Execution

In the end, the solution was so simple, I was stupid to not think of it immediately. But, then again, that's me in a nutshell. I may have saved the world more than once, but I'm not exactly the sharpest knife around sometimes. But once I thought of it, the plan was rather simple. I got everyone together and explained what I'd thought of, and I wasn't surprised at receiving one or two sarcastic comments in return.

We dressed and armed ourselves ready for a fight, agreeing that we would take the place at dusk, for no other reason than the darkness would help us as much as it might help them. Gathering near the entrance as darkness descended upon Skyrim, we went through the plan one last time.

"Once the door is opened, everyone is fair game except their leader, Astrid. I want her alive. Anyone who surrenders can also be taken alive too. Anyone who resists is to be put down without hesitation."

"And the Night Mother?" Lydia asked.

"We'll take her body and figure out what to do with it. Though I think burning it would be a bloody good idea."

The door to their sanctuary was magic by all appearances, and from Babette had told us. But I figured a good Shout would knock it off its hinges… if it had them. "Everyone ready?" All behind me said 'aye', hearing the rattle of weapons being readied, the last deep breath taken before the surge. I gripped the hilt of my sword that little tighter as I stepped towards the door.

I guess somewhat unsurprisingly, it took more than one Shout to blow the door open. But my Voice is stronger than most magic, at least in my opinion, and a second Shout finally blew the door open. We didn't rush in like idiots. With sword in hand, ready to swing at anything that came our way, I felt a tap on my shoulder and we moved into a dimly lit corridor. I couldn't hear anything ahead, though there was no way anyone within wouldn't have heard me Shout.

The corridor eventually opened out into a small room. We were not greeted by anyone. There was a desk and shelves to the edges of the room. "Check in there," I ordered Farkas and Vilkas behind me. They returned a minute later, telling me that it was simply a bedroom, albeit empty.

There was only one way forward, another dark corridor leading further down into the corridor. I glanced behind, Farkas and Vilkas in my footsteps, both armed with sword and shield. Serana followed them, no weapons in hand, as she would only use magic. Vex and Delvin followed her, both of them armed with a crossbow. Other Companions followed them. Mjoll and Lydia were standing guard at the entrance, ready to catch any returning assassin.

They were waiting at the bottom of the stairs. I walked forward with shield raised and thought they would have wanted to talk. I assumed wrong, as my shield was hit by sparks flying from the hands of one of the assassin's. Thankfully I didn't have to bother with any orders, as Vilkas and Farkas brushed by me and met with two other assassins', Serana immediately at my side, firing magic of her own.

I stepped forward, a large brute of a man stepping towards me in return. With long, blonde hair flowing past his shoulders, his eyes bored into mine, as if trying to put the fear of the Gods into me.

"Never should have come here," he warned. I almost laughed as he swung his massive great-sword in my direction. I blocked that rather easily, though was still forced back due to the force in the blow, though replied with a thrust of my own, the large brute swerving quicker than I anticipated.

"You do understand who I am, don't you?" I retorted.

"I understand. You'll still die here."

I'd like to write that we battled for many minutes, each of us drawing blood, and that I eventually killed him honourably. Instead, just as he was about to swing his great-sword again, a crossbow bolt went straight through his throat. His sword dropped to the ground as he immediately started to choke, his hands going to his throat. He dropped to his knees, his eyes already starting to turn blank as he looked up at me.

I was already looking for another opponent before he took his final breath. Farkas was busy fighting off an Argonian and a Redguard. Slamming my shield into the Argonian, he rolled away then sprang forward, twin daggers twirling almost too fast for me to anticipate. My shield blocked most of his swipes, my sword doing the rest, as I found myself on the back foot momentarily.

Once he'd finished whatever move he was performing, I simply stepped forward and slammed my shield into his again, causing him to stagger, immediately following with a swipe of my sword. I cut his cloak and drew blood. The Argonian hissed at me, twirling with both daggers, barely raising my shield in time. If I'd been half a second slower, he'd have slashed my throat.

"Ragnar, down!" I heard a shout. I swear I heard the bolt whistle over my head as I dropped, the Argonian taking a steel bolt in the chest, thrown back thanks to the sheer force.

