"Leave us." My wife commanded the guards. Finnian about left as well but Elisif added,

"Finnian. Stay."

I sat under the pained gaze of my wife as she shook her head at me.

"I can't believe you did this."

I kept silence, unable to meet her eyes.

"You shouted-" she shook her head, "after what happened to my deceased husband you shout an innocent man into pieces! In my home!"

Your home? I thought as I met her eyes.

"I shouted Ulfric to pieces." I hollowly tried to justify.

Elisif stood up, "Ulfric is dead! He has nothing to do with this! You held a priest of Meridia by the throat and-"

I stood in response, "I know what I did, woman!"

"My liege, my lady, please sit." Finnian softly pleaded.

My hands shook as I sat down. Elisif collapsed into her chair and cupped her shaking head in her hands.

"It's like I'm reliving my husband's death."

"This all could just be War-Shock-"

I interjected, "Everything is not just War-Shock, elf!" I couldn't help standing and knocking my chair back. "Wrongs have been done; restitutions must be made." I couldn't look my wife in the eyes as I uttered, "That's why I was planning on going to Meridia with peace offerings."

"Like what?" Finnian asked.

"The Dawnbreakers."

Elisif just watched me, shaking her head numbly. Finnian sighed, and plead,

"My liege. Even the Dawnbreakers, of which you slain numerous draugrs with on your way to Sovengarrd to defeat Alduin may not be enough."

"It should be enough to get a great errand to do for my atonement."

But lo, they don't know half of the neglect I have done towards Meridia, Boethiah and Hermaeus Mora. I looked at my wife's face and Divines the pain I had caused her. I set the chair back in it's place and tentatively walked backwards.

"Talion-" her ethereal voice said, "I still love you... but you cannot come back until your errand is done."

"Such is the law," I bowed, "my love."

Once I closed the door behind me I heard something clatter, as if plates were thrown in frustration, before sobbing came through the door. I rested my head on the door a moment, guilt impaling my very being when I began to go towards my quarters. I packed with fervor and I armored up as well. My Bloodskal blade was vertical on my back today and the Dawnbreakers crisscrossed under my cape. I also tied the Rueful Axe to my bag which I stocked with a few days supplies and extra potions just in case.

The only thing I didn't take was the Black Books in my personal war chest, I actually forgot where I put it. I would also have to make another trip to Solstheim, or could I just burn them? Something bumped into a prized Cudgel of mine I got from Fort Frostmoth but I didn't see anything.

"Paarthurnax," I droned, "invisibility scrolls are quite expensive."

"Ugh," a totally caught voice groaned, "I used a muffle scroll to."

Once the effects wore off I saw my son's sad face.

"I'm coming."

I groaned and simply stated, "No."

At this point he teared up and then threw himself at my legs. Tears were flowing down his face as he cried,

"I'm going to miss you dad."

"I'm going to miss you as well, Paarthurnax."

Once he let go he said, "I'm going to keep mom safe. I promise."

I smiled and raked my hand through his hair.

"I hope you do, and I hope I am back soon."

I was silent as his feet pattered away but came back. He looked up at me and held out the Amulet of Talos I had given him for his birthday. Sniffing he said,

"Here, so you don't forget me... and that you're a hero."

I took the amulet and looked at it for a long moment before scooping him up and crying unabatedly into him.

"I would never forget you Paarthurnax! I would go into hell and back for you my son. I love you."

"I love you to!" He cried and after a good while we parted.

To keep myself from breaking down, I couldn't look at Paarthurnax as I pulled on my coif, my shrouded Konahrik, and the Jagged Crown. Still unable to bear his eyes on me, I put one foot in front of the other... without looking back.

Following the smoke from Serana's fire was easy. I noted a dead bandit next to her as I approached through the woods on horseback. She was cleaning her blade on cloth she cut from the poor man's cloth armor.

"What?" She asked me, "He tried to rob me and I was thirsty."

I smirked and rolled my eyes but she couldn't see my face through my mask. "Where are the others?"

"Getting water and firewood. I didn't expect you so soon."

"Serana!" I chastised teasingly, giving her a hard time. As if on cue her undead ex-robber servant came and threw twigs onto her fire before going back to get more like some Dwemer machine.

"If you took any longer," she said getting up, "I was afraid that I might have to burn a farm. You know get everyone in Solitude jumping around screaming," she tinkled her fingers, "ooooh vampire! Hmph."

"Then guards would have come to kill you." I said drily.

"Aww, here I was thinking you wanted to start a coven with me." She mocked playfully. I ignored her and instead of reminding her of my married status I added,

"And then I would have to kill the guards, but please don't make me do that Serana. Now come, I have deities to soothe."

She sighed a long sigh, and with a wave of her hand her undead robbers were made... for lack of a better term: dead. She gave a soft whistle and an all black horse came up from the brush. Once mounted I commented as Frostheart walked next to her steed,

"Black, just like your heart."

She snorted a laugh and changed the subject after donning her hood.

"The weather seems like it's going to rain, do rain clouds always follow you wherever you go?"

I ignored her, biting back a friendly jab before friendly jabs turned into flirty ones.

"We are going to the shrine of Meridia, west of Solitude at Mt. Kilkreath." I glanced at her and she listened while enjoying the sunny sky, "Y-you don't have to come with me inside. It should be clear and I will go down to the catacombs, the very place I got the swords."

"No problem, whatever happens in there," she looked at me and gave me a reassuring smile, "I'll be at the door."

"It's funny," I jabbed, "how you will go to hell and back for me but not into a temple and back."

She rolled her eyes and sped up into a trot. I caught up to her and she added,

"Just like you said about the guards. I would do it if you were in dire danger but please, don't make me."

"What's your horse's name?"

"Bloodrunner." She said over the slight breeze.

"How original," I teased, "does it drink horse-blood?"

"No! She drinks the blood of apples. Eyes on the road High King."

We slowed down into a walk and I saw the group of men running into the road, blocking us off. Seriously, I thought, highwaymen this close to Solitude? It wasn't until that we got closer that some of the dregs amongst the criminals shifted the weight on their feet nervously. A scar-eye brute of an orc seemed to be their leader and called out,

"Now hand over your gold! And no one gets hurt!"

"I will gladly hand over my gold to one who has slain more men than I."

"Bah! I have killed several dozen!"

Darkness enveloped me as I shot the runts of his group with blasts of chain-lightning from both hands and I quipped,

"I just killed four more, what say you?"

Before he let out an enraged war-cry I dual casted another bolt, using two hands to burn a hole clear through the chief and his lieutenant. Seeing half their force decimated the remaining bandits began to flee. Serana steadied me on my horse, yelling at those criminals to go home to their families but mainly to distract them from me slumped over on Frostheart. Oi, I self-chastised, I was overdoing myself. Serana's voice was watery and faded from me,

"Hey, Talion? Are you okay?"

For a moment I heard nothing, and seen nothing but darkness. The Breton from the ocean tossed a body at my feet and his chuckle awoke me to the birds and sounds of the forest. The jump I did startled Serana.

"How long was I out?!"

She sighed a sigh of relief. "You weren't responding for two or three minutes. Look we're here."

I looked up at the spire shivered from the memory of Meridia tossing me into the air to talk. More like blackmail me to do her dirty work or he, she, or it would drop me. I tied Frostheart off on a tree and I took out my Rueful Axe and tossed it to Serana.

"Hold that for me, I hope to not take long."

"Aye-aye your highness." Serana said unceremoniously with a mock salute as she set up camp a little father from the temple.