The Wise Man's Fear

In his tent, Kvothe gives the girls a counter-toxin and reveals he has poisoned the stew and ale. They fall asleep and he waits. Later, he kills all the troupers, getting cut in the stomach in the process.

Krin wakes up to find Kvothe branding the bodies of the dead troupers with a horseshoe to symbolize that they have betrayed the Edema Ruh code. He reveals that he believes them to not be true Ruh, suspecting they killed the actual troupers and stole their belongings. One of the men wakes up when branded and Kvothe questions him, becoming irate when the man implies that the Ruh are criminals. Kvothe offers the brand to Krin, who brands the man until he falls unconscious. She tells Kvothe how she and Ellie were kidnapped.

The two girls and Kvothe travel for the day. Ellie experiences a trauma-based regression, as she cannot feed or care for herself and follows the others blindly. When Kvothe treats her with gentleness during dinner, she starts to recover. Kvothe gives the girls the tent and experiences nightmares about killing the false troupe.

Kvothe and Krin continue to support Ellie as Kvothe is plagued with thoughts of the man they left alive, knowing his wounds will give him a long and painful death. He has nightmares about killing his family. He wakes up to Ellie holding his arm and sobbing from nightmares herself, and he realizes that he was right to seek vengeance. As they get close to Levinshir the next day, the girls express their anxieties and Kvothe comforts them.

The girls receive a warm homecoming, although Kvothe is treated with suspicion until Krin speaks on his behalf, shouting at the town’s men for not having saved them. Kvothe breaks the arm of a boy who calls the girls derogatory names. When the mayor, Ellie’s father, arrives, the three explain what happened with the false troupers. Kvothe visits Gran, the local healer, to talk medicine. They discuss the killings and Gran supports Kvothe’s actions. Back in town, a small celebration has broken out. Kvothe talks to the mayor about the law and the mayor encourages him to sneak away, not intending to arrest him for the murders.

Kvothe stops the narrative to get the inn ready for the evening. He sends Bast to Shep’s funeral while he prepares dinner. Two soldiers arrive and rob Kvothe; when he tries to defend himself, they beat him. Bast returns and Kvothe is snappish in his pain but insists on continuing the story. Bast forces him to accept medical attention.

Kvothe races to Severen, hoping to stay ahead of his crimes. Back at Alveron’s estate, Stapes tells him of the Maer’s wedding and catching Caudicus. Kvothe offends Alveron by missing his first summons and is left waiting in his room for a second. After several days, Alveron summons him for a walk in his gardens. After some pleasant chatting, Kvothe brings up the Amyr and learns of Alveron’s past fascination with them. Alveron also discovered a lack of information when doing his own research years earlier. They agree to meet later that night.

Kvothe looks for Denna and cannot find her. Later, he meets with Alveron and confirms the story of the bandits. Meluan joins them.

Meluan presents Kvothe with a chest, saying it is a secret of her family. She unlocks the chest and inside is a second box of dark wood. Meluan shares that she does not know how to open the second box or what is inside of it. They speculate on how to open it and what it contains before Kvothe turns the conversation to the false troupers. He confesses his crime. To defend the real Edema Ruh, he also admits his heritage. Meluan storms out of the room and Kvothe has a confrontation with Alveron.

The next morning, Kvothe receives a letter from Alveron. It explains that Alveron is bound to Meluan, but thanks him for his service, gives him the promise to pay his university tuition, and a paper granting him permission to perform in Alveron’s lands. Kvothe also receives a letter and wooden ring with Meluan’s name on it, so sends for Bredon. Bredon reads the scathing letter and shares that the wooden ring symbolizes that Meluan thinks of Kvothe as less than human. Members of the court send letters asking for their rings back as they side with Meluan. Kvothe visits Stapes and tries to return the bone ring, but Stapes asks him to keep it. That night, Kvothe sneaks out of the estate rather than be escorted by guards.

Kvothe has a pleasant journey home, finding kinship with sailors.

Kvothe is comforted as he arrives in Imre early in the morning. He visits Simmon, who cries when they meet because he presumed Kvothe died in a shipwreck. Simmon catches him up on the news, including his relationship with Fela, and Kvothe goes to visit the bursar before his tuition interview. They strike a deal to falsify his tuition so that they both can make money from Alveron. After his interview, Kvothe reacquaints himself with town and sees Auri.

Kvothe visits the Fishery, where he learns that his invention has been called the Bloodless and many have been making it. He also learns that as its designer, he is entitled to 10% of profits from the device, and thus earns a significant amount of money. He visits Devi, who is shocked that he is alive. He pays back his loan and gives her a book.

Kvothe settles back into life at the University. He shares his Fae story with Elodin, who congratulates his progress with learning the name of the wind. Elodin also speculates that while in the Fae, Kvothe used Felurian’s true name to subdue her. He takes private classes with some of the professors.

Kvothe goes shopping now that he has money. In the spring, stories about his exploits reach Imre, although they have changed slightly from the truth.

Kvothe experiences several academic failures for the first time but reasserts himself in the things he finds interesting. He engages in several romantic relationships. He talks to Kilvin about some of the mysterious magic he saw during his travels. While studying with Elodin, Kvothe makes progress in relearning the name of the wind.

Kvothe travels to Tarbean, visiting the places he knows. He visits Trapis, the old man who helped him when he was homeless. He writes a prank letter to Ambrose, pretending to be a woman he has impregnated. He rents a room at an inn and listens to stories about himself. A noble man and a lady burst into the inn, the woman struggling to breathe. Kvothe intercedes, speaking the name of the wind to clear her airways. The woman is revealed to be Denna. They engage in their usual banter after the noble departs.

Kvothe and Denna travel to Imre together, though they carefully choose their topics of conversation to avoid their fight and Kvothe’s Fae experience. There is tension in their silences, and they are tense when they arrive at Imre. The next day, they take a walk, during which they shove each other into the river. They sun themselves on the greystones, where they eventually fight about Kvothe’s romantic conquests. He presents her with her ring, but they are still uncomfortable.

Kvothe meets with Simmon and Fela for dinner, where he shares his relationship woes. Fela tries to offer him wisdom, but Kvothe is upset when they mention love. He finds Elodin sitting beneath a tree and relays calling the wind to clear Denna’s airways.

The University Chancellor falls ill and Hemme is appointed Chancellor in his place. This causes Kvothe to be issued a very high tuition, but his deal with the bursar enables him to get paid. Kvothe treats all his loved ones to an elaborate meal to celebrate.

In the present, Kvothe stops the story for the night. He cleans the common room. In his room, Bast waits until Chronicler sneaks through his window. They talk about the Cthaeh, and Chronicler fails to see the danger of the tree until Bast reinforces his seriousness. Chronicler tries to comfort Bast by telling him of the beautiful things in the world, but Bast is convinced that Kvothe’s conversation with the Cthaeh began the end of the world. Bast sees the wisdom in celebrating the present however, and leaves. Across the inn, Kvothe tries to unlock his thrice-locked chest and fails.

Away from town, the soldiers who attacked Kvothe are drunk around a fire. Bast emerges from the darkness, and it becomes clear that he set up the attack earlier to make Kvothe remember who he was. The soldiers, unaware of this fact, encourage Bast to drink and take his cut of the stolen money. Instead, Bast removes a branch from the fire and attacks them.

There are three types of silence in the Waystone Inn. The first is the silence of absence, as there are no customers. The second is the silence brought on by the end of Shep’s wake. The third is the silence of Kvothe’s pain and anticipation of dying.