Tree of Ages Quotes

“Finn had felt the fates shift that night, and knew with a surety that she would see the siblings and their hired sword again. She knew it like she knew a storm was coming, back when she was a tree. She felt the pressure of it building, telling her that a downpour was on its way.”
― Sara C. Roethle, Tree of Ages

“When Finn awoke, the sun was halfway across the sky. It was at that blindingly bright point of the day that she always enjoyed the most. Yet her insides were so cold, she barely felt its heat. Insides? Her insides were usually more solid than her outsides. And why was her vision so . . . so, conical? It must have happened in the fall. Oh gods, she had fallen. So why wasn't she dead?”
― Sara C. Roethle, Tree of Ages

“I fear another war is upon us, and I do not think you came back to the realm of mortals on accident. We cannot sit idly by when the signs are all in front of us.”
― Sara C. Roethle, Tree of Ages

“The landscape was still wide open, with the stunted, twisted trees here and there. The cloud- darkened sky and lack of landmarks made Finn feel like she was watching the same scene over and over again as they rode. Her half- breed horse stumbled often as it trotted across the rocky landscape, unused to the lively pace. The animal would not be able to keep up with the steady speed for as long as the others, and Finn began to fear being left behind.”
― Sara C. Roethle, Tree of Ages

“Anders' nerves felt ready to snap as he rushed through the foliage on horseback in search of his sister. In her sleep-like state, he hadn't expected her to run off like that, thought it was obvious to him now that she'd simply been waiting for the right opportunity. The only explanation he could fathom was that some insidious Faie had possessed her, but that problem could not be dealt with until he found her.”
― Sara C. Roethle, Tree of Ages

“Finn was not sure that her horse could be called a horse, but she liked her anyhow. The gray beast had large mule ears, and a shaggy-haired face and body. Aed's was similar, but slightly shorter and muddy brown in color.”
― Sara C. Roethle, Tree of Ages

“Finn, short for Finnur. She had confirmed it. Iseult did one final circle around the inn as he went over every word she had said to him, looking for any evidence to further confirm his suspicions, though he was unsure of what he hoped to find. He had lied when he told her that he'd come outside to investigate the stumbling footsteps. It was merely a coincidence. He was as much a denizen of the night as any sword-for-hire, but that was not why he had ventured out. Finn had been on his mind since he'd first seen her in the common room. There was pressure in the air like a storm was coming, and storms always made Iseult uneasy. Growing up on the sea would do that to a man.”
― Sara C. Roethle, Tree of Ages

“Well,” Branwen explained, her face taking on a studious look, “it is fabled that the Mountebank once possessed great powers. He was a conjurer, to put it quite plainly. He helped people, sure, but he also swindled them. He became well known as a trickster of sorts, talking good folk into deals that they didn't understand. He would take them for what they were worth, then point out in the end what they had actually agreed to.”
― Sara C. Roethle, Tree of Ages

“She tossed and turned on her straw mat, too filled with restless energy to leave the waking world. It was the first time since Garenoch that Finn had slept inside, and she had mixed feelings about the situation. She found that she was actually grateful for the shelter, and that thought alone worried her. What worried her even more, was that she hadn't thought about being a tree all day. She was, in fact, beginning to like life as a human. She liked being a part of what people did, beyond lending them shade, or a trunk to lean against. She liked dancing and conversing. More than the sense of community, she enjoyed adventure and having the ability to move about as she pleased, meeting new humans and creatures along the way.”
― Sara C. Roethle, Tree of Ages

“Anders felt himself rolling his eyes at the thought of the travelers from the Gray City. The city's traditional name was Sormyr. Sormyr was originally built with wrought iron and basalt. It had been altogether imposing in its darkness. The only problem was that it stood near the sea, so that over time everything became caked in salt and other minerals. The city dwellers did their best to scrub the minerals away, but most of the buildings turned to gray. Hence, the Gray City.”
― Sara C. Roethle, Tree of Ages

“He turned to his twin sister, Branwen. She obviously had not even noticed the old man, or the girl that had accompanied him. Branwen was poring over a decrepit book on the history of their current burgh. Tomorrow there would be another book, as they would be heading toward another burgh. For the life of him, Anders could find nothing interesting about any of the little hamlets they'd passed through, but his sister acted as if each new place held great historical significance. She had loved books as a child, and now she would see the places she had read about for the very first time.”
― Sara C. Roethle, Tree of Ages

“He looked to their other companion, Iseult, the guard they'd enlisted before leaving the Gray City. At least Anders liked to think of him as a guard. In reality he was more of a mercenary, taking whatever job paid regardless of how lawful the job might be.”
― Sara C. Roethle, Tree of Ages

“Finn definitely felt it. Suddenly she felt uncontrollably dizzy. Óengus collapsed where he stood with a soft thud as he crumpled to the ground. Finn tried to run, but ended up falling to the side against a tree trunk. As soon as she touched the tree her mind cleared slightly, though she knew she would not be able to get to her feet.”
― Sara C. Roethle, Tree of Ages

“The soup on the wood stove smelled divine. Finn had never understood what hunger was. She had known thirst, and felt a certain lacking during the winter months when the sun was out less, but it was nothing like the pain she was feeling inside her belly right then. She wondered how humans ever got anything done with such incessant pain.”
― Sara C. Roethle, Tree of Ages

“The night was still and quiet as the three companions slept deeply. Then, a slight shudder could be felt below the earth around the three sleeping forms. Ever so slowly, serpent-like roots forced their way out of the damp soil, searching for their quarry. As they freed themselves, they began to creep across the still form of the Dair Child, crawling up her legs, torso, and finally her face, until all that could be seen was a strand of long, dark-blond hair reaching toward Iseult's sleeping form as if begging to be saved. She should never have gotten so far. Time was running out.”
― Sara C. Roethle, Tree of Ages

“We may believe the past is what matters most to us, but really, it is the present and the future. It is hope that matters most.”
― Sara C. Roethle, Tree of Ages

“She somehow knew that she had a purpose, but was unsure of what that purpose might be. She'd”
― Sara C. Roethle, Tree of Ages