Kristin Cashore

“... si nos tuvieran que juzgar por nuestros padres y nuestros abuelos, más valdría que todos nos empaláramos en rocas aserradas.”

“Siempre he sabido que no te merezco. Cada gesto de afecto y consideración que has tenido conmigo ha sido un regalo inmerecido.”

“La crueldad es la mejor defensa.”

“Si supiéramos que una persona iba a morir, retendríamos con más intensidad los recuerdos que nos quedan de ella.”

“... ¿he de elegir una vida triste, aislada, para seguir viva? No pienso esconderme en una habitación con las puertas y ventanas cerradas, porque eso no es vivir.”

“¿Te has propuesto dejarme en este mundo para que viva en él sin corazón?”

“I'd thought once, actually, of taking your mind, if you asked. I'd thought I could help you fall asleep at night."He opened his mouth to say something. Shut it again. His face closed for a moment, his unreadable mask falling into place. He spoke softly. "But that wouldn't be fair; for after I slept you'd be left awake, with no one to help you sleep.”

“It made Fire so angry, the thought of such a medicine, a violence done to herself to stop her from creating anything like herself. And what was the purpose of these eyes, this impossible face, the softness and the curves of this body, the strength of this mind; what was the point, if none of the men who desired her were to give her any babies, and all it ever brought her was grief? What was the purpose of a woman monster?”

“Fire sat unbreathing. A life that was an apology for the life of his father: It was a notion she could understand, beyond words and thought. She understood it the way she understood music.”

“Alone in the forest, Katsa sat on a stump and cried. She cried like a person whose heart is broken and wondered how, when two people loved each other, there could be such a broken heart.”

“It was a hurting tune, resigned, a cry of heartache for all in the world that fell apart. As ash rose black against the brilliant sky, Fire's fiddle cried out for the dead, and for the living who stay behind to say goodbye.”

“What are you grinning at?" Katsa demanded for the third or fourth time. "Is the ceiling about to cave in on my head or something? You look like we're both on the verge of an enormous joke.""Katsa, only you would consider the collapse of the ceiling a good joke.”

“It seems better to me for a child to have these skills and never use them, than not have them and one day need them," she said.”

“There will be no yelling at people who are bleeding themselves to unconsciousness.”

“She shivered as he left her to go to the fire, and find water and cloths. He leaned into the light, and brightness and shadows moved across his body. He was beautiful. She admired him, and he flashed a grin at her. Almost as beautiful as you are conceited, she thought at him, and he laughed out loud.”

“You won't even take your bow? Are you planning to throttle a moose with your bare hands, then?""I've a knife in my boot," she said, and then wondered, for a moment, if she could throttle a moose with her bare hands.”

“I have no doubt that you are more than capable of bringing the Monsean queen and my son and the rest of my sons and a hundred Nanderan kittens through an onslaught of howling raiders if you chose to.”

“Great! He has indigestion, so let's torture him with cake.”

“Your brand of comfort bears some similarity to your tactical offense.”

“Still doing your best to ruin the horses, I see.”

“Skye kissed her forehead. "You saved my life."Katsa smiled. "You Lienid are very outward in your affection.""I'm going to name my firstborn child after you."Katsa laughed at that. "For the child's sake, wait for a girl. Or even better, wait until all your children are older and give my name to whichever is the most troublesome and obstinate."Skye burst into laughter and hugged her, and Katsa returned his embrace. And realized that quite without her intending it, her guarded heart had made another friend.”

“In the end, Leck should have stuck to his lies. For it was the truth he almost told that killed him.”

“It hurt her eyes, almost, Ror City; and it didn't surprise her that Po should come from a place that shone.”

“Katsa sat in the darkness of the Sunderan forest and understood three truths. She loved Po. She wanted Po. And she could never be anyone's but her own.”

“I know you don't want this, Katsa. But I can't help myself. The moment you came barreling into my life I was lost. I'm afraid to tell you what I wish for, for fear you'll... oh, I don't know, throw me into the fire. Or more likely, refuse me. Or worst of all, despise me," he said, his voice breaking and his eyes dropping from her face. His face dropping into his hands. "I love you," he said. "You're more dear to my heart than I ever knew anyone could be. And I've made you cry; and there I'll stop.”

“He considered her seriously. "Well. And that's easy," he said. "My Grace will protect me from him, And I'll protect you. You'll be safe with me, Katsa.”

“She knew he was angry, but she couldn't stop laughing. "Forgive me, Po. I was only trying to get your attention.""And I suppose it never occurs to you to start small. If I told you my roof needed rebuilding, you'd start by knocking down the house.”

“She looked at him then, but his image blurred behind tears that swelled into her eyes. She must leave. She must leave this room, because she wanted to hit him, as she had sworn she never would do. She wanted to cause him pain for taking a place in her heart that she wouldn't have given him if she'd known the truth. "You lied to me," she said.She turned and ran from the room.”

“I wouldn't marry Giddon to save my life," Katsa said. "Not even to save yours.""Well." Raffin's eyes were full of laughter. "I'd leave that part out.”

“What she really loved was to hang over the edge and watch the bow of the ship slice through the waves. She loved it especially when the waves were high and the ship rose and fell, or when it was snowing and the flakes stung her face.”