“
My soul will find yours.
”
”
Jude Deveraux (A Knight in Shining Armor (Montgomery/Taggert Family, #13))
“
Threats are the last resort of a man with no vocabulary.
”
”
Tamora Pierce (Lady Knight (Protector of the Small, #4))
“
I want to know how to make this girl laugh. I want to know what makes her cry. I want to know what it feels like to have her look at me as if I’m her knight in shinning armor.
”
”
Simone Elkeles (Perfect Chemistry (Perfect Chemistry, #1))
“
Since it is so likely that (children) will meet cruel enemies, let them at least have heard of brave knights and heroic courage. Otherwise you are making their destiny not brighter but darker.
”
”
C.S. Lewis
“
Perhaps, after all, romance did not come into one’s life with pomp and blare, like a gay knight riding down; perhaps it crept to one’s side like an old friend through quiet ways; perhaps it revealed itself in seeming prose, until some sudden shaft of illumination flung athwart its pages betrayed the rhythm and the music, perhaps . . . perhaps . . . love unfolded naturally out of a beautiful friendship, as a golden-hearted rose slipping from its green sheath.
”
”
L.M. Montgomery
“
When people say a knight's job is all glory, I laugh and laugh and laugh. Often I can stop laughing before they edge away and talk about soothing drinks.
”
”
Tamora Pierce (Squire (Protector of the Small, #3))
“
Carpe Scrotum. Seize life by the testicles
”
”
Rowena Cherry (Knight's Fork (God Princes of Tigron, #3))
“
A soft noise, almost a sob. Ash rose, hesitated, as if fighting the compulsion to obey. "I will always be your knight, Meghan Chase," he whispered in a strained voice, as if every moment he remained was painful to him. "And I swear, if there is a way for us to be together, I will find it. No matter how long it takes. If I have to chase your soul to the ends of eternity, I won't stop until I find you, I promise."
And then he was gone.
”
”
Julie Kagawa (The Iron Queen (The Iron Fey, #3))
“
My fall began, as many stories do, with a girl.
”
”
Julie Kagawa (The Iron Knight (The Iron Fey, #4))
“
As a girl, she had come to believe in the ideal man -- the prince or knight of her childhood stories. In the real world, however, men like that simply didn't exist.
”
”
Nicholas Sparks (Message in a Bottle)
“
So are you going to be my knight in shining armor or what?'
Kent does a little bow. 'You know I can't resist a damsel in distress.
”
”
Lauren Oliver (Before I Fall)
“
The noir hero is a knight in blood caked armor. He's dirty and he does his best to deny the fact that he's a hero the whole time.
”
”
Frank Miller
“
Either it brings tears to their eyes, or else -"
"Or else what?" said Alice, for the Knight had made a sudden pause.
"Or else it doesn't, you know.
”
”
Lewis Carroll (Alice in Wonderland)
“
The breaking of a wave cannot explain the whole sea.
”
”
Vladimir Nabokov (The Real Life of Sebastian Knight)
“
I have come from the End of the World. From the River of Dreams, through the gauntlet and the Briar and the Deep Wyld, in order to stand before you today. I have but one request—to take my place at your side. To resume my duty as your knight, and to protect you and your kingdom for as long as I draw breath.
”
”
Julie Kagawa (The Iron Knight (The Iron Fey, #4))
“
You backbiting, poisonous, treacherous, deceitful, wicked, clever girl. If this works I'll buy you a pony.
”
”
Jim Butcher (Summer Knight (The Dresden Files, #4))
“
Yeah, we’ll call you,” muttered Ron as the knight disappeared, “If we ever need someone mental.
”
”
J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Harry Potter, #3))
“
It was as if we played chess after denying me both bishops and knights.
”
”
Gabriel F.W. Koch (Death Leaves a Shadow (Marlowe Black Mystery, #2))
“
You're here," I murmured, reaching out to touch him, hardly believing this was real. "You came back." Ash's breath hitched, and he put his hand over mine.
"I came home.
”
”
Julie Kagawa (The Iron Knight (The Iron Fey, #4))
“
In the name of the Pizza Lord. Charge!
”
”
Jim Butcher (Summer Knight (The Dresden Files, #4))
“
She wasn't looking for a knight, she was looking for a sword.
”
”
Atticus Poetry
“
Be careful, boy. In some tales, the hero gets eaten by the monster after all.
