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The Wise Man's Fear Novel Chapters
List of most recent chapters published for the The Wise Man's Fear novel. A total of 134 chapters have been translated and the release date of the last chapter is Apr 02, 2024
Latest Release: Chapter 1 : The Wise Man's Fear.by Patrick Rothfuss.PROLOGUE.A Silence of Three Parts.DAWN WAS
The Wise Man's Fear.by Patrick Rothfuss.PROLOGUE.A Silence of Three Parts.DAWN WAS COMING. The Waystone Inn lay in silence, and it was a silence of three parts.
The most obvious part was a vast, echoing quiet made by things that were lacking. If there ha
- 1 The Wise Man's Fear.by Patrick Rothfuss.PROLOGUE.A Silence of Three Parts.DAWN WAS COMING. The Waystone Inn lay in silence, and it was a silence of three parts. The most obvious part was a vast, echoing quiet made by things that were lacking. If there ha
- 2 "h.e.l.lo Aaron," the innkeeper said calmly. "Close the door, would you? It's dusty out."As the smith's prentice turned back to the door, the innkeeper and Bast tucked most of the holly below the bar, moving in quick, unspoken concert. By the time t
- 3 I didn't see Wilem or Simmon anywhere, so I settled into the nearest line and tried not to think of how little I had in my purse: one talent and three jots. At one point in my life, it would have seemed like all the money in the world. But for tuition it
- 4 He brought out a bowl with three good-sized potatoes and half a golden squash shaped like a bell. There was a generous daub of b.u.t.ter in the middle of the squash where the seeds had been scooped out."I'll take a bottle of Bredon beer too," I said as
- 5 "Irritate is rather a mild word," Manet said dryly. "Not exactly the one I would have chosen, myself." is rather a mild word," Manet said dryly. "Not exactly the one I would have chosen, myself.""You owe him," Sim said, his eyes glittering with a
- 6 I watched until they were halfway up the stairs to the third circle. That's where Denna stopped and put a hand to her head. Then she looked around at the floor, her expression anxious. The two of them spoke briefly and she pointed up the stairs. Kellin n
- 7 Still playing, I fidgeted in my seat, trying to find a comfortable position and failing. I frowned, stood up, and looked at the chair as if it was somehow to blame. Then I reclaimed my seat and wriggled, an uncomfortable expression on my face.All the whil
- 8 "It must be the Greysdale mead," Wil said. "You order that all the time.""But I've I've ordered Greysdale," Sim protested. "It tasted like sweet pickles and p.i.s.s. Besides ..." Sim trailed off. ordered Greysdale," Sim protested. "It tasted l
- 9 I left the courtyard at a dead run.I pounded frantically on the door, out of breath from running up to the third floor of Mews. "Simmon!" I shouted. "Open this door and talk to me!"Along the hallway doors opened and students peered out at the commotio
- 10 "I wish we were," Simmon said. "This stuff is terribly dangerous.""How can he remember naked paintings and not remember you're supposed to keep your s.h.i.+rt on in public?" she asked Sim, her eyes never leaving me."It just didn't seem very impor
- 11 I finished off the plateful of eggs and drank the milk as quickly as I could without being rude. "I'll need to cash out my bar credit today," I said. "Tuition's going to be hard this term."Anker nodded and checked a small ledger he kept underneath t
- 12 "Eight spades," I said.The other masters stirred slightly in their seats. Arwyl sighed. Kilvin slouched. Hemme and Brandeur went to far as to roll their eyes at each other. All together they gave the impression of long-suffering exasperation.Elodin scow
- 13 "You mentioned it when we were in Trebon," I said. "I did some research." I pointed. "That one you can brew in a tea: featherbite, deadnettle, lohatm... ." I pointed to the other. "That one you boil the leaves in some water and breathe the vapor co
- 14 Devi snorted indelicately. "For boundless charm and three drops of blood you can borrow six talents at my standard rate. Fifty percent interest over a two-month term.""Devi," I said ingratiatingly. "What am I going to do with the extra money?""Thro
- 15 Auri scampered around to the other side of the roof, then down into the courtyard through the bare limbs of the apple tree.Elodin watched her go. When he tilted his head there was just enough moonlight that I could see a thoughtful expression on his face.
