John Flanagan Quotes

“A good leader is someone who knows what he's bad at, and hires someone who's good at it to take care of it for him.”

“But then, in his lifetime, Halt had often ignored what was technically legal. Technicalities didn't appeal to him. All too often, they simply got in the way of doing the right thing.”

“Then, driven by the same impulse, they kissed him--Aylss on the let cheek, Evanlyn on the right.

And then they glared daggers at each other.”

“You're dropping the bow hand as you release," he called, although Halt certainly wasn't.
His mentor looked around, saw him, and replied pithily, "I believe your grandmother needs lessons in sucking eggs.”

“She didn't like the fact that she had reduced a man – no matter how evil he might be—to a drooling idiot.”

“Failure is just a few seconds away from success.”

“Very impressive. Where did you learn that?"
Made it up just now.”

“People will think what they want to," he said quietly. Never take too much notice of it.”

“Ow!" said Horace as the Ranger's fingers probed and poked around the bruise.
Did that hurt?" Halt asked, and Horace looked at him with exasperation.
Of course it did," he said sharply. "That's why I said 'ow!”

“Always expect something to go wrong," he told him. "Believe me, if you're wrong, you're not dissapointed. If you're right, you're ready for it.”

“Sometimes," Halt continued, "we tend to expect a little too much of Ranger horses. After all, they are only human.”

“It would be unthinkably bad luck to be betrayed by a rumbling stomach.”

“Sometimes people can be too intellegent for their own good. Too much thinking could confuse things.”

“It's surprising how often history is decided by something as trival as bad shellfish.”

“Remember no one expects you to be Halt. He's a legend, after all. Haven't you heard? He's eight feet tall and kills bears with his bare hands…”

“If they invent a four legged chicken," Will said, "Horace will think he's gone to Heaven.”

“Ah, Signor Halt,' he said uncertainly, 'you are making a joke, yes?'
'He is making a joke, no,' Will said. 'But he likes to think he is making a joke, yes.”

“An ordinary archer practices until he gets it right. A ranger practices until he never gets it wrong.”

“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.”

“You know, Gilan, sarcasm isn't the lowest form of wit. It's not even wit at all.”

“A hundred people is rather a large handful for the four of us to take on," Malcolm pointed out. "Do you have any ideas about how we're going to handle that task?"
"Simple," Halt told him. "We'll surround them.”

“Then the two friends leaned back and watched the sun rise clear of the trees.
“Best time of day,” said Will.
Yes,” Horace agreed. “What’s for breakfast?”

“You're an Apprentice! You're not ready to think!"
Gilan and Halt.
The Ruins of Gorlan.”

“You know, one of these days, I'm actually going to take offense if people keep throwing out these slurs. And then things are going to get rather ugly. When we Skandians do take offense, we do it with a battleax.”

“Don't worry, chief. We've got these Tualaghi surrounded - from the inside."
"Exactly," Erak replied dryly.”

“‎Halt looked up at the trees above him.
"Why does this boy ask so many questions?" he asked the trees.
Naturally, they didn't answer.”

“Yes, I'm back," he said, "And look who I ran into."
Horace grinned at him. "i hope you ran into him hard."
"As hard as I could.”

“Never give up because, if an opportunity arises, you have to be ready to take it.”

“You're a very amusing fellow," he told Halt. "I'd like to brain you with my ax one of these days."
Erak to Halt.”

“I will remember this word," he said. "Shenanigans. It is a good word.”

“[Will]'d barely been asleep a few minutes when Halt's voice woke him.
'Will? Are you asleep?'…
'I was,' he said, a little indignantly. 'I'm not now.'
'Good,' Halt replied, a trifle smugly. 'Serves you right.”

“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.”

“Halt shook his head. Frankly, he'd seen sacks of potatoes that could sit a horse better than Erak”

“Sit down, Will. There’s a good fellow,” he said.
“Yes, sir,” replied Will, and Halt’s eyebrows shot up in surprise.
“He’s never called me sir,” he said.
“Probably trying to get on my good side,” Crowley replied.
Halt nodded savagely. “Probably.”

“Halt Halt," said Gilan stepping out into the open.”

“What are you looking at, foreigner?” the guard demanded roughly. The smile was a little unsettling. A prisoner shouldn’t smile at his captors like that.
“I’m just making sure I can remember you,” Gilan told him. “Never know when that might be useful.”

“Will raised both eyebrows. 'Well, you learn a new thing everyday,' he said reflectively.

'In your case, that's no exaggeration,' Halt said, completely straight-faced.”

“But… what if I mistime it?"
Gilan smiled widely. "Well, in that case, I'll probably lop your head off your shoulders."

Horace and Gilan”

“Sometimes I'm so devious I confuse myself.”

“You may believe you're an excellent rider," he called, "but there are a score of Temujai back there who actually are.”

“They have terrified my poor wife and threatened my very person!"
Halt eyed the man impassivley until the outburst was finished.
Worse than that," he said quietly, "they've wasted my time.”

“But I wasn't happy… when I heard you two had assaulted Castle Macindaw with just thirty men,' [said Halt].
'Thirty-three,' mumbled Horace…
The Ranger gave him a withering look. 'Oh, pardon me… three more men does make a lot of difference.”

“What is this Chocho business?' Will muttered to himself. But his friends overheard the comment.
'It's a term of great respect,' they chorused, and he glared at them.
'Oh, shut up,' he said.”

“She knew more about these situations than she realized, he thought. She'd spent years at Duncan's side. "When in doubt," he added, "be pompous.”

“Would you trust him with your life, Halt?" Gilan interrupted, and Halt looked up at him.
"Yes," he said quietly. Gilan patted his shoulder once more.
"Then trust him with his own," he said simply.”

“Who are you, gaijin? What do you know about honor?'
'I'm called Chocho,' Will said…
'Chocho?' Arisaka shouted, goaded beyond control. 'Butterfly? Then die, Butterfly!”

“Tug looked nervously at his master.
Horses aren't supposed to fly, he seemed to be saying.”

“Shut up, Axl!" he whispered fiercly. "If you want to break your neck, do it quietly or I'll break it for you.”

“I said, names aren't important," he repeated. There was a silence between them for some seconds, then the Ranger said: "Do you know what is important?"
Will shook his head.
"Supper is important!”

“Hunting party," Horace said
Both Halt and Will looked at him sarcastically.
"You think?" Will said. "Maybe they found the deer and brought him back to repair him.”

“Do you have a death wish?" he asked. Will grinned at him.
I'm just relying on your judgment," he replied. "I can't keep track of everything in my head.”

“Anyone can make a mistake…. It's how they learn from it and recover from it that shows their true worth.”

“It was safe to assume that the rider would be carrying a weapon of some kind. After all, there was no point in wearing half armor and going weaponless.”

“Once you best a man, never gloat. Be generous and find something in his actions to praise. He won't enjoy being bested but he'll make a good face about it. Show him you appreciate it. Praise can win you a friend. Gloating will only ever make enemies.”

“Always expect trouble in the desert. Then you usually won't meet it.”

“He could bear the dying, but not the disappointment.”