When one is traveling, everything looks brighter and lovelier. That does not mean it IS brighter and lovelier; it just means that sweet, kindly home suffers in comparison to tarted-up foreign places with all their jewels on.

When I say forever,' Koschei whispered, 'I mean until the black death of the world. An Ivan means just the present moment, the flickering light of it, in a green field, his mouth on yours. He means the stretching of that moment. But forever isn't bright; it isn't like that. Forever is cold and hard and final.

Snow is the beginning and the end of everything.

She is so stubborn, her heart has an argument with her head every time it wants to beat.

You are going to break your promise. I understand. And I hold my hands over the ears of my heart, so that I will not hate you.

Fierce was her needle, and she wore it like a sword.

We all just keep moving, September. We keep moving until we stop.