139 Quotes & Sayings By Kristin Cashore

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. Kristin Cashore

It's not reasonable to love people who are only going to die, " she said. Nash thought about that for a moment, stroking Small's neck with great deliberation, as if the fate of the Dells depended on that smooth, careful movement." I have two responses to that, " He said at last. "First, everyone is going to die. Second, love is stupid. It has nothing to do with reason. You love whomever you love. Against all reason I loved my father." He looked at her keenly. "Did you love yours?"" Yes, " she whispered. He stroked Small's nose. "I love you, " he said, "even knowing you'll never have me. And I love my brother, more than I ever realized before you came along. You can't help whom you love, Lady. Nor can you know what it's liable to cause you to do. . Kristin Cashore

Brigan was saying her name, and he was sending her a feeling. It was courage and strength, and something else too, as if he were standing with her, as if he'd taken her within himself, letting her rest her entire body for a moment on his backbone, her mind in his mind, her heart in the fire of his. The fire of Brigan's heart was astounding. Fire understood, and almost could not believe, that the feeling he was sending her was love. . Kristin Cashore

Through an arrow loop in the wall she saw a familiar horse and rider tearing across the camp toward the healing rooms. Brigan pulled up at Nash's feet and dropped from the saddle. The two brothers threw their arms around each other and embraced hard. Shortly thereafter he stepped into the healing rooms and leaned in the doorway, looking across at her quietly. Brocker's son with the gentle gray eyes. She abandoned all pretense of decorum and ran at him. Kristin Cashore

I'm not going to wear a red dress, " she said." It would look stunning, My Lady, " she called. She spoke to the bubbles gathered on the surface of the water. "If there's anyone I wish to stun at dinner, I'll hit him in the face. Kristin Cashore

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. Kristin Cashore

Perhaps I can stay by the fire and mend your socks and scream if I hear any strange noises. Kristin Cashore

Well then, " Roen said briskly, "are you sleeping?"" Yes."" Come now. A mother can tell when her son lies. Are you eating?"" No, " Brigan said gravely. "I've not eaten in two months. It's a hunger strike to protest the spring flooding in the south."" Gracious, " Roen said, reaching for the fruit bowl. "Have an apple, dear. Kristin Cashore

All right, " Clara said. "We have our swordsman, so let's get moving. Brigan, could you attempt, at least, to make yourself presentable? I know this is a war, but the rest of us are trying to pretend it's a party. Kristin Cashore

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. Kristin Cashore

Find something useful to do with your morning, ' she thought to him as she neared her chambers. 'Do something heroic in front of an audience. Knock a child into a river while no one's looking and then rescue him. Kristin Cashore

To Garan's credit, the treatment of Dellian prisoners did change after that. One particularly laconic man, after a session in which Fire learned positively nothing, thanked her for it specifically. "Best dungeons I ever been in, " he said, chewing on a toothpick." Wonderful, " Garan grumbled when he had gone. "We'll grow a reputation for our kindness to lawbreakers. Kristin Cashore

It's not reasonable to love people who are only going to die, " she said. Nash thought about that for a moment, stroking Small's neck with great deliberation, as if the fate of the Dells depended on that smooth, careful movement." I have two responses to that, " he said finally. "First, everyone's going to die. Second, love is stupid. It has nothing to do with reason. You love whomever you love. Against all reasons I loved my father." He looked at her keenly. "Did you love yours?"" Yes, " she whispered. He stroked Small's nose. "I love you, " he said, "even knowing you'll never have me. And I love my brother, more than I ever realized before you came along. You can't help whom you love, Lady. Nor can you know what it's liable to cause you to do." She made a connection then. Surprised she sat back from him and studied his face, soft with shadows and light. She saw a part of him she hadn't seen before." You came to me for lessons to guard your mind, " she said, "and you stopped asking me to marry you, both at the same time. You did those things out of love for your brother."" Well" he said, looking a bit sheepishly at the floor. "I also took a few swings at him, but that's neither here nor there."" You're good at love, " she said simply, because it seemed to her that it was true. "I'm not so good at love. I'm like a barbed creature. I push everyone I love away." He shrugged. "I don't mind you pushing me away if it means you love me, little sister. Kristin Cashore