- 16 "There you go," Elodin said expansively."What the h.e.l.l?" I demanded, wringing my hands. "I ... What the h.e.l.l?"Elodin looked at me, puzzled. "What? You're in. Problem solved.""You can't offer to let him cut off my thumbs!" I said.He raise
- 17 The Hunt DETERMINED TO MAKE A good showing of myself in Elodin's cla.s.s, I tracked down Wilem and negotiated an exchange of future drinks for his help navigating the Archives.We made our way through the cobbled streets of the University together, the wi
- 18 It was in those places I searched for the Chandrian.I looked for hours and I looked for days. A large part of the reason I had come to the University was because I wanted to discover the truth about them. Now that I finally had easy access to the Archives
- 19 CHAPTER SIXTEEN.Unspoken Fear AFTER SEEING AMBROSE AND Denna in Imre, I fell into a dark mood. On the walk back to the University my head spun with thoughts of them. Was Ambrose doing this purely out of spite? How had it happened? What was Denna thinking?
- 20 Denna took a drink and nodded to herself. "Good wine, though," she said. "Is he still at the bar?""He is," I said without looking."Well then," she smiled. "It seems you're stuck with me.""Have you ever played corners?" Sim asked hopefully."I
- 21 "And that,"Wilem said grimly, "is why you never want a sympathist to get a drop of your blood."Denna looked at Wilem, then back to the gla.s.s, her face going pale."Black hands, Wil," Simmon said with a horrified look. "What a thing to say." He lo
- 22 "What ended up souring things with Kellin?" I asked, steering the conversation somewhere safer."I spent too much time entertaining gentlemen callers," she said dryly."You should have explained to him that I'm nothing remotely resembling a gentleman,
- 23 Then, once I'd worked my way past the drop bar, the window still wouldn't budge. I began to curse Ambrose's paranoia as I searched for the third lock, hunting for nearly ten minutes before I realized the window was simply stuck shut.I tugged on it a co
- 24 Basil shook his head. "She didn't come in," he said. "At least not that I know of. But I've seen her a couple times outside. She hangs around the courtyard." He jerked his head toward the southern exit of the Fishery."Did you tell anyone?" I asked
- 25 "Thanks Wil," I said.He gave a perfunctory wave over one shoulder and closed the door behind him.Mola agreed to leave mention of my suspicious injuries off her report and stuck to her original diagnosis of heat exhaustion. She also cut away Sim's st.i.
- 26 Threpe shrugged, not bothering with false modesty. "A fair number. Everyone who's earnest about it. Everyone with money, anyway.""I have a friend," I said. "A musician who is just starting out. She has natural talent but not much training. Someone h
- 27 Simmon stood up. "We have to tell someone." He looked at Wilem. "Would Jamison still be in his office at this time of night?""Sim," I said. "How about we just wait for a while?""What?" Simmon said. "Why?""The only evidence I have are my injur
- 28 Clinks ISTOOD ON THE ROOFTOPS with the storm flickering overhead, my heart heavy in my chest. I wanted to follow Auri and apologize, but I knew it was hopeless. The wrong sort of questions made her run, and when Auri bolted, she was like a rabbit down a h
- 29 "Actually, I don't," I admitted. "What do people say?"Sleat gave me a sharp, beautiful smile. "Ah, that's the problem isn't it? Everyone knows a man's reputation except the man himself. For most men this isn't a bother. But some of us labor over
- 30 Fela nodded. "It takes years to learn your way around the Stacks. It's like a city."I smiled. "That's how I think of it too. I haven't lived here long enough to learn all the shortcuts."Fela grimaced a bit. "And I'm guessing you're going to need
- 31 Then, with a sudden burst of motion she yanked her hand out of the drawer as if pulling it free from thick mud. She slammed something round and metallic down on the top of the desk, making the lamp's flame leap and stutter. It wasn't a mommet. It wasn'
