Quotes from John Flanagan

Aye! Claiming to be able to keep Mountshannon safe. Funny how religious folks like that say their god will protect them—right up until someone hits them with a club." "Still

Once, she came face-to-face with a heavyset man wearing a hooded short cloak. They came level with each other under one of the infrequent lanterns and she could make out only the lower half of his face. The upper half was shaded by the hood. She had an impression of a dark, full beard. In the shadow of his hood, his eyes were unblinking, staring at her.

True courage, she believed, consisted of facing up to one's fears and defeating them.

Just time for a mug of coffee in the meanwhile." Crowley was already beginning to work on a third arrow. "Good idea," he said. Then he frowned as a thought struck him. "Have you noticed that Leander puts milk in his coffee?" Halt grunted. "The man's a savage." Crowley raised an eyebrow. "This from the man who laces his coffee with honey?" "Honey is natural," Halt told him. "Milk is little short of an abomination.

As the old saying went, Most people practice till they get it right. Rangers practice till they never get it wrong.

Jesper was prowling the corridors, examining the locks on the many doors with a professional interest that Hal found disconcerting. He came upon the former thief crouching by a heavy lock that secured a door on the second floor. The lock was far more formidable than the relatively simple ones on the bedroom doors. "Just

I don't plan to miss," she said. Will shrugged. "Nobody ever does.

Stig here could probably eat a ship if he was hungry enough," Thorn said, straight-faced. Stig looked sidelong at him. He was used to the old sea wolf's teasing. "I'd need a lot of salt," he said.

battle tactics—although the latter were relatively simple in the Skandian world, usually consisting of a headlong charge in response to the command, "Let's get 'em!

Just as well. I probably get seasick on boats. "You've never been on one." That's because I probably get seasick. She went to reply, then realized that she had no answer to this twisted logic, so she let him have the last word. Again.

Horace glanced uncertainly at Halt. But the Ranger was already reaching up to push the cowl back from his face. As he did so, Horace glanced at the King once more. He was frowning. Something was familiar about the roughly dressed figure before him, but he couldn't quite . . . "Hello, brother," Halt said quietly.

So, you'll be heading back to Castle Araluen tomorrow?" Halt asked. Gilan regarded him, head cocked to one side. "That's what it says here," he said, tapping the dispatch. "But how could you have known that?" Halt smiled. "Just a lucky guess," he said.

I'd enjoy smacking him in the chops.

Halt nodded at him gratefully. "Exactly. We need to elelct a leader - and give him the power to make decisions and the authority to have those decisions obeyed and carried through. Otherwise we're like a band of headless chickens." "But dangerous chickens nonetheless," Leander said with a faint smile.

Halt nodded at him gratefully. "Exactly. We need to elect a leader - and give him the power to make decisions and the authority to have those decisions obeyed and carried through. Otherwise we're like a band of headless chickens." "But dangerous chickens nonetheless," Leander said with a faint smile.

They would work from dawn till dusk, studying and practicing weapons craft and battle tactics—although the latter were relatively simple in the Skandian world, usually consisting of a headlong charge in response to the command, "Let's get 'em!

You believed this river pebble was a star stone, so it became one.

Ooooh! Die was raak! Ik heb de roos geraakt,' gilde ze op een toon waarvan zij dacht dat die op meisjesachtige opwinding leek. Ze liet de boog vallen en klapte in haar handen. Arnaut rolde met zijn ogen. 'Aanstelster,' zei hij zachtjes.

My name is Gilan. The King wants to see you.

Halt rolled his eyes. "Yes, there's a problem! You sound as if you swallowed a dictionary and then threw it up!

Thorn!" he said, distracted by the other man's rifling through his belongings. "Are you looking for something in particular, or just planning on robbing me blind?" "You had three or four Gallican shields," Thorn replied. "Thought you might contribute one to the boy. They've issued him the wheel off an oxcart.

Although it does help if your intelligence force is also intelligent.

Gilan threw back his head and laughed. 'A mistake? One mistake? You should be so lucky. You'll make dozens! I made four or five on my first day! Of course you'll make mistakes. Just don't make any of them twice. If you do mess things up, don't try to hide it. Don't try to rationalise it. Recognise it and admit it and learn from it. We never stop learning, none of us. Not even Halt,' he added, seriously.

Uh... is dat een bonte havik?' vroeg Will... 'Nee, dat is geen bonte havik,' zei Halt nors, zonder zelfs even de moeite te nemen te kijken waar Will naar wees. 'En als het er toch een is kan hij de pot op.