”
”
Julie Kagawa (The Iron Knight (The Iron Fey, #4))
“
If I'd thought I would regret it," he said calmly, "I never would have made that oath. I knew what becoming a knight would mean. And if you asked me again, the answer would still be the same." He sighed, framing my face with his hands. "My life... everything I am... belongs to you.
”
”
Julie Kagawa (The Iron Queen (The Iron Fey, #3))
“
I died. I died and someone made a clerical error and I am in Heaven.
”
”
Jim Butcher (Summer Knight (The Dresden Files, #4))
“
We are no longer the knights who say Ni! We are now the knights who say ekki-ekki-ekki-pitang-zoom-boing!
”
”
Graham Chapman (Monty Python and the Holy Grail (Book): Mønti Pythøn Ik Den Hølie Gräilen (Bøk))
“
I stand in front of my window and imagine myself a fearless knight, imagine myself a witch who hid her heart in her finger and then chopped her finger off.
”
”
Holly Black (The Cruel Prince (The Folk of the Air, #1))
“
Humans who thought they were advancing around the chessboard of life as knights and bishops were actually among the multitude of pawns, advancing like fodder to their inevitable demise for the true kings residing behind the curtains, whose presence was invisible to virtually all the pieces on the chessboard.
”
”
Jasun Ether (The Beasts of Success)
“
I see a beautiful city and a brilliant people rising from this abyss. I see the lives for which I lay down my life, peaceful, useful, prosperous and happy. I see that I hold a sanctuary in their hearts, and in the hearts of their descendants, generations hence. It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known.
”
”
Charles Dickens (A Tale of Two Cities)
“
Crazy Ash just doesn't have the same ring as Don't-bother-me-or-I'll-kill-you Ash.
”
”
Julie Kagawa (The Iron Knight (The Iron Fey, #4))
“
Military folk," Neal said with exaggerated patience, shaking his head. "The only way you know to solve problems is by beating them with a stick.
”
”
Tamora Pierce (Lady Knight (Protector of the Small, #4))
“
Most have been forgotten. Most deserve to be forgotten. The heroes will always be remembered. The best. The best and the worst. And a few who were a bit of both.
”
”
George R.R. Martin (A Feast for Crows (A Song of Ice and Fire, #4))
“
For a moment Anne's heart fluttered queerly and for the first time her eyes faltered under Gilbert's gaze and a rosy flush stained the paleness of her face. It was as if a veil that had hung before her inner consciousness had been lifted, giving to her view a revelation of unsuspected feelings and realities. Perhaps, after all, romance did not come into one's life with pomp and blare, like a gay knight riding down; perhaps it crept to one's side like an old friend through quiet ways; perhaps it revealed itself in seeming prose, until some sudden shaft of illumination flung athwart its pages betrayed the rhythm and the music, perhaps. . . perhaps. . .love unfolded naturally out of a beautiful friendship, as a golden-hearted rose slipping from its green sheath.
”
”
L.M. Montgomery (Anne of Avonlea (Anne of Green Gables, #2))
“
One day I would have all the books in the world, shelves and shelves of them. I would live my life in a tower of books. I would read all day long and eat peaches. And if any young knights in armor dared to come calling on their white chargers and plead with me to let down my hair, I would pelt them with peach pits until they went home.
”
”
Jacqueline Kelly (The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate (Calpurnia Tate, #1))
“
He would move on. Because he would not be like the ancient kings in the song and keep her for himself. She deserved a loyal, brave knight who saw her for what she was and did not fear her. And he deserved someone who would look at him like that, even if the love wouldn't be the same, even if the girl wouldn't be her.
So Dorian closed his eyes, and took another long breath. And when he opened his eyes, he let her go.
”
”
Sarah J. Maas (Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass, #2))
“
The cowards never started and the weak died along the way. That leaves us, ladies and gentlemen. Us.
”
”
Phil Knight (Shoe Dog)
“
the princess locked herself away in the highest tower, hoping a knight in shining armor would come to her rescue. - i didn’t realize i could be my own knight.
”
”
Amanda Lovelace (The Princess Saves Herself in this One)
“
Men understand direct communication. It's bitches who speak in code.
”
”
Kristen Ashley (Knight (Unfinished Hero, #1))
“
Ah, my Knight in Shining Armor. What, you don't think I can fend for myself?
”
”
James Dashner (The Maze Runner (The Maze Runner, #1))
“
My new knight mistress is famed for wielding sharp edges: Sword, Knife and Tongue!