Getting to my feet, the short battle was already drawing to a close. The Redguard Farkas was fighting had been disarmed and was now on his knees, obviously waiting for the coup de grâce. I told Farkas to hold and leave him alive. "Where is the one called Astrid?" I asked. He looked at me blankly. "If you don't answer, I'll have him take your head. Is all this truly worth dying for?"

He blinked a couple of times before he sighed, then gestured up. "She's up in the room up there with the jester."

"Thank you." I tapped Farkas on the shoulder as I walked by. "Kill him."

"At once, Harbinger."

I heard his cry of surprise as I found the entrance into the room, Serana, Vex and Delvin following close behind. Inside we found the last two people. One, a blonde Nord woman. The other was a jester. He ran towards us, brandishing a dagger in his right hand. Before he could swing, I stepped forward and slammed my shield into his face. He went flying back, landing with a thud, the dagger skittering across the ground. The Nord woman made no movement towards it.

Lifting my sword, I pointed at her. "You're the one they call Astrid?"

She nodded. "Are they all dead?"

"If they're not already, they will be soon."

"My husband… The large blonde…"

"He's dead." Astrid nodded but barely a flicker of emotion crossed her face otherwise. "Where's the Night Mother?"

Astrid gestured to her right, towards what looked like some sort of sarcophagus. "Vex. Delvin. Grab her and the jester. Serana, with me."

We opened the sarcophagus, and I'll admit that even I took a step back at the… thing that greeted us. She'd clearly been dead for centuries, but the fact the corpse was still in reasonable condition boggled the mind. It didn't smell either. In fact, it smelled… well, I wouldn't say nice, but it wasn't the stink of rotting and decay I would have assumed.

"Do you know anything about the Night Mother?" I asked Serana.

"Just what I told you before, Ragnar. By my knowledge of the Dark Brotherhood wouldn't exceed your own, to be honest."

"Well, no matter what, we'll need to take her too."

Turning back to Astrid, she now had her hands bound behind her and I was surprised at the lack of fight she'd put up. Gesturing to one of the chairs nearby, I had her sat down then instructed Vex to tie up the jester. I would have killed him, but considering he was unconscious, I couldn't exactly bring myself to give the order.

"Why the lack of fight?" I asked.

I noticed the glare towards the jester. "He's destroyed my family. I was the matriarch. I was the one in charge. But as soon as she turned up, my word meant nothing."

"You realise you're probably going to die anyway."

She shrugged. "I'm beyond caring. Can I ask one question?" I nodded. "What will happen to the body?"

"I'm thinking we should burn it."

An evil grin crossed her face. "When? I would like to be witness to it."

By now, the jester was coming around and he was already struggling against his restraints and bleating about our desecration of the Night Mother. I stepped towards him, the jester returning a glare of unflinching hatred. "Who are you?" I asked.

"His name is Cicero, Dragonborn," Astrid replied. I couldn't help but turn and look at her in surprise. "Of course I know who you are. And I knew you'd eventually show up here once you had killed the Listener."

Cicero wouldn't shut up, so I had Vex and Delvin escort him outside to wait for us. Once there was peace and quiet, I turned my attention back to Astrid. "Sounds like you want to die. Is that true?"

She shrugged. "My life as I know it is over. It's been over since she arrived. It was always going to be her or me. And I'm not looking for your sympathy, if that's what you're wondering or thinking. The only things I wanted gone was the corpse and the jester." She sighed again. "What happens now?"

"You'll be taken to Solitude. As I know you were not the one who killed the Emperor, but you are implicated in his death, I would suggest you ready yourself for a quick trial and quicker execution."

"And the jester?"

"No idea."

"Can I ask a favour?" I nodded. "Can I kill him?"

I glanced at Serana. She merely shrugged her shoulders. I walked outside and called in the twins, explaining what had just been requested. "We've killed the rest, Harbinger," Farkas started.

"Harbinger?" Astrid asked rhetorically.

"There's been no real honour in any of this, Harbinger. They're assassins, not warriors. As for that jester, I'd say end it now. We have Astrid and we have the Night Mother," Farkas finished.

I looked at Vilkas. "I agree, Harbinger. The jester is of little value."

Finally, I looked at my wife. "End it now, Ragnar. The Dark Brotherhood is finished in Skyrim."