Nonetheless, when it finally ended and the hairdressers left and Tess insisted upon pulling her to the mirror, Fire saw, and understood, that everyone had done the job well. The dress, deep shimmering purple and utterly simple in design, was so beautifully-cut and so clingy and well-fitting that Fire felt slightly naked. And her hair. She couldn’t follow what they’d done with her hair, braids thin as threads in some places, looped and wound through the thick sections that fell over her shoulders and down her back, but she saw that the end result was a controlled wildness that was magnificent against her face, her body, and the dress. She turned to measure the effect on her guard - all twenty of them, for all had roles to play in tonight’s proceedings, and all were awaiting her orders. Twenty jaws hung slack with astonishment - even Musa’s, Mila’s, and Neel’s. Fire touched their minds, and was pleased, and then angry, to find them open as the glass roofs in July.‘Take hold of yourselves, ’ she snapped. ‘It’s a disguise, remember? This isn’t going to work if the people meant to help me can’t keep their heads.’‘ It will work, Lady Granddaughter.’ Tess handed Fire two knives in ankle holsters. ‘You’ll get what you want from whomever you want. Tonight King Nash would give you the Winged River as a present, if you asked for it. Dells, child - Prince Brigan would give you his best warhorse. Kristin Cashore

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. Kristin Cashore

Madlen came to sit beside her on the bed. "Lady Queen, " she said with her own particular brand of rough gentleness. "It is not the job of the child to protect her mother. It's the mother's job to protect the child. By allowing your mother to protect you, you gave her a gift. Do you understand me? Kristin Cashore

Art glows with faith even in its weakest parts. At every moment, writing is an act of self-confidence — the sheerest, most determined, most stubborn self-belief. You CAN have faith and doubt at the same time; the most insecure writer on the planet has faith that shines just as bright as her doubt, and she deserves props for that. It might be hidden deep, she might not feel it and you might not see it, but it’s in there, or she wouldn’t be able to write. . Kristin Cashore

Roen snorted. "You two have the strangest relationship in the Dells."Archer smiled slightly. "She won't consent to make it a marriage."" I can't imagine what's stopping her. I don't suppose you've considered being less munificent with your love?"" Would you marry me, Fire, if I slept in no one's bed but yours?" He knew the answer to that, but it didn't hurt to remind him. "No, and I should find my bed quite cramped. Kristin Cashore

Did you ever love someone, " Lucy says, "and know they love you, and you're attracted to them, and you know they're attracted to you, and so many things are exactly right, but it doesn't matter, because the few things that are wrong are completely, totally fucked? Kristin Cashore

Raffin appeared again, a floor above her, on the balconied passageway that ran past his workrooms. He leaned over the railing and called down to her. "Kat! ""What is it?"" You look lost . Have you forgotten the way to your rooms?"" I'm stalling."" How long will you be? I'd like to show you a couple of my new discoveries."" I've been told to make myself pretty for dinner." He grinned. "Well in that case, you'll be ages." His face dissolved into laughter, and she tore a button from one of her bags an hurled it at him. He squealed and dropped to the floor, and the button hit the wall right where he'd been standing. When he peeked back over the railing, she stood in the courtyard with her hands on her hips, grinning. "I missed on purpose, " she said." Show off! Come if you have time." He waved, and turned into his rooms. Kristin Cashore

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. Kristin Cashore

Fire's tears were real now, and there was no helping them, for there was no time. Everything was moving too fast. She crossed the room to him, put her arms around him, clung to him, turning her face to the side, learning all at once that it was awkward to show a person all of one's love when one's nose was broken. His arms came around her tightly, his breath short and hard against her hair. He held on to the silk of her hair and she pressed herself against him until her panic calmed to something desperate, but bea . Kristin Cashore

Lady Katsa, is it?" "Yes, Lord Prince.""I've heard you have one eye green as the Middluns grasses, and the other eye blue as the sky."" Yes, Lord Prince.""I've heard you can kill a man with the nail of your smallest finger." She smiled. "Yes, Lord Prince.""Does it make it easier?"" I don't understand you."" To have beautiful eyes. Does it lighten the burden of your Grace, to know you have beautiful eyes? . Kristin Cashore

She had thought she'd already reached her capacity for pain and had no room inside her for more. But she remembered having told Archer once that you could not measure love on a scale of degrees, and now she understood that it was the same with pain. Pain might escalate upwards, and, just when you'd thought you'd reached your limit, begin to spread sideways, and spill out, and touch other people, and mix with their pain. And grow larger, but somehow less oppressive. She had thought herself trapped in a place outside the ordinary feeling lives of other people; she had not noticed how many other people were trapped in that place with her. Kristin Cashore

And of course she understood now why her body wanted to run whenever he appeared. It was a correct instinct, for there was nothing to be got from this but sadness. Kristin Cashore

Part of avoiding thoughts about something was not encouraging opportunities for that something to makes itself felt. Kristin Cashore