”
”
Tamora Pierce (Squire (Protector of the Small, #3))
“
Sunny, a silver boy of nine, daydreams of rescuing two princesses: “The princesses’ savior was a gallant knight. No! A prince! The valiant prince was surprisingly young. And silvered.
”
”
Andri E. Elia (Borealis: A Worldmaker of Yand Novel)
“
I am Cassius Bellona, son of Tiberius, son of Julia, brother of Darrow, Morning Knight of the Solar Republic, and my honor remains.
”
”
Pierce Brown (Light Bringer (Red Rising Saga, #6))
“
He reads histories and mythologies and fairy tales, wondering why it seems that only girls are ever swept away from their mundane lives on farms by knights or princes or wolves. It strikes him as unfair to not have the same fanciful opportunity himself. And he is not in the position to do any rescuing of his own.
”
”
Erin Morgenstern (The Night Circus)
“
I’m going to kill you one day,” I told him as we hurried after Grimalkin, back into the swampy marshland. It was not an idle threat.
Puck just laughed. “Yeah. You and everyone else, prince. Join the club.
”
”
Julie Kagawa (The Iron Knight (The Iron Fey, #4))
“
I will be with her again, or I will die. There aren’t any other options
”
”
Julie Kagawa (The Iron Knight (The Iron Fey, #4))
“
...some men aren't looking for anything logical, like money. They can't be bought, bullied, reasoned, or negotiated with. Some men just want to watch the world burn.
”
”
Michael Caine
“
The idea that Bill Gates has appeared like a knight in shining armor to lead all customers out of a mire of technological chaos neatly ignores the fact that it was he who, by peddling second-rate technology, led them into it in the first place.
”
”
Douglas Adams
“
I don't want a knight in shining armor.
I don't want a knight in scuffed armor.
I want his helmet to have dents. I want my knight to be real, and dark and savage. I want my knight to be a survivor. Someone who's been tested and got through his trails. Not some pussy in gleaming metal.
”
”
Belle Aurora (Raw (RAW Family, #1))
“
The single easiest way to find out how you feel about someone. Say goodbye.
”
”
Phil Knight (Shoe Dog)
“
Don’t tell people how to do things, tell them what to do and let them surprise you with their results.
”
”
Phil Knight (original quote by George S Patton) (Shoe Dog)
“
Having sex multiple times on the first sleepover does not count as more than one “date”…
”
”
Rowena Cherry (Knight's Fork (God Princes of Tigron, #3))
“
Do not be deceived by the the politeness of the fey. Fey are almost always polite. This does not mean they will not happily remove your head.
”
”
Julie Kagawa (The Iron Knight (The Iron Fey, #4))
“
The more complicated a person’s strategy seemed, the less likely an opponent was to look for simple answers. If you could keep someone looking at your knight, you could take them with a pawn. Look past the details. Past the complications.
”
”
Jennifer Lynn Barnes (The Inheritance Games (The Inheritance Games, #1))
“
Because he's the hero Gotham deserves, but not the one it needs right now. So we'll hunt him. Because he can take it. Because he's not our hero. He's a silent guardian, a watchful protector. A dark knight.
”
”
Jonathan Nolan (The Dark Knight (Dark Knight Trilogy #2))
“
How can you still count yourself a knight, when you have forsaken every vow you ever swore?"
Jaime reached for the flagon to refill his cup. "So many vows...they make you swear and swear. Defend the king. Obey the king. Keep his secrets. Do his bidding. Your life for his. But obey your father. Love your sister. Protect the innocent. Defend the weak. Respect the gods. Obey the laws. It's too much. No matter what you do, you're forsaking one vow or the other.
”
”
George R.R. Martin (A Clash of Kings (A Song of Ice and Fire, #2))
“
Ash, it's because of you that I am here today. You have always been there, never wavering, protecting me with no thought for yourself. You've been my teacher, my knight and my only love. Now it's my turn to make that promise.
”
”
Julie Kagawa (The Iron Knight (The Iron Fey, #4))
“
I'm convinced that responsibility is some kind of psychological disease.
”
”
Brandon Sanderson (Alcatraz Versus the Knights of Crystallia (Alcatraz, #3))
“
You need a name.”
I covered the receiver for a moment. “We need a team name.”
“Hunters,” Raphael said.
“Valiant Knights of the Fur,” Dali said.
“Justice Group,” Jim said. “Since Justice League is taken.”
