Elizabeth Haydon > Quotes

“Ryle Hira: Life is what it is”
― Elizabeth Haydon, Rhapsody: Child of Blood

“Second, and far more important: tuck your chin. You're going to get hurt, so expect it and be ready. You may as well see it coming.”
― Elizabeth Haydon, Rhapsody: Child of Blood

“Tell people the hammered truth, and it will ring like steel against an anvil.”
― Elizabeth Haydon, The Floating Island

“Oi’m always noble, sir; it’s in my blood. ’As been ever since Oi ate that knight a few years back. Why?”
― Elizabeth Haydon, Rhapsody: Child of Blood

“Don't panic. Panic will kill you when nothing else wants to.”
― Elizabeth Haydon, Rhapsody: Child of Blood

“We each have our belssings and our curses. In the end it makes us equals.”
― Elizabeth Haydon, The Floating Island

“Allo, darlin’. Oi’m so glad to see it’s love at first sight for you, too.”
― Elizabeth Haydon, Rhapsody: Child of Blood

“The corn is planted first, followed by beans, then squash between the rows.They are called the Three Sisters. They sustain each other, the earth, and us. But the Big Ones do not know that. They do not care for the earth, and its children, properly.”
― Elizabeth Haydon, The Dragon's Lair

“So now you know that, as dark as the depths of the sea may be, as dark as the night gets without a moon, it is not really true darkness. It's just waiting for light to return. There are places that are truly dark in this world, Ven, but this place here, this open stretch of sea where you are floating, is not one of them. It's not really dark here - it's just night. If you hang on and stay awake, in a short while the edges of the sky will start to turn gray, then pink, and the sun will rise, and there will be blue above and all around you again.”
― Elizabeth Haydon, The Floating Island

“Hello, Lucy. Do you name all your weapons, Grunthor?”

“O’ course. It’s tradition.”

Rhapsody nodded, understanding coming into her eyes. “That makes perfect sense. Do you find that you fight better with a weapon you’ve named?”

“Yep.”

Her eyes began to sparkle with excitement. “Why, Grunthor, in a way, you’re a Namer, too!”

The giant broke into a pleased grin. “Well, whaddaya know. Should Oi sing a lit’le song?”

“No,” said Rhapsody and Achmed in unison.”
― Elizabeth Haydon, Rhapsody: Child of Blood

“...as dark as the night gets without a moon, it is really not true darkness. It's just waiting for light to return.”
― Elizabeth Haydon, The Floating Island

“We needed to face that darkness. And we did, together. I will tell you something that I want you to remember. If you forget all my other words, remember these: when you find the one thing in your life you believe in above anything else, you owe it to yourself to stand by it—it will never come again, child. And if you believe in it unwaveringly, the world has no other choice but to see it as you do, eventually. For who knows it better than you? Don’t be afraid to take a difficult stand, darling. Find the one thing that matters—everything else will resolve itself.”
― Elizabeth Haydon, Rhapsody: Child of Blood

“You cannot see the beauty without facing the darkness. Remember this.”
― Elizabeth Haydon, Rhapsody: Child of Blood

“Take the Friendmaker, for instance. Oi called 'im that , and now, when people see 'im, they instantly want to be my friend. Those that live, o' course." - Grunthor”
― Elizabeth Haydon, Rhapsody: Child of Blood

“May the stars guide you. May the winds cleanse all ills and remain at your back. May the earth protect you and give you strength. May fire guard you, and rain refresh you, may all nature be your friend until we meet again in this place.”
― Elizabeth Haydon, The Merchant Emperor

“You may find that when you try to live in two worlds you are at home in neither of them.”
― Elizabeth Haydon

“I had always thought of home not as a house, or even a place, but a feeling of safety and acceptance, a warm light when the rest of the world was a dark, forbidding place.
Whenever my family was around, wherever we were, I felt like I was home.”
― Elizabeth Haydon, The Floating Island