I wonder if it's meant to be punishment for something one can't forgive oneself for. Or an external expression, Lady Queen, of an internal pain? Or perhaps it's a way to realise that you actually do want to stay alive. Kristin Cashore

But she remembered having told Archer once that you could not measure love on a scale of degrees, and now she understood that it was the same with pain. Pain might escalate upward and, just when you thought you'd reached your limit, begin to spread sideways, and spill out, and touch other people, and mix with their pain. And grow larger, but somehow less oppressive. She had thought herself trapped in a place outside the ordinary feeling lives of people; she had not noticed how many people were trapped in that place with her. . Kristin Cashore

He thinks we're made of money. Kristin Cashore

It seemed to Fire it was rarely enough one knew a person one wished to marry. How unjust then to meet that person, and be kept from it because one's bed was made of hay and not feathers. Kristin Cashore

Fire looked into his quiet eyes, touched his dear familiar face and considered the question. Kristin Cashore

For a moment, it was almost as if they were friends again. Kristin Cashore

The only way for you to keep your mind straight is to run from those who would confuse you. Kristin Cashore

How absurd it was that in all seven kingdoms, the weakest and most vulnerable of people - girls, women - went unarmed and were taught nothing of fighting, while the strong were trained to the highest reaches of their skill. Kristin Cashore

Of course, it was impossible, in this company, not to think about balances of power. Raffin and Bann glanced at each other now and then, sharing silent agreement, teasing each other, or just resting their eyes on each other, as if each man was a comfortable resting place for the other. Prince Raffin, heir to the Middluns throne; Bann, who had no title, no fortune. How she longed to ask them questions that were too nosy for asking, even by her standards. How did they balance money matters? How did they make decisions? How did Bann cope with the expectation that Raffin marry and produce heirs? If Randa knew the truth about his son, would Bann be in danger? Did Bann ever resent Raffin’s wealth and importance? What was the balance of power in their bed? . Kristin Cashore

But everyone has some kind of power to hurt people. Kristin Cashore

She understood now that while it had been wrong to kill Cansrel, it had also been right. The boy with the strange eyes had helped her to see the rightness of it. The boy who'd killed Archer. Some people had too much power and too much cruelty to live. Some people were too terrible, no matter if you loved them; no matter that you had to make yourself terrible too, in order to stop them. Some things just had to be done. I forgive myself, though Fire. Today, I forgive myself. Kristin Cashore

She didn't know what would happen because of this. But she knew that today, she would hurt no one. She threw back her blankets and though only of today. Kristin Cashore

I want to have the heart and mind of a queen, ” she whispered. “I want it more than anything. But I’m only pretending. I can’t find the feeling of it inside Kristin Cashore

He leaned heavily on the desk now, as if danger had strengthened him before and its lack now made him weak. Kristin Cashore

I meditate, and when I do, Prince Harry appears in my subconscious and meditates with me. It's a little strange but I don't think there's anything I can do about it. Sometimes he's not the only one; the other day it was me, Prince Harry, the Dalai Lama, Mr. Rogers, Coco the gorilla, and George Clooney. We were all floating above the earth looking down at the continents as they passed. George Clooney suggested I visit Providence, Rhode Island. The Dalai Lama sighed deeply and said he'd like to visit Tibet.Poor Dalai Lama. . Kristin Cashore

You do trust him, though, Giddon?""Holt, who is stealing your sculptures and is of questionable mental health?"" Yes."" I trusted him five minutes ago. Now I'm at a bit of a loss."" Your opinion five minutes ago is good enough for me. Kristin Cashore

I don't know how it'll be between us Thiel. I don't know how we'll learn to trust each other again, and I know you're not well enough to help me with every matter I face. But I miss you and I'd like to try again. Kristin Cashore

It was a haunting tune, unresigned, 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 and say goodbye. Kristin Cashore

There was no helping her tears. For they would leave Po behind… She cried into his shoulder like a child. Ashamed of herself, for it was only a parting, and Bitterblue had not wept like this even over a death. ‘Don’t be ashamed, ' Po whispered. ‘Your sadness is dear to me. Don’t be frightened. I won’t die, Katsa. I won’t die, and we’ll meet again. Kristin Cashore

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. Kristin Cashore

She didn't want to go far, just out of the trees so she could see the stars. They always eased her loneliness. She thought of them as beautiful creatures, burning and cold; each solitary, and bleak, and silent like her. Kristin Cashore

They seemed no closer to the tops of the peaks that rose before them. It was only by looking back, to the forest far below, that she knew they'd climbed. Kristin Cashore

