STAR - ALIGNED .

↬   THE  LANGUAGE  OF  THORNS,  midnight  tales  and  dangerous  magic.   (  2017  )  by  leigh  bardugo.

sentences  taken  from  or  inspired  by  the  collection’s  dialogue  &  narration.

+   feel  free  to  change  pronouns  !

i.    AYAMA  AND  THE  THORN  WOOD.

‘  love  speaks  in  flowers.  truth  requires  thorns.  ’

‘  we  all  know  the  story  of  how  the  queen  becomes  a  queen.  ’

‘  we  should  leave  this  place.  ’

‘  no  doubt  it  will  come  and  devour  us  all.  ’

‘  the  beast  will  laugh  you  right  out  of  the  wild  lands.  ’

‘  you  know  how  the  stories  go.  interesting  things  happen  only  to  pretty  girls.  ’

‘  is  the  wood  much  worse  than  a  garden  overgrown  with  pricklers  ?  ’

‘  stupid  girl  !  do  you  wish  to  become  a  monster  ?  ’

‘  strike  me.  cleave  me  in  two.  ’

‘  you’re  as  thorny  as  the  wood.  ’  

‘  there  is  but  one  rule  in  my  wood.  speak  truth.  ’

‘  perhaps  you  might  show  mercy  freely.  ’

‘  just  eat  a  bit  of  the  sun  to  fill  the  sky,  and  you  will  feel  empty  no  longer.  ’

‘  what  nonsense  !  of  course  that’s  not  how  the  story  ends.  ’

‘  some  people  are  born  with  a  piece  of  night  inside,  and  that  hollow  place  can  never  be  filled.  ’

‘  what  do  i  care  for  winter  ?  no  season  touches  this  wood.  ’

‘  you  know  the  only  bargain  i  will  make.  ’

‘  sometimes  the  unseen  is  not  to  be  feared  and  those  that  are  meant  to  love  us  most  are  not  always  the  ones  that  do.  ’

‘  bad  fates  do  not  always  follow  those  that  deserve  them.  ’

‘  no  prince  is  worth  your  life.  ’

‘  are  you  so  eager  to  be  eaten  ?  ’

‘  they  have  told  me  to  return  with  your  heart.  ’

‘  you  think  to  love  a  monster  ?  ’

‘  a  man  like  you  is  owed  no  words.  ’

ii.    THE  TOO  CLEVER  FOX.

‘  you  are  doomed  to  a  miserable  life.  ’

‘  better  to  be  hungry  now  than  to  be  sorry  later.  ’

‘  what  will  everyone  say  when  they  see  such  a  face  ?  ’

‘  we  have  not  gone  so  soft  as  that.  ’

‘  you  think  that  we  will  let  you  live  on  foolish  promises  ?  ’

‘  you  have  bested  me.  that  much  is  clear.  ’

‘  will  you  not  free  me  ?  ’

‘  you  will  have  a  fine  time  of  it,  i  can  tell  you.  ’

‘  i  can  bear  ugliness.  i  find  the  one  thing  i  cannot  live  with  is  death.  ’

‘  if  you  will  only  cease  your  talking,  i  will  gladly  go.  ’

‘  where  he  went,  he  bled  the  woods  dry.  ’

‘  what’s  a  bit  more  blood  ?  ’

‘  you  should  leave  this  place.  you  are  not  safe  here.  ’

‘  with  such  big  eyes,  i  think  you  see  too  much.  ’

‘  will  you  not  tell  me  what  troubles  you  ?  ’

‘  why  do  you  stay  with  him  ?  you’re  pretty  enough  to  catch  a  husband.  ’

‘  just  because  you  escape  one  trap,  doesn’t  mean  you  will  escape  the  next.  ’

‘  first  i  must  find  my  courage.  ’

‘  few  can  resist  the  sight  of  a  pretty  girl  crying.  ’

‘  the  trap  is  loneliness,  and  no  one  escapes  it.  not  even  me.  ’

‘  in  the  wood,  even  songbirds  must  be  survivors.  ’

iii.    THE  WITCH  OF  DUVA.

