[*]
His eyes, like black lacquer, flickered with firelight—deep and grim.
The young man's eyes were usually so clear, but now they seemed shrouded 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 embers.
"Little General," Amy clapped her hands lightly and grinned at him. "Weren't you just talking about serving the nation with utmost loyalty, swearing to die for your country? Why the sudden fear?"
"If I had been born in a time of chaos, with no family to speak of, then my death would mean nothing. But now, with my family and country in peril, even if I am willing to die in service, I fear it won't be enough to save a great house from collapsing."
