Men broke into their homes, killed their families, threatened you–and you won’t let them do anything for fear you’ll be hurt. That’s selfish. How would you like it if I took your bow and said...

Daja doesn’t exactly need to be tested on whether she’s honorable or not.” “Doesn’t she? Don’t all of you? This is your first taste of the things which may come from your being powerful mages....

Seniors get to do all the jolly things,” Owen complained as they walked to archery practice that first day.Neal glared at the chubby second-year with all the royal disdain of a vexed lion. He was...

WE do try to eat,” Raoul called back to her [Kel]. I go all faint if I don’t get fed regularly. Only think of the disgrace to the King’s Own if I fell from the...

Daja: “He and Rosethorn work together? They hate each other.” Lark: “I didn’t say they liked it.- Daja and Lark referring to Rosethorn and Crane’s cooperation on finding the cures for new diseases

I said I fell down. Ah. The ground bloodied your nose, split yer lip, and punched ye in th’ eye, all at once.I said I don’t want to talk about it.

As long as there’s life, there’s hope.

I was stark raving mad, and my family was too polite to mention it. That’s what living with the Yamanis does to people. They get so well-mannered they won’t mention you’re crazy.

You must tell Lady Alanna that sometime. I’d do it from a distance.

I’m not so fond of people myself, Evvy, but I took my vows for a reason. There are two classes of people in the world, the destroyers and the builders. I want to build, not...

Waves are the voices of tides. Tides are life,” murmured Niko. “They bring new food for shore creatures, and take ships out to sea. They are the ocean’s pulse, and our own heartbeat.

I knew it!” he cried, jubilant. “I thought ’twas you, but there’s more of you now. You should’ve seenthe likes of her, boys,” he said, turning towards the other convicts as he pointed at Kel....

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, my lord. You are an evil man.

Ah,” Gary said dreamily. ” ‘Free time.’ I’ve heard about that. Don’t fool yourself, Fire-Top. What with extra hours of lessons for punishments, and the extra work you get every day, free time is an...

I would apologize for my rudeness, if I had any manners. Happily, I don’t.

Not one word,” Kel warned. “Tobe and I have reached an understanding.” Neal’s lips twitched. “Why do I feel you did most of the understanding.

Face it,” Gary told her kindly. “You’ll never catch up. You just do as much as you can and take the punishments without saying anything. Sometimes I wonder if that isn’t what they’re really trying...

Does your ma know you’re this silly?” she demanded tartly.He nodded, comically sad. “The few gray hairs she has on her head are my doing. But” — with an exaggerated change of mood — “I...

People are jackals, always willing to feed off someone else’s kill.

Gran, for the gods’ love, it’s talk like yours that starts riots!” I said keeping my voice down. “Will you just put a stopper in it?”She looked at me and sighed. “Girl, do you ever...

You know something? There are sandstorms that strip man and horse and bury them — I’ve seen them. I saw bones piled higher than my head for the folly of a bad king and those...

Auugghh!” he yelled, his voice stronger than it had been since his return from the harbor. “Are you trying to kill me, woman?””If I mean to kill someone, I do it,” Rosethorn told him. “I...

Sadly for my wedding plans, I learned that Nestor is a bardash. I envy the men who enjoy his favors. He has always treated me with friendship which I now value more than my old...

Corus lay on the southern bank of the Oloron River, towers glinting in the sun. The homes of wealthy men lined the river to the north; tanners, smiths, wainwrights, carpenters, and the poor clustered on...

Why does this mean so much to you, Jon?”The Prince turned. “Because he’s my friend. Because I always know where he stands, and where I stand with him. Because I think he’d die for me...

Just because I’m no jaw clacker doesn’t mean there should be a ruction put up whenever I have sommat to say.

You’re more trouble than you’re worth.” “I’m a girl. That’s my job.

I well knew the rules to follow with our training Dogs: Speak when you’re spoken to. Keep out of the way. Obey all orders. Get killed on your own time.

It’s always better to attack than to defend,” Coram had told her when they talked about fencing late at night. “Always. Ye don’t win with defense–ye only hold the other feller off, or wear him...

Thus went my first Court Day.I think i’m going to puke.

Alanna: All I know is that I’m to jump when I’m told and I have no free time.

Pounce had it easier than any of us. No one noticed a black cat in the street. He stopped here and there to sniff aught of interest. Wherever our Rat stopped, Pounce was there, close...

‘And satisfaction brought it back.

George looked at her for a long moment. Finally he replied, “And why do you find it so hard to think someone might like you and want to do things for you?

Sarra looked at her daughter and said reproachfully, “Speaking of war, I never raised you to be always fighting and killing. That’s not woman’s work.””It’s needful, Ma. You taught me a woman has to know...

Don’t die on me,” she whispered when the clock struck midnight and he still had not moved. “It’s only a little shoulder wound. Goddess, George-don’t die on me.”His eyes flickered open and he smiled. “I...

There is power and there is power, my dear. My power can be vast, in the right places.

If you have to hit–hit low.

Oh, Daja,” moaned Jory, “you sound just like my parents.” She ran from the schoolroom.”Well, there’s no reason to insult me, “muttered Daja, half offended.

That night, the Raka conspirators had plenty of news to report, particularly Ochobu. Aly had not known that the mages of the Chain had been laboring to eliminate any mages who had worked magic on...

Without patience, magic would be undiscovered – in rushing everything, we would never hear its whisper inside.

Cats aren’t special advisers. They advise us all the time, whether we want them to or no.

I don’t have so many friends that I can afford to turn my back on any of them.

Moral issues rarely have yes or no answers.-Myles to Alanna when she asks about the Gift

Mistresses, have you ever noticed that when we disagree with a male- I hesitate to say ‘man’- or find ourselves in a position over males, the first comment they make is always about our reputations...

Money talks and walks, but it does not bark.

Ralon didn’t make anyone else put his tack away?” Alex wanted to know. “You didn’t see anything strange?” Alanna didn’t look up. “No.” It wasn’t strange , she excused her lie mentally. Ralon does things...

He was stupid. If I killed everyone who was stupid, I wouldn’t have time to sleep.

Alanna didn’t approve of lying, but in a pinch a lie was sometimes better than the truth.

If you look hard and long, you can find us. If you listen hard and long, you can hear any of us, call any of us that you wish.