the Dalaverse

Because I am bored, and because quoting things is one of my ridiculous obsessions, I offer up quotes from Tamora Pierce's Protector of the Small series. There's no point to this. It's just a rollicking good story, and I'm bored. Lots of spoilers, naturally, but looking back on it they're not that serious. PotS doesn't affect me the way the Lioness books do, but it does seem to be the most quotable of all Pierce's series. I'm rereading Trickster's Choice next (OMFG GEORGE ::luffs::), will have to see if there are quotes to be gleaned from it as well. Little over a month till Trickster's Queen comes out.

I collect quotes mostly for the funny. I also put in horse stuff for no good reason, and lots of Owen just because I adore Owen. Also Raoul. I'm a sucker for Raoul. But I still love George best.


Quotes from First Test by Tamora Pierce


If she thought anything of the change in Kel's appearance, she kept it to herself. Instead she pointed to yet another piece of writing: Girls Can't Fight! Salma's mouth twisted wryly. "What do they think their mothers do, when the lords are at war and a raiding party strikes? Stay in their solars and tat lace?"

That made Kel smile. "My aunt like barrels of lard and had them catapulted onto Scanran ships this summer."

"As would any delicately reared noblewoman."



"Sir, the writer is my father."

The master of ceremonies snatched the book away and scowled at the title page. "What of that?" he demanded. "The child does not have all of his father's knowledge."

All of her father's knowledge, thought Kel irritably.

"Excuse me, Master Oakbridge," Neal said in his friendliest voice, "but Kel doesn't have all of her father's knowledge. Not his."

Dropping her blank Yamani mask-face, Kel glared at him.

Oakbridge also glared at Neal. "The majority of you are lads. Proper usage calls for male pronouns when males are part of the group."

"Except that you addressed Kel alone, which then demands the exact term."

Kel clenched her hands behind her, where Master Oakbridge could not see them. She promised herself that from now on she would try to sit as close to Neal as possible. She could not kick someone eight chairs away.



"Don't fret. Nobody hits the mark their first day."

"But in front of Sir Raoul of Goldenlake," she replied in a low voice. "Who fought a giant on foot and won."

"Actually, he's Lord Sir Raoul of Goldenlake and Malorie's Peak -- the king elevated him to the peerage in April," Neal informed her. "And it was only a twenty-foot giant."

"Oh, well, I don't feel half so stupid now," muttered Kel.



"Beautiful," he said with approval. "You're quite strong, you know. I couldn't have done nearly so much if you weren't in the pink of health to begin with. You didn't fight me, either. You made it easy."

"My mother cracked us on the head with her fan when we fought healers," Kel admitted. "We all decided it was better to let them do their work."

"The Ilane of Seabeth and Seajen I used to dance with was a most forthright young lady," Baird admitted, smiling. "I am glad to see that she still is."

Now it was Kel's turn to gape. Her mother used to dance? With men who were not her father?


Quotes from Page by Tamora Pierce



"You know, they do allow study groups to meet in the libraries..."

The boys looked at each other, then at Kel. Without a word they gathered their things and streamed out of Neal's room. Owen left skipping to a soft chant of "Books, books, books!"

(Owen, Owen, Owen!)


"Seniors get to do all the jolly things," Owen complained as they walked to archery practice that first day.

Neal glared at the chubby second-year with all the royal disdain of a vexed lion. He was limping from a staff blow to the knee. "You are a bloody-minded savage," he informed Owen sternly. "I hope you are kidnapped by centaurs."



"He's quiet like you, Kel. And he's a mean hand with a sword. I'm learning a lot from him."

"Good," Neal told him sternly. "I hope he manages you with a whip and a hair, like a wild animal in a show."

"He hardly ever uses the whip," Cleon replied in his loftiest tone. "I am so much better than my last squire."



"What was that about?" Neal demanded.

Kel turned. All of her friends were arrayed at her back. "He says he's changed."

"I suppose he could have changed," Neal said dryly. "I myself have noticed my growing resemblance to a daffodil." The other pages snorted.

Kel eyed her friend. "You do look yellow around the edges," she told him, her face quite serious. "I hadn't wanted to bring it up."

