Pre reception

Wim brought a wagon and a few men to help him recover the bodies of the foresters and the woman and bring them back to town. In the graveyard Wim found spots that the were marked by the sextant and grabbed a shovel and started digging. Wim was wearing work clothes and started digging. Late in the morning Wim could barely lift his arms. The soil was cold and hard and did not give easily. Around noon, Master Sadrin and Ms. Sadir arrived in a wagon with food along with men with better tools for digging than he had.

Master Sadrin understood Wim’s need to do this. He also knew that Wim’s stubbornness was going to make the first frozen grave his own. It was Elizabeth’s wits that got Wim to accept the help of the others. Master Sadir tried to get Wim out of the pit with no success. Elizabeth played to his honor, explaining that the workmen they brought from the mill were grieving too and not accepting their help would dishonor their friendship with the deadmen and make difficulties for him. It did not hurt that she used a tone of voice than indicated he was coming out of the pit and eating if it meant she had to get her dress dirty to kick his ass out of there.

Two of the workers gave Wim a boost out of the pit. He had dug it deep enough that was not going to climb out on his own with sore arms and back. It also showed the foresters that in his own arrogant way did care about them.

Wim offered to pay for the funerals, all three were buried but no one came to collect for the services. Master Sadir paid for the three, the woman’s service was minimal and her coffin was pine.
Wim stood over the grave with the hunters’ axes and thanked them.

At the woman’s grave, Wim wondered if Gonyaul would help him find some wild flowers that would grow there.

Wim with some help from Elizabeth, brought baskets with bread, beer, cheese, and some local perfumes for the women, Wim also added a couple blank books as he had a good supply and limited demand. He included a written note of support and thanks He made quick visits, check on them. First to Voah and her questioning, Then Alexis, and Islana. Hunter’s he left a basket of food and extra alcohol. Gonyaul also included a bill of sale for some lumber and nails to be delivered to his farm for the rebuilding.

With the arbiter, he talked about getting hooked on the Felfar and how it still troubles him, the feeling it was pulling him to the woods and to the grove, and the multiple attempts on his life by the cult members. He would point out he was coming back to get help when they were ambushed and it was like the cult members knew where he was. He avoided going into any great detail about what happed in the fights, apart from the foresters giving their lives to protect him and he defended himself and others.

He also points out the things that troubled him: the fact that the killings were different than the ritual they stopped, the fact that the Plains People were being targeted too, how the cult members would know where he was in the woods when their leader was at the grove, and wondering were the Felfar was coming.

He pondered if the church might set up an orphanage or school where the children left behind might be reformed rather than hung from the walls for the sins of their parents.

Wim avoided any talk of how he was doing. He was a noble and would be stoic like a noble.

He enjoyed a hot bath in the guest room at the Sadir’s house and a new set of clothes that were made for him. He wore the black hooded cloak he took from the woman.