--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But before the sword could fall, there…" description: "\"“But before the sword could fall, there was a flash of black, a shadow rising from a hollow in the ground. Orga twined around Taran's feet, and he stag..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/37c/heather-fawcett-27312_betrayal_but-before-the-sword-could-fall-there-wa_2274354.jpg" --- # But before the sword could fall, there was a flash of… ![“But before the sword could fall, there was a flash of black, a shadow rising from a hollow in the ground. Orga twined around Taran's feet, and he staggered, falling onto one knee. His sword sliced harmlessly through the air by Wendell's shoulder. "What's this?" Taran demanded. Then, to my…” quote by Heather Fawcett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/37c/heather-fawcett-27312_betrayal_but-before-the-sword-could-fall-there-wa_2274354.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/37c/heather-fawcett-27312_betrayal_but-before-the-sword-could-fall-there-wa_2274354.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/37c/heather-fawcett-27312_betrayal_but-before-the-sword-could-fall-there-wa_2274354.jpg) > ““But before the sword could fall, there was a flash of black, a shadow rising from a hollow in the ground. Orga twined around Taran's feet, and he staggered, falling onto one knee. His sword sliced harmlessly through the air by Wendell's shoulder. "What's this?" Taran demanded. Then, to my astonishment, he added in a tone of affection, "Betrayal? I kept this one fed during your absence, Prince. I have always liked cats. It seems she has changed her mind about me, though." "Orga cares even less for my enemies than I do," Wendell said unevenly. "After this, you can expect her to spend the rest of her days orchestrating your demise.”” [Heather Fawcett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-fawcett/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A betrayal is revealed when a trusted ally turns against you, showing that loyalty can be fickle and dangerous. **In simple terms:** A trusted ally betrays you. Key Takeaway Beware hidden motives. Themes betrayal trust power loyalty Mood cautious tense Type dramatic warning When to use this quote - court intrigue - military strategy - personal relationships - leadership decisions Key Concepts political intrigue character deception moral ambiguity Questions to Reflect On - Who in your life might have hidden agendas? - How do you protect yourself from unexpected betrayal? A Different Perspective Even a loyal companion may act against you when circumstances change. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Betrayal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/betrayal/) [Cat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cat/) [Mythical creatures](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mythical-creatures/) [Protector](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/protector/) ## Related quotes > [“I held in my hand an invisible sword that sliced through every illusion. 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In the beginning, unfamiliar sounds, nocturnal sounds, disturbed her,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-morton/apart-from-such-visits-for-the-first-time-in-her-life-eliza-was-truly/) [Kate Morton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-morton/) > [“I had plans, Karolina, and I chose power over love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-r-noble/i-had-plans-karolina-and-i-chose-power-over-love/) [M. R. Noble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-r-noble/) > [“I came to the sobering realization that I was not making it out of here alive, no matter what. I was bruised and bloodied…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-wade/i-came-to-the-sobering-realization-that-i-was-not-making-it-out-of/) [Rachael Wade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-wade/) > [“Do you want me?” he whispered. It was a simple but loaded question. The answer, like it could remove all anguish from the past…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-r-noble/do-you-want-me-he-whispered-it-was-a-simple-but-loaded-question-the/) [M. R. Noble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-r-noble/) > [My brother believed in all sorts of mythical creatures: pixies, dragons, werewolves, honest men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/my-brother-believed-in-all-sorts-of-mythical-creatures-pixies-dragons/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) ## More by Heather Fawcett > [“What did these brownies tell you? I'd no idea such Folk could help a Black Hound." He took my hand. "Shadow is ill, Em.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-fawcett/what-did-these-brownies-tell-you-i-d-no-idea-such-folk-could-help-a/) [Heather Fawcett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-fawcett/) > [“Now, Shadow has never been fond of clothing, but he seemed to sense the importance of this particular imposition on his dignity, and held…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-fawcett/now-shadow-has-never-been-fond-of-clothing-but-he-seemed-to-sense-the/) [Heather Fawcett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-fawcett/) > [“Do you wish to return to Cambridge, Em?" he said. "Because if that is the case, you need only say the word. I suppose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-fawcett/do-you-wish-to-return-to-cambridge-em-he-said-because-if-that-is-the/) [Heather Fawcett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-fawcett/) > [“In fact, once I have retaken my throne, you will not have to do anything if you do not wish it. 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I saw…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-fawcett/i-picked-up-his-hands-and-examined-them-then-gripped-his-chin-in-a/) [Heather Fawcett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-fawcett/) > [“Naturally, Wendell's apartments are absurdly comfortable, and somehow there is the atmosphere of a forest about them, though I know this makes little sense.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-fawcett/naturally-wendell-s-apartments-are-absurdly-comfortable-and-somehow/) [Heather Fawcett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-fawcett/) > [“He would never abandon me as Orga is so often abandoning Wendell. Dogs are proper companions, not the physical manifestation of caprice.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-fawcett/he-would-never-abandon-me-as-orga-is-so-often-abandoning-wendell-dogs/) [Heather Fawcett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-fawcett/) > [“Mara," Lusha said slowly, "what was River hiding?" "He's not human, Lusha." His face was blank with shock. "He's a witch.