‘But for all people, life is like a river. One man steps into it and finds it is cool and sweet and gentle. Another enters and finds it shallow and cold and unwelcoming. Still another finds it a rushing torrent that bears him on to many perils; this last man cannot easily change his course.‘
– Jon Shannow, to Beth McAdam, The Last Guardian
‘We none of us live for ever. Better by far, then, to live well.‘
– Druss, to Rabalyn, White Wolf
‘A wise man once told me to plan as if you were going to live for ever, but to live as if this were your last day on earth. Let us do that, lady. Let us treat tonight as if it were the last.‘
– Parmenion, to Derae, Lion of Macedon
‘You have a fine, mind, but do not complain of life’s unfairness. It is never fair – at best it is impartial.‘
– Parmenion, to Theoparlis, Lion of Macedon
‘Ultimately no-one survivies. That is the way of life. We are born, we live, we die. All that counts is the manner in which we live. And even that does not count for long. History will forget us. It forgets all men eventually. You want certainty? That is certainty.‘
– Nogusta, to Dagorian, Winter Warriors
‘We all die. You… me… The measure of us all is established by how we live.‘
– Vintar, to Rowena, The First Chronicles of Druss the Legend
‘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
‘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
‘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
‘Not one of the creatures of blood can escape death. We all face it, and succumb to it. It follows us like a dark shadow. Yet if we live in terror of it, then we do not live at all. Yes, we are born alone, and yes we will die alone. But in between, we live. We know joy.‘
– Connavar, to Tae, Sword In The Storm
