The Royal Ranger Quotes

“Keep practicing," he told her.
"Until I get it right?" she said. But he corrected her.

"No. Until you don't get it wrong.”
― John Flanagan, The Royal Ranger

“Don’t talk to your horse, dear. People are watching,” Pauline said quietly.
Halt turned a perplexed look toward her. “How do you know when I’m doing that?”
She smiled at him. “Your nose twitches.”
… On the way, Kane [stableboy] kept glancing surreptitiously at the famous Ranger, fascinated by the fact that he kept staring down his nose and tweaking its tip between his forefinger and thumb.”
― John Flanagan, The Royal Ranger

“How can you sleep at a time like this?” she asked, but the only answer was a low snore. She looked at him suspiciously. In the short time she had been with him, she had never before heard him snore.
“You’re faking,” she said.
“No. I’m really fast asleep,” came his voice from under the cowl.”
― John Flanagan, The Royal Ranger

“She shook her head in admiration. "You've thought of everything," she said. But Will looked up at her and shook his head solemnly.
"I doubt it," he said. "No matter how thoroughly you plan, no matter how much you think you know, you've never thought of everything.”
― John Flanagan, The Royal Ranger

“Gilan,” she said, “you’re looking well.” And apart from those wrinkles, he was.
He smiled at her. “And you grow more beautiful every day, Pauline,” he replied.
“What about me?” Halt said, with mock severity. “Do I grow more handsome every day? More impressive, perhaps?”
Gilan eyed him critically, his head to one side. Then he announced his verdict.
“Scruffier,” he said.
Halt raised his eyebrows. “’Scruffier’?” he demanded.
Gilan nodded. I’m not sure if you’re aware of recent advances in technology, Halt,” he said. “But there a wonderful new invention called scissors. People use them for trimming beards and hair.”
“Why?”
Gilan appealed to Pauline. “Still using his saxe knife to do his barbering, is he?”
Pauline nodded, slipping her hand inside her husband’s arm. “Unless I can catch him at it,” she admitted. Halt regarded them both with a withering look. They both refused to wither, so he abandoned the expression.
“You show a fine lack of respect for your former mentor,” he told Gilan.
The younger man shrugged. “It goes with my exalted position as your commander.”
“Not mine,” Halt said. “I’ve retired.”
“So I can expect little in the way of deference from you?” Gilan grinned.
“No. I’ll show proper deference….the day you train your horse to fly back around the castle’s turrets.”
― John Flanagan, The Royal Ranger

“You've always said I should have an inquiring mind," she said.
"I have. But not an interrupting one.”
― John Flanagan, The Royal Ranger

“Anything happening,” she whispered.
“Aside from you blundering about like a lost elephant?” he asked, in the same low tone.
She nodded, accepting the rebuke. “Aside from that.”
― John Flanagan, The Royal Ranger

“No matter how thoroughly you plan, no matter how much you think you know, you've never thought of everything.”
― John Flanagan, The Royal Ranger

“Then her mother – as skilled in the art of ambush as most mothers are – startled her with her furious, echoing roar.”
― John Flanagan, The Royal Ranger

“Mind you, Princess Cassandra used to stalk us when she sneaked out of the castle as a girl.”
― John Flanagan, The Royal Ranger

“I'm reminded of a conversation I had with your father when you wanted to go to Arrida to ransom Erak. I told him, and I'll tell you now, that a queen-to-be has to do these things - has to take chances. Has to get out in the world. You can't rule properly from an ivory tower.”
― John Flanagan, The Royal Ranger

“I wouldn't want to get you into trouble." Gordon hesitated still...

