Title: I Hold With Those Who Favor Fire
Fandom: Honor Harrington
Rating: PG
Length: ~200 words
Content notes: None Applicable
Author notes: The poem "Fire and Ice" is quoted in it's entirety in the ficlet, and is attributed to Robert Frost.
Summary: "Fire and Ice"



There was a single hardback book that sat on the shelf behind her desk in her day cabin. It had been a gift from her Uncle Jacques on her surviving her midshipwoman's cruise, and was an anthology of poetry from pre-diaspora Old Earth. Most of the poems in it had lost their attributions, though some of them had later been rediscovered in the archives of the oldest of Earth's daughter colonies.

One of them had gotten stuck in her head, even before the newsies had bequeathed her with the "Salamander" moniker. The unknown poet had declared "Some say the world will end in fire, some say in ice. From what I’ve tasted of desire, I hold with those who favor fire. But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate, to say that for destruction ice, is also great - and would suffice."

Having tasted both, she agreed with the unknown poet who'd written the poem - having tasted both ice and fire, she far preferred fire; it at least had the dubious virtue of being quick, whereas her near death by ice had been painfully slow.



Mods, could I claim the come-back Kid badge, please?