her Mage.

The End