Personal Vendettas
Wolff, a landless and lordless knight, ekes out his meagre living in taverns and inns along the Wanderer's Way. It seems to be winter now, with endless days of sleet and shadow. To keep body and soul together, he teaches philosophy and alchemy to the disaffected sons of local nobility. He has no end of job offers, but he is wary of masters now. And then one day...
Sir Wolff? I am...
Wolff has not had his kaava for the day yet, and is not inclined to be called by his former title(s).
Not 'Sir', and to you, not Wolff either.
The grey and somewhat ordinary-looking man winces slightly but carries on.
... a magnate of the Order. Did you know that the Grand Inquisitor was malfeasant in his dealings with you?
The first statement alone would have aroused Wolff's interest. The second is beyond interest; it stinks of danger and betrayal. Wolff's ears prick up, despite himself. The world around him becomes more defined, sharper in tones of black and white and winter blue.
No... I did not know this, although I felt something was wrong.
Well, he attributed to you certain deeds which were not yours. He slandered you in front of witnesses. And we have taken this to mean that he exceeded the traditional bounds of his authority in dealing with you. We think of it as a personal vendetta, a means to a resolution of his own intent. We are asking you now, will you return to the Order?
Wolff is slightly shaken. And yet, he is filled with a sense of doom, an instinct that the Order might no longer be what he once thought of as his life's work. He has turned away, and must not turn back.
No, my lord. I have left, and will not return. I have no personal vendetta in me.
That is good. You have not lost conviction. We were thinking of a place for you in the Magistratum, but it is clear that you have made a choice. We will respect that. Good day! And we wish you the best that can yet be, in the will of the Highest.
As the grey man trudges away into the twilight morning, clad in shadows and anonymity, Wolff realises that it is true. There is sometimes no going home again. And there is also a way forward which, though once hidden, may yet reveal itself.
=====
Note: The fictional adventures of Sir Wolff do provide much that is of interest. You can find them linked here. Just ignore the one about earwax. That was an accident.
Sir Wolff? I am...
Wolff has not had his kaava for the day yet, and is not inclined to be called by his former title(s).
Not 'Sir', and to you, not Wolff either.
The grey and somewhat ordinary-looking man winces slightly but carries on.
... a magnate of the Order. Did you know that the Grand Inquisitor was malfeasant in his dealings with you?
The first statement alone would have aroused Wolff's interest. The second is beyond interest; it stinks of danger and betrayal. Wolff's ears prick up, despite himself. The world around him becomes more defined, sharper in tones of black and white and winter blue.
No... I did not know this, although I felt something was wrong.
Well, he attributed to you certain deeds which were not yours. He slandered you in front of witnesses. And we have taken this to mean that he exceeded the traditional bounds of his authority in dealing with you. We think of it as a personal vendetta, a means to a resolution of his own intent. We are asking you now, will you return to the Order?
Wolff is slightly shaken. And yet, he is filled with a sense of doom, an instinct that the Order might no longer be what he once thought of as his life's work. He has turned away, and must not turn back.
No, my lord. I have left, and will not return. I have no personal vendetta in me.
That is good. You have not lost conviction. We were thinking of a place for you in the Magistratum, but it is clear that you have made a choice. We will respect that. Good day! And we wish you the best that can yet be, in the will of the Highest.
As the grey man trudges away into the twilight morning, clad in shadows and anonymity, Wolff realises that it is true. There is sometimes no going home again. And there is also a way forward which, though once hidden, may yet reveal itself.
=====
Note: The fictional adventures of Sir Wolff do provide much that is of interest. You can find them linked here. Just ignore the one about earwax. That was an accident.
Labels: Choice, Historical Fiction, Wolff
etched with acid at 9:46:00 am
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