Dragonslayer Quotes

“What does slay mean?” “… It means Daddy poked the dragon very hard until it fell over and didn’t get up again.”
― Tui T. Sutherland, Dragonslayer

“bet you could kill a dragon with the smell of your armpits, though.”
― Tui T. Sutherland, Dragonslayer

“One morning shortly after Wren turned seven years old, her parents wrestled her into her best blue wool dress, pinned her down to oil her curly hair, and took her up the mountain to be eaten by a dragon.”
― Tui T. Sutherland, Dragonslayer

“He was, in fact, roaring something like, “HA HA, PUNY SCAVENGERS! YOU CAN NEVER HIT ME! I AM THE GREATEST WARRIOR IN THE ENTIRE ARMY OF SAND! HA HA HA!”
― Tui T. Sutherland, Dragonslayer

“He never had smoke rising from his nostrils the way the dragons flying overhead did. He never sneezed out bursts of flame (although he did sneeze quite a lot for a while after his time in the river). He never even breathed heat, not even on the coldest nights when they both really needed it.”
― Tui T. Sutherland, Dragonslayer

“I will find this girl,” hissed the Invincible Lord, and Undauntable felt a stab of fear for Wren. “I will find her, and her dragon — or dragons, if Boar’s theory is correct. You can be of use to me, or you can be a stupid waste of space, as usual. But either way, one day I will control the girl who controls dragons, and then … then the whole world will be mine at last.”
― Tui T. Sutherland, Dragonslayer

“Don’t say hate,” Violet said. “That is a mean word.” “Fine,” said Daffodil. “I LOATHE her.”
― Tui T. Sutherland, Dragonslayer

“We have no idea! No recorded survivor encounters, so they’re probably the deadliest and stealthiest of all dragons”
― Tui T. Sutherland, Dragonslayer

“turtle-face,” Wren told him affectionately in their hybrid language.”
― Tui T. Sutherland, Dragonslayer

“It sounded like … music? It was coming from somewhere in the mountains nearby, probably another part of the palace. The moonlight cast silver shadows on the peaks around them as all the dragons lifted their faces to the sky. It was music. It was the sound of many voices singing together, but it couldn’t be, because the “voices” sang in the dragon language, rumbling well above and below human registers. How can dragons SING? Leaf thought, shaken. How can they have music? Isn’t music a human thing? Don’t you need a — a soul to make music?”
― Tui T. Sutherland, Dragonslayer

“No human has ever killed a dragon,” his mother pointed out. “It’s not possible. You might as well walk into their cave and offer to be their lunch.”
― Tui T. Sutherland, Dragonslayer

“Much more interesting news than that, sir,” said Boar. As the Invincible Lord scowled, he hurried on. “There was an incident in Valor, my lord. The Dragonslayer is no longer in charge. In fact, he admitted in front of the entire town that he never killed that dragon after all.”
― Tui T. Sutherland, Dragonslayer

“What?” Undauntable could sense a new simmering rage building under his father’s skin. “But there was a dead dragon! The last two spies said he has its tail!”
― Tui T. Sutherland, Dragonslayer

“He does, but it turns out it was his brother who did the slaying,” said Boar. “But that one’s a lost cause, your great and powerful lordship. And the Dragonslayer has been utterly disgraced. Neither one is the hero you’re looking for.”
― Tui T. Sutherland, Dragonslayer

“He didn’t, exactly. But he had someone with him.” Boar paused for dramatic effect. The room was deathly silent, everyone listening with wide-eyed fascination. “The dragon was working with a girl.” “A girl?” The Invincible Lord snorted with disgust. “Impossible.” “This girl was riding the dragon,” Boar insisted. “I saw it with my own two eyes. She stood up there on his shoulder, and she didn’t say a word, but you could tell: she was the one who understood the dragon. She was the one who really brought the message. She made him roar when she wanted to; she told him when to leave — with the treasure, mind you. There is a girl, sir, who can control dragons.”
― Tui T. Sutherland, Dragonslayer

“Undauntable,” his father said in his icy voice. The room was empty now except for the two of them. “That man described a dragon whose scales seem to match the ones you wear. I think it’s time you told me where you’ve been getting them.”
― Tui T. Sutherland, Dragonslayer