"They're finished in general," Astrid muttered. I looked at her again and gestured with my hand for her to continue. With a sigh, she added, "We were the last of them. Our factions have been annihilated, slowly but surely over hundreds of years. The Night Mother was based in Cyrodil, but her body had disappeared over two hundred years ago." She paused before muttering, "Should have known her return would have ended in our doom."

"There is truly no-one left?" Serana wondered.

"If there is, I don't know about them. As far as I know, this was the last sanctuary in all of Tamriel."

I looked at the Night Mother again, for hopefully the last time, before I issued instructions. "Farkas and Vilkas, see if you can haul the sarcophagus upstairs. Serana, help Astrid." We wandered out into the larger room where Vex and Delvin were waiting for us. Aela and Mjoll had joined them, explaining there was no sign of anyone else. "Mjoll, can you help the twins drag out a sarcophagus?"

"Of course, Ragnar."

"Vex and Delvin, have a wander, see if you can find anything incriminating, in particular in regards to the assassination of the Emperor."

"At once, Ragnar," Delvin replied.

That left me with only Serana, Astrid and the jester. I undid the restraints of Astrid, holding out my hand towards Serana, feeling a dagger pressed into my left hand. I unsheathed my sword, holding that in my right. "Try any funny business, and you get this through your gut. Understand?" Astrid nodded. "Very well. Do what is necessary. Just don't make a meal of it. Kill him and be done."

"Of course."

I have no idea what she whispered into the ear of the jester, but I could see she took great delight in ramming the dagger into his gut. I didn't count how many times she did, but by the time she was done, her hand ran red with blood. She turned towards me, a look of satisfaction on her face. She handed the dagger over without a problem, allowing Serana to tie her wrists again.

"You can kill me now if you want. I don't really care."

I shook my head. "I'm sorry, but I can't. Normally, I would meet such a request, but the General wanted you. We knew who you were too."

The next morning, we were ready to depart. We hired a carriage to haul the sarcophagus, the rest of us on horseback. The Companions would head back to Whiterun, Vex and Delvin agreeing to stay with me as they had little to do, the Dark Brotherhood now finished and the Civil War, hopefully, being near its end. Lydia and Mjoll were in charge of the carriage, while Astrid was restrained to her horse, which was being led by Serana.

The journey took a couple of days and I think we were all delighted to finally see the city walls, having barely stopped to rest except to make camp overnight. Otherwise, we were always mounted and riding, keeping at a steady pace due to the carriage bringing up our rear.

After tying up our horses, Vex and Delvin offered to stay with the sarcophagus as the rest of us, escorting Astrid, walked into the city. It was late in the afternoon, so the crowds had thinned. I was still recognised by some people, though I was mostly left alone as it was obvious I was working.

General Tullius was delighted to see me, and once I explained who the blonde Nord woman with us was, I think he was ready to conscript and hand me control of all the armies in Skyrim. Amazingly, Astrid held nothing back during initial questioning. She had shown little fight at the sanctuary, and already appeared resigned to her fate in Solitude. Even Tullius was surprised when she answered any question thrown her way. After an hour or so, she was led away to a cell without resistance as we led the General outside to show him the sarcophagus. Obviously Vex and Delvin had convinced some of the guards to help drag it into the city.

"So, the corpse is called the Night Mother?" he asked, walking around the closed tomb.

"Aye. None of us know much about her. Astrid could probably explain everything, but I don't think it really matters."

Tullius then looked directly at me. "What should we do?"

"Burn the body, General. Leave nothing but ashes."

The General nodded immediately. "I agree. We should do it tonight."

There was no ceremony to the burning of the body. The General ordered the square outside the barracks cleared of everyone except himself, myself and my wife. The body had been dosed in flammable oil in preparation for the burning.

"What will you do with the ashes, General?" Serana asked.

"The ashes and sarcophagus, once broken up, will be taken out to sea and disposed of."

It was a good idea. There were no other words before I lit the body, stepping back as flames shot up into the night sky. It took seconds for the flames to really take hold, and there was something rather eerie as I stood next to my wife and the General, watching the Night Mother burn. As the fire took hold, I felt a shiver run up my spine, and I'm sure I wasn't the only one to hear unnatural sounds as the body was consumed, sharing a glance with my wife, who rather quickly cuddled into me.

"Evil," she whispered.

