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The Viscount and the Witch (Riyria Chronicles, #1.5) QUOTES

The Viscount and the Witch (Riyria Chronicles, #1.5) QUOTES

1 " he found his books pitted as the only independent in major competitions such as the 2010 Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Fantasy and the 2009 Book Spot Central’s Fantasy Tournament "

― Michael J. Sullivan , The Viscount and the Witch (Riyria Chronicles, #1.5)

2 " How's your foot?” Hadrian asked.
“It hurts.”
“He had a good hold.”
“Bit right through my boot.”
“Yeah, that looked painful.”
“So why exactly didn't you help?”
Hadrian shrugged. “It was a dog, Royce. A cute, little dog. What did you want me to do, kill
an innocent little animal?”
Royce tilted his head, squinting into the light of the late evening sun to focus on his friend.
“Is that a joke?”
“It was a puppy.”
“It was not a puppy, and it was eating my foot.”
“Yeah, but you were invading his home.”
....
“You know, you didn't have to throw it out the window,” Hadrian said as they walked.
Royce, who was still preoccupied with his foot, looked up. “What did you want me to do
with it? Scratch behind the little monster’s ears as it gnawed my toes off? What if it started barking?
That would have been a fine mess.”
“It's a good thing there was a moat right under the window.”
Royce stopped. “There was? "

― Michael J. Sullivan , The Viscount and the Witch (Riyria Chronicles, #1.5)

3 " Royce sighed. The sigh was new. “You don’t know this woman. This isn’t your problem.”

“I know that.”

“So why are you helping her?”

“Because that’s what people do. They help each other. If you saw a man lying in the road with an arrow in him, you’d stop, wouldn’t you?”

“Of course,” Royce replied, “anyone would. A wounded man is easy pickings, unless you could see from your saddle that someone else has already taken his purse.”

“What? No! No one would rob a wounded man and leave him to die.”

Royce nodded. “Well, no. You’re right. If he has a purse and you take it, it’s best to slit his throat afterward. Too many people live through arrow wounds, and you don’t want the bugger recovering and coming after you.”

The old woman looked at Royce aghast.

Now it was Hadrian’s turn to sigh. “Don’t mind him; he was raised by wolves. "

― Michael J. Sullivan , The Viscount and the Witch (Riyria Chronicles, #1.5)

4 " I suspect she, or someone she reports to, read the note I left in my pack.”
“You left a note for the thieves’ guild? What did it say?”
“Just that they were my animals and that they might want to reconsider taking them.”
Albert and Hadrian exchanged looks of bewilderment.
“They know me, and we have an arrangement. They leave me alone…and I leave them alone.”
“You leave them alone?” Albert said in a mocking tone.
Royce smiled at him. It was not a friendly smile. Royce searched his pack and pulled out a small bit of parchment.
“What’s it say?” Albert asked.
“Please accept our apologies for this inconvenience,” Royce recited, then chuckled before finishing. “The bitch didn’t know.”
Royce held up the parchment and in a loud voice said, “Accepted. "

― Michael J. Sullivan , The Viscount and the Witch (Riyria Chronicles, #1.5)

5 " I don’t have a single callus. Even if I decided to leave title and pride behind, I lack any useful skills. I’m like a milk cow slapped on the backside and turned out of the barn to make her way in the forest. A chicken, returned to the wilds to fend for myself.”

“I don’t think chicken’s have ever been wild,” Hadrian said.

“Exactly.” Albert paused to stare at the remainder of the salt pork strip. “Your friend is right. This is just prolonging the inevitable. It’s a waste. Here.” He held out the meat.

“Keep it,” Hadrian said, tilting his head at Royce. “I’m supposed to be learning a lesson.”

“Oh shut up, the both of you. I have more.” Royce pulled another strip of pork from his vest and handed it to Hadrian.

“So that’s my miserable story,” Albert said. “How about you two?” He looked at Hadrian. “I’m guessing you’re his apprentice?”

Hadrian laughed. “No. We’re…business partners.”

“What line?”

“Procurement,” Royce said.

“What kind?”

“Any kind,” Royce answered.

Albert stared at them for a moment, then his eyes widened. “You are thieves.”

“He is.” Hadrian pointed to Royce. “I’m new to this.”

“Really? What did you used to do?”

Hadrian thought a moment. “Kill people. "

― Michael J. Sullivan , The Viscount and the Witch (Riyria Chronicles, #1.5)

6 " What do you—” Hadrian shook his head. “You knew? I can’t believe you didn’t say anything. You just let her take our horses and all our gear?”

“What part of ‘you need to learn a lesson’ didn’t you understand?”

“You’re insane, do you know that?”

“Yeah, well you’re not the first to bring it up. "

― Michael J. Sullivan , The Viscount and the Witch (Riyria Chronicles, #1.5)

7 " Black Diamond?” Hadrian asked. “Is that the city patrol?”

Albert chuckled, and Royce shook his head, looking at Hadrian as if he had dropped his pants in public. "

― Michael J. Sullivan , The Viscount and the Witch (Riyria Chronicles, #1.5)