The Kings of Clonmel Quotes

“An ordinary archer practices until he gets it right. A ranger practices until he never gets it wrong.”
― John Flanagan, The Kings of Clonmel

“I'll be getting you for this,' Halt had told him as he dabbed the diguisting mixture on the worst of the cuts. 'That soot is filthy. I'll probably come down with half a dozen infections.'
Probably,' Horace had replied, distracted by his task. 'But we'll only need you for today.'
Which was not a very comforting thought for Halt.”
― John Flanagan, The Kings of Clonmel

“So I'm an ace?' Will grinned. 'I'm flattered Halt, flattered. I had no idea you regarded me so highly.'
Halt gave him a long-suffering look. 'I might have been more accurate to say a joker.'
Whatever you say.”
― John Flanagan, The Kings of Clonmel

“Halt shook his head. "You warriors don't do much geography in Battleschool, do you?"

Horace shrugged. "We're not big on that sort of thing. We wait for our leader to point to an enemy and say, 'Go whack him.' We leave geography and such to Rangers. We like you to feel superior."

"Go whack him, indeed," Halt said. "It must be comforting to lead such an uncomplicated life.”
― John Flanagan, The Kings of Clonmel

“I thought I'd stumbled on Sleeping Beauty and her ugly sister,' said another voice, 'waiting for the kiss of true love to wake them from their slumbers. Forgive me if I didn't oblige.”
― John Flanagan, The Kings of Clonmel

“He looked up as the party emerged and nickered a soft hello to his master, who was dressed in an unfamiliar green cloak and had dirt plastered on his face. Halt glanced at him, brow furrowed, and silently mouthed the words 'shut up'. Abelardshook his mane, which was as close as a horse could come to shruging, and turned away.
'My horse recognized me,' Halt said accusingly out of the side of his mouth to Horace.
Horace glanced at the small shagging horse, standing beside his own massive battlehorse.
'Mine didn't,' he replied. 'So that's a fifty-fifty result.'
'I think I'd like odds better than that,' Halt replied.
Horace suppressed a grin. 'Don't worry. He can probably smell you.'
'I can smell myself,' Halt replied acerbically. 'I smell of tea and soot.'
Horace thought it was wiser not to reply to that.”
― John Flanagan, The Kings of Clonmel

“Horace, when you get older, try to avoid being saddled with an apprentice. Not only are they a damned nuisance, but apparently they constantly feel the need to get the better of their masters. They’re bad enough when they’re learning. But when they graduate, they become unbearable. [The Kings of Clonmel Pg.268]”
― John Flanagan, The Kings of Clonmel

“You're apprentice Rangers,' he said. 'And the important word there is "Rangers".' He tapped the silver oaklead amulet around his neck. 'As a wearer of the Silver Oakleaf, I might expect obedience and some level of difference from you. But I do not expect you to call me sir. My name is Will and that's what you call me. You'd call my friend Gilan and my former master Halt, if he were here. That's the Ranger's way.”
― John Flanagan, The Kings of Clonmel

“You spoil your horse, Halt said.
Will glanced at him. You spoil yours.
Halt considered the thought, then nodded. That's true.”
― John Flanagan, The Kings of Clonmel

“Several of them were discussing this in low tones as they waited for Halt to arrive - until they realized that he was already among them. They weren't used to this. Kings were supposed to sweep into a room majestically - not suddenly appear without anyone seeing their arrival.”
― John Flanagan, The Kings of Clonmel

“Uphill? There's nothing up the hill," Colly said, trying desperately to work out where this conversation was going.
"As a matter of fact, there is. There's a bluff about twelve meters high, with a river running below it. The water's deep, so it'll be quite safe for you to jump." In his brief glimpse of the river, Halt had noticed that the fast-flowing water cut under the bluff in a sharp curve. That should mean that the bottom had been scoured out over the years. A thought struck him. "You can swim, I assume?"
"Yes. I can swim," Colly said. "But I'm going jumping off some bluff just because you say to!"
"No, no. Of course not. That'd be asking far too much of you. You'll jump off because if you don't, I'll shoot you. It'll be the same effect, really. If I have to shoot you, you'll fall off. But I thought I'd give you a chance to survive." Halt paused, then added, "Oh, and if you decide to run downhill, I'll also shoot you with an arrow. Uphill and off is really your only chance of survival."
"You can't be serious!" Colly said. "Do you really-"
But he got no further. Halt leaned forward, putting a hand up to stop the outburst.
"Colly, take a good, long look into my eyes and tell me if you see anything, anything at all, that says I'm not deadly serious."
His eyes were deep brown, almost black. They were steady and unwavering and there was no sign of anything there but utter determination. Colly looked at them and after a few second, his eyes dropped away. halt nodded as the other man's gaze slid away from his.
"Good. Now we've got that settled, you should try to get some sleep. You have a big day ahead of you tomorrow.”
― John Flanagan, The Kings of Clonmel

