The Peace of Sanctuary

Krist

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Previously: Krist Lindor, a Nord from Skyrim, was saved by Holly and her family from near death, as they were traveling back to their own lands of Cyrodiil. Krist, a member of the Fighter's Guild, was fulfilling a contract for an outlaw. The two dueled, and though Krist was the victor, he was gravely wounded in the process. Krist was nursed back to health as the family settled on an abandoned farm. When winter was just setting in, the family took in a Bosmer lady that Krist, Uncle Bith, and the two oldest boys saved from daedric slavers.


Darkness strives to blind the strong
But Faith will guide our swords
Loyal hearts we'll stand as one
And fight with shields of Hope

Pride fuels the deadly fire
That devours our tower of gold
The drums of war will rage and roar
‘Til the sun burns bright once more

These are days and nights of venom and blood
Heroes will rise as the anchors fall
Brave the strife, reclaim every soul
That belongs to the Beauty of Dawn

- Beauty Of Dawn Song






Holly watched Belwin, the Bosmer lady that Krist, her uncle, and her cousins saved from daedric slavers, exit the woods that Krist had entered just before sun up. She wore dark leather covered with a dark green shirt. On her back was a bow and quiver of arrows.
A tinge of jealousy crossed Holly's heart, but she quickly waved it off. Holly and Krist had become lovers over the winter. Uncle Tohmas was a bit worried over the relationship, unsure how long Krist was committed to the farm, and thus, Holly. Aunt Bith would just roll her eyes at Uncle Tohmas, and tell him that Holly was a grown woman now.
Besides, they all liked Krist, very much. He had shown himself to be a good man. He was good with the boys, and was learning from Uncle Tohmas how to grow crops in Cyrodiil.
As Holly watched Belwin make her way around the farm house, never looking her way, she knew she had nothing to be jealous over. She had almost had to force herself on Krist before he got the hint that she actually liked him, as much he liked her. It was odd that Krist was so strong, so sure, in most things, but so hesitant in relationships, be they friendship, or something else.

Krist exited the tree line soon after, and headed to the barn, sitting high on his large war horse. Holly smiled as she watched the tall warrior, with his pale blonde hair in a pony tail, pleased that he wore the leather armor she made for him. She insisted he wear it after the near tragedy that brought the Bosmer into their lives.
Holly was done with her early morning chores, and shed the apron that was full of flower. She grabbed some coffee from the wood stove, and headed to the barn.

Krist was tossing some hay down when he saw Holly on the ladder to the hay loft. She was careful not to spill coffee as she swung her leg over to the loft floor.
"Brought you something," she said, a bright smile on her face.
Krist nodded, and accepted the warm drink. It was just turning spring, and the mornings were still very cool. This was apparent as steam rose from the coffee, as well as from Krist's lips.
"I saw Belwin leave the wood just before you. Did she go with you to scout?"
Krist shook his head.
"No, I think she was there before I ever entered. I did not find her, or more so she did not let me see her, until I was coming back from checking the south," Krist said, in reference to him checking beyond the horseshoe woods that protected the farm.
Holly nodded a bit.
"Why does she not move on," Holly asked, looking down when she did so. She was ashamed as soon as she asked.
Krist gently smiled at her.
"Fair question. I do not know the answer. Perhaps she finds peace here, like we all do, and hates to go back to whatever life she had before. She told us her husband was murdered, and she was sold into slavery by people she trusted. I am willing to wager more happened to her. Slavers do horrible things to their captives," Krist said, a look of sorrow on his face.
"I know, and honestly Krist, I feel sorry for her as much as you do. Just, she hardly speaks. I see her trying to flirt with you, as if she doesn't know about us. I mean, she is good to the younger boys, and she does bring game and such back to Aunt Bith, but I don't know. Just something about her," Holly said.
Krist nodded, feeling the same way. He then hugged Holly to him.
"Did you really rush over here to give me coffee and talk about Belwin," Krist asked, a sly grin on his face.
Holly pushed Krist away, rolling her eyes.
"No," she replied with her own sly grin, as her dress fell to the loft floor.

Belwin was on the roof of the barn, listening to Krist and Holly's conversation. No emotion was present on her face as she did so. When they stopped talking, and it was apparent what was coming next, she quietly slipped off the roof top and headed to the farm house. She had some rabbits for Aunt Bith, as well as some wild onions that Aunt Bith asked for.

