‘What do you want me to say? That you are not the perfect man? Ha! As if that beast ever existed.‘
– Eriatha, to Connovar, Sword in the Storm
‘A man with his eyes on the sky does not see the scorpion below his feet. A man with his eyes on the ground does not see the dragon in the air.‘
– Joachim Sathuli, to himself, Legend
‘That is the nature of evil. It breeds. It is born in every hateful thought, every spiteful word, every greedy deed. The crowd hated her, and in hating her they drew just a touch of evil into themselves. In some it will fade away. In others it will find a place to seed.‘
– Keeva’s Uncle, to Keeva Taliana, Hero in the Shadows
‘There is Darkness in every soul, and Light also. For you the Light was – ultimately – stronger. Be proud.‘
– Derae, to Leucion, Lion of Macedon
‘You listen to me. There will always be men who select their friends for reasons of advancement, either socially, militarily or politically. They will tell you to avoid a certain man’s company because he is out of favour, or his family is poor. Or, indeed, because his life is lived in a manner some people find unbecoming. As a soldier I judge my men by what they can do. By how much guts they have. When it comes to friends all that matters is whether I like them.‘
– Decado, to Skilgannon, White Wolf
‘You expect too much of yourself, my friend. I have some bad news for you: you are not perfect. Now get some rest.‘
– Bernios, to Parmenion, Lion of Macedon
‘There is no courage without fear. A man who rushes into battle fearlessly is not a hero. He is merely a strong man with a big sword. An act of courage requires the overcoming of fear.‘
– Odysseus, to Helikaon, Lord of the Silver Bow
‘He is a strange man, but he is my friend. Your generation often mistake the word, taking it to mean a drinking companion or a work colleague. It is more than that. It is like finding a brother or sister you never knew existed. It is a kind of love. ‘
– Ethel Hurst, to Jeremy Miller, Rhyming Rings
‘We none of us live for ever. Better by far, then, to live well.‘
– Druss, to Rabalyn, White Wolf
‘All will fade one day, but until that day I will retain an interest in things of this world – things that I do not understand, but which I sense have a bearing on what we have become.‘
– Jon Shannow, to Batik, Wolf In Shadow