The weak grey light that serves as harbinger of red and golden dawn faintly lit my window. I fumbled for a candle, found and lit it, and by its little light saw that the rose floating in the bowl was dying. It had already lost most of its petals, which floated on the water like tiny, un-seaworthy boats, deserted for safer craft. "Dear God," I said. "I must go back at once.
Robin McKinleyTsornin's nostrils showed red, but his ears were as alert as ever, and occasionally he would rub his nose gently against the nape of her neck, just in case she was momentarily not thinking about him.
Robin McKinleyBut I'm going to try to tell the truth. Except for the parts I'm leavยญing out, because there's still stuff I'm just not going to tell you. Get used to it.
Robin McKinleyHe laughed, tried to make it into a cough, inhaled at exactly the wrong moment, and then really did cough.
Robin McKinleyI don't differentiate in the way that the genre creators want differentiation to be made. I feel that I have never written children's or YA stories particularly.
Robin McKinleyThose single-track military minds never think to ask their cleaning staff for help in giant lethal marauding creature matters.
Robin McKinleyShe poured the water, arranged some bread near enough the embers to scorch but not catch fire, and looked up at Little John. She was so accustomed to his step, to his bulk, that it took a moment to notice his face; and when she did . . . It was, she thought, rather like the moment it took to realize one had cut one's finger as one stared dumbly at the first drop of blood on the knife-blade. You know it is going to hurt quite a lot in a minute.
Robin McKinley