[*]
His eyes, like polished lacquer, flickered with firelight, deep and grim.
The young man's eyes were usually exceedingly clear, but now they seemed veiled in a black mist.
After a long moment, he said in a low voice, "So it's a dead end."
A silence fell, leaving only the CRACKLE and POP of the fire.
"Little General," Amy clapped her hands lightly and grinned at him. "Weren't you just talking about dedicating yourself to the country and vowing to die for it? Why so scared now?"
"If I had been born in a time of chaos, with no family to speak of, my death would mean nothing. But now, with our home and country in peril, even if I have the heart to repay it with my life, I fear it won't be enough to save a collapsing dynasty."
