Mist's Edge (The Broken Lands, #2) QUOTES

1 " The truth is a weapon best wielded carefully. "

― T.A. White , Mist's Edge (The Broken Lands, #2)

2 " So, you’re Shea’s cousin?” Buck asked as the fire crackled and popped. “You must have known her when she was young. Got any good stories?”

Shea lifted her head and glared at Buck. “What kind of question is that?”

He spread his hands and shrugged. “What? I’m just trying to make conversation. Get to know the other pathfinder in our midst. You’re always such a mystery. You can’t blame me for being curious.”

“I’d be interested to learn whether she’s always been this grumpy,” Eamon said.

“Grumpy? I’m not grumpy.”

“Oh yes, you are,” Trenton said. “You get this frown on your face, and then the next thing you know, you’re questioning how someone has survived in the world this long. To their face.”

“Wait, wait,” Buck said. “My favorite is when she asks if they were dropped on their head as a baby.”

“She still does that?” Reece asked.

“Yup, and this was when she was masquerading as a man and a scout. Asked the leader of a war party that, and then when he said no told him that was a pity, because maybe being dropped on his head would have knocked some sense into him.”

The rest of the group laughed.

“Did you really do that?” Fallon asked in a low voice next to her ear.

Shea’s shoulders tried to reach her ears as she looked away. That was answer enough. A warm chuckle feathered through her hair. Shea rolled her eyes. Yes, laugh it up. In her defense, that man had wanted to take the warband right through a nest of gravers when she had specifically told him it was a bad idea. It wasn’t her fault that he’d gotten so upset at her words that he’d tried to prove her wrong and nearly ended up dead in the process.

They laughed about it now, but at the time Eamon had been furious over her insubordination. The only thing that had saved her tail, was that the man had been so shaken he had forgotten all about her insults. The nice thing was that he hadn’t questioned any of her advice for the rest of their journey.

She frowned. She could kind of see why they thought she was grumpy. "

― T.A. White , Mist's Edge (The Broken Lands, #2)

3 " No one asked you, boy,” Gawain said. “Get back with the other soldiers.”

Clark flinched, his shoulders climbing to his ears and his face falling. His gaze darted to Fallon and away as he took the dressing down.

“I asked him here,” Shea said, staring Gawain down.

He snorted but didn’t say anything, Fallon’s presence keeping him from voicing his opinion.

“I’ll just go, Shea. It’s alright. I should probably report back to see if they need any scouts.” Clark didn’t wait for a reply, turning his horse and sending it galloping back to the line.

She watched him go before taking a deep breath. She turned back around. Eamon and Buck watched her for a moment before giving the Rain Clan’s elder hard glances. He didn’t pay them any attention, probably deciding they were no worthier of being here, than Clark had been.

“You do the boy no favors by making him think he can break the chain of command,” Gawain said, his tone patronizing. “You won’t always be there to protect him.”

Shea’s hands tightened on the reins of her mount. It took considerable effort to bite back the words that wanted to escape her. Only the knowledge that Fallon might have need of this man kept her from the scathing retort she had forming.

In a coordinated movement, made all the more comical for it, Buck and Eamon stuck their tongues out and rolled their eyes before assuming their normal stone-faced expressions—the ones they wore around Trateri expedition leaders whom they found obnoxious.

Shea smothered the brief giggle the sight caused her. She schooled her face and gave them a nod of gratitude. She looked up and blinked, as she found herself pinned under the enigmatic gaze of Fallon. His eyes flicked to her two friends then back to her.

She held her breath, sensing a chastisement coming. He lowered one eyelid in an exaggerated wink before sticking just the tip of his tongue out and wrinkling his nose. This time she didn’t quite contain her laugh.

Fallon’s face was cool and implacable as Shea lost the battle and her chortles rolled out. The rest of the party besides Fallon, Eamon and Buck eyed her with concern, not seeing what she found so funny.

“If the Telroi could compose herself, perhaps we could get back to the business at hand,” Braden said.

“My name is Shea. I suggest you remember it. "

― T.A. White , Mist's Edge (The Broken Lands, #2)

4 " She took a deep breath as she stared up at all that separated her from home. When she’d first thought of coming back here, she hadn’t realized how nostalgic she would be or how much she’d missed the Highlands. It was like an old, crotchety friend that probably hadn’t even noticed she was gone. Still, it felt like a piece of her that had been missing was suddenly back in its rightful place.

“You came down that?” Clark asked, his voice hushed and shocked.

Shea nodded.

“I always knew you were crazy,” Buck said, his mount coming up on the other side of Shea’s horse. “No wonder you have no problem jumping off things.” He had a look of consternation as he looked up at the cliffs.

“I’d like to say it’s not as high as it looks, but it really is,” Shea told them. “On the Highland side, approaching the fault is like walking off the edge of the world—scary, and exh
ilarating, and oh so fun.”

Buck gave her a look that said she was proving his point.

“Since meeting you, I feel my life has gotten increasingly more interesting,” Eamon said from the other side of Buck. “I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or not. "

― T.A. White , Mist's Edge (The Broken Lands, #2)

5 " And how is he not harmless?”