“Fools.” Doolittle shook his head.
“Fools,” I said into the receiver.
”
”
Ilona Andrews (Magic Strikes (Kate Daniels, #3))
“
The most important words a man can say are, “I will do better.” These are not the most important words any man can say. I am a man, and they are what I needed to say.
The ancient code of the Knights Radiant says “journey before destination.” Some may call it a simple platitude, but it is far more. A journey will have pain and failure. It is not only the steps forward that we must accept. It is the stumbles. The trials. The knowledge that we will fail. That we will hurt those around us.
But if we stop, if we accept the person we are when we fall, the journey ends. That failure becomes our destination. To love the journey is to accept no such end. I have found, through painful experience, that the most important step a person can take is always the next one.
I’m certain some will feel threatened by this record. Some few may feel liberated. Most will simply feel that it should not exist. I needed to write it anyway.
”
”
Brandon Sanderson (Oathbringer (The Stormlight Archive, #3))
“
Geez, you guys. I know I'm popular and all, but seriously, you're a bit too co-dependent for me. I'm going to need you to step away from my personal bubble." A wispy vine-woman curled ivy tendrils around his arm, and he sliced through them with his dagger. "No! Bad Wraith! No touchie!
”
”
Julie Kagawa (The Iron Knight (The Iron Fey, #4))
“
Quick question.” Puck’s voice broke the silence. “Did anyone think to bring a can of Off?
”
”
Julie Kagawa (The Iron Knight (The Iron Fey, #4))
“
Wars fought over a face like this,” he murmured like he was talking to himself, my heart stopped beating and his thumbs moved lightly across my cheeks. “A man would work himself into the ground for it, go down to his knees to beg to keep it, endure torture to protect it, take a bullet for it,” his eyes came to mine, “poison his brother to possess a face like this.
”
”
Kristen Ashley (Knight (Unfinished Hero, #1))
“
Never fall in love with someone that won't fight for you because when the real battles begin they won't pull your heart to safety, but they will their own.
”
”
Shannon L. Alder
“
Dear Diary, Today I tried not to think about Mr. Knightly. I tried not to think about him when I discussed the menu with Cook... I tried not to think about him in the garden where I thrice plucked the petals off a daisy to acertain his feelings for Harriet. I don't think we should keep daisies in the garden, they really are a drab little flower. And I tried not to think about him when I went to bed, but something had to be done.
”
”
Jane Austen
“
Why, then, do you think the white player might have done it?”
Reynie considered. He imagined himself moving out his knight only to bring it right back to where it started. Why would he ever do such a thing? At last he said, “Perhaps because he doubted himself.
”
”
Trenton Lee Stewart (The Mysterious Benedict Society (The Mysterious Benedict Society, #1))
“
Were I to die tomorrow, my soul would remember you.
~Nicholas Stafford
”
”
Jude Deveraux (A Knight in Shining Armor (Montgomery/Taggert Family, #13))
“
Life is growth. You grow or you die.
”
”
Phil Knight (Shoe Dog)
“
True knights protect the weak.”
He snorted. “There are no true knights, no more than there are gods. If you can’t protect yourself, die and get out of the way of those who can. Sharp steel and strong arms rule this world, don’t ever believe any different.”
Sansa backed away from him. “You’re awful.”
“I’m honest. It’s the world that’s awful.
”
”
George R.R. Martin (A Clash of Kings (A Song of Ice and Fire, #2))
“
Mercy is for the weak… let me show you how much of an Unseelie I still am.
”
”
Julie Kagawa (The Iron Knight (The Iron Fey, #4))
“
Sirrah, my companion chooses to engage you in knightly combat!" Halt said. The horseman stiffened, sitting upright in his saddle. Halt noticed that he nearly lost his balance at this unexpected piece of news.
Nightly cermbat?" he replied, "Yewer cermpenion ers no knight!"
Halt nodded hugely, making sure the man could see the gesture.
Oh yes he is!" he called back. "He is Sir Horace of the Order of the Feuille du Chene." He paused and muttered to himself, "Or should that have been Crepe du Chene? Never mind."
What did you tell him?" Horace asked, slinging his buckler around from where it hung at his back and setting it on his left arm.
I said you were Sir Horace of the Order of the Oakleaf." Halt said to him, then added uncertainly, "At least, I think that's what I told him. I may have said you were of the Order of the Oak Pancake.