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-fawcett/mara-lusha-said-slowly-what-was-river-hiding-he-s-not-human-lusha-his/) [Heather Fawcett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-fawcett/) > [“A boggart's arrogance knows no bounds; they fancy themselves above kings and queens." This was so rich that I actually snorted. Lord Taran gave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-fawcett/a-boggart-s-arrogance-knows-no-bounds-they-fancy-themselves-above/) [Heather Fawcett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-fawcett/) > [“How did you keep your hands off him?" She gave me a sly look that I never could have imagined on her face before.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-fawcett/how-did-you-keep-your-hands-off-him-she-gave-me-a-sly-look-that-i/) [Heather Fawcett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-fawcett/) > [“The shoes were of white leather and fur, with impractical heels that would add half a foot to my height, but unlike every other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-fawcett/the-shoes-were-of-white-leather-and-fur-with-impractical-heels-that/) [Heather Fawcett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-fawcett/) > [“And as for my soul-- I saw black fire sweeping the village, heard the anguished screams. What use would I have for a soul,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-fawcett/and-as-for-my-soul-i-saw-black-fire-sweeping-the-village-heard-the/) [Heather Fawcett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-fawcett/) > [“As the eyes of the assembled Folk fell upon me, I realized that I had forgotten to change back into my queenly attire. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-fawcett/as-the-eyes-of-the-assembled-folk-fell-upon-me-i-realized-that-i-had/) [Heather Fawcett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-fawcett/) [Explore all 20 Heather Fawcett quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-fawcett/) ## More Betrayal quotes > [“That's the catch about betrayal, of course: that it feels good, that there's something immensely pleasurable about moving from a complicated relationship which involves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/that-s-the-catch-about-betrayal-of-course-that-it-feels-good-that/) [Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/) > [God’s faithfulness is stronger than our unfaithfulness and our infidelities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/god-s-faithfulness-is-stronger-than-our-unfaithfulness-and-our/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [“Flattery looks like friendship, just like a wolf looks like a dog.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-auliq-ice/flattery-looks-like-friendship-just-like-a-wolf-looks-like-a-dog/) [Oscar Auliq-Ice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-auliq-ice/) > [There is no deceit in death. It delivers precisely what it has promised. Betrayal, though ... betrayal is the willful slaughter of hope.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/km-ii/there-is-no-deceit-in-death-it-delivers-precisely-what-it-has/) [KM II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/km-ii/) > [If you leave someone for another person, don't be surprised if that person leaves you for someone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-leave-someone-for-another-person-don-t-be-surprised-if-that/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“As they say in New York, Get over it and, if you can't get over it, Get over talking about it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-keyes/as-they-say-in-new-york-get-over-it-and-if-you-can-t-get-over-it-get/) [Marian Keyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-keyes/) > [“He returned her gaze, yearning for sentimental solace; love which emanated from a familiar source, mattered little how bedevilling. They shared an intimate moment,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-h-septimius/he-returned-her-gaze-yearning-for-sentimental-solace-love-which/) [A. H. Septimius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-h-septimius/) > [I was always here for you,you knew you could count on me and trust me blindly, and you knew that I would never tell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hayssus/i-was-always-here-for-you-you-knew-you-could-count-on-me-and-trust-me/) [Michael Hayssus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hayssus/) > [Joy doesn't betray but sustains activism. And when you face a politics that aspires to make you fearful, alienated and isolated, joy is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/joy-doesn-t-betray-but-sustains-activism-and-when-you-face-a-politics/) [Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/) > [“Betrayal and love are not mutually exclusive." (Mordred)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-mercer/betrayal-and-love-are-not-mutually-exclusive-mordred/) [Aldous Mercer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-mercer/) > [Love comes exactly... To those who still hope, even though they've been disappointed. To those who still believe, even though they've been betrayed and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mizhan/love-comes-exactly-to-those-who-still-hope-even-though-they-ve-been/) [Mizhan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mizhan/) > [For some people, a one-night stand doesn't make any difference in a seven-year love affair. I don't believe the degree of betrayal is always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-perel/for-some-people-a-one-night-stand-doesn-t-make-any-difference-in-a/) [Esther Perel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-perel/) > [Betrayal is a serious thing in this world,you know what else is serious? Being lied to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sabrina/betrayal-is-a-serious-thing-in-this-world-you-know-what-else-is/) [Sabrina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sabrina/) > [The greatest temptation for the like of us is: to renounce violence, to repent, to make peace with oneself. Most revolutionaries fell before this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-koestler/the-greatest-temptation-for-the-like-of-us-is-to-renounce-violence-to/) [Arthur Koestler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-koestler/) > [“Sarai, you never know who might betray you until it’s too late.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-a-redmerski/sarai-you-never-know-who-might-betray-you-until-it-s-too-late/) [J.A. Redmerski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-a-redmerski/) [Browse all 2,050 Betrayal quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/betrayal/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“But before the sword could fall, there was a flash of black, a shadow rising from a hollow in the ground. Orga twined around Taran's feet, and he staggered, falling onto one knee. His sword sliced harmlessly through the air by Wendell's shoulder. \"What's this?\" Taran demanded. Then, to my astonishment, he added in a tone of affection, \"Betrayal? I kept this one fed during your absence, Prince. I have always liked cats. 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