“He’s very good at manipulating people. His ambition has a way of blinding him to everything but what he needs to get what he wants. That ambition has hurt many people along the way.”

Shea took her words to mean that Daere was one of those who fell victim to Gawain’s ambitions.

“So, I shouldn’t trust him.”

Daere huffed out a laugh. “You shouldn’t trust anyone but Fallon and your guards. Haven’t you learned anything in the weeks with me?”

“I don’t remember that being one of the lessons.”

Daere gave Shea a sideways glance. “It was in the subtext.”

“Ah, well. There’s your problem. You’re relying on me to catch the subtext. I’m a straightforward kind of person.”

“I’m beginning to understand that. "

― T.A. White , Mist's Edge (The Broken Lands, #2)

6 " Are you ready to go home?”

... A smile dawned, it was slow and spoke of new beginnings. “What are you talking about? My home is standing right next to me. "

― T.A. White , Mist's Edge (The Broken Lands, #2)

7 " How are they doing this?” Shea asked, leaning against the side of a building. She was out of breath and beginning to think there might not be a way out of this.

Braden shook his head. “They must have more men out here.”

“How many people missed head count?” Shea asked.

“Ten.”

She dropped her head back and looked up at the inky darkness. Only small patches of a starry night sky could be seen. Ten. He might as well have said a hundred.

“We’re making a lot of noise. Eventually Caden and the rest of the men will hear and come investigating,” Braden said.

Shea preferred not to rely on ifs and shoulds. There was no guarantee they’d hear all this racket, and even if they did, chances were Shea and Braden would be dead long before then.

“You shouldn’t have run off and called attention to yourself.” Disapproval colored Braden’s tone.

Shea shot him dark look. “I’m sorry. When someone threatens to kill me, I tend to try to remove myself from the situation.”

“I never intended to kill you.”

Shea scoffed, letting the sound speak for her.

“I didn’t. I just said at one time I had planned to kill you. You know, before. It’s been a while since I’ve actively plotted your death.”

Shea opened her mouth with a sharp retort but was prevented from speaking as a horse and rider clattered around the corner, torch held aloft. Seeing them, he called over his should, “Here, I’ve found them.”

“Time to go. "

― T.A. White , Mist's Edge (The Broken Lands, #2)

8 " Do your people ever have tournaments like this?”

Shea thought about it. “I don’t think so. They’re mostly focused on training. Once an apprentice passes the last test, they’re assigned to a village or their next posting. It can be years before they circle back to the keep again.” She tilted her head. “Some of the towns have festivals where there are occasional competitions, like who can toss a rock the farthest.”

Shea had never been very interested in attending those, not understanding the interest in comparing whose throw had the longest reach.

“There are events like that, but most test a skill. My favorites have always been hand-to-hand combat or tests of horsemanship.”

Shea would have liked to see him compete in one of those. “And how many of these have you won?”

He gave her a wicked smile. “Every single one.”

She lifted an eyebrow. “Every one? Even your first?”

“I’m a legend. Haven’t you heard?”

She snorted. “You’re something all right. "

― T.A. White , Mist's Edge (The Broken Lands, #2)

9 " Darius drained his wine and stood, leaving the half-finished bottle behind. “Well, I’m off.”

Shea looked up, a little surprised at the abrupt departure. Fallon, with his typical granite facade, didn’t even twitch. He took a slow sip of the wine and acknowledged Darius’s departure with a nod.

“Before I go, I suggest you take a look at your personal chambers.” With that last remark, Darius made his departure.

Fallon’s head tilted as he stared into his wine. Suspicion dawned on his face and he stood, making his way to their personal quarters without a word. Shea let him go as she calmly sipped her wine.

Three, two, one.

There was a crash in the other room and a stream of curses reached her ears. She trained her eyes on the front entrance and was only mildly surprised when no one ventured in to see if they were in any danger. Darius must have warned them. Smart man.

“Would you like to explain why there is a new entrance to our bedchamber?” Fallon’s silky voice came from behind Shea.

“You’re smart. I’m sure you can figure it out.” Shea took another sip of her wine.

He prowled closer, his movements containing a lethal edge.

“You were going to leave me.” He sounded like the very idea that she would contemplate such an action enraged him.

She raised an eyebrow. “Now why would I want to do that?” She gave him a long minute to answer. His eyes narrowed, taking on a dangerous glint “Ah, yes. Perhaps that’s because you treated me like a prisoner, having your guards keep me here whether I wanted to or not.”

He looked away. She felt a spurt of grim satisfaction. He knew he was in the wrong.

“That was for your own safety.”

“Bullshit. That was because you were angry and wanted to take it out on me.” She waited for him to correct her. When he didn’t, she continued, “I’m here because I want to be here. The next time you do something like that, expect me to be gone.”

She set her glass down and stood. Shea walked past an unmoving Fallon to their chamber, saying over her shoulder, “I suggest you station one of your men at our new entrance so that we’re not murdered in our sleep by one of your many enemies. "

― T.A. White , Mist's Edge (The Broken Lands, #2)