”
”
John Flanagan
“
If kids stay up late, it's very bad for their brain development...they said that on TV....You want to become a stupid girl, Yuuki?
”
”
Matsuri Hino (Vampire Knight, Vol. 1 (Vampire Knight, #1))
“
by the time you open your eyes, the world might have already changed.
”
”
Matsuri Hino (ヴァンパイア騎士 7 [Vampire Knight 7])
“
I was Ashallayn’darkmyr Tallyn, son of Mab, former prince of the Unseelie Court, and I was not afraid of a witch on a broom.
”
”
Julie Kagawa (The Iron Knight (The Iron Fey, #4))
“
I had been in love with Ariella. I remembered what she'd meant to me, what I'd felt for her then...
... and what I didn't feel for her now.
”
”
Julie Kagawa (The Iron Knight (The Iron Fey, #4))
“
You are the Protector of the Small. You see real people in the humans and animals overlooked by your peers. There will always be work for you.
”
”
Tamora Pierce (Lady Knight (Protector of the Small, #4))
“
From this day forth, I vow to protect Meghan Chase, daughter of the Summer King, with my sword, my honor and my life. Should even the world stand against her, my blade will be at her side. And should it fail to protect her, let my own life be forfeit.
”
”
Julie Kagawa (The Iron Knight (The Iron Fey, #4))
“
Somewhere in the world there is a defeat for everyone. Some are destroyed by defeat, and some made small and mean by victory. Greatness lives in one who triumphs equally over defeat and victory.
”
”
John Steinbeck (The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights)
“
... it means putting up with my fiercest and most annoying rival, Robin Goodfellow, who - despite all his attempts to hide it - is in love with my queen as well. I don't know why I haven't killed him yet. Maybe because Puck is Meghan's closest friend and she would mourn him terribly if he were gone (though I can't imagine why).
”
”
Julie Kagawa (The Iron Knight (The Iron Fey, #4))
“
When you see only problems, you’re not seeing clearly.
”
”
Phil Knight (Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike)
“
Working for Mab now, are you, Wolfman?" he smirked. "Like a good little attack dog? Will you also roll over and beg if she asks?
”
”
Julie Kagawa (The Iron Knight (The Iron Fey, #4))
“
You might not think you’re worth fighting for, or breathing for, but let me tell you, sugar – everyone deserves to be fought for, even those who think they aren’t worth it.
”
”
Bella Jewel (Hell's Knights (The MC Sinners, #1))
“
Additionally, you can paint a neon sign over our heads that says, 'Easy meal, follow the flashing lights.
”
”
Julie Kagawa (The Iron Knight (The Iron Fey, #4))
“
One day your prince will come. Mine took a wrong turn, got lost, and is too stubborn to ask for directions.
”
”
Kinley MacGregor (Knight of Darkness (Lords of Avalon, #2))
“
Prince,' said Puck's voice, drawing me out of my dark thoughts, back to the present. 'Prince. Oy, ice-boy!
”
”
Julie Kagawa (The Iron Knight (The Iron Fey, #4))
“
Bite me, faerie fruitcake.
”
”
Jim Butcher (Summer Knight (The Dresden Files, #4))
“
I desired you before, but I never loved you until this life.
”
”
Kresley Cole (Endless Knight (The Arcana Chronicles, #2))
“
It is not the responsibility of knights errant to discover whether the afflicted, the enchained and the oppressed whom they encounter on the road are reduced to these circumstances and suffer this distress for their vices, or for their virtues: the knight's sole responsibility is to succour them as people in need, having eyes only for their sufferings, not for their misdeeds.
”
”
Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra (Don Quixote)
“
I’d tell men and women in their midtwenties not to settle for a job or a profession or even a career. Seek a calling. Even if you don’t know what that means, seek it. If you’re following your calling, the fatigue will be easier to bear, the disappointments will be fuel, the highs will be like nothing you’ve ever felt.
”
”
Phil Knight (Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike)
“
Meliorn?” said Clary. “I’ve met you, haven’t I? You used to go out with Isabelle Lightwood.”
Meliorn was almost expressionless, but Clary could have sworn he looked ever so slightly uncomfortable. Luke shook his head. “Clary, Meliorn is a knight of the Seelie Court. It’s very unlikely that he – “
“He was totally dating Isabelle,” Simon said, “and she dumped him too. At least she said she was going to. Tough break, man.
