When you thought about it, you realized that you were living in a world that might fall to pieces at any moment; but Aquila seldom thought about it much. He had lived in that world all his life, and so had at least three generations of his kind before him, and it hadn’t fallen to pieces yet, and it didn’t seem likely that it would do so on this rich, ripening day with the powdery whiteness of July lying over the countryside.
-- Narrator (Chapter 1 paragraph Page 3)

Importance: This quote provides the premise for the story. This region of Britain had been at war for generations. Aquila is returning home after a year on the battlefield. He has known nothing but war his entire life.

Everything in him felt bruised and bleeding. He had been bred a soldier, coming of a line of soldiers, and he was breaking faith with all the gods of...
-- Narrator (Chapter 1 paragraph Page 17)