John Flanagan: Look

“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!”

“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.”

“‎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.”

“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.”

“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.”

“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.”

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

“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.”

“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.”

“Have you seen them?" he asked. Arrow looked at him disinterestedly. Will frowned.
Not talking, eh?" he said. "Maybe you're a little hoarse."
He cackled breifly at his own wit.”

“I'll be needing a bridesmaid', she said.'A tall one. That way, I'll look more petite and feminine.”

“He didn't look back. He never did”

“If and perhaps…. The language of procrastination and uncertainty. That's just people looking to justify their own lack of action.”

“You should have left him to wander,” Svengal said coldly. Erak looked at him, eyebrows raised.
“Would you?” he asked, and Svengal hesitated. At the end, Toshak had fought well and that counted for a lot of Skandians.
“No,” he admitted.”

“Let's face it, she can't have simply disappeared… can she?"
Horace shrugged. "That's what I keep telling myself," he said morosley. "But somehow it looks as if she has.”