”
”
Cassandra Clare (City of Glass (The Mortal Instruments, #3))
“
I'll let you in on a secret, honey. The knight who has serious chinks in his armor but never falls is the true hero. That means he's won battles and doesn't waste time polishing his armor so he can look good while he rides in parades that are tributes to his glory. He just drags himself back on his steed and keeps right on battling. And if he's the right kind of knight, he never rides alone. The best heroes inspire loyalty. The best heroes keep fighting the good fight, tirelessly, quietly. The best heroes always have scars. If they didn't, the heroine would have nothing to do. It's her job to help the hero let all that stuff go in order that her man can be strong enough to fight on but when he's with her he's free to just 'breathe'.
”
”
Kristen Ashley (Breathe (Colorado Mountain, #4))
“
There is nothing more terrible than a spurned faery queen, particularly if you defy her a second time. I escaped the Winter Court with my life intact, but just barely, and I won't be returning anytime soon. My loyalty - and my heart - belongs to another queen now.
”
”
Julie Kagawa (The Iron Knight (The Iron Fey, #4))
“
Time is the cog that turns the wheel
Winter leaves scars that do not heal
Summer is a fire that burns inside
Knowledge is a terrible burden to hide
Strength and death go hand in hand
One answer lies within the sand
But seek the answer all alone
Lest the sand claim you as its own.
”
”
Julie Kagawa (The Iron Knight (The Iron Fey, #4))
“
Does a crow become a salmon simply because it wished to? You do not know the first thing about mortality, prince-who-is-not. Why would you want to become like them?"
"Because," Grimalkin answered before I could say anything, "he is in love."
"Ahhh." The Witch looked at me and shook her head. "I see. Poor creature. Then you will not hear a word I have to say"
I was in love. With a human.
I smiled bitterly at the thought. The old Ash, if faced with such a suggestion, would've either laughed scornfully or removed the offender's head from his neck.
”
”
Julie Kagawa (The Iron Knight (The Iron Fey, #4))
“
Don't talk like one of them. You're not! Even if you'd like to be. To them, you're just a freak, like me! They need you right now, but when they don't, they'll cast you out, like a leper! You see, their morals, their code, it's a bad joke. Dropped at the first sign of trouble. They're only as good as the world allows them to be. I'll show you. When the chips are down, these... these civilized people, they'll eat each other. See, I'm not a monster. I'm just ahead of the curve. -The Joker
”
”
Christoper Nolan
“
It is the mission of each true knight...
His duty... nay, his privilege!
To dream the impossible dream,
To fight the unbeatable foe,
To bear with unbearable sorrow
To run where the brave dare not go;
To right the unrightable wrong.
To love, pure and chaste, from afar,
To try, when your arms are too weary,
To reach the unreachable star!
This is my Quest to follow that star,
No matter how hopeless, no matter how far,
To fight for the right
Without question or pause,
To be willing to march into hell
For a heavenly cause!
And I know, if I'll only be true
To this glorious Quest,
That my heart will lie peaceful and calm
When I'm laid to my rest.
And the world will be better for this,
That one man, scorned and covered with scars,
Still strove, with his last ounce of courage,
To reach the unreachable stars!
”
”
Joe Darion (Man of La Mancha)
“
If you are a monster, stand up.
If you are a monster, a trickster, a fiend,
If you’ve built a steam-powered wishing machine
If you have a secret, a dark past, a scheme,
If you kidnap maidens or dabble in dreams
Come stand by me.
If you have been broken, stand up.
If you have been broken, abandoned, alone
If you have been starving, a creature of bone
If you live in a tower, a dungeon, a throne
If you weep for wanting, to be held, to be known,
Come stand by me.
If you are a savage, stand up.
If you are a witch, a dark queen, a black knight,
If you are a mummer, a pixie, a sprite,
If you are a pirate, a tomcat, a wright,
If you swear by the moon and you fight the hard fight,
Come stand by me.
If you are a devil, stand up.
If you are a villain, a madman, a beast,
If you are a strowler, a prowler, a priest,
If you are a dragon come sit at our feast,
For we all have stripes, and we all have horns,
We all have scales, tails, manes, claws and thorns
And here in the dark is where new worlds are born.
Come stand by me.
”
”
Catherynne M. Valente
“
War seems like a fine adventure, the greatest most of them will ever know. Then they get a taste of battle.
For some, that one taste is enough to break them. Others go on for years, until they lose count of all the battles they have fought in, but even a man who has survived a hundred fights can break in his hundred-and-first. Brothers watch their brothers die, fathers lose their sons, friends see their friends trying to hold their entrails in after they’ve been gutted by an axe.
