But life, if nothing else, had taught her promises weren't always to be counted on, and what appeared at first a shining chance might end in bitter disappointment.

Men who watch, and say little, very often are much wiser than the men they serve.

Ye'll never best your fears until ye face them

I believe there are no random meetings in our lives – that everyone we touch, who touches us, has been put in our path for a reason. The briefest encounter can open a door, or heal a wound, or close a circle that was started long before your birth.

Tis action moves the world....[in] the game of chess, mind that: ye cannot leave your men to stand unmoving on the board and hope to win. A soldier must first step upon the battlefield if does mean to cross it.

Knowing that the battle will not end the way he wishes does not make it any less worthwhile the fight.

The world becomes a wider place, with but a little learning.