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.

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

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...

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?

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.

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.

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...

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...

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

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.

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.

I forgot my purse of laughter when I dressed this mornin’,” she told me. “Have you not bought anythin’ the last few days? Prices have gone up. Pay or starve, it’s all one to me.

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

It’s harder to heal than it is to kill.

What trouble have you brought to my doorstep, Beka” she asked.”I don’t see where blaming me for things that began months ago will be useful,” I replied.

The bravest person I know is afraid of the dark. She sleeps with a night lamp always, but if her friends are threatened? She suddenly thinks she’s a bear twelve feet tall and attacks whoever...

He’s got courage,” Alex said.”Courage!” Raoul bellowed. “That coward almost kills him and–

Well, laddie, if you’ve let an old buzzard like me hurt you confidence, you couldn’t have had much in the first place.

She’s all over us like maggots on garbage, just because I interfered with one pickpocket yesterday.

Every now and then I like to do as I’m told, just to confuse people.

Ishabal: “If you may correct your vision as you like, why do you wear spectacles?” Tris: “Because I like them. Because I have better things to do with my magic than fixing my vision when...

We’re on a hunt, Cooper. When you’re on a hunt, you do whatever it takes.

You didn’t kill him. He would have killed you, but you didn’t kill him.””So? He was stupid. If I killed everyone who was stupid, I wouldn’t have time to sleep.

Feelings, she learned, were hard to fight. She treasured his smiles and compliments and tried not to dwell on the fact that he gave this things to his friend Kel.His dreamy-eyed gazes, poems, and fits...

I told Ersken, “Lately it’s been like living on the knife’s edge, never knowing which side I’ll fall off on”Ersken clapped me on the shoulder as we stepped into the street. “Cheer up, Beka. Maybe...

Tris: “I was reading.” Sandry: “You’re always reading. The only way people can ever talk to you is to interrupt.” Tris: “Then maybe they shouldn’t talk to me.

Stefan shook his head. Th’ lad’s got guts , he thought. Not much sense, but guts.

Alan, you seem to think we won’t like you unless you do things just like everyone else. Have you ever thought we might like you because you’re different?

This may be my only chance to see humans before these two are made into fertilizer for Moonwind’s rosebushes.

Someday I must read this scholar Everyone. He seems to have written so much–all of it wrong.

Briar: “They never tell you some things. They tell you mages have wonderful power and they learn all kinds of secrets. Nobody ever mentions that some secrets you don’t ever want to learn.” Rosethorn: “All...

Never break a promise to an animal. They’re like babies—they won’t understand.

Curse him for being all tight muscle, with ivory skin and a mouth as soft as rose petals. Curse him for having hair as fair as the sun, and eyes as black as night. Curse...

Scummer, pox and wound rot!” roared Tunstall, slamming his fist down on the bed. “Gods cursed the pig-tarsed mammering craven currish beef-witted bum-licking gut-griping louts that did this to me! May every flea, leech and...

Stefan spat. “Oh, aye, he fell. O’ course, Master Ralon helped him fall, several times. Poor li’l tyke didn’t have a chance.

If I have to ‘catch’ a man to get a husband, I don’t want one.

Funfunfunfunfun!

I wish you would thrash him. He deserves it.”She looked back at him. “I will one day, sir. I’m getting tired of falling down.

I bet his mother was a wyvern. -Scamp

You look as scary as a buttered muffin.

The first thing every mage should learn is that magic makes fools of us. Now you may call yourself a mage. You have learned the most important lesson.

Lark: “You shouldn’t yell at her.” Frostpine: “Of course I should. Gods bless us all, Lark, but our Water dedicates would try the patience of a stone.” — Dedicates Lark and Frostpine when the latter...