‘  there  was  a  time  when  the  wood  ate  girls.  ’

‘  be  back  before  dark.  the  trees  are  hungry  tonight.  ’

‘  who  can  say  what  shapes  an  appetite  ?  ’

‘  this  is  my  home,  you  can’t  just  send  me  away.  ’ 

‘  don’t  be  foolish.  there’s  plenty  of  light.  ’

‘  well  then,  come  help  me  stir  the  pot.  ’

‘  i  will  warn  you  just  this  once.  go.  ’ 

‘  you  cannot  come  and  go  from  this  place  like  you’re  fetching  water  from  a  well.  ’  

‘  hope  made  me  stubborn.  ’

‘  stay  there  and  keep  quiet.  i  don’t  need  rumors  that  i’ve  been  taking  girls.  ’

‘  i  will  not  have  you  bring  a  monster  to  my  door.  ’

‘  you  know  that  you  are  welcome  to  remain  here  with  me.  ’

‘  i  will  follow  her.  i  will  peck  out  her  eyes.  ’

‘  believe  me.  say  you  believe  me.  ’

‘  dark  things  have  a  way  of  slipping  through  narrow  spaces.  ’

iv.    LITTLE  KNIFE.

‘  it  is  dangerous  to  travel  the  northern  road  with  a  troubled  heart.  ’

‘  if  you  are  lost  in  your  own  thoughts,  you  may  find  yourself  stepping  off  the  path  and  into  the  dark  woods.  ’

‘  she  was  beautiful  from  the  moment  of  her  birth.  ’

‘  why  must  i  be  the  one  to  hide  ?  ’

‘  do  you  think  i  am  so  foolish  or  so  cruel  ?  ’

‘  water  only  wants  direction.  it  wants  to  be  told  what  to  do.  ’

‘  always  you  have  done  my  bidding,  but  what  good  are  you  to  me  now  ?  ’

‘  soon  i  will  be  very  rich,  but  will  i  have  a  good  man  ?  ’

‘  that  is  a  question  for  the  river.  ’

‘  your  tongue  is  not  fit  for  my  true  name.  ’

‘  will  you  come  with  me,  and  be  bride  to  nothing  but  the  shore  ?  ’

‘  she  was  terrifying  in  her  beauty,  bright  like  a  devouring  star.  ’

‘  remember  that  to  use  a  thing  is  not  to  own  it.  ’

‘  should  you  ever  take  a  bride,  listen  closely  to  her  questions.  ’

v.    THE  SOLDIER  PRINCE.

‘  this  is  the  problem  with  even  lesser  demons.  they  come  to  your  door  in  velvet  coats  and  polished  shoes.  ’

‘  you  will  find  great  love  and  more  gold  than  you  could  wish  for.  ’

‘  he’s  a  charming  fellow,  but  most  unusual,  and  peculiarities  seem  to  follow  him.  ’  

’  it  seemed  harmless  at  the  time.  ’

‘  he  needed  a  girl,  still  malleable,  one  that  he  could  make  admire  him.  ’

‘  this  is  pleasant.  this  is  enough.  ’

‘  are  you  my  soldier  ?  are  you  my  prince  ?  ’

‘  i  have  not  come  to  fight,  only  to  talk.  ’

‘  wanting  is  why  people  get  up  in  the  morning.  it  gives  them  something  to  dream  of  at  night.  ’

‘  i  am  perfectly  real.  ’

‘  she  loves  you,  though,  and  that  will  make  it  harder.  ’

‘  best  not  to  ask.  i  think  the  answer  would  please  no  one.  ’

‘  we  can  stay  forever  in  the  land  of  dreams.  ’

‘  kiss  me.  take  me  from  this  place.  ’

‘  i  sent  you  to  die  a  hundred  times.  ’

‘  i  eat  the  wonder  in  their  eyes.  ’

‘  you  were  an  idea  in  my  head.  you  were  nothing,  and  to  nothing  you  will  return  when  i  think  of  you  no  more.  ’

‘  you  wanted  only  that  i  might  live.  you  would  sacrifice  your  own  life  to  make  it  so.  ’

‘  are  you  my  darling  ?  are  you  mine  ?  ’

vi.    WHEN  WATER  SANG  FIRE.

