During the fall of Riften, the cistern collapses.
Fortunately, by that point, most of the city (including the guild that lived under it) had escaped, evacuated, or were otherwise within there homes and safe.
The casualties were heavy on the Thalmor side, but much heavier on the Skyrim side. After so much fighting, so much death, Ulfric orders a retreat.
Eryn instantly argues, but is shot down. The Thalmor can take Riften today, but they need to live to fight another day to take it back, to protect the rest of Skyrim. But it's unlikely that the Thalmor will let anyone leave alive.
Eryn thinks for a moment, and then whispers "Mul... Qah... Diiv!". Instantly she is surrounded by the fiery glow of the dragons, by translucent scales and horns and wings. "I'll hold them off, and then meet back up with you." Eryn believes her words, she believes she will walk out of this alive.
Ralof tries to stop her. And while she doesn't have it in her heart to truly argue with him or even push him away, she does slowly pull away. "Galmar... I need a favor." She says, her new wings drooping just a bit with her heavy emotions.
Galmar instantly understands, Ulfric needs a moment, and then Ralof is the last person to realize what Eryn asked them to do. But Galmar and Ulfric combined both easily outarm Ralof, and can hold him back, can stop him from stopping Eryn.
Eryn disappears into the battle, getting all of the attention on her. She holds them off for as long as she can. But as her allies retreat, she is more and more surrounded and outnumbered. Still, she doesn't surrender. She stays in the middle of the town square, fighting everyone she can see.
The explosion under her takes out the last of her dragon aspect armor. The Thalmor had set off a bomb, which eventually chain reacted into the cistern collapsing. Eryn is shot up, her wings and tail and horns and scales disapate. She realizes now she has nothing to save her.
From a distance, Ralof sees the explosion. He almost screams, before Ulfric slaps a hand over his mouth so he doesn't give away their position. Ralof collapses, and Galmar resorts to just carrying him like an injured soldier.
"Odahviing!" Eryn has gotten into the habit of calling for him when she's in desperate situations. Maybe he'll catch her, maybe he'll be able to help. She watches him race through the sky, but not fast enough. The ground hits her all too fast.
A single pillar of light shines on her and the broken rocks around her. She is bleeding and broken, even if she had potions or the strength for a spell, she wouldn't be saved.
"Thuri," Odahviing manages to climb into the hole, trying to get close to her, trying to understand. "You called, I came."
Eryn is heaving, every limb is broken, her spine has snapped, but she still smiles at him. "Yes... stay."
"Who has done this to you? I shall destroy them." He speaks in his own tongue, he prefers to, knowing Eryn can understand him.
"Too late for that..." Eryn responds in her own tongue, she knows he can understand her just fine. Her voice is so quiet and small. "I'm dying, my friend." She smiles. "Viir maar, fahdon dii." She breathes in. "I don't want to be alone."
Odahviing curls up around the rubble, around Eryn. He can't understand it, not unless she uses that cursed shout on him. He can't understand a Voice that simply ends, especially not one as strong as hers. "How can I stop it?"
It's a simple question, perhaps even childish. But Odahviing is asking in earnest, wanting to know how to help her. She summons him when she needs help, so he should help.
"You can't." She rasps out. "Just stay with me until I go." She seems to relax just a bit, in spite of the wretched pain. She thinks of Sovngarde, knowing it awaits her, and she already knows what it looks like. "I will miss the sunshine." She whispers, remember the evernight of the sky.
She's gone. Her last words were about the sun. Odahviing can feel that she's gone, though he understands so little. He roars into the sky, trying to understand the emotions inside of him.
He knows she can take the souls of Dov, he knows they grant her power, allow her to combine her dragon soul with her mortal heart. He decides to give his to her.
By the time anyone finds Eryn, there is only a dragon skeleton left curled up around her, as though she had managed to bring down one last one before she passed. But as Vipir, who had been chosen to scout out Riften and report on the damage, gets close, he realizes she's breathing. She's alive.
He gets her back to Nightingale Hall. They lay her in bed, Etienne tries to use some of his Brenton magic to help her... but he can't. None of them can understand this. She doesn't move, her breaths are so slow she doesn't look like she's moving, she doesn't even seem to be dreaming.
Eryn is like that for six months. By month three, there's an ongoing argument about what to do with her. Whether to toss her out into the world, or keep her in the hall. Every time it comes up, Etienne talks Brynjolf into letting Eryn stay, and Brynjolf talks Opal and Karliah into it.
Meanwhile, the world mourns. As far as anyone can tell, as far as the story goes, Eryn was killed by the Thalmor during the fall of Riften. A massive service is held in Solitude, and a statue of her is even erected. People lay flowers and coins and weapons at her altar every day.
The thieves guild does consider telling the world that Eryn is alive, but they decide the risk to the guild (and to Eryn) would be too great. Brynjolf specifically also believes it would be cruel to her family if she does end up dying.
Ralof spends his little spare time picking lavender. At first, everyone thinks he's just trying to distract himself. Trying to make sure he won't burn himself out. But someone eventually asks, and he tells them that lavender was Eryn's favorite.
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