It took far longer than expected but the body finally dissolved into ash. The General stepped forward, poking the embers with a dagger, grunting to himself as she did. "Guess it's over," he said, "Though the woman will still need to face trial. Not really necessary, but I guess we want to make sure everything looks legal."

"I have plenty of paperwork that implicates the group with the assassination. It also implicates Motierre."

"That news won't be welcome, but it cannot be covered up. A full investigation will be required. If the entire Imperial Council is implicated…" He trailed off, shaking his head.

I could only shrug. "I haven't read all the paperwork. Whether that is true or not, I'm not sure. From what others have read, it appears Motierre was working alone. Or, if not working alone, wasn't involving too many other Council members."

"What will you do now, Dragonborn?"

"I will wait around while Astrid is put on trial. She'll plead guilty to everything, but I want to make sure it all ends." I paused, before moving the conversation on, "How goes the Civil War?"

"Follow me inside," he replied, the three of us eventually walking into his office. He unrolled a map and started to gesture. "The Empire holds the Rift in its entirety. The last Stormcloak camps we know about in The Pale have now been emptied, so any possibility of a counterattack on Dawnstar has passed. We have moved an army north of Windhelm along the road towards Winterhold, though there is a fort on route that is causing us problem. We have also sent a small force along the coast, but we're aware the Stormcloaks have been reinforcing the city. They know the score."

"Why don't we just take Windhelm now?" Serana wondered.

"The city is already under siege. The harbour is block by the Imperial Navy. Every major route in and out is now blockaded. There are a trio of camps we know of that need to be eliminated, but they are only of nuisance value to the Stormcloaks."

"I hate sieges," I muttered.

"Soldiers don't like them either, Dragonborn. We'd rather face the enemy on the field. But Ulfric knows what will happen if he does now. His army has been in retreat on all fronts for weeks now. Those still out in the field are tired, hungry and, hopefully, on the verge of surrender. We know Ulfric is in Windhelm and will no doubt want to make his final stand there. He aims to be a martyr for his cause." He paused, before asking, "Will you want to be involved in the final assault?"

"Of course, General."

"The men will be heartened to see the Dragonborn on the field. If you have any suggestions as to how to get Ulfric to surrender without further bloodshed, I'm certainly all ears."

"Let me think about it, General."

"Very well. Anything else for now?" I shook my head. "Then I'd better start preparations for a trial. As I said, I want to make sure everything is done correctly so I'll have my people start putting a case together."

"I look forward to seeing how it proceeds, General."

*****

It didn't even take a day. Astrid pled guilty to every charge against her and was sentenced to death, though evidence was still presented so the guilty plea was valid in the eyes of the people, once the announcement was made. The trial complete, she was given the date of her sentence. She was to be executed at dawn in three days' time.

She was given a last request, and that is when I was in for one hell of a surprise.

"I would like the Dragonborn to carry out the execution. He defeated the Dark Brotherhood. He deserves to eliminate its final member."

All eyes fell on me, including those of General Tullius. "Do you agree to the request, Dragonborn?"

I stood up and looked at Astrid. "I won't say it would be an honour, but I will accept your last request."

Astrid simply nodded and sat down. Court was quickly adjourned, Astrid led away in chains as Serana grabbed my hand, walking outside, most of the crowd dispersing quickly. "Does her request surprise you?"

"To be honest, no."

"Do you really want to do it?"

"Not at all. But I can't turn down a last request like that. There will be no honour in such an execution, but I admit, I admire her bravery. Though I think it's because she just doesn't care. Her cause is lost."

I met with the executioner the next day, a great big bear of a man, with a beard that put nearly any other I'd seen to shame. He knew I was carrying out the execution, and showed me a variety of weapons I could use to carry out the sentence. I asked his opinion. "A great axe. Take a few hours to get used to the weight, and you should send the woman to Sovngarde in one good swing."

Astrid was surprised to see me the next day, her last full day on Nirn before she was executed. The guard hesitated for a few moments before letting me into her cell. Astrid sat back on her bed, back against the wall, without a care in the world. She was dressed in what could only be called rags, though there was a plate and cup on the ground, suggesting she was being provided with food and water.

"You honour me with your appearance, Dragonborn."

"My name is Ragnar. If I'm the one to do this, then you can at least know my name."

She bowed her head. "Pleasure, Ragnar."