‘  you  wish  to  strike  a  bargain.  ’

‘  make  me  someone  new.  ’

‘  this  is  the  problem  with  making  a  thing  forbidden.  it  does  nothing  but  build  an  ache  in  the  heart.  ’

‘  easy  magic  is  pretty.  great  magic  requires  that  you  trouble  the  waters.  ’

‘  no  one  expects  me  to  accomplish  anything.  ’

‘  i  can  smell  your  ambition  like  blood  in  the  water.’  

‘  i  know  that  you  should  keep  it  like  a  secret,  not  shout  it  like  a  curse.  ’

‘  yes.  i  can  imagine  it  all.  ’

‘  you  are  worth  more  than  that.  you  should  not  have  to  earn  him.  ’

‘  hope  rises  like  water  trapped  beneath  a  dam,  higher  and  higher,  in  increments  that  mean  nothing  until  you  face  the  flood.  ’

‘  there  is  no  pain  like  the  pain  of  transformation.  ’

‘  take  your  pleasures  as  you  will.  ’

‘  come,  and  i’ll  tell  you  all  you  wish  to  know.  ’

‘  he  made  me  dream  of  things  i  cannot  have.  ’

‘  i  do  not  care  for  dancing.  ’

‘  look  into  the  mirror,  and  try  to  deny  it.  ’

‘  you  have  never  been  like  the  others,  and  you  never  will  be.  ’

‘  we  were  not  made  to  please  princes.  ’

‘  i  am  not  quite  mortal  either,  and  i  have  many  lives  to  live.  ’

‘  i  wouldn’t  care  if  you  were  part  human  or  part  frog.  ’

‘  my  voice  is  not  enough.  ’

’ i look like my mother and she looked like the enemy. ‘

’ i’ve never been welcomed here. ‘

‘ keep a pencil in your hand. or else someone will put a rifle in it instead. ‘

‘ i spent years thinking i’d find a way out. ‘

‘ i’m old enough to know the only way out, is through. ‘

‘ well, i need someone to take the fall for my petty crimes, that’s all. ‘

‘ we learned some good life lessons back then. ‘

‘ one: don’t cry in public. ‘

‘ she/he/they isn’t like you. no one is. ‘

‘ you’re the one of us who believes in a higher power. ‘

‘ when i get the nerves the night before i like to have a good tumble with a stranger. ‘

‘ you don’t seem like the type to do what they should. ‘

‘ well, turns out they do need me, so. ‘

‘ you’re a terrible shot. ‘

‘ when i was young, i had nightmares about it. ‘

‘ if it goes wrong, come back. you’ve lost enough already. ‘

‘ i’ll find my way back to you, promise. ‘ 

‘ don’t you want to know if you’re grisha? ‘

‘ if i can’t crack this, none of us are going anywhere. ‘

‘ maybe i won’t be here when you get back. ‘

‘ what are you? ‘

‘ that’s why i’m here, isn’t it? ‘

‘ they’re all gone. it’s my fault. ‘

‘ is it true? can you summon light? ‘

‘ when they realize their mistake, what do you think they’ll do to her/him/them? ‘

‘ i know her/him/them better than anyone does. ‘ 

‘ i don’t know where this letter will find you. but you must’nt worry about me. ‘

‘ i am perfectly capable of washing myself. ‘

‘ don’t change my eyes. ‘

‘ i’m almost as rare as you. ‘

‘ sentimental. we’ll work on that too. ‘

‘ i can’t go in front of the king, i need more time. ‘

‘ know that when i told you about true north, i was talking about you. ‘

‘ black is his color. not mine. ‘

‘ tell me, are you so anxious to be like everyone else? ‘

‘ it would be nice to know what the feels like, someday. ‘

‘ time for a heist. ‘ 

‘ you managed to win us over, didn’t you? ‘

‘ training is good. well, i think it’s going well. ‘ 

‘ where you are doesn’t matter nearly as much as who you’re with. ‘ 

‘ when there’s something you want, better to act without thinking than think without acting. ‘ 