They see the lord who led them there cut down, and some other lord shouts that they are his now, They take the wound, and when that’s still half-healed they take another. There is never enough to eat, their shoes fall to pieces from marching, their clothes are torn and rotting, and half of them are shitting in their breeches from drinking bad water.
If they want new boots or a warmer cloak or maybe a rusted iron half helm, they need to take them from a corpse, and before long they are stealing from the living too, from the small folk whose land they’re fighting in, men very like the men they used to be. They slaughter their sheep and steal their chickens, and from there it’s just a short step to carrying off their daughters too. And one day they look around and realize all their friends and kin are gone, that they are fighting beside strangers beneath a banner that they hardly recognize. They don’t know where they are or how to get back home and the lord they’re fighting for does not know their names, yet here he comes, shouting for them to form up, to make a line with their spears and scythes and sharpened hoes, to stand their ground. And the knights come down on them, faceless men clad in all steel, and the iron thunder of their charge seems to fill the world.
And the man breaks.
”
”
George R.R. Martin (A Feast for Crows (A Song of Ice and Fire, #4))
“
We take off into the cosmos, ready for anything: for solitude, for hardship, for exhaustion, death. Modesty forbids us to say so, but there are times when we think pretty well of ourselves. And yet, if we examine it more closely, our enthusiasm turns out to be all a sham. We don't want to conquer the cosmos, we simply want to extend the boundaries of Earth to the frontiers of the cosmos. For us, such and such a planet is as arid as the Sahara, another as frozen as the North Pole, yet another as lush as the Amazon basin. We are humanitarian and chivalrous; we don't want to enslave other races, we simply want to bequeath them our values and take over their heritage in exchange. We think of ourselves as the Knights of the Holy Contact. This is another lie. We are only seeking Man. We have no need of other worlds. A single world, our own, suffices us; but we can't accept it for what it is. We are searching for an ideal image of our own world: we go in quest of a planet, a civilization superior to our own but developed on the basis of a prototype of our primeval past. At the same time, there is something inside us which we don't like to face up to, from which we try to protect ourselves, but which nevertheless remains, since we don't leave Earth in a state of primal innocence. We arrive here as we are in reality, and when the page is turned and that reality is revealed to us - that part of our reality which we would prefer to pass over in silence - then we don't like it anymore.
”
”
Stanisław Lem (Solaris)
“
Karrin."
She looked up at me. She looked very young somehow.
"Remember what I said yesterday," I said. "You're hurt. But you'll get through it. You'll be okay."
She closed her eyes tightly. "I'm scared. So scared I'm sick."
"You'll get through it."
"What if I don't?"
I squeezed her fingers. "Then I will personally make fun of you every day for the rest of your life," I said. "I will call you a sissy girl in front of everyone you know, tie frilly aprons on your car, and lurk in the parking lot at CPD and whistle and tell you to shake it, baby. Every. Single. Day."
Murphy's breath escaped in something like a hiccup. She opened her eyes, a mix of anger and wary amusement easing into them in place of fear. "You do realize I'm holding a gun, right?
”
”
Jim Butcher (Summer Knight (The Dresden Files, #4))
“
Sir, people never wanted me to make it to squire. They won't like it any better if I become a knight. I doubt I'll ever get to command a force larger than, well, just me.'
Raoul shook his head. 'You're wrong.' As she started to protest, he raised a hand. 'Hear me out. I have some idea of what you've had to bear to get this far, and it won't get easier. But there are larger issues than your fitness for knighthood, issues that involve lives and livelihoods. Attend,' he said, so much like Yayin, one of her Mithran teachers, that Kel had to smile.
'At our level, there are four kids of warrior,' he told Kel. He raised a fist and held up one large finger. 'Heroes, like Alanna the Lioness. Warriors who find dark places and fight in them alone. This is wonderful, but we live in the real world. There aren't many places without any hope or light.'
He raised a second finger. 'We have knights- plain, everyday knights, like your brothers. They patrol their borders and protect their tenants, or they go into troubled areas at the king's command and sort them out. They fight in battles, usually against other knights. A hero will work like an everyday knight for a time- it's expected. And most knights must be clever enough to manage alone.'
Kel nodded.