"We daffodils like to have things brought up," Neal said, slinging an arm around her shoulders. "It reminds us of spring."


Quotes from Squire by Tamora Pierce


"We do try to eat," Raoul called back to her. "I go all faint if I don't get fed regularly. Only think of the disgrace to the King's Own if I fell from the saddle."

"But there was that time in Fanwood," a voice behind them said.

"That wedding in Tameran," added the blond Sergeant Osbern, riding a horse-length behind Kel.

"Don't forget when what's-his-name, with the army, retired," yelled a third.

"Silence, insubordinate curs!" cried Raoul. "Do not sully my new squire's ears with your profane tales!"

"Even if they're true?"



"You're sure it works?" Flyn asked. "I don't trust bought magic. I like to see it worked right in front of me."

"It works," said Larse. "It ought to. I paid enough."

"We did reimburse you," Buri pointed out.

"Half," retorted Evin. "At the rate I use it for the Riders, they ought to pay me double."

"He only bought it to find out if the ladies he courts have husbands," Buri's second in command put in.



He grinned as Kel made a face. "When people say a knight's job is all glory, I laugh, and laugh, and laugh," he said. "Often I can stop laughing before they edge away and talk about soothing drinks."



On the next run Kel struck the center of Raoul's shield, but at an angle -- her lance skidded off. His took her squarely, slamming her into the saddle's quilted back.

Kel thought over and over, I love my saddle, I love my saddle.

(yeeeah. That one definitely brings back memories. Not of, like, jousting, but lots of near-falls)



He grinned when he saw her. "Kel, my squire, pull up a chair. Tonight we start lessons in calculating supplies for different numbers of men under your command."

Kel looked at him, seeing unholy amusement in his face. He had to know how her body felt. Finally she said, "Begging my lord's pardon, but you are a bad man."



"If you want my place, you can have it," she told Neal, straight-faced. "You'd particularly like the tilting practice we have every day when we aren't in the field."

Neal shuddered. "Tilt with Lord Raoul? Why don't I just lie down in front of an elephant and let him step on me? I bet it feels the same."



"If I pretend I like you, squire, can I use the spyglass?" Lerant asked Kel.

"Please don't try," she replied. "You're not that good an actor. Dom, he can look when you're done."

"Some people are cocky ever since they killed a whole centaur," Lerant remarked to the air.

"Some people are annoying," Dom retorted, giving him the spyglass.



When the trumpets blared, she told Peachblossom, "Charge."

Muscles bunched under her. The gelding flew at his top speed down the dirt lane, hooves thundering in packed dust. For those brief seconds Kel felt like an army of one. She loved no one so much as her horse.



She angled her shield so that Voelden couldn't slide his lance past it, and struck his shield hard. Her lance shattered; so did his. Kel rammed her shield forward and hooked it behind Voelden's. Slamming her body sideways behind the locked shields, she heaved. Voelden popped from his saddle to hit the ground.

The crowd roared and came to its feet.

Kel dismounted and walked over to him, drawing her sword. He hadn't moved. She flipped up his visor with her sword point and pressed the sharp tip to his nose.

"Yield," she advised, her voice even. "Or I carve my initials right here."

He raised gauntleted hands. "I yield."

Kel smiled coldy. "And they say conservatives can't learn."

(Vicarious living. Voelden=Bush/Cheney/Ashcroft/Wolfowitz/Robertson/Falwell/Coulter etc.)


"I'm on again," Kel mumured. It was hard to read the board. She borrowed a torch from the lane and held it up so she could see.

"What a surprise," Cleon joked, tugging a stick out of Jump's mouth.

Kel's mouth popped open when she read her opponent's name. "You'd better see the coffin maker and order me a box," she told Cleon as he threw the stick for Jump to chase.

He straightened, confused, and read the name she pointed to: Wyldon of Cavall.

"Gods protect me, you're going to die a virgin," he whispered.



Raoul grinned. "The day you can best Wyldon is the day they put up a statue to you in front of the palace. He's strong, he's fast, he's got powerful horses, and he always knows exactly where to hit," he said. "The last fall I got from any man was from him, ten years ago."

"You've beaten him since?" Kel asked, thinking he might share his secret.

