Will Baxter > Will's Quotes

“principle”
― Patrick Rothfuss, The Name of the Wind

“The three boys, one dark, one light, and one—for lack of a better word—fiery, do not notice the night. Perhaps some part of them does, but they are young, and drunk, and busy knowing deep in their hearts that they will never grow old or die. They also know that they are friends, and they share a certain love that will never leave them. The boys know many other things, but none of them seem as important as this. Perhaps they are right.”
― Patrick Rothfuss, The Name of the Wind

“Sadness? Pity?”
― Patrick Rothfuss, The Name of the Wind

“but looked down at her hands. “You might be surprised what men forget,”
― Patrick Rothfuss, The Name of the Wind

“I missed you this Felling past at the Eolian, but though denied your company, I had the good fortune to meet someone quite interesting. He is a quite singular fellow, and I am eager to tell you what little I can of him.”
― Patrick Rothfuss, The Name of the Wind

“couldn’t leave. I had too much invested here. My studies. My vain hopes for gaining a patron and my stronger hopes of entry to the Archives. My precious few friends. Denna . . .”
― Patrick Rothfuss, The Name of the Wind

“I will not repeat it here, as she sang it to me, not to you.”
― Patrick Rothfuss, The Name of the Wind

“In fact it was high time I caught a piece of luck in this business.”
― Patrick Rothfuss, The Name of the Wind

“Shining my sympathy lamp past the ruined door,”
― Patrick Rothfuss, The Name of the Wind

“She looked down at her gloved hands and shook her head. She peeled off the wet one, looked at me, and sobbed out a dozen words of Modegan. “I’m sorry,” I said helplessly. “I don’t speak—” But she was already pushing herself up and away from the table. Wiping at her face, she ran for the door.”
― Patrick Rothfuss, The Wise Man's Fear

“I am willing to play a practice game, but if she finds the thought insulting, I will thrash her and take whatever she is willing to lay on the table.”
― Patrick Rothfuss, The Wise Man's Fear

“Hours later, washed, bandaged, and considerably less nekkid, I made my way to Wilem’s room in the Mews. That night, and for many to come, Wil and Sim took turns watching over me as I slept, keeping me safe with their Alar. They were the best sort of friends. The sort everyone hopes for but no one deserves, least of all me.”
― Patrick Rothfuss, The Wise Man's Fear

“Later that night, I slept in the luxury of my narrow bed in my tiny room. At some point I stirred awake, dragged into consciousness by the sensation of chill metal against my skin. I smiled, rolled over, and slid back into blissful sleep.”
― Patrick Rothfuss, The Wise Man's Fear

“compunctions”
― Patrick Rothfuss, The Wise Man's Fear

“Remember: there are three things all wise men fear: the sea in storm, a night with no moon, and the anger of a gentle man.”
― Patrick Rothfuss, The Wise Man's Fear

“Pride is always a better lever against the nobility than reason.”
― Patrick Rothfuss, The Wise Man's Fear

“Maybe he was simply a man in a dark robe who didn’t know the difference between an alligator and a crocodile”
― Patrick Rothfuss, The Wise Man's Fear

“He seemed to hesitate a moment, then his shoulders bowed. “Are you sure?” I shook my head. “There are no certainties in this, your grace. Only hopes. That is the best one I can give you.”
― Patrick Rothfuss, The Wise Man's Fear

“It’s the questions we can’t answer that teach us the most. They teach us how to think. If you give a man an answer, all he gains is a little fact. But give him a question and he’ll look for his own answers.”
― Patrick Rothfuss, The Wise Man's Fear

“Only a fool fights the tide.”
― Patrick Rothfuss, The Wise Man's Fear

“So at best we’re outnumbered two to one,” I said. “Do you like those odds?” His eyes moved to the ridgeline, then back to me. “I’d take two to one. We’ve got surprise, we’re right up close.” He paused and coughed into his sleeve. He spat. “But there’s twenty of them down there. I can feel it in my balls.”
― Patrick Rothfuss, The Wise Man's Fear

“concentrated on my fingering so as not to think about it.”
― Patrick Rothfuss, The Wise Man's Fear

“I realize now that I may have given an inaccurate impression of Haert. It was no thriving metropolis, obviously. And it couldn’t be considered a city by any stretch of the imagination. In some ways it was barely a town. I do not say this disparagingly. I spent the majority of my young life traveling with my troupe, moving from small town to small town. Half the world is made of tiny communities that have grown up around nothing more than a crossroads market, or a good clay pit, or a bend of river strong enough to turn a mill wheel. Sometimes these towns are prosperous. Some have rich soil and generous weather. Some thrive on the trade moving through them. The wealth of these places is obvious. The houses are large and well-mended. People are friendly and generous. The children are fat and happy. There are luxuries for sale: pepper and cinnamon and chocolate. There is coffee and good wine and music at the local inn.”
― Patrick Rothfuss, The Wise Man's Fear

“When you’re alone, it’s easy to be afraid. It’s easy to focus on what might be lurking in the dark at the bottom of the cellar steps. It’s easy to obsess on unproductive things, like the madness of stepping into a storm of spinning knives. When you’re alone it’s easy to sweat, panic, fall apart”
― Patrick Rothfuss, The Wise Man's Fear

“But I wasn’t alone. And it wasn’t just Vashet and Shehyn watching me. There were a dozen mercenaries and the heads of other schools besides. I had an audience. I was onstage. And there is nowhere in the world I am more comfortable than on a stage.”
― Patrick Rothfuss, The Wise Man's Fear

“Shehyn led the three of us up the side of a steep, rocky hill. None of us had spoken since we had left the school. I didn’t know what was about to happen, but it didn’t seem proper to ask. It would have seemed irreverent, like a groom blurting out, “What comes next?” halfway through his own wedding.”
― Patrick Rothfuss, The Wise Man's Fear

“Does anyone object to my leaving the troupe?” I asked. None of them did. So I left.”
― Patrick Rothfuss, The Wise Man's Fear

“It’s been a long while since I’ve had lamb, mother. Could I have a taste?” “You’ll wait, same as everyone else,” she said sharply. “Not even a small taste?” I wheedled, giving her my best ingratiating smile. The old woman drew a breath, then shrugged it away. “Fine,” she said. “But it won’t be my fault if your stomach sets to aching.” I laughed. “No, mother. It won’t be your fault.” I reached for the long-handled wooden spoon and drew it out. After blowing on it, I took a bite. “Mother!” I exclaimed. “This is the best thing to touch my lips in a full year.” “Hmph,” she said, squinting at me. “It’s the first truth, mother,” I said earnestly. “Anyone who does not enjoy this fine stew is hardly one of the Ruh in my opinion.” Anne turned back to stir the pot and shooed me away, but her expression wasn’t as sharp as it had been before.”
― Patrick Rothfuss, The Wise Man's Fear

“They seem a bit above my likes and dislikes, so to speak," answered Sam slowly. "It don't seem to matter what I think about them. They are quite different from what I expected — so old and young, and so gay and sad, as it were.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

“There is a seed of courage hidden (often deeply, it is true) in the heart of the fattest and most timid hobbit, waiting for some final and desperate danger to make it grow.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring