Magician: Apprentice Quotes
"I had little ambition beyond spinning a good story, one that satisfied my sense of wonder, adventure, and whimsy."
"I return to the first work I undertook, back when I had no pretensions of craft, no stature as a bestselling author, and basically no idea of what I was doing."
"The relationships between characters, the additional details of an alien world, the minor moments of reflection and mirth that act to balance the more frenetic activity of conflict and adventure, all these things were 'close but not quite what I had in mind.'"
"The truth is that part of the success of the book was my ignorance of what makes a commercially successful novel."
"It is with profound gratitude I wish to thank you all, new readers and old acquaintances, for without your support and encouragement, ten years of 'ripping yarns' could not have been possible."
"If I have the opportunity to provide you with a small part of the pleasure I feel in being able to share my fanciful adventures with you, we are equally rewarded."
"Many boys in the keep harbored a secret love for the Princess, a fact she often turned to her advantage when there was mischief afoot."
"Most of the time Kulgan was ensconced in his tower, hidden from view as he did whatever magicians do in such places."
"Many a keep boy had been impaled upon the pointed gaze of those clear grey eyes."
"His infectious sense of humor and ready wit often eased much of the anger that resulted from his prankish ways."
"Yesterday was the last day of the eleventh year of the reign of our Lord King, Rodric the Fourth."
"My family no longer has room for me in the house."
"Banapis was the oldest known holiday, its origins lost in antiquity."
"But one thing he never thought of, the one dream that had never captured his fantasies, was that of becoming a magician."
"I trust neither of us has made a mistake this day."
"Every time you see her, you puff up in that tabard of yours and preen like a bantam rooster."
"You’re the quickest hand in the castle, I bet."
"But the time for boyish fighting is past. You must put your energies to better use."
"It is important for me to be beautiful, boy. Lady Marna says that I must be the most beautiful lady in the Kingdom, for I must find a powerful husband someday."
"Rich odors of cheese and bread assailed Pug’s nostrils, and his mouth watered."
"He considered the situation and found himself perplexed."
"Trouble was unlikely this far from the forest."
"There was more to this love business than he had imagined."
"Satisfied his aim was still as good as always, he tucked his sling in his belt."
"Pug felt blind terror as he struggled with numb fingers to put a stone in his sling."
"He amused himself for a while by speculation on that."
"As he reached the Princess’s horse, a scream sounded from the other side of the hill."
"Suppressing a groan, Pug took the horses’ reins and started walking."
"Carline was still the loveliest girl he had ever seen, but her manner was quickly taking the sheen off his fascination."
"She hung on to him for a moment, then, when her tears subsided, she stepped away."
"A protective, masculine feeling welled up inside him."
"The soldier from the beach regained consciousness for only a few minutes, a final rally before the end."
"If this man's dying dreams were not the product of fevered imaginings, then I fear his appearance heralds a grave situation."
"The man's ship came from no sea of Midkemia."
"This ship comes from another world, removed from our own in time and space."
"There were conflicting images, and I can't be sure, but it seems that the journey they were on was considered strange."
"The only concrete thought I gained was that this Great One had no need to travel by ship."
"A mighty nation they are, or rather an empire of nations, and if they have the means to reach us, it could prove dire."
"To move a ship to another world is an order of magic beyond my imagining."
"If these people, the Tsurani as they call themselves, know we are here, and if they possess the means to reach us, then not only must we fear armies that rival Great Kesh at the height of its power, we must also face magic far greater than any we have known."
"If I live to be a hundred, I don't think that I'll ever see her like."
"I suspect they may choose to test us first, with but a small part of their might. It's as if their attentions are elsewhere, and we're an afterthought."
"Life has been difficult for Martin. He was left on his own at an early age."
"In spite of my youthful appearance, I am over a hundred years old."
"Occasionally, at times of great need, an inner call can be made, bringing forth powers that lay dormant, deep within."
"I don’t count myself an expert in all the ways of your people, Pug, but I’ve spent enough time with humans to know that you choose how you feel."
