Howard Brazee wrote: > Lots of life consists of picking your fights. > > Some people claim that smart people pick the fights they can win and > letting the others slide. I'm not sure I agree with that. I've always understood the phrase to mean not to fight the battles you know you can win but the ones that are important to win. Resources are limited, life is short, win the fights that matter to you. That said, how would such a definition apply to the Dragaeran Houses? What is the fight that matters the most? Maybe like so: For Dragons (aside from the literal interpertation of the phrase), it's a matter of what's the gravest insult to one's honor; for Dzur, it's the longest odds; for Hawk, it's whatever makes your curiousity itch the most; for Orca, the biggest profit margin; for Jhereg, what you're most likely to get away with; the Issola, what Teldra called "achieving one's aim with the least amount of uninitional harm"; for the Lyorn, the gravest threat to tradition or one's personal integrity; for the Yendi, what will have the biggest influence on others; for Iorich, the greatest injustice; for the Tekla, what's least likely to hurt you; for Athyra, what you can learn or acquire that no one else has. I'm drawing a blank on the others. Since I was rude enought to butt in with my own two cents, the least I could do is answer the original question. I'll have to go with the Jhereg. Most of them are not about to stick their necks out for something that doesn't guarentee both profit and survival if they can help it. It's amazing what can go through your mind at 2:00 in the morning. :-) Maria