“Sometimes, he thought, all you could do was wait.”
― John Flanagan, The Kings of Clonmel

“Idiots, Halt muttered. If we were here to cause trouble, we could simply ride them both down”
― John Flanagan, The Kings of Clonmel

“The King was stretched unconscious on the floor, an overturned chair beside him. Horace was shaking his right hand, nursing his obviously bruised knuckles. “Horace Altman,” Halt said, “what on earth have you done?” Horace gestured to the wardrobe full of official garments. “I’ve just elected you King,” he said. “Start getting dressed.”
― John Flanagan, The Kings of Clonmel

“As the old Ranger adage went "If a person doesn't expect to see someone, odds are he won't.”
― John Flanagan, The Kings of Clonmel

“did. But then they might decide to do the obvious thing after all,” he said. “Oh, it’s a case of they think I’ll think that they’ll do A, so they’ll do B because I wouldn’t think they’d think of that but then because I might think I know what they’re thinking they’ll do A after all because I wouldn’t think they’d think that way,” Will said. Halt looked at him for a long moment in silence. “You know, I’m almost tempted to ask you to repeat that.” Will grinned. “I’m not sure I could.” Halt”
― John Flanagan, The Kings of Clonmel

“He hesitated a moment, shifted the load to his left arm and mimed a sword stroke in the air. Crowley looked over his shoulder at the serving boy with some concern. “Planning on beheading me, are you?” he asked. Rafe smiled at him. “No sir, Ranger. Just getting the right side, like. Just shift yourself over while I put these down, before I forget which side is which, now.” Crowley”
― John Flanagan, The Kings of Clonmel

“Halt was about to indulge in what he called 'creative documentation'. Horace called it forgery.”
― John Flanagan, The Kings of Clonmel

“the three first-year apprentices watched in awe as the two marksmen slammed arrow after arrow into the almost invisible targets. “Anytime before sunset would be fine,” Will drawled.”
― John Flanagan, The Kings of Clonmel

“I give you warning. You and your false god cannot stand against the power of Alseiass! Leave now or suffer the consequences! If I call on Alseiass, you will know pain such as you have never felt.” “Well, priest, if I take my blade to your fat hide, you’ll know some pain yourself!”
― John Flanagan, The Kings of Clonmel

“Halt seemed more antagonized by the fact that his brother didn’t like coffee than by the fact that he had stolen the throne from him.”
― John Flanagan, The Kings of Clonmel

“Aye! Claiming to be able to keep Mountshannon safe. Funny how religious folks like that say their god will protect them—right up until someone hits them with a club.” “Still,”
― John Flanagan, The Kings of Clonmel

“I’ll think of you when I’m tucked up in a warm bed at Castle Araluen and you’re all out sleeping in muddy ditches and drafty barns.” A chorus of cheerful abuse met this comment,”
― John Flanagan, The Kings of Clonmel

“Horace glanced uncertainly at Halt. But the Ranger was already reaching up to push the cowl back from his face. As he did so, Horace glanced at the King once more. He was frowning. Something was familiar about the roughly dressed figure before him, but he couldn’t quite . . . “Hello, brother,” Halt said quietly.”
― John Flanagan, The Kings of Clonmel

“Oh, it’s a case of they think I’ll think that they’ll do A, so they’ll do B because I wouldn’t think they’d think of that but then because I might think I know what they’re thinking they’ll do A after all because I wouldn’t think they’d think that way,” Will said.”
― John Flanagan, The Kings of Clonmel

“Uh... is dat een bonte havik?' vroeg Will...
'Nee, dat is geen bonte havik,' zei Halt nors, zonder zelfs even de moeite te nemen te kijken waar Will naar wees. 'En als het er toch een is kan hij de pot op.”
― John Flanagan, The Kings of Clonmel

“Gradually, the cheering died away, like a mighty wave that crashes in upon a beach, then recedes until there is nothing of it left behind.”
― John Flanagan, The Kings of Clonmel

“There was a small screened-off space in one corner. Will poked his nose into it and saw a bucket. “What’s this for?” he asked. Horace smiled. “It’s a privy,” he said. “In case I need a nervous wee.”
― John Flanagan, The Kings of Clonmel

“King Ferris”
― John Flanagan, The Kings of Clonmel

“THE AFTERMATH OF A BATTLE WAS ALWAYS A SOBERING SIGHT, Horace thought. The dead lay in awkward, unnatural poses, draped”
― John Flanagan, The Kings of Clonmel