Book 2 Preface:

    I still remember when I was sent off to fight in the Elde Island wars.
    It's odd. I can't remember my first engagement; I do know that my unit was 
soundly defeated in its first battle, but I can't remember any of it, and I 
can't remember how I survived. I attribute my survival to Barlen, who I do 
recall praying to rather fervently.
    Or it could have been my grandfather. He'd taught me how to use a sword when 
he educated me, after all. And when I told him I was marching off to war, he 
gave me some invaluable advice as he recalled his own stint in the military.
    There were, of course, the expected things. "You will be marching a great 
deal; protect your feet." "Bring a spare cloak in case the weather turns sour." 
Then there was the stuff I hadn't expected, but which made perfect sense. "Do 
your share of latrine duty, but not more than your share. You will probably not 
need to be reminded of that." Then there were some rather dire bits. "Put on a 
brave face for your messmates. They must think that you will support them in 
battle, or they will turn on you." The one that really sunk it in, though, that 
made me realize what a mess I was in, was, "Trust your commanding officers, even 
though they are not trustworthy. It is worse if you don't."
    With this in mind, I slowly absorbed the revelation that these people whose 
history I had chosen to follow had been involved in one of the largest wars in 
the last Cycle. And I worried for them, for despite the fact that I was 
collecting information about them a full millennia later, I did not, at that 
point, have any assurance that they survived.