I have guards!

Wim woke a bit tired, he had spent hours wrestling with his thoughts and demons. Between trying to figure out the game he now found himself in with a possible wife, to thinking he should have more power than he did, to anger that someone tried to kill him, to fear that they would try again. Then add in joy, self pity, wanting to not make the Brewmaster upset, and some male fantasy fueled by expensive wine and brandy.

Wim was happy that the breakfast was simple and filling. After, strapping on the sword and saying goodbye. He headed out the front door to find two hulks of lumberjacks standing there to guard him. The one who greeted him was a familiar face or his hand was. This time he smiled at Wim.
“Morning, Seems like you have been making better choices,” he said in a pleased tone.
This put Wim off as he had daydreamed about paying him back too.
“It appears so,” Wim said not sure what to do.
The man laughed and slapped Wim hard enough on the arm that he almost needed to take a step. He tried hard not to take a step or fall over. Not that his Will had much to do with this.
The other man said to him, “Boss told us we needed to watch over you.”
Wim just nodded and said, “Thank you.”

“We can get you a good spot at the execution, with your being a noble and all,” his new best friend said.
Wim realized they wanted to go and see. Wim wanted nothing to do with the crowds and he had been dragged to enough of these growing up that seeing necks snap and eyes and tongues swell made him not want to go. Burning was worse. His father would want him to go so he was seen with Sir Zane and the Duke. But he had not been summonsed for this, or more likely did not receive a summons as it would be at the brewery. He would skirt the crowds. The pick pockets and the guards would be having a field day.

He listened to the two foresters talking as they walked. They talked about girls in ways he could not. They talked about drinking which was a bit helpful as he heard what breweries were really his rivals. They talked about stores when they were in the woods. He could talk about getting lost in the woods, which was something they probably never did. He realized that they could help him learn how not to get lost in the woods. He would ask them some time in the spring.

He headed for the Apothecary to see Nicolaus. He realized when he thought about the vial he was breaking out in a sweat but his hands and arms were no longer trembling as they had. He thought this might be important information not that he knew.

Seeing Islana in the shop, he waited away from her. He looked out the window watching the crowd and down to the gallows. He thought that the brewery could use a couple of the orphans there was always things to be moved and swept. Same thing at the lumber mill. He tried hard to ignore Islana as she would respond to his presence like she wanted to claw his eyes out. Yes, he knew she saw him as a money grubbing parasite on the rump of the world. He was, but he also had the misfortune of doing the right thing in the end.