'We have soldiers,' Raoul continued, raising a third finger. 'Those warriors, including knights, who can manage so long as they're told what to do. These are more common, thank Mithros, and you'll find them in charge of companies in the army, under the eye of a general. Without people who can take orders, we'd be in real trouble.
'Commanders.' He raised his little finger. 'Good ones, people with a knack for it, like, say, the queen, or Buri, or young Dom, they're as rare as heroes. Commanders have an eye not just for what they do, but for what those around them do. Commanders size up people's strengths and weaknesses. They know where someone will shine and where they will collapse. Other warriors will obey a true commander because they can tell that the commander knows what he- or she- is doing.' Raoul picked up a quill and toyed with it. 'You've shown flashes of being a commander. I've seen it. So has Qasim, your friend Neal, even Wyldon, though it would be like pulling teeth to get him to admit it. My job is to see if you will do more than flash, with the right training. The realm needs commanders. Tortall is big. We have too many still-untamed pockets, too curse many hideyholes for rogues, and plenty of hungry enemies to nibble at our borders and our seafaring trade. If you have what it takes, the Crown will use you. We're too desperate for good commanders to let one slip away, even a female one. Now, finish that'- he pointed to the slate- 'and you can stop for tonight.
”
”
Tamora Pierce (Squire (Protector of the Small, #3))
“
It’s loneliness. Even though I’m surrounded by loved ones who care about me and want only the best, it’s possible they try to help only because they feel the same thing—loneliness—and why, in a gesture of solidarity, you’ll find the phrase “I am useful, even if alone” carved in stone. Though the brain says all is well, the soul is lost, confused, doesn’t know why life is being unfair to it. But we still wake up in the morning and take care of our children, our husband, our lover, our boss, our employees, our students, those dozens of people who make an ordinary day come to life. And we often have a smile on our face and a word of encouragement, because no one can explain their loneliness to others, especially when we are always in good company. But this loneliness exists and eats away at the best parts of us because we must use all our energy to appear happy, even though we will never be able to deceive ourselves. But we insist, every morning, on showing only the rose that blooms, and keep the thorny stem that hurts us and makes us bleed hidden within. Even knowing that everyone, at some point, has felt completely and utterly alone, it is humiliating to say, “I’m lonely, I need company. I need to kill this monster that everyone thinks is as imaginary as a fairy-tale dragon, but isn’t.” But it isn’t. I wait for a pure and virtuous knight, in all his glory, to come defeat it and push it into the abyss for good, but that knight never comes. Yet we cannot lose hope. We start doing things we don’t usually do, daring to go beyond what is fair and necessary. The thorns inside us will grow larger and more overwhelming, yet we cannot give up halfway. Everyone is looking to see the final outcome, as though life were a huge game of chess. We pretend it doesn’t matter whether we win or lose, the important thing is to compete. We root for our true feelings to stay opaque and hidden, but then … … instead of looking for companionship, we isolate ourselves even more in order to lick our wounds in silence. Or we go out for dinner or lunch with people who have nothing to do with our lives and spend the whole time talking about things that are of no importance. We even manage to distract ourselves for a while with drink and celebration, but the dragon lives on until the people who are close to us see that something is wrong and begin to blame themselves for not making us happy. They ask what the problem is. We say that everything is fine, but it’s not … Everything is awful. Please, leave me alone, because I have no more tears to cry or heart left to suffer. All I have is insomnia, emptiness, and apathy, and, if you just ask yourselves, you’re feeling the same thing. But they insist that this is just a rough patch or depression because they are afraid to use the real and damning word: loneliness. Meanwhile, we continue to relentlessly pursue the only thing that would make us happy: the knight in shining armor who will slay the dragon, pick the rose, and clip the thorns. Many claim that life is unfair. Others are happy because they believe that this is exactly what we deserve: loneliness, unhappiness. Because we have everything and they don’t. But one day those who are blind begin to see. Those who are sad are comforted. Those who suffer are saved. The knight arrives to rescue us, and life is vindicated once again. Still, you have to lie and cheat, because this time the circumstances are different. Who hasn’t felt the urge to drop everything and go in search of their dream? A dream is always risky, for there is a price to pay. That price is death by stoning in some countries, and in others it could be social ostracism or indifference. But there is always a price to pay. You keep lying and people pretend they still believe, but secretly they are jealous, make comments behind your back, say you’re the very worst, most threatening thing there is. You are not an adulterous man, tolerated and often even admired, but an adulterous woman, one who is ...
”
”
Paulo Coelho (Adultery)