How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
She wanted to tell him how his last word resonated from the dead, and when all living things were dimmed by winter, she was able to hear it, and hearing it again taught her how to hear the wind. (15.33)
Falada's last word to Ani—princess—is super important because it gives her a sense of her identity, but it also highlights the special bond she has with her horse. His word reminds her that she can do things other people can't.
Quote #8
Ani marveled at the words that she began to hear so clearly now. It was nothing like learning bird speech, listening to the sounds, watching the movements, and practicing again and again to get it just right. Not like horse speech, that came slowly and easily as the colt grew, words like a voice in her mind, clear as her own thoughts. The wind blew understanding. It spoke in images, repeating where it had been with each new touch. It required concentration to hear it and to untangle the images into meanings. (15.53)
We see Ani communicate with Falada after she's already mastered the language with her beloved horse, so we're in for a treat when she figures out how to talk to the wind while we're watching. Check out how she describes the wind as speaking in images instead of words. Pretty cool, huh?
Quote #9
"In these last months I've told more stories than I thought I knew. And I've told lies. To hide. Now, telling you the truth, it sounds to me like just another story." (17.22)
Ani might not be a people-speaker, but she sure knows how to tell stories—her stories fill the forest workers with a sense of awe and wonder, and make them all stop in their tracks.