Murtagh (The Inheritance Cycle #5)

by Christopher Paolini

The shoals were so large and dense you could nearly walk on them, and Murtagh had heard that, during their height, the fish would throw themselves onto the decks of the boats, driven to insanity by the intensity of their spawning urge. There was a lesson in that, he felt.

Besides, understanding what was and what one should do were two very different things. He had seen that with Galbatorix. The king had known more than most—more even than some of the oldest elves or dragons—but in the end, his knowledge had brought with it no wisdom.

“Because a scar means you survived. It means you’re tough and hard to kill. It means you lived. A scar is something to admire.”

Love this.

“But sometimes, if you work very hard, you can mend a break so that it’s stronger than before.”

If you didn’t take care of the little tasks, how could you be trusted to take care of the important responsibilities in life?