‘ i’ve always wanted to travel the world. ‘

 ‘ i like seeing you this way, i want you to be careful. ‘ 

‘ you never compliment anyone to their face. ‘ 

‘ aren’t you supposed to be scouting our way out? ‘ 

‘ what do you think i’m doing? ‘ 

‘ i think you’re flirting with that stable hand. ‘ 

‘ tell me, what makes one carriage faster than the other? ‘ 

‘ the right answer is their is no right answer. ‘ 

‘ it’s the horse that makes the difference. ‘ 

‘ no human being should be as proud as you are right now. ‘ 

‘ you think that’s what it is? just a trick? ‘ 

‘ you don’t want to keep it in your pocket for too long. ‘ 

‘ i’m sorry that it took me this long to see you. ‘ 

‘ i prefer to travel alone. ‘ 

‘ i’m afraid we can’t let that happen. ‘ 

‘ you stick with us, everybody gets what they want. ‘ 

‘ i’m not being anyone’s captive ever again. ‘ 

‘ it was my power keeping you warm. ‘ 

‘ you won’t get far out here without it. ‘ 

‘ if i wanted you dead, i would have slowed your heart instead of speeding it up. ‘ 

‘ you intend to kill me! ‘

‘ why would you save me? ‘ 

‘ so there is a brain inside all that muscle. ‘ 

‘ you used to call on me, on times like this. ‘ 

‘ when your table was messy and your bed was neat. ‘ 

‘ i am a witch hunter and you are a witch. ‘ 

‘ you made him afraid. now he wants you to fear him. ‘ 

‘ you’re the one who taught me how to kill, mother/father. ‘ 

‘ i taught you so you could protect yourself. ‘ 

‘ we need to teach them how to fight. ‘ 

‘ i forbid it. now, do you hear me? ‘ 

‘ it’s dangerous to go looking for the dead. ‘

‘ what you see may haunt you for the rest of your days. ‘ 

‘ maybe. just maybe. greed is a poor motivator. ‘ 

‘ true wealth is the friends you make along the way. ‘ 

‘ i should just tear this down now. ‘ 

‘ i will go north in the night. ‘ 

‘ no. this can’t be it. i’m not done tormenting you. ‘ 

‘ i will keep you warm. ‘ 

‘ i can’t wait to introduce you to my truest love. ‘ 

‘ when i got older, i learned that darkness is a place and it’s full of monsters. ‘ 

‘  they aren’t the monsters. they’re just boys/girls. ‘

‘  we can’t hide forever. we can run together. ‘

‘  no businessman worth his salt bargains for what he can take. ‘ 

‘  our enemies are threatened by your mere existence. ‘ 

‘  never make decisions out of fear, only out of spite. ‘ 

‘  well greed always worked for me. ‘ 

‘  the bone road ebbs and and the bone road flows. ‘

‘  handsome decoy is also not a [NAME’S] talent. ‘ 

‘  i’d rather starve than be a traitor. ‘ 

‘ needing anyone is weak. ‘ 

‘ you and i are going to change the world. ‘ 

‘ so, who actually saw what happened? ‘ 

‘  it came from everywhere, because you called upon it to come. ‘

‘ i have been waiting a long time for you. ‘ 

‘ there are no others like us and there never will be. ‘ 

‘ not many people surprise me. ‘ 

‘ fine. make me your villain. ‘ 

‘  they are traitors who tried to kill you. this is retribution. ‘ 

‘  i’ve survived for centuries. did you really think you could kill me. ‘

‘ you are quite valuable, you know. ‘ 

‘ the deal is the deal. ‘ 

‘ i’m just trying to keep warm. you should join me. ‘ 

‘ i’ve been warned off the job. ‘ 

‘ i know that look. he’s a man consumed with vengeance. ‘ 

‘ please tell me you have a plan. ‘ 

‘ i’m not against the occasional light roleplay. ‘ 

‘ i’d miss me too. i’m fantastic. ‘

‘ no one is ever going to believe i’m that old. ‘

‘ why does this concern me? ‘ 

‘ well of course certain death pays a million. ‘