The Name of the Wind

Kvothe and Ben strike up a friendship, and Kvothe begins riding in his wagon while asking him questions. Ben tells Kvothe that true arcanists have worked their way through the Arcanum at the University, and that stories say Taborlin the Great went there “to learn the names of all things” (66).

Kvothe asks Ben to instruct him, so Ben gives Kvothe an overview of each science. He then teaches Kvothe to identify chemicals, distill liquids, bandage wounds, set bones, identify illnesses, and create poisons and cures. Ben prepares him for a University education: “I seemed to gain momentum as I progressed, like when water turns to wash away a dam made of sand” (69).

One pivotal lesson that Ben teaches Kvothe is about belief and reality. Ben, who calls Kvothe “E’lir” when he thinks his student is being especially willful, asks Kvothe to believe that a rock will fall up when he lets go of it. “Alar” is the name of the belief he wants Kvothe to have, what he calls “riding-crop belief” (71). It takes Kvothe all afternoon, but eventually he believes, despite all evidence to the contrary, that the rock will fall up. Ben sets him up with another challenge: to believe that the rock will fall and will also not fall when he lets go.

Ben also teaches Kvothe Heart of Stone, to let go of emotions and prejudices, and Seek the Stone, which allows him to split his mind so that one side hides a stone, and the other tries to find it. The training is hard, and referring to the discipline he is learning, Kvothe says, “[S]ympathy is not for the weak of mind” (72).

Kvothe learns more about sympathy and explains it to the reader in the process: We can neither create nor destroy energy, yet anything can be bound together. When we lift one drab and the other rises, we are, in theory, holding two. However, because dissimilar items lose more energy, we may feel as if we’re holding three or even more: “The law of sympathy is one of the most basic parts of magic […] It states that the more similar two objects are, the greater the sympathetic link. The greater the link the more easily they influence each other” (75).

Ben continues to teach Kvothe more sympathy bindings as well as more words and tricks to channel power. He teaches lessons in other things as well: “But I grabbed at whatever he could teach me about sympathy” (77). Although Kvothe still gets into trouble because of his curiosity, overall, this is a happy time for young Kvothe, as he spends time helping the troupe and learning from Ben.

Kvothe’s father is writing a song about the Chandrian that is taking a long time, and he goes to Ben for advice on sorting out all the conflicting information he’s finding out. Arliden thinks he has figured out the Chandrian mystery. However, Ben won’t let Kvothe’s parents say the names aloud, and they think he’s a bit daft about that. He reasons with them, saying that even if they don’t believe in superstitious fears, they can be cautious: “And names are strange things. Dangerous things” (80).

He then changes the subject to Kvothe, pointing out how fast the 11-year-old boy learns and encouraging his parents to think about options for Kvothe’s future. Ben explains, “He will leave his mark on the world as one of the best” (88). When Kvothe’s parents ask about what he’ll be best at, the arcanist says, “Whatever he chooses” (88). He broaches the subject of Kvothe’s attending the University.

Back at the Waystone Inn, Kote has stopped speaking and seems far away. He calls to Bast to bring drinks. Chronicler and Bast have an altercation, because Chronicler believes Bast is a demon and tries to bind him with an iron metal disk.

Kote ends it and introduces the two of them. Kote says he’s leaving them to talk, and they better get along. He gets them all some food, then asks Bast how much of the conversation he overheard. Bast says he overheard most of it, and Kote says that’s good because they don’t have time to backtrack: “Brace yourselves, the story takes a turn now. Downward. Darker. Clouds on the horizon” (95).

Ben asks Kvothe hypothetical questions as part of his lessons. When he asks about how Kvothe might use sympathy to bring a bird down, Kvothe says he’d call the wind. Then, he has an idea and quickly acts on it. He binds the air in his lungs to the air outside but almost dies in the process. Ben grabs him, dashes him to the ground, and calls the wind to save Kvothe’s life.

A few hours before sunset, the troupe encounters a greystone and stops there, as tradition dictates. During dinner, Ben alludes to how dangerous Kvothe could be if given a weapon. Ben says, “A clever, thoughtless person is one of the most terrifying things there is. Worse, I’ve been teaching you some dangerous things” (104). Ben says he needs to do some thinking. Afterward, the relationship between the teacher and the student is not the same.

The troupe stops in Hallowfell, where Ben meets a widow with a young son and decides to leave the troupe. The troupe holds a going-away party that’s also an early 12th birthday party for Kvothe. The troupe wants to hear Arliden’s new song about Lanre, and though Kvothe’s father says it’s not ready, he sings one tantalizing verse. Ben leaves in the morning.

That afternoon, Kvothe finds a package next to him. It’s a gift from Ben, the book Rhetoric and Logic, which they used in lessons. Ben has enclosed a note that reads: “Defend yourself well at the University. Make me proud. Remember your father’s song. Be wary of folly” (109).

The troupe tries to keep Kvothe from moping by teaching him all kinds of skills as they travel—japing, tumbling, stage training, swordplay, and etiquette. Kvothe develops a habit of wandering in the evenings. He returns to camp one night just as sunset is taking place, only to see bodies strewn about and smell blood and burning hair: “I would spare you the burden of any of it if one piece were not necessary to the story. It is vital. It is the hinge upon which the story pivots like an opening door. In some ways, this is where the story begins” (114).

He then sees unfamiliar men and women sitting around his parents’ fire. He gets dizzy, and when he reaches out a hand to steady himself against a wagon wheel, it crumbles, creaks, and splinters. He steps back, and the people can see him.

A man named Cinder is one: “‘Someone’s parents,’ he said, ‘have been singing entirely the wrong sort of songs’” (116). A shadowed man, Lord Halifax, seems to be in control of the situation. When the group sees something coming in the sky, they step forward and fade away.

Kvothe locates his parents, who are dead. He goes to his own wagon to sleep but accidentally sets fire to it. He collects his things, takes his father’s lute, and leaves. He walks until dawn and plays his father’s lute until his fingers ache.

Bast’s master’s story moves him to tears, but Kote makes light of it, saying it’s not the worst part of the story and it all happened long ago. Kote says he’s going to bring in wood and leaves Bast and Chronicler alone. Bast and Chronicler agree to a peace, and they shake hands. Bast shows Chronicler the mark on his wrist where Kote grabbed him after his attack, telling the scribe, “He’s stronger than he looks” (121). Kote, now outside, weeps as he works.