[*]
His eyes, like black lacquer, flickered with firelight, deep and grim.
The young man's eyes were usually crystal clear, but now they seemed veiled by a black fog.
After a long moment, he said softly, "So it was a dead end."
A heavy silence fell, broken only by the crackle and pop of sparks from the fire.
"Little General," Amy clapped her hands lightly and grinned at him. "Weren't you the one who swore to serve the country with your life and die in its defense? Why do you sound so afraid now?"
"If I had been born in a chaotic era, with no one but myself to worry about, my death would mean nothing. But now, with my family and my country in peril, even if I'm willing to give my life, I fear it won't be enough to save a collapsing dynasty."