Maddie laughed carelessly. "Wouldn't be the first time. Probably wouldn't be the last.”
― John Flanagan, The Royal Ranger

“In the time she had been with him, she had never before heard him snore. “You’re faking,” she said. “No. I’m really fast asleep,” came his voice from under the cowl.”
― John Flanagan, The Royal Ranger

“Hangovers had a way of teaching people that drinking alcohol was not a good idea.”
― John Flanagan, The Royal Ranger

“Keep practicing,” he told her. “Until I get it right,” she said. But he corrected her. “No. Until you don’t get it wrong.”
― John Flanagan, The Royal Ranger

“minds were running along similar lines. Will adjusted”
― John Flanagan, The Royal Ranger

“I don’t plan to miss,” she said. Will shrugged. “Nobody ever does.”
― John Flanagan, The Royal Ranger: A New Beginning

“What have you packed for? A twelve-month grand tour around the country?”
― John Flanagan, The Royal Ranger: A New Beginning

“• • •  “How long will you be gone?”
― John Flanagan, The Royal Ranger

“Halt leaned forward and took Cassandra’s hands. “You’d be placing her in the care of the greatest, most capable Ranger Araluen has ever known,” he said quietly. He sensed the surprise among the others and looked up at them. “Oh, Will’s better than I ever was,” he said, smiling.”
― John Flanagan, The Royal Ranger: A New Beginning

“properly”
― John Flanagan, The Royal Ranger: A New Beginning

“I most certainly am not! I wouldn’t want a big lump like him riding me. She moved closer to Bumper and whispered, “Just go along with it, will you? And how do you know my dad is a big lump?” He’s a knight. They’re all big lumps.”
― John Flanagan, The Royal Ranger: A New Beginning

“She peered at it, frowning. “Doesn’t look like a hawk’s head to me,” she said, rubbing her eyes. Will raised an eyebrow in her direction. “That could be because you’re looking at it upside down,” he said patiently. “By the way, your toast’s burning.”
― John Flanagan, The Royal Ranger: A New Beginning

“You’d be placing her in the”
― John Flanagan, The Royal Ranger: A New Beginning

“It was made from bark slabs and wattle and daub,”
― John Flanagan, The Royal Ranger: A New Beginning

“She stumbled once, then again, on the uneven ground. Then she fell, a sharp stone cutting into her knee and tearing her tights. She cried out with the pain, feeling hot blood flowing down her leg. She tried to rise and failed. Her head spun. Then her stomach heaved and she was violently, helplessly sick. She knelt on hands and knees, retching until her stomach was empty and there was nothing more to throw up. Will, on Tug’s back, towered above her, watching her dispassionately as she alternately retched and sobbed. “Best thing for you,” he said finally. “Now get on your feet again.” Hating him, hating herself even more, she managed to regain her feet and lurched down the dark path toward the cabin.”
― John Flanagan, The Royal Ranger: A New Beginning

“Nobody can shee me,” she cackled. “Trusht the cloak.” Which profound witticism set them all off once more. “What the blistering blazes do you think you’re doing?”
― John Flanagan, The Royal Ranger: A New Beginning

“The speed was incredible. She had never ridden so fast in her life. You didn’t expect this, did you? “No, I didn’t,” she replied, shocked to find that she was talking to her horse—and, even more surprising, her horse had seemed to talk to her.”
― John Flanagan, The Royal Ranger: A New Beginning

“Young Bob frowned thoughtfully for a second or two, then replied, “With Bumper, you say ‘Don’t break me.”
― John Flanagan, The Royal Ranger: A New Beginning

“Don’t try to aim down the arrow shaft,” he told her. “You have to sense where the arrow will go. You need to see the entire sighting picture—the bale of hay, the bow and the arrowhead. Learn where the arrow will fly.” She frowned. “How do I do that?” “There’s only one way. You practice. Over and over again, so that aligning the shot to the target becomes an instinctive action. After a while, after seeing enough arrows fly, you’ll instinctively know where to position the bow in the sighting picture. As the range increases, you’ll also need to gauge how much elevation you give the arrow—how far above the target you need to aim to hit the center.”
― John Flanagan, The Royal Ranger: A New Beginning