How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
He came back from the war, and it was the returning that would lay to rest the beast that ate him from the inside, he was sure of it. For a time it did, too. The quiet, the peace, the routine. (5.59)
Eventually though, Cam is still eaten alive by his "beast" inside. All of the everyday stuff gets to him and just makes him agitated more than anything else. He doesn't need tradition to feel alive—he needs adventure.
Quote #5
"I… I have an odd ritual, that I have recently come into." Every morning, before sunrise, he went to the guard tower, to watch the man that everyone called Gyaar's Downlander (never, though, to Gyaar's face) watch the keep. "Day after day, the same pattern." (12.8)
Gyaar tells his dad about his own morning routine, even though he knows his dad won't approve. The book shows us that not all customs are appreciated when you've got duties to fulfill.
Quote #6
Even with the Uplanders coming, work could not be suspended. Autumn was the time of gathering: The fruit was picked and stored, or preserved; the root vegetables harvested. Down in Merrydance field, the mulberries were shedding their leaves. (13.47)
All work and no play—that's how life is for the farming folk in Downland, even when something exciting is happening. But this isn't just because they're gluttons for punishment—they actually need to harvest their crops in order to eat and make a living.