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December 30, 2018 - June 29, 2020
They were best admired from a distance.
Always there will be work, she said, walking over to the desk. The tips of her gleaming claws tapped against the stone. Always there will be those who need something of us, but you have to take care of yourself, little one. You’ve done enough for the day. Put aside your pen and let go of your worries.
“It has to be done, and there isn’t anyone else who can do it but me. If I don’t—”
Enough, she said.
No more for today. You are not yourself at the moment. Go.
“You can’t—” Go!
Go. And don’t come back until you’re in a better mood.
Sometimes it was easier to fight a battle than to figure out how to deal with the more mundane details of life.
So much yet needed doing, and he never had enough time or energy to accomplish even a fraction of his goals.
Too much work. I can’t get ahead of it, and because of that, I can’t bring myself to do anything else. It’s wearing on me.
You must learn to center yourself, said Glaedr. Then these lesser concerns will not bother you. I know….And I know there are many, many things I can’t control. Eragon allowed himself a brief, grim smile. But knowing and doing are two different things.
Umaroth said, What you need is a distraction, that your mind might rest and reset.
If you wish, said Glaedr, we can show you some of what we see. A vision of elsewhere that might provide you with a new perspective.
Worrying about the time is exactly what you need curing of. Does the eagle worry about the length of the day? Does the bear or the deer or the fish in the sea? No. So why should you? Chew what you can and leave the rest for tomorrow.
She still felt as if she was about to cry, which just made her more angry. Crying was for little children. Crying was for weaklings who got pushed around and told what to do. That wasn’t her!
me. years ago :)
“Well then, is it a tale you feel like telling? Perhaps talking about it will make you feel better.”
If you wish to share your tale of woe, then please, consider me your devoted audience.”
“Or, and this is just a suggestion, you could try to fix the problem instead of running away.”
“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.”
“Sometimes,” he said, “you have to stand and fight. Sometimes running away isn’t an option. Now do you understand?”
“Who…who are you, really?” “Just another person looking for answers,” said Tornac.
No more worries for tonight. Leave them for the morning.
The future belongs to those who seize it.
Beware of shadows that walk, human. There are strange forces at work in the world.
Strive for wisdom! Or at least a decrease in idiocy.
“Everyone wants things they can’t have, don’t they? Even you?”
what people think they understand, they think they can control.”
“Yes! A thousand curses on you, for making me want things. Yes.”
They’ve planned for every possible way out of here.” But not, I thought, the impossible ways.
You can’t break something and mend it a moment later with pretty words. Broken things stay broken. Wounds heal into scars, not skin.
Those days were past; now I could confront it without flinching.
Eragon chuckled, despite himself. “Perhaps, but blaming the dead for our mistakes never accomplishes much.”
you have grown wise in your old age.” “Not really. I’m just trying to avoid making the same mistakes as before.” “One could argue that is the definition of wisdom.”
He half smiled. “One could, but just avoiding mistakes isn’t enough to make a person wise.
Just because something was difficult or uncomfortable didn’t mean it wasn’t worth doing.
As the ancient language had taught him, words were power.
The word was simple, but his intent was not, and it was intent that guided the execution of a spell.
It was a failure Ilgra could never correct, and she knew it would haunt her all her years.
Should she die, it would be a glorious death, and the clan would sing her name for generations to come.
The thought of leaving the valley pained her greatly, but doing nothing was a still greater torment.
She wanted to learn, and she was willing to drive herself far beyond the bounds of comfort.
Still, the travel was useful, and she was grateful for the experiences, for they revealed to her the true size of the world. More than that, they strengthened her love and appreciation of home.
“Because there are others in the world who need helping, and to help is a great good and a better use of my life.
but I cannot forget my father, and I cannot abandon my quest.” “Did I say you should forget?…I shall not argue with you on this, Ilgra. Only think well on what you do. You have been a good apprentice of mine. No matter your chosen path, you have my blessing. May the gods grant you good fortune, and may you always be of sharp mind and clear conscience.”
And you have no fear, Ilgra-sister. I wish the same were true for me.” “I do fear,” said Ilgra. “But it does not stop me.”
This is the way of things. Today we feed upon the deer that we may live. In time, our bodies will feed the grass and trees that other deer may live. So it goes.”
but there were still things in life he could not overcome—things that no one could. It was a sobering thought. When Eragon was younger, the knowledge would have bothered him to no end. Now, though, he understood the wisdom of acceptance. Even if it didn’t make him happy, it at least gave him peace, and that was no small gift.
