Once when Vlad went to an Oracle, he was told that one day his left hand would try to kill him. Vlad took this to be a reference to the Left Hand of the Jhereg, but what if this is true in a more literal sense? It might explain how Vlad really lost the pinky on his left hand. Perhaps he cut it off himself to save his own life? Of course, this may simply be a reference to the events of Dzur. While not directly stated, it is heavily implied by events in Jhegaala that Vlad's finger was lost while being held and tortured by members of the Merchants' Guild in the town of Burz.