“The shield wall reeks of shit, and all a man wants is to be home, to be anywhere but on this field that prepares for battle, but none of us will turn and run or else we will be despised for ever. We pretend we want to be there, and when the wall at last advances, step by step, and the heart is thumping fast as a bird’s wing beating, the world seems unreal.” WorldHeartHomeWallBattleBirdManUnrealDespisedRunPretendShitFieldTurnEverShieldWingPreparesReeks Book:The Flame Bearer Source: The Flame Bearer
“You will not say how you are haunted by the faces of the men you killed, how in their last gasp of life they sought your pity and you had none. You will not speak of the boys who died screaming for their mothers while you twisted a blade in their guts and snarled your scorn into their ears. You will not confess that you wake in the night, covered in sweat, heart hammering, shrinking from the memories. You will not talk of that, because that is the horror, and the horror is held in the heart’s hoard, a secret, and to admit it is to admit fear, and we are warriors. We do not fear. We strut. We go to battle like heroes. We stink of shit.” FearSecretHorrorBattleHeroesWarriorsShit Book:The Flame Bearer Source: The Flame Bearer
“I forget your name," I said. "Most people spew shit from their arse," he retorted, "you manage it with your mouth." "Your mother gave birth through her arse," I said, "and you still reek of her shit.” MotherBirthNameShitArseReekMourth Book:The Flame Bearer Source: The Flame Bearer
“He has a mouth, lord," Gerbruht said. "I envy him," I said. "Envy him, lord?" "Most of us have to lower our trews to shit.” LordEnvyMouthShitLowerTrews Book:The Flame Bearer Source: The Flame Bearer