Krist

Belwin felt the warmth of the sun on her face. She was high above the tree line on one of the tallest trees in the woods. It was mid day, and a good time for a nap. She listened to the birds chirping, the breeze blowing, and drifted off slowly in sleep.

"Her husband is gone, and she is nothing but a problem to us," one voice said. Belwin knew she should have known the voice, but her mind was fractured in thought, and she could not seem to remember.
"We cannot disrespect the memory of Red," the other said, sternly and with conviction.
She couldn't seem to move.
Belwin heard the struggle from the other side of the door of the room she was locked in. She heard the thump against the door, the yell, then the silence.
Still she did not move.
"Honey," came the call, as the door unlatched. "I am going to get you out of here."
It was Jorhan, a stocky, ugly Nord, that was friends with Red.
Her lover, her friend, her husband, Rigmar the Red. Her strong, handsome husband. It took her a moment to remember he was gone. Killed in the streets by a knight of the Fighter's Guild.
She remembered being packed on the stocky Nord's shoulder as he lifted her up and carried her from the room. She saw the Dark Elf, Delamus, laying dead just outside the door, eyes staring to the ceiling, his neck at an impossible angle.
"Out of my way Mishken," Jorhan called, with a bit of fear in his voice.
"It isn't what I want either, but the gang decided. We will split Red's gold among us. We do not need her around. We would always have to watch our backs. You let her go, she will come back," Mishken said. His voice was not anger, but matter of fact.
"He was my friend, Mishken, and yours. I cannot," Jorhan said, and attempted to push past Mishken. A part of Belwin knew that was a bad idea, but she just laid across the Nord's shoulders, and offered nothing.
Jorhan fell, and Belwin hit the floor hard. She scooted away now, pulled from her daze, and understanding starting to set in. Jorhan lay on the floor, a dagger sticking from his chest, his eyes looking to the ceiling, no life left in him.
"I am sorry Sweet Honey," Mishken the dark elf said sincerely.
It was pouring rain when she was dragged out into the small village streets, naked and beaten. She fought because she knew what they were doing. She would have rathered they killed her. The slavers chuckled as she was locked in their wagon cage.
She screamed, unintelligible words, as they rode out. Even as she screamed she saw that the gang had raised the village, and killed the inhabitants. The one that stuck out the most, and horrified her even more, was the little blond haired inn owner's daughter, dead, and left to rot.

Belwin awoke with a start, watching the birds take flight from the trees as she did. She had tears in her eyes, but hardly remembered why. She wiped them, even as an odd thought came to her mind. She was no longer Sweet Honey, she was Belwin now. For the first time, in a very long time, she felt safe.

(backstory to Red and Sweet Honey (Belwin))

Krist

Her graceful shape I heave up high
And in one hand I hold her nigh
Her waiting lips are never dry
Sway as we kiss
Sway as we kiss


Krist finished the song, with a gentle smile on his face. Holly seemed surely impressed, as the porch lantern lights flickered, causing their shadows to move about.
"That is a pretty song, Sway as We Kiss," She said, nodding.
"It isn't exactly what you may think. It is a drinking song," Krist laughed, "not a love song."
Krist mimicked holding up a bottle high, and Holly caught on to the meaning.
"Krist Lindor," she laughed, and slapped his arm.
The two sat in the evening air as they often did, looking out to the darkness in the south.
"A friend of mine taught it to me," Krist said. "We were in the Imperial Army together, watchers of the north area near Skyrim, before it all happened."
"We lived south of Cheydenhal, on a farm similar to this one," Holly said.
"I bet the farm is in ruin then," Krist frowned.
"It was ruined as we fled. The burst destroyed much, but when the dead started to rise," Holly looked off a bit in thought, but did not finish.
"You are eating your pie out here, I guess," Aunt Bith said as she exited the door to the porch. She was carrying two pieces of pie, which she handed to Krist and Holly.
"Where did that Belwin get off to now," she asked, knowing the other two probably did not have an answer. "She gathered the ingredients, she deserves to get some of the pie."
Krist and Holly both shook their heads, neither knowing where the Wood Elf was.

