‘For what it is worth, my friend, I think it is better to be unsure. It seems to me that most of the problems of this world have been caused by men who were too sure; men who always knew what was right. ‘
– Ekodas, to Vishna, Waylander II: In the Realm of the Wolf
‘Listen to me! Five years ago we hit rocks on the Penelope. Her hull was breached and she was shipping water. She rolled on the Great Green like a hog in a swamp. Her speed was gone and she almost sank. We kept her afloat and made it to port. Then she was repaired. I didn’t judge her as a bad ship. She was damaged in a storm. I judge her by how she sails when her hull is sound. You are like that ship. Your heart was breached when your mother died. And from the heart comes courage.‘
– Odysseus, to Helikaon, Lord of the Silver Bow
‘All lives end. A man can hide in a cave all his days, avoiding war, avoiding pestilence, and still he will one day die. Better the bright flame, the great joy.‘
– Revelation, to Cormac, Last Sword of Power
‘Fame is fleeting, but love and hate are eternal. I may be but a small leaf in the wind of history, but I will stand against evil wherever I find it, no matter the cost.‘
– Kysumu, to Waylander, Hero in the Shadows
‘Look around you, at the hills and the trees. See the way the sunlight dapples the oaks. Feel the breeze upon your face. This is life. Last night is but a memory now. Tomorrow is yet to be born. Life is now! This very moment.‘
– Bane, to Banouin, Midnight Falcon
‘Know this, to fail is not so terrible. The real act of cowardice is never to try.‘
– Maedhlyn, to Cormac, Last Sword of Power
‘Fear is an aid to the warrior. It is like a small fire burning. It heats the muscles, making us stronger. Panic comes when the fire is out of control, consuming all courage and pride.‘
– Andromache, to Kassandra, Lord of the Silver Bow
‘Everything ends. In a curious way it is what makes life so beautiful. I knew an artist once, who could craft flowers from glass – fabulous items. But one night, as we were drinking in a small tavern, he told me he had never once fashioned anything with the beauty of a genuine rose. And he knew he never would. For the secret of its beauty is that it must die.‘
– Angel, to Miriel, Waylander II: In the Realm of the Wolf
‘I thought that anyone who smiled at me was a friend. Anyone who offered me food was a friend. The word had little real meaning. But true friendship is rarer than a white raven, and more valuable than a mountain of gold. And once you find it you realize there is no way to grade it. ‘
– Kebra, to Conalin, Winter Warriors
‘By nature of definition only the coward is capable of the highest heroism.’
– The Prophet (as quoted by Serbitar), to Sieben, The First Chronicles of Druss the Legend