A monster that refused, sometimes, to behave like a monster. When a monster stopped behaving like a monster, did it stop being a monster? Did it become something else? Kristin Cashore

Do you understand? I don't want you to do a thing if you don't understand it. Kristin Cashore

While I was looking the other way your fire went out Left me with cinders to kick into dust What a waste of the wonder you were In my living fire I will keep your scorn and mine In my living fire I will keep your heartache and mine At the disgrace of a waste of a life Kristin Cashore

How unjust then to meet that person you love, and be kept away from them only because ones bed is made of hay , and the other, feathers. Kristin Cashore

Waste is Criminal. Kristin Cashore

When Brocker arrived he took her hands and held them to his face and cried into them. Kristin Cashore

Gratitude takes less energy than anger. Kristin Cashore

Please, Katsa, " he finally said. "At least talk to me". She swung around to face him. "What it there to talk about? You know how I feel, and what I think about it."" And what I feel? Doesn't it matter? Kristin Cashore

Love doesn't measure that way... you may blame me for your feelings, but it isn't fair to blame me for how you've chosen to behave. Kristin Cashore

I can't know your feelings", he said , "if you don't know them yourself. Kristin Cashore

You know, ” he said, “I wish you could see this cave.”“ What’s it like?” He paused. “It’s...beautiful, really.”“ Tell me.” And so Po described to Katsa what hid in the blackness of the cave; and outside, the world awaited them. Kristin Cashore

She wanted to cause him pain for taking a place in her heart she wouldn't have given him if she'd known the truth. Kristin Cashore

Sneaking was a kind of deceit. So was disguise. Just past midnight, wearing dark trousers and Fox's hood, the queen snuck out of her own rooms and stepped into a world of stories and lies. Kristin Cashore

Now that we know about his indigestion, we can torture him with cake. Kristin Cashore

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. Kristin Cashore

Our own story is even more important for us to know than history. Kristin Cashore

Only a person with the true heart of a dictionary-writer would be lying in bed, three days after being stabbed in the gut, worrying about his P's. Kristin Cashore

It's as if when I open myself up to every perception, things create their own focus. Kristin Cashore

When she came back minutes later with a great, fat, skinned rabbit, Po had built a fire. The flames cast orange light on the horses and on himself. "It was the least I could do, " Po said, drily, "and I see you've already skinned the hare. I'm beginning to think I won't have much responsibility as we travel through the forest together."" Does it other you? You're welcome to do the hunting yourself. Perhaps I can stay by the fire and mend your socks, and scream if I hear strange noises. Kristin Cashore

The fact that at the moment the distinction is being made, a young adult, as opposed to an adult, is the one reading it. In other words, I don’t entirely believe in the distinction. A great book is a great book, and it’s impossible to say what part of a person is going to connect to it. Kristin Cashore

Bitterblue had never seen a man naked, and she was curious. She decided the universe owed her a few minutes, just a few, to satisfy her curiosity. So she went to him and knelt, which shut him up. Kristin Cashore

It was a strange monster, for beneath its exterior it was frightened and sickened by its own violence. It chastised itself for its savagery. And sometimes it had no heart for violence and rebelled against it utterly. Kristin Cashore

Then come here, " he said, a bit redundantly, as he had already pulled her with him into an armchair and curled her up in his arms. "Tell me what I can do to help you feel be Kristin Cashore

Raffin and Bann stood together, propped against the wall and against each other, half dozing. At one point, Raffin, not knowing he had one small, curious witness, gave Bann a sleepy kiss on the ear. "Bitterblue had wondered that about them. I t was nice when something in the world became clear. Especially when it was a nice thing. Kristin Cashore

Helda's been trying to impress me with the embroidery on the sheets. One more minute and I thought I might use them to hang myself."" My mother did the embroidery, " Bittterblue said. Katsa clapped her mouth shut and glared at Helda. "Thank you, Helda, for mentioning that detail. Kristin Cashore

Could you attempt, at least, to make yourself presentable? I know this is a war, but the rest of us are trying to pretend it's a party. Kristin Cashore

If we're to be judged by our parents and grandparents, then we all may as well impale ourselves upon bits of rock. Kristin Cashore

Everyone was willing to take some small risk to lessen the damage of their ambition and disorder and lawlessness. Kristin Cashore

She would thump them both, and she would apologize to neither. Kristin Cashore

For most of the process, nothing but faith, fueled by your own stubbornness, will be pulling you along. The work that you've done on the book so far won't be much comfort, because so much of it will be insufferable crap, until the very last moment, when you figure out how to fix it and everything comes together. Kristin Cashore