"Mithros, no -- I just don't joust with him anymore. I have my pride," Raoul said.



"Kel!" he cried. "Kel, I'm a squire!"

She tried not to giggle and succeeded, barely. "You've been a squire for month."

"Not like you're a squire, not like Neal. Kel, my brain's going to pop! I'm not in service to Sir Myles anymore. Lord Wyldon resigned, and he's going home a while, and come spring he's going to fight Scanrans. With me! He's going to work me like a horse, he says, but Kel, I'll be a squire to a fighting knight! Isn't it the jolliest? And he'll teach me to breed dogs!"

He launched himself across the room and hugged her wildly, then stepped back, looking sheepish. "Um, sorry. I didn't mean to, uh, treat you like a girl or anything."



Corus was a delight, particularly the palace baths, but it was better still to ride north after the progress. Kel fidgeted every inch of the way. What if Cleon had found someone new, someone small and lovely? What if he'd found someone with dimples?


Quotes from Lady Knight by Tamora Pierce



"Well, Peachblossom likes you," she answered slowly. "He's a fine judge of folk, Peachblossom. Except Neal. He's prejudiced against Neal."

"He just likes the way Neal squeaks when he's bit," Tobe explained.



"Lady knight, come on," Neal called. "Let's go see if the Stump's forgotten us."

Kel mounted up. "Don't call Lord Wyldon that," she told hiim as they rode out of Bearsford. "I doubt he's forgotten you. He never threatened anyone else that he'd tie his tongue in a knot."

"Threats are the last resort of a man with no vocabulary," Neal said, nose in the air.

"Well, I have a vocabulary," said his father, riding behind them. "I have often wished I could tie your tongue in a knot. Several of them. I can describe them, if you like."

"It's my fate to be misunderstood," Neal announced. He fell back to ride with the more sympathetic Merric.


"Who was that?" The shocked whisper came from Owen. Kel glanced at him: her friend stared gape-jawed at Tobe. "Did you see that? He just - Peachblossom! He just took Peachblossom, and Peachblossom went!"

Kel smiled. "That's Tobe," she explained. "He is good with horses."



"And what were you doing, eavesdropping?" she wanted to know. "That was a closed-door meeting. No listening allowed."

Tobe gave Kel his best "don't you know anything?" look. "I'm in service, lady," he said patiently. "When you're in service, you have to eavesdrop. Elsewise your masters get up to things and you get took by surprise."

Kel had begun to recognize the signs of another conversation she could not win. She switched tactics. "You should be in bed," she informed him.

"So should you," he retorted. "But them scribblers is still working, and they asked me to say, they're wishful of seeing you. Do I tell 'em to stuff their wishfulness?"



"One of the clerks is already drawing up a schedule," Kel said, and grinned. "I love clerks. I'd marry them all if I could."

"You're easily pleased." They walked back around the river toward the gate road. "If anyone ever asks me what to give you for Midwinter, I'll just tell them, clerks."



"I know I erred," Wyldon said through numb lips. "You're not saying anything I don't know."

Raoul shook his head. "If she dies, Mithros forgive you. I never will."



"She'll try," Neal said. "Even if she loses her shield."

"Or her life," murmured Owen.

"We can't let her." Seaver kept his voice low so no one passing outside might hear. "She's saved all our lives at one time or another. At the very least we can bash her on the head and bring her back. We'll tell people the men got it wrong, she was ambushed by the enemy. I bet my lord won't ask questions, if we move fast."

"Are you mad?" whispered Merric. "Break your vows to the Crown? If you stay out too long, you'll be guilty of treason, too."

Seaver looked at him scornfully. "Nobody asked you to go," he snapped. "And I know we're talking treason. That's why we need to move fast."

"I'm going," Owen said.

The four knights started at him and said, "No!"

A healer came to the door, her eyes flashing. "If you can't be quiet, get out," she told them. "I have people who need rest, including you, Sir Merric."

"We'll be quiet," Neal promised her. "We're sorry. It won't happen again."

"I'll kick you out if it does," she threatened. After a moment she left.

"You'll be twice foresworn if you try it," Esmond told Owen. "Not only would you be a traitor to the Crown, you'll break faith with my lord Wyldon."

