“And so, as he became a man, he began to search for a name of his own. Eventually his quest took him far from the shores where he was born...he began to fight in the name of another man. Some might say that the boy's quest had failed. For he would forever be nameless in his own land. A pale girl he had once loved would think of him sometimes, on a bright spring day in her cold stone castle. But she would never speak his name. A family in a small, dark cottage would mourn their lost son when the war ended and he did not come home. But none of them would ever know how his end came, and as years passed they would wonder out loud about his fate less and less until they stopped altogether. And when they were gone, too, his name would never be spoken again in the land of his birth. No mothers would tell their sons and daughters his story as they held their children on their knees in front of the fireplace. No singers would compose odes to his deeds. And the queen of the kingdom across the sea would never know that a boy from her island met his end alone in the dark, fighting another ruler's war. But not so in the desert. In the desert, the boy would never be nameless again.” SadThe Sam Sort Of Humor Book:Hero at the Fall Source: Hero at the Fall
“I could barely breathe through the agony, but I heard Rahim call out, "Is everyone still alive?" ... "Yeah, call out if you're dead," Sam added. And Shazad laughed. Then I was laughing, too. And I couldn't stop. Because it was ridiculous and impossible, what we had just done. But I had managed it. And we were all still alive.” AmaniShazadThe Sam Sort Of Humor Book:Hero at the Fall Source: Hero at the Fall
“How did you find me?" "Sam sold you out," "Should I be flattered he tore his eyes off Shazad long enough to notice anyone else?” AmaniShazadThe Sam Sort Of Humor Book:Hero at the Fall Source: Hero at the Fall
“So how does a woman know how to fight man to man?" another boy sniggered, loud enough so that he was heard. Shazad's eyebrows went up. I stepped back. ... "I'll tell you what," Shazad turned toward him. "Why don't you come and face me? Anyone who can land a blow can take over this training." A small audience was gathering by now. Everyone who'd ever seen Shazad fight knew exactly where this was going. The rebels were elbowing one another slyly as the boy stepped forward, looking all too confident. ... "Doesn't seem like a fair fight to me," the boy said, too lightly. The boy was at least twice Shazad's weight, broad where she was slim--slimmer still, after her time in Eremot. ... "It's not even close to a fair fight," Jin commented from the sidelines. We'd all formed a circle now, watching. ... "Oh, my friend," Sam clapped the boy on his back. "I'm sorry for your loss." "My loss?" The young idiot said. "Of your dignity." He gave him a rueful smile before stepping back to stand next to me.” ShazadThe Sam Sort Of Humor Book:Hero at the Fall Source: Hero at the Fall
“Shazad embraced me last. "Bring each other home safe," she said finally, before letting me go and looking at Sam. His mouth pulled up at the side, and I recognized the prelude to a joke--some gallows humor before we all headed off to try our hardest to stay alive to see another dawn like the one rising behind us now. But before he could say anything, Shazad grabbed the front of his shirt and yanked him toward her abruptly, kissing him squarely on the mouth. And suddenly everyone else was looking at their feet. Or at the sky. Or just about anything that wasn't Sam and Shazad. That was one way to shut him up. Finally the two of them broke apart. "Well," Sam said, looking flushed and unbearably pleased with himself as he riffled his hands through his hair. "That's one hell of a motivation to come back alive.” LoveShazadThe Sam Sort Of Humor Book:Hero at the Fall Source: Hero at the Fall
“Shazad--" I heard myself say. Shazad had told us to bring each other back. Not for him to save me. For us to save each other. Sam's mouth pulled up a little on the side. "Didn't I tell you?" He forced a broad smile. "All the greatest love stories end like this.” LoveShazadThe Sam Sort Of Humor Book:Hero at the Fall Source: Hero at the Fall