Everyone thinks that courage is about facing death without flinching. But almost anyone can do that. Almost anyone can hold their breath and not scream for as long as it takes to die. True courage is about facing life without flinching. I don't mean the times when the right path is hard, but glorious at the end. I'm talking about enduring the boredom, the messiness, and the inconvenience of doing what is right.

Men of passion and vision are often seen as mad.

Putting into the dragon had helped in the same way that cutting off an infected limb helped. Being rid of it was not the same as being healed of it.

It was as if I had been following a narrow trail, and had suddenly realized that at any time I could leave it and strike out cross-country.

I found myself speaking softly as if I were telling an old tale to a young child. And giving it a happy ending, when all know that tales never end, and the happy ending is but a moment to catch one’s breath before the next disaster. But I didn’t want to think about that. I didn’t want to wonder what would happen next.

Be very chary of telling your hoarded secrets. Many lose all power once they have been divulged.

I think when writers play with dragons, we are simply doing what fantasy writers have always done.