The first of our main characters from A Dagger in the Winds is Wacław (pronounced in Polish “Vahtswahv”), the second-born son of High Chief Jacek. We were able to do a photoshoot for both Wacław and Otylia (the second protagonist), so the photos below are our live-action version of him (photos by The Kindly Midwest).
Caring. Hesitant. Desperate for a purpose.
Wacław finds himself in an odd social situation within the Tribe of Krowik. As the son of High Chief Jacek and a concubine (a secondary wife) named Lubena, he should’ve been honored as the high chief’s second son. Instead, both he and his mother were sent beyond the village walls not long after his birth. Ever since, he’s been mocked as the “Half-Chief” as he does his best to work a small farm with his mother just outside the tribal capital of Dwie Rzeki.
If isolation wasn’t enough to wrestle with, Wacław has never truly dreamed. Each night when he falls asleep, his soul leaves his body, allowing him to invisibly wander until the time comes for him to wake. He has no idea why.
Despite his struggles, Wacław enjoys the relative distance from his controlling father. Along with the aspiring sorceress Otylia, he ventured the woods and swamps around Dwie Rzeki often as a child. The two were inseparable. Only she and his mother knew about his nightly wanderings, and as far as he was concerned, he didn’t need anyone else.
But Otylia is the daughter of Jacek’s rival, High Priest Dariusz. Being beyond the village allowed Wacław to spend time with her regardless. When a wolf pack attacked the twelve-year-old pair on the spring equinox, though, Otylia somehow channeled sorcery before being chosen by a god. The high chief couldn’t allow his son (even an outcast one) to be seen with a witch and forced Wacław to abandon her. At first, Wacław went to her anyway, unwilling to lose his best friend. Jacek’s fist and a threat to exile Otylia put an end to that.
Exactly four years later, Wacław wishes for Otylia back, but she despises him for shunning her. Now, he faces the spring equinox festival of The Drowning of Marzanna alone. He is to jump the fire tonight and be declared a man. If only he knew what his purpose was after that.
When the winter goddess Marzanna offers him that purpose in return for his service, he’ll find himself in more trouble than ever. Otylia is his only hope of finding answers about his nightly wanderings and the goddess’s message. To discover the truth, though, they’ll need to somehow mend their broken relationship as they journey across lands cursed by demons, witches, and dangerous beasts.
Writing Wacław’s character was a lot of fun. It’s hard to say too much without spoilers, but Wacław faces a lot of internal conflict through this book and the following ones. Between the secrets of his soul, his relationship with Otylia, and his role in the tribe, so much is beyond his control. Despite that, he cares so much about those around him and wants to fix those broken elements of his life. It’s a world of fantasy and magic, but that constant struggle is one that I think is innately human.
Dialogue was my favorite for him, especially when writing his moments of pure authenticity with those he loves. With his mother, he’s vulnerable as he expresses his hopes and how they shatter around him. With his friend Kuba, he can laugh and have the simple joy he’s so often lacked. And with Otylia, I love their contrasting personalities and banter. There’s so much history between the two of them, and that has been so much fun to play with.