"I know," Owen whispered, staring at the floor.

"Well, you see? It's quite impossible." Esmond looked at Neal. "I'm in."

Neal smiled. "Though so."

Seaver nodded.

Smashing his fist into his blankets, Merric growled, "I'm still weak as a newborn lamb. If only we could wait a day or so --"

"We can't," Seaver pointed out. "Not if we're to get her back soon enough that my lord will accept our story."

Merric looked up at Neal, his blue eyes ablaze. "Tie me to my horse," he said. "If you go without me, I"ll tell Lord Wyldon. Somebody ought to be there to chance bashing her on the head and fetching her home before it's too late."

Neal looked at his year-mates and Faleron. "You do realize we should all be put in a nice, cozy room somewhere with muscular people to keep us from harming ourselves?" When no one replied, he shook his head. "I'll pack your gear," he told Merric. "I think I can get us out the gate at dawn, just before the watch changes."

None of them noticed that Owen and Tobe had left.

(my favorite passage in the whole book, obviously)


The thought of his knight-master's wrath didn't upset Owen, although he knew he'd destroyed his own name and his chance to become a knight. Wyldon's disappointment in him would cut far deeper, but there was no choice. Kel needed an army to get her people back. If Neal and the others caught up, that would be good, but at least Owen and Tobe could fetch Peachblowwom and Happy to what promised to be an interesting fight.



Kel scrambled for another argument, any argument she could use. She looked at the white-faced, swaying Merric. "He should still be in bed!" she cried. "You had to tie him to his horse to get him this far!"

Merric smiled. "But I'm really well tied," he explained in a tone of utmost reason. "I slept most of the way here."

"Why are you upset?" Owen came up beside the mounted soldiers. "It's going to be a jolly scramble now."



When it reached Merric, he looked at it and sighed. "Why didn't I start my page training with year-mates who were sane?" he asked sadly, then drank.

"You're not looking at this the right way," Owen told him sternly as he accept the cup. "Here we are on an adventure. It's glory, and fame, and all those people the Scanrans took. It's not counting troops or finding ways to bury the dead so they won't rot into the drinking water. And if we die in battle, Mithros will speak for us in the Black God's court. You ought to be more grateful."



"You could die out there," whispered Olka Valestone.

"I hope not," Kel replied, trying to sound casual. "I put eight long, hard years into this. I'll feel very foolish if I'm killed with the paint still wet on my shield. Now let's get moving."



"Are you sure it's an illusion?" asked Owen. "What if it's an illusion that we're hearing you and Neal say it's an illusion? It could all be a fakement. We wouldn't know until it was too late. If we're smelling illusions, maybe we're hearing them, too, and we'll be chopped up before you can say 'King Maggot.'"



Yes, we are finished. Do you think this makes you free of your fate? asked the Chamber. You are the Protector of the Small. You see real people in the humans and animals overlooked by your peers. There will always be work for you.

Kel scowled. "I don't mind that," she retorted. "It's wat I mean to do, though I'd never call it by as silly a name as Protector of the Small. At least now I know where I'm going and what I'm doing, which I never did with you. I can find my own road from here."



"Sergeant Domitan, tell me these children aren't the result of your squad's Scanran frolics," Kel heard Raoul say cheerfully. "Though I do admit, some of them look a little old to be yours."

"Well, sir, my men helped."



"If he's like this now, how will he stay calm when his daughter tries for her knighthood?" a youthful voice asked.

Kel looked down at Irnai. The girl was one of several homeless children who had come to live in headquarters with Kel, Neal, Merric, and Tobe. She did her best to act like a normal child of her age, but when she foresaw things, she sounded as world-weary as Neal at his most sophisticated.

"Perhaps we won't share that knowledge with him just yet?" suggested Kel. "Let it be a suprise for him."

Irnai grinned up at her. "He doesn't like surprises, and the road of his life is littered with them. I like that."

On to Alianne of Pirate's Swoop, and politics instead of battle. Also the most George since Lioness Rampant. And Kyprioth, being a trickster god, is very Jack Sparrow-like.

greenabsinthe, this is a truly lovely icon ::pets Aly::