The Name of the Wind

Old Cob tells a story at the inn to five people who make up the usual crowd. It’s about Taborlin the Great, who escaped the fierce Chandrian unscathed. Thanks to a token from a tinker, he possesses the ability to call out the names of things, which saved him.

The man Carter then enters dramatically, smeared with blood, saying that a giant spider-like creature just attacked him, though it is now dead. Kote identifies it as a scrael and says he’s surprised to see one this far west. The men think it’s a demon, but Kote explains that there’s an easy way to tell: “Iron or fire” (9). Kote presses a coin against the skin of the creature, but nothing happens, which indicates that it is not a demon.

Kote goes to his room, where his apprentice Bast appears with food. Kote tells Bast about the scrael. Bast reminds him that “there’s no such thing as one scraeling” (12) and says Kote can’t let the townspeople go through this on their own.

The following day, his customers return to discuss rebels, the harvest, the war, higher prices, and deserters. The evening talk turns grim: “Most evenings did these days, times being what they were” (17).

Six ex-soldiers shake down a traveling scribe named Chronicler. They lay out his possessions and decide what to take. This is not Chronicler’s first stickup, and he knows where to hide things to keep them safe. As he answers a call of nature, a dark shape thrashing out of the bushes, initially alarms him, but it’s only a crow. Chronicler feels lighthearted: “The worst had happened, and it hadn’t been that bad” (21).

Graham delivers a mounting board to Kote and notes that Kote looks sickly. Kote quietly sets a sword on it. Afterward, the inn gets busy with travelers, and one drunk traveler recognizes Kote as “Kvothe.” Later, Kote asks Bast to give that traveler something to put him to sleep.

Bast is troubled, but not sure why. Now alone, Kote is contemplative. He looks at his hands and watches the fire. The fire flares, tracing the scars that are faint lines like lightning across his body.

Later, Kote tells Bast he will run some errands and goes to the smithy. He asks Caleb, the smith, for some rod-iron, a spare apron, and forge gloves, saying he wants to get rid of a bramble patch behind the inn even though it’s autumn: “Autumn’s the time. In autumn everything is tired and ready to die” (33).

Chronicler decides he will not make it to Newarre, so he leaves the road to find a fire he sees in the distance. It turns out to be a bonfire, and a man—Kote—is there is cooking something foul. The scribe addresses the unknown man, who turns a cudgel on him. Chronicler explains that he’s just looking for a place to sleep. Kote is incredulous that Chronicler just followed a strange fire and tells him he’s lucky. He warns that if Chronicler goes back out, the demons will kill him.

Kote hands Chronicler a heavy piece of wood to use as a weapon and starts to instruct him what to do, then stops abruptly to tell him to get against the wall. Black spider creatures are moving in the trees. One is extremely fast and attacks Chronicler quickly, causing him to fall backward while seeing the man with the cudgel standing ready. Chronicler hits his head and blacks out. 


When Chronicler awakens, Kote is there, hooded. Kote says he might have broken some of Chronicler’s ribs while trying to get the scrael off him, but that now he could use some help burying their bodies. Chronicler tries to rise to help but falls backward unconscious. Kote watches, not surprised, and starts to dig the hole himself.

Kote travels back to Newarre carrying Chronicler. Incensed, Bast waits at the inn and complains about the note left for him—“it wasn’t even a good note” (39). He wants to know who Chronicler is and what Kote has been doing. He deduces that Kote has been out “hunting for them” (40) and is upset that Kote didn’t trust him. Kote asks Bast to stitch him up, as the scrael gave him a dozen long cuts.

Bast comes to Kote’s room to check on him. He watches his master and sings him a lullaby: “How odd to watch a mortal kindle / Then to dwindle day by day” (41). He stays with Kote until early morning.

The next evening, Chronicler finally comes downstairs. He says he heard a rumor that Kvothe was in the area. Everyone thinks Kvothe is dead, a myth, a killer, or a Chandrian, but Chronicler wants to record his story.

Kote is derisive at the amount of time Chronicler has to give him, saying he can tell the story in one breath: “‘I trouped, traveled, lost, trusted and was betrayed.’ Write that down and burn it for all the good it will do you” (47). Chronicler quickly says he’s willing to spend the night the next morning hearing the tale. Kote says he’ll need three days—take it or leave it. Chronicler agrees: “If that’s the only way I can get it, I accept” (48).

Kote asks Chronicler how people go about telling their stories and thinks the normal way won’t do. He requests that Chronicler show him his cipher, which the scribe uses to write as quickly as a person speaks. Kote picks it up remarkably quickly, demonstrating to Chronicler that the stories about Kvothe’s learning a language in one day are true.

Kote begins his story by saying that it started with her singing. Then he backs up and says it started at the University, where he went to learn magic: “This is, in many ways, a story about the Chandrian” (52). He starts again, saying he has many names, all of which he bought and paid for. He elaborates, explaining that “Kvothe” means “to know.” He then recites a brief list of things he’s done, finishing concisely, “You may have heard of me” (53).