"The faults we see in others never seem as dreadful as those we see in ourselves."
"No one may enter Elvandar uninvited, save by mighty arts, and even the distant boundaries of the elven forests, cause unease in those who enter with evil intent."
"Curiosity is nothing to apologize for in a student."
"Stop worrying about what the Princess feels and thinks, and start discovering what Pug feels and thinks."
"You've no idea how a simple act can affect a person's life."
"I know you think me a sometimes silly and vain girl, and there are times when I am, Pug. But I do love you."
"Pah! So you'll have something to mull over around the campfires and aboard ship, more likely."
"In any event, I was working late and didn't mean to eavesdrop, but I heard every word."
"Don't pull so hard. You'll saw at his mouth and make him mad."
"By the time we reach Bordon, you'll be riding like the King's Lancers."
"Take care and stay well. Don’t let anything happen to you."
"The Duke wouldn’t have moved until the storm had passed, and that was only a few hours ago. In any event, you and Tomas weren’t the only tired ones here."
"The hearty sergeant there could have gone more than another few miles with only one night’s rest."
"The smell of cooking meat must have driven them mad."
"They preferred to gamble all on one last, frantic assault than to watch us eat while they froze to death."
"We’ve given every reason for this migration save invasion."
"To endure any circumstance without the comfort of my pipe is unthinkable."
"There’s little to match the pipe for pure pleasure."
"I would give anything to know how they reached these mountains."
"I’ve fifteen hundred men in Crydee, counting those in the frontier garrisons along the boundary."
"It is easy to lose track of time down here, unless you have the knack of it."
"Keep alert, for only the gods know what is living in these tunnels."
"I could not rest in my long hall this winter if I did not try."
"There is nothing shameful in mourning the loss of a friend."
"Even the dwarf, who was used to such things, found this an unnerving place."
"Dolgan followed what seemed to be a group of tracks, as if a band of men had come this way."
"The sound of his boots echoed hollowly off the high ceiling."
"Without a sound, Dolgan crept close to the doors and peered in."
"The dragon's voice rumbled through the great hall, echoing like thunder through a valley."
"Making little sense of Tomas’s questions, Dolgan gently pushed him to one side to better see the dragon."
"The dragon chuckled, and the room rumbled with the sound."
"Dolgan sat upon a lifetime’s riches of gold, absently moving it around to make as comfortable a seat as was possible."
"Canst thou now breathe fire and smoke, dwarf? Art thou the new dragon?"
"We served those whose names may not be spoken, and were a happy people."
"Ours was a dominion over the skies and all things, for we were mighty beyond any other."
"’Tis a wise thing to know what is wanted, and wiser still to know when ’tis achieved."
"True. And still wiser to know when it is unachievable, for then striving is folly."
"It is the way of my people to sit the deathwatch, but there are none of my kind near enough to call."
"It is given to dragons to know the hour of their death, Tomas, and mine is close."
"Then why should it matter if the death hour is known or not? It is still the same."
"In the tales of my people, there are legends of dragon magicians, though you are the first I have seen."
"He gave me some smoked fish to eat, and a place to rest."
"The creature screamed as the hammer struck its form."
"Aye, laddie, the passes are all solid with snow, for the first winter blizzard came upon us last night."
"There will be nothing that can move out there, least of all an army."
"The seas run higher, and I fear I may lose more men."
"Captain, we’ve cracked a timber and she’s taking water."
"We would be foolish not to recognize that our best interests lie with those of the Kingdom, for alone we are helpless."
"Your shrewd mind is a match for my own Father Tully’s. As is your wisdom."
"This is fashioned in a clever manner. I believe that water should issue from the mouths of the dolphins."
"We’ll keep clear of that castle and the road up from the beach, to be sure."
"So it must seem to you, Pug. Still, I expect those that built this house would consider your keep halls strange as well."
"I am alone mostly, and the chance to speak with strangers is a rare thing."
"Mostly I am called the traveler, for many lands have I seen."