All I wanted to do was lie in the dry grass with my feet in a ditch forever. I could be a convenient sort of milemarker, I thought. Get to the thief and you know you're halfway to Methana.

Dying would have been so much easier.

Just asleep," Eddis reassured her. At the sound of her voice Eugenides's head turned slightly, but he didn't wake. Attolia, seeing the movement, breathed again and pressed her hand to her chest where it hurt.

I am a master of foolhardy plans, I thought. I have so much practice I consider them professional risks.

But there are other words for privacy and independence. They are isolation and loneliness.

His forehead was covered by wrinkles brought on by a lot of sun and too much frowning.

We are taught to treat a practice sword with all the respect of a real weapon, so no thoughtless mistakes are made" "Oh... In Eddis, we learn to keep tack of the weapon we have in our hand.