“You're as good as any other living soul on this earth. Whether other people know that or not doesn't really matter as long as you do.”
― Elizabeth Haydon

“Sometimes, however, there is more than hope.
Sometimes there is reason.”
― Elizabeth Haydon, The Assassin King

“First, however you initially grasp the sword, change your grip a little, so that you focus on how you're holding it. Don't take your weapon for granted.”
― Elizabeth Haydon, Rhapsody: Child of Blood

“when you find the one thing in your life you believe in above anything else, you owe it to yourself to stand by it—it will never come again, child. And if you believe in it unwaveringly, the world has no other choice but to see it as you do, eventually. For who knows it better than you? Don’t be afraid to take a difficult stand, darling. Find the one thing that matters—everything else will resolve itself.”
― Elizabeth Haydon, Rhapsody: Child of Blood

“When you're of a different race people distrust you because they are afraid. If you don't give them reason to dislike you, it becomes their problem, not yours.”
― Elizabeth Haydon, The Floating Island

“Ven' is the Nain word for 'and.' It was my first word, and so was added to my name at the age of three, when I first spoke it. That is the Nain tradition; each child's first word becomes an official part of his or her name. As a result, three of my brothers are Petar Da-da Polypheme, Osgod No! Polypheme, and Linus Poo-poo Polypheme.

Personally, I think the Nain should rethink this tradition.

As for my name, I think perhaps there should be a question mark after it - 'and?' - as if life is always posing the question of what I am to do next. I was born with more than my share of curiosity, and it gets me into a frightful amount of trouble. I want to know what comes next from the time I wake up in the morning, wondering what the day will hold, till the moment I fall asleep, imagining where my dreams will take me at night. It's like an itch; my skin or scalp hums with excitement whenever my curiosity starts to take over. And? And? And? Scratching it does nothing to help; the itch doesn't go away, and I just look like I have dandruff or fleas.”
― Elizabeth Haydon, The Floating Island

“Destruction is far simpler than creation, than sustenance, than deliverance; it takes but one to destroy a world. But the deliverance of that world is not a task for one alone. A world whose fate rests in the hands of one is a world far too simple to be worth saving.”
― Elizabeth Haydon, Prophecy: Child of Earth

“I’ll stay as long as I’m welcome,” said Ashe. “Thanks for coming; it’s been nice seeing you,” said Achmed. “Ignore him; he’s trying to be funny, but he’s not good at it,” said Rhapsody, her face flushing with embarrassment and anger.”
― Elizabeth Haydon, The Symphony of Ages: The Complete Series

“Grunthor’s hand came to rest on her back as she teetered on her fibrous perch. She was almost on eye level with him, and within those amber eyes, remarkable in their humanity above the rest of the monstrous face, there was a distinct look of sympathy. “The door is gone, miss; Oi’m sorry. We ’ave to press on, we can’t go back.” Rhapsody whirled around and glared down at Achmed, her eyes blazing green in the light of the torch. “What do you mean, we can’t go back? We have to go back—you have to let me out.”
― Elizabeth Haydon, The Symphony of Ages: The Complete Series

“Panic will kill you, even when nothing else wants to.”
― Elizabeth Haydon, Requiem for the Sun

“The giant Bolg settled back again. “By the sea. “Twas jammed in the sand between them shipwrecks we told you about. Thought o’ you and that you might like it, ’specially when the dreams are too strong.” Tears glinted in her eyes again. “You are the most wonderful Bolg that ever lived, did you know that?” You are the most wonderful girl in the world. “Damn right,” said Grunthor smugly. Rhapsody laughed, blinking away the tears. “Now, put your ’ead back down and cover your up-ear with it. Maybe it’ll sing you to sleep.”
― Elizabeth Haydon, The Symphony of Ages: The Complete Series

“For all the famous and special people he had met in his life, he was sure the purity of their collective souls couldn’t hold a candle to hers.”
― Elizabeth Haydon, Rhapsody