“His fingers tightened mercilessly on Undauntable’s arm, cutting off the circulation so Undauntable’s hand felt numb. “An old woman,” Undauntable blurted. “I met her once in the market a long time ago. She had a small bag full of the scales, so I bought them all, because I didn’t want anyone else to have them. I’ve just been adding them to my jewels one a time for — for effect because you said st-style was partly about t-timing and —”
― Tui T. Sutherland, Dragonslayer

“Camels bad, Wren wants a pet cobra,” Sky recited, then jumped back with a laugh as she swatted him.”
― Tui T. Sutherland, Dragonslayer

“Please don’t come back with a pet camel,” she said. “And don’t make friends with any scorpions! Also snakes; snakes are bad, try to remember that.”
― Tui T. Sutherland, Dragonslayer

“Maybe they have wonderful desert animals for sale!” Wren laughed.”
― Tui T. Sutherland, Dragonslayer

“It’s NOT terrible,” he shouted. “I AM Undauntable! What’s your so-great name, then?”
― Tui T. Sutherland, Dragonslayer

“Drop the ceiling on his head?” Sky suggested. Wren gave him a look. “How is that the QUIET option, Sky?” “I don’t know,” he said. “One brick at a time?”
― Tui T. Sutherland, Dragonslayer

“Well, I thought that would be less embarrassing for everyone than all the things you did say about her,” Wren offered.”
― Tui T. Sutherland, Dragonslayer

“Dad would never work for anyone else; he likes being lord himself too much. And he doesn’t want to fight any more dragons. He’d rather hide from them.”
― Tui T. Sutherland, Dragonslayer

“I will find out." Violet said. "I am excellent at thing-finding-out."
"But won't you get in trouble?" Ivy asked anxiously. "My parents yell at me when I try to find things out."
"Then I will yell BACK," said Daffodil. That is what I am excellent at.”
― Tui T. Sutherland, Dragonslayer

“Daffodil says it's weird that he has a big shiny treasure but I never get to see it. Daffodil says maybe it doesn't exist at all or maybe he lost it or something. Daffodil says I should hold my breath until you let me see it, but I practiced and it gave me a super big headache so I'mma not do that."
"Daffodil has so many helpful thoughts," her mother observed.”
― Tui T. Sutherland, Dragonslayer

“could see five different sets of scales — yellow, blue, green, black, and brown.”
― Tui T. Sutherland, Dragonslayer

“Mommy. Mommy. Mommy, you know how Daffodil has a pet rabbit? Do you think I could have a pet dragon?” “NO, Ivy.”
― Tui T. Sutherland, Dragonslayer

“She ran into a problem at the tunnel exit, though. Her father chose one of the exits with a ladder up to the sky, where a Wingwatcher stood guard at the bottom. Ivy crouched behind a bench carved out of the rock. Her heart was pounding. She’d never been this close to this exit before — certainly never without permission. It smelled different here. She didn’t think she was imagining that. “Hello, Holly!” Heath boomed cheerfully as he approached the bottom of the ladder. “It’s Foxglove, sir,” the Wingwatcher said. Ivy didn’t know her very well, although Foxglove had left school only a couple of years ago to train with the Wingwatchers. Her hair was shaved into a close dark fuzz over her head and her forest-green uniform was neat and unwrinkled. Most interestingly, Foxglove’s expression was hard to read. It wasn’t the usual adoring gaze Ivy’s father got all over Valor. She looked calm, focused … unimpressed. Ivy smushed her face around, trying to imitate her. Violet and Daffodil would be so startled if Ivy could make a cool “I don’t care” expression like that. “Any dragon sightings today?” Heath asked, ignoring the name correction. “No, sir.” “Too bad, too bad.” He cracked his knuckles. “Can’t wait to meet another dragon with the pointy end of this guy.” He patted the sword at his waist with a grin. Foxglove raised her eyebrows but said nothing. “Well, I’ll be back soon,” Heath said. He put one hand on the ladder.”
― Tui T. Sutherland, Dragonslayer

“AAAAAACK UNSPECIFIED CATASTROPHE EVERYTHING IS TERR — ooh, I do need a snack right now,”
― Tui T. Sutherland, Dragonslayer