Belwin watched the stranger as he made camp. She did not usually venture this far away from the woods that horseshoed the farm, but this man had been snooping about, and she felt it her business to know why.
He did not do much. He did not even really seem all that odd. He set about making his camp, with a small fire. She caught him looking about, as if he sensed something, or someone. It was too dark a night though for him to see her crouched down in the tall grass, especially with the fire glow dulling his vision.
The man was human, and appeared to be elderly, in human standards. He had a grey beard and was losing some of his hair. He had what looked like silver weapons, and a crossbow.
He was one of those that hunted the undead, Belwin had no doubt. She met some before, in her former life as Sweet Honey. They were an odd type usually, with some kind of grudge driving them on. Some were devoted to some god or another that hated the undead, others were just soldiers or mercenaries looking for bounty. Either way, he did not appear to be a threat to the farm, and one person was not going to cause a problem with them. She moved away, not making a sound, until she was sure she was out of ear shot of the stranger, then began to run at a medium pace back to the woods she left.

The old man smiled a bit, then laid his head back down. He caught wind of her, and knew she was watching. He also knew she was gone now. He was not afraid to close his eyes, because the slightest sound would warn him well ahead of time if anyone, or anything, was close to his camp. He had tracked the warrior he met named Krist to a farm, and would wait until morning to approach it. For now, he let his mind drift to his hunting, and fell asleep in peace.

Krist

Werewolves are the most commonly known type of lycanthrope found in Tamriel, where they can be found in every province. Werewolves are individuals who assume wolf-like characteristics during the full moon (or in some cases, at will).

Krist struggled with the creature, catching mere outline of it time to time as the full moon cast shadows about. He knew it was not a wolf, but something similar. Krist had heard of them, the lycan, those with the lycanthropy disease. It was far stronger than he could have ever imagined.
"Giiift, you," the creature seemed to try and speak, though it's wolf like mouth hardly allowed it to make sense. It would seem to stop fighting for a moment, almost thinking, but would grow very angry again and attack. It was one time that it stopped fighting that Krist was able to create some distance.
The creature howled, whether in anger or not was hard to tell. It was chilling all the same, and almost froze the big warrior in place. Thankfully self preservation was enough to make him get up and start running for the house. He was weaponless when he hears noise in the woods, and thought for sure it was Holly trying to entice him to a meeting away from the house.

That he would have enjoyed.
This was not enjoyable at all.

He heard branches breaking as the great beast simply ran through them, choosing not to duck as Krist was forced to. As Krist made the clearing of the house the beast over took him, knocking him once again to the ground. It held him to the ground with one powerful back paw, as it once again howled, this time Krist was sure in victory.
It opened it's great jaws and came in for what Krist was sure was a killing blow to his neck, and it was only by sheer will that he was able to block the bite with his arm. Krist had little doubt he would lose the arm and die here anyway, but the bite was not near as hard as he thought it would be. It's teeth barely penetrated the leather that Holly made him wear, and it backed off.
Krist was not sure what happened until he saw an arrow sticking from the beasts chest. Then two more in rapid succession found almost the same mark, causing the creature to howl in pain. It turned and moved away quickly, barely avoiding two more arrows.
"Don't just lay there you fool, get up and run," Belwin called as she approached, looking about in the moonlit darkness for any sign of the creature.
Krist did not have to be told twice, he was up and grabbed Belwin to follow him as they ran for the house.

"Could have killed you," he heard Holly admonishing him, as he went from window to window, looking out to see any sign of the creature.
"It's gone," Belwin said, seeming way too calm for Krist's appreciation.
"How do you know it is gone," Krist asked. "You think you killed it?"
"I know I did not kill it," Belwin said. "It would have over took us had it chose to. It let us leave, and probably left to lick it's wounds."
"You can't be certain," Holly said, looking at Krist's scratches and the two canine marks on his arm. None were too deep, the two punctures being the worst.
"No, nothing is certain, but I am pretty sure of it. I can go check if it will ease your minds," Belwin did not mean it to sound near as condescending as it came out.
"No one is going back out," Tohmas said, handing Krist his sword, sword in his own hand. He rushed the kids upstairs telling the older ones to watch the younger ones.
"He is right," Aunt Bith said, looking to Belwin, then Krist and Holly.
"Of course he is right," Krist nodded, and then so did Belwin.
"I did not mean to," Belwin began, but did not know the words to say to finish.
Holly rolled her eyes and began looking after Krist again.
"I am going on the roof," Belwin finally said, and like that the Wood Elf was gone, heading up the stairs.
"Keep an eye in here, I will watch from the back porch," Uncle Tohmas said, and headed to the back of the house.
Aunt Bith looked to Holly and Krist.
"I guess I will make some tea," she finally said.