Dankwart of Schlangenwald,
the Teutonic knight, and only heir of old Wolfgang, was supposed to
be with the Emperor, and it might be possible to come to terms with
him, since his breeding in the Prussian commanderies had kept him
aloof from the feuds of his father and brother. This mournful fight
had to a certain extent equalized the injuries on either side, since
the man whom Friedel had cut down was Hierom, one of the few
remaining scions of Schlangenwald, and there was thus no dishonour in
trying to close the deadly feud, and coming to an amicable
arrangement about the Debateable Strand, the cause of so much
bloodshed. What was now wanted was Freiherr Eberhard's signature to
the letter to the Emperor, and his authority for making terms with
the new count; and haste was needed, lest the Markgraf of Wurtemburg
should represent the affray in the light of an outrage against a
member of the League.
Christina saw the necessity, and undertook if possible to obtain her
son's signature, but, at the first mention of Master Moritz and the
bridge, Ebbo turned away his head, groaned, and begged to hear no
more of either.
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