The Eye of the World (The Wheel of Time, #1)

by Robert Jordan

There must be a difference in what you saw, it seemed to him, depending on whether you sought adventure or had it forced on you.

“The axe does violence to the tree, and escapes unharmed. Is that how you see it? Wood is soft compared to steel, but the sharp steel is dulled as it chops, and the sap of the tree will rust and pit it. The mighty axe does violence to the helpless tree, and is harmed by it. So it is with men, though the harm is in the spirit.”

Take life as it comes. Run when you have to, fight when you must, rest when you can.”