"Serious question, Astrid. Why request myself to carry out the sentence?"

"Because you deserve to do this, Ragnar. You have brought about the destruction of the Dark Brotherhood. The last chapter in Tamriel has fallen. I am its last member. You killed the Listener, correct?"

"No, my wife did."

That earned raised eyebrows in surprise. "Your wife?"

"There is more to my wife than meets the eye."

"How do you mean?"

"She was a vampire."

Astrid burst into laughter. "The Dragonborn is married to a woman who used to be vampire?" She found this rather amusing, laughing away to herself for a good couple of minutes before stopping. "Speaking of vampires, what happened to Babette?"

"She was cured and is probably at Honorhall in Riften by now."

Astrid actually smiled at that news. "Good. At least she'll have a chance at a normal life. Though, after the life she has lived for however many hundred years, I wonder if she's not better off dead too."

"I was ready to kill her. It was my wife who suggested the cure, considering she is also cured herself. To be honest, I haven't killed every vampire I've met. Only most of them. I'll be honest, it was hard to look past the fact she looked like a child, though once the mask fell, it wouldn't have been as difficult." I paused, before continuing, "A question about the assassination of the Emperor. Was Jarl Ulfric Stormcloak involved? Or are you aware of his involvement?"

"No. As far as I know, and from what the Listener told me, this had all the hallmarks of political infighting within the Council. Someone wanted the Emperor dead, and is probably making a play for the throne as we speak. The Dark Brotherhood has never had any dealings with the Stormcloaks. Ulfric wants to win with honour, or at least with what he calls or thinks is honour. I don't exactly call what he did to the old king honourable myself."

"I had no idea you would care about such things."

"I believe in Sovngarde, Ragnar, despite what I did for a living. I didn't buy into Sithis, the Night Mother, at least until she arrived, nor anything else. I was an assassin. It was my job. I'm still a Nord at heart."

"Then, tomorrow morning, you will be sent to Sovngarde, Astrid. Say whatever prayers you can think of tonight. The next time you see me, I will be armed with an axe."

"What will happen to my body?"

"It will be taken out to sea on a small boat and burned."

She grimaced but nodded. "I understand. I'm no martyr anyway. What happened to the rest of the Brotherhood?"

"The General sent a detachment of men to clear out the sanctuary. The bodies were burned on a pyre, the ashes buried in an undisclosed location. The sanctuary itself will eventually be destroyed."

"No trace?" she asked, somewhat bitterly.

"The Dark Brotherhood will eventually be forgotten. Or that is the intention."

She sighed. "Very well. I wish to be alone with my thoughts now, Ragnar."

"As you wish," I replied, getting to my feet and calling the guard.

"I will see you at dawn tomorrow. One final request, Ragnar?"

"Of course."

"Please make it a clean kill."

I nodded. "That is my intention."

The crowd was thick the next morning. News about the execution of the Dark Brotherhood leader had spread far and wide. Torches provided enough light as the sun still rose over the horizon, while a small wooden stand had been built so those further back could see events unfold. The General announced the execution, the charges against the accused, before I was introduced. As rumours had already spread that I would be executioner, it was suggested there was little point hiding my identity, but I still wore a hood. I stood next to the General, a great war-axe at my side, as Astrid appeared, escorted by a pair of guards.

Once she was standing in front of us, the General asked if she had any last words. Unsurprisingly, Astrid declined to say a thing. A priestess then stepped forward and stated a prayer for her soul. At the end, she muttered, "Praise Talos."

I shared a glance with the General, who simply smirked. "She's being executed anyway. Let her believe in her final moments," he said quietly.

I stepped forward next to Astrid. "Are you sure you don't have any last words?" I asked.

"I loved my husband above everything. I'll be joining him in about a minute or so."

"Good. Go to your death with that thought." She nodded one last time. "On your knees." Once she was in position, her head in the right place, I moved the hair from her neck before I got ready myself, taking a couple of deep breaths. Placing the head of the axe at her neck, I made sure she could feel the cold steel press into her skin. "Close your eyes," I instructed quietly.

"I am a Nord at heart. On this day, I go to Sovngarde," I heard her whisper.

"May the Gods grant you access," I whispered back.

With a final swing, the Dark Brotherhood was ended, once and for all.