"Does it not seem that fortune is on our side in this?" Oliver said. "Any later, and our victory would have carried much less weight."
"Consider only what is in front of you, Oliver Patrick. This information, from the time of flight of the first bird, until now, is four days old. Tomorrow, it will be five days old, and then by the time we arrive, it shall be six days old," Hod said. "Nothing changes as much as the potential future, nothing. So reserve your excitement for that which is in front of you. Grow not giddy. See no potential future as more exciting than the rest. Give them all equal weight, and prepare yourself properly for what you might face."
It was a harsh tutelage, of the sort that a much older man might deliver. It wasn't Hod's usual strict logic, nor was it that flourish of idealism that he wielded at times to fill in the gap. This was more wisdom, more of the style that Tavar might have spoken in.