- 32 The next day there were no attacks at all. In some ways that was worse. Nothing but hours of waiting for the other shoe to drop.So I learned to maintain an iron-hard Alar as I ate and bathed, as I attended cla.s.s and had conversations with my teachers an
- 33 Elodin stalked around to stand behind me. "Kvothe looks at her, and for the first time he understands the impulse that first drove men to paint. To sculpt. To sing."He circled us again, eventually standing between us like a priest about to perform a wed
- 34 "G.o.d, I'm embarra.s.sed," I said, blowing my nose.Denna touched my arm lightly. "I'm so sorry," she repeated for the third time.The two of us sat on the curb outside the small shop. It was bad enough bursting into tears in front of Denna. I'd wan
- 35 "Vhenata," Wilem said. Wilem said.Simmon shrugged. "Fine, I'll do it. I guess."I handed the block of wax to Fela, and she began warming it with her hands. "Do you want to use hair or blood?" she asked softly."Both,&
- 36 "Then I'll dance a merry little jig," I said. "But between the two of us, I hardly think that's likely."The sun had set by the time I made it into the forest. Wilem was already there, kindling a fire in the wide pit. We worke
- 37 Ambrose's sitting room was dark, and made darker by a haze of smoke in the air. I saw flickering firelight inside, off to the left. From my previous visit I knew it was his bedroom."h.e.l.lo?" I shouted. "Is everyone all right?" I
- 38 Since Denna had mentioned the Barrel and Boar in her note, I decided to start looking for her there. My lute case hung heavier on my shoulder now that I knew what she'd given up to pay for it. Still, one good turn deserves another, and I hoped the re
- 39 "Don't push at that thing," Simmon said nervously. "You'll tip it over."I laughed. "This stone has been here for a thousand years, Sim. I don't think my breathing on it is going to hurt it.""Just come away
- 40 I sat up straight. "All right," I took a breath, then paused. "If either of you have to go p.i.s.s, do it now. I don't like having to stop halfway through."Silence."Okay." I cleared my throat. "There is a place not
- 41 For a moment Sceop's face lit with hope, but then it fell. "I would be nothing but a burden. Even a beggar has his pride."Terris laughed. "You would tell the Edema about pride? We do not ask you out of pity. We ask because you belong i
- 42 "Puppet again," I grumbled. "Are you ever going to introduce me? The two of you are so tight-lipped about him."Wilem shrugged. "You will understand when you meet him."Sim's books divided into three categories. One suppor
- 43 "Kvothe is actually a Re'lar," Simmon said respectfully.Puppet sniffed disparagingly. "Hardly," he said, looking at me closely. "You might be a see-er eventually, but not yet. Now you are a look-er. You'll be a true E�
- 44 Simmon smiled. "I find that strangely rea.s.suring."CHAPTER FORTY-TWO.Penance SINCE STUDYING WASN'T AN option and winter was covering everything in drifts of blowing snow, I decided this was the perfect time to catch up on a few things I�
- 45 "Probably," I admitted."Kist," he swore, then headed back outside, the door banging behind him. he swore, then headed back outside, the door banging behind him.The envelope was heavy parchment, wrinkled and smudged with much handling.
- 46 Kilvin shook the arrowcatch idly, holding it to the side of his head. It didn't make any noise. "And what if the arrowheads are not made of metal?" he asked. "Vi Sembi raiders are said to use arrows of flint or obsidian."I looked
- 47 What started as a terrifying experience quickly became a tedious process filled with pomp and ritual. More than forty letters of testimony were read aloud, confirmed, and copied into the official records. There were days filled with nothing but long speec
- 48 "So when the Justice finally showed up, the whole trial only took fifteen minutes," Cob said, chuckling. "Kvothe gave a fine speech in perfect Tema, everyone agreed with him, and they all went home.""And he lived happily ever afte
- 49 "And if that's reasonable," I continued before he could interrupt. "Doesn't it also make sense they might try to preserve their secrecy by carefully pruning histories over the last three hundred years?"There was a long pause.
