Something caught in her throat at this second thanks, when she'd threatened him so brutally. When you're a monster, she thought, you are thanked and praised for not behaving like a monster. She would like to restrain from cruelty and receive no admiration for it.

Your horse is named Small. Yes. Mine is named Big. -Fire and Brigan

I'm not good at love. I'm like a barbed creature. I push everyone I love away.

She'd lost her fury, somewhere, as they'd talked. She didn't feel it anymore. She wished she did, because she preferred it to the emptiness that had settled in its place.

I thought it was supposed to be impossible to sneak up on you. Eyes of a hawk and ears of a wolf and all.

Everyone wants a bit of something beautiful.

Some people had too much power and too much cruelty to live. Some people were too horrible, no matter if you loved them; no matter that you had to make yourself terrible too, in order to stop them. Some things just had to be done. I forgive myself, thought Fire. Today, I forgive myself.