Running Close to the Wind Quotes

“Julian,” Avra said, sharply reproachful. “Tev had such a hard day, and now you’re dangling reminders at them of your past as a slutty revolutionary? That’s not fair.”
“Don’t listen to him,” said Teveri. “You can talk about your slutty revolutionary past if you want. Feel free to be wistful and nostalgic. Homesick for it, maybe.”
― Alexandra Rowland, Running Close to the Wind

“Should we be wary of snakes, do you think?” Julian asked as it became harder and harder to see their own feet.
“You think I’d have the bad luck to get bitten by a snake?”
“Let me rephrase: Should I be wary of snakes, do you think?”
“You could if you wanted to.” Avra shrugged. “Or you could hold hands with me, and then you wouldn’t have to worry about snakes any more than I do.”
“Is that how it works?” Julian said, amused.
Avra turned and winked at him. “Maybe, who’s to say?” After a moment, he added, “I winked, just so you know. I can’t see your face that well anymore, so you probably didn’t see the wink.”
“I appreciate that. I did, however, sense a general air of winks.”
“Holding hands so you don’t get bitten by snakes probably doesn’t count as breaking your vow of celibacy,” Avra said with a little hair toss that Julian probably also couldn’t see very well. “Just pointing that out.”
“That’s a reasonable argument,” said Julian, which wasn’t true at all, but then his hand slipped into Avra’s.
“Hrkg,” said Avra. After a long moment, silent but for the crunch of the forest floor under his feet, he giggled in a delirious little panic.
“It starts counting more if you do that,” Julian said solemnly.”
― Alexandra Rowland, Running Close to the Wind

“Should we be wary of snakes, do you think?” Julian asked as it became harder and harder to see their own feet.

“You think I’d have the bad luck to get bitten by a snake?”

“Let me rephrase: Should I be wary of snakes, do you think?”

“You could if you wanted to.” Avra shrugged. Or you could hold hands with me, and then you wouldn’t have to worry about snakes any more than I do.”
“Is that how it works?” Julian said, amused.
Avra turned and winked at him. “Maybe, who’s to say?” After a moment, he added, “I winked, just so you know. I can’t see your face that well anymore, so you probably didn’t see the wink.”

“I appreciate that. I did, however, sense a general air of winks.”
“Holding hands so you don’t get bitten by snakes probably doesn’t count as breaking your vow of celibacy,” Avra said with a little hair toss that Julian probably also couldn’t see very well. “Just pointing that out.”
“That’s a reasonable argument,” said Julian, which wasn’t true at all, but then his hand slipped into Avra’s.
“Hrkg,” said Avra. After a long moment, silent but for the crunch of the forest floor under his feet, he giggled in a delirious little panic.
“It starts counting more if you do that,” Julian said solemnly.”
― Alexandra Rowland, Running Close to the Wind

“Avra,” said Teveri in a very different tone to what they had been using. “Please get in the boat.”
Avra gasped and clapped a hand to his heart in genuine horror. “Tev, you can’t do that.”
“Please, Avra, I would really like it if you got in the boat.”
Avra looked to the crew for support; they met his eyes expressionlessly, except for Julian, who had sucked both lips into his mouth to bite back a smile. Avra turned back to Teveri and spluttered for a moment. “These tactics are beneath you, Teveri.”
― Alexandra Rowland, Running Close to the Wind

“On a scale of 1-10, you don't get to be a 23 without really loving it.”
― Alexandra Rowland, Running Close to the Wind