Oliver dipped his head, betraying his sadness. "Nor can I, Lord Idris," Oliver said. "With every day that passes, I am increasingly aware of all that we have lost. Too much wisdom, and too much potential has been cut from the Stormfront in the course of this war. I find myself at a loss as to what to do. I only know that the Stormfront cannot stand to lose further."
"And in thinking so, you rush to defend Lord Blackthorn from his fate," Lord Idris said, his voice hollow, with the same sharpness of reasoning that one usually heard from Hod. "But what will it yield, young Patrick? You aim for this future, you and Hod. You attempt to plan some sort of seed, to see this revolution brought about, without ashes to see it finished. But do you believe it? Do you actually foresee a world in which this is all worth it? As you have said, we have lost far too much. So what do we even fight for? Is further bloodshed even worthwhile?"
