Who Dies At The End Of 'A Loyal Companion'?

I just finished 'A Loyal Companion' last night, and that ending hit me like a truck. The final chapters build this incredible tension where you know something tragic is coming but hope it won't. The character who dies is Marcus, the protagonist's lifelong friend and the true loyal companion of the title. What makes his death so powerful is how it happens during what should have been their greatest victory. After surviving countless battles together, Marcus sacrifices himself to save the protagonist from an ambush in the epilogue. The way his death is written is masterful - one moment he's cracking a joke about their old adventures, the next he's pushing the protagonist out of the way as arrows pierce his chest.

The aftermath is what really got to me. The protagonist carries Marcus' dagger for the rest of his life, and we see how this loss changes him fundamentally. There's this beautiful scene years later where he visits Marcus' grave and finally admits aloud that he loved him like a brother. What makes the death hit harder is realizing Marcus knew about the ambush beforehand but went anyway because protecting his friend mattered more than his own life. The novel spends its entire length showing their bond through small moments - sharing food during hard times, covering each other's backs in fights - making that final sacrifice feel earned rather than cheap.

'A Loyal Companion' ends with Marcus dying in the most Marcus way possible - saving someone else without hesitation. The big twist is that he actually survives the initial attack, only to succumb to wounds later while insisting he's fine. His last words about 'keeping your promises' reference an early conversation where he vowed to always protect the protagonist. What I appreciate is how the story doesn't glorify his death - it shows the messy reality of blood loss and the protagonist's desperation trying to stem the bleeding. The final image of Marcus smiling weakly before closing his eyes forever wrecked me.