- 50 I toyed with the idea of searching elsewhere. There are other libraries, of course. Every n.o.ble house has at least a modest collection containing household accounts and histories of their lands and family. Most churches had extensive records going back
- 51 Her expression went rueful. "It was supposed to be pear."I lay down my lute case and travelsack and took a seat at her desk. Despite my best intentions, my eyes were drawn to the charred black ring.Devi tossed her strawberry-blonde hair and met
- 52 So I made my way to the foot of the Sheer and found a small cafe that catered to a genteel clientele. I used one of my precious few remaining coins to buy a mug of chocolate and a seat with a view of the haberdasher's across the street.Over the next
- 53 Alveron gave me a shrewd look. "Are you indeed? Well, it's a little thing. Keep secretive about who you are and what your business is. It'll do wonders for your reputation. The less you tell them, the more everyone will be wanting to get fr
- 54 The important thing was that I had not been officially introduced to the court. As such, I had no official official ranking. That meant all the rings sent to me were iron. And one does not typically refuse a request sent with an iron ring, lest one offend
- 55 "No," he spat. "Sit down."I did."This d.a.m.nable sickness has crept on me this last month, adding years and making me feel them. I have spent my life tending to my lands, but I have been lax in one regard. I have no family, no he
- 56 CHAPTER SIXTY.Wisdom's Tool THE MAER'S EYES WENT wide at my words, then narrowed again. Even in the midst of his infirmity, Alveron's wit was sharp. "You were right to speak that close and soft," he said. "You are treading da
- 57 I watched the cage until I saw one of the birds fly to a feeder and drink. "If you tell Stapes you want to feed them yourself, will it keep him from meddling with their food?""Yes. He always does exactly as I tell him.""Good. Let
- 58 CHAPTER SIXTY-TWO.Crisis THE NEXT MORNING I made my way to Severen-Low before the sun was up. I ate a hot breakfast of eggs and potatoes while I waited for an apothecary to open. When I was finished, I bought two more pints of cod liver oil and a few othe
- 59 I saw him fighting down a smile. "Ah, yes. I need to feed it, I suspect." He tucked it back inside his robes. "Go on now." He made a shooing motion toward the door.I made my way back to the Maer's rooms, trying to ma.s.sage some f
- 60 "Is he part of the court here in Severen?" I asked. "What's his name?"Denna's grin faded into a serious look, a confused smile playing around her mouth. "You know I can't tell you that," she chided. "You k
- 61 "My outer door," the Maer explained. "He has ears like a dog. It's uncanny."Stapes opened the door to admit the tall man with the shaven head who had been looking over maps with Alveron when I'd first arrived, Commander Dagon
- 62 "Admit it," I said. "I nearly had you that last time."He merely scowled and pointed imperiously to the table.I set to it with a will, smiling and humming, sure that today I would finally beat him.But nothing could be further from the t
- 63 One of her eyebrows went up a bit. "Do tell.""You will be receiving an apology shortly. Forgive my eyes, they flit like the calanthis, place to place. I could not keep them from your fair flower face."Meluan smiled, but did not blush.
- 64 "No, your grace. It will be rather exhausting and time-consuming. Especially since I'm a.s.suming you'd prefer I be circ.u.mspect while gathering my materials in Severen-Low?""Yes of course." He exhaled hard through his nose.
- 65 The Maer's gardens were vast, with curving paths and cunningly placed hedges making them seem larger still. Denna and I walked side by side, listening to the sigh of the wind through the leaves. It was like we were the only people in the world."
- 66 "That's a little grim, Res.h.i.+," Bast reproached gently."Life is a little grim, Bast," Kvothe said without any hint of laughter in his voice. "You'd best start getting used to it." He waved a hand toward the chest
- 67 "But it wasn't like you thought it would be, was it?" Denna said, more gently this time.I could see the girl's shoulders begin to shake and heard a series of faint, heartbreaking sobs. I looked away from the winegla.s.s and set it back
- 68 I tried to give a nonchalant shrug, but I couldn't have been very convincing as she burst out laughing. "Poor Kvothe. I'm teasing you. I only tell him about the ones that come prowling around, panting and sniffing like dogs. You're not
- 69 Rumors THE DAY AFTER I fought with Denna, I woke late in the afternoon, feeling miserable for all the obvious reasons. I ate and bathed, but pride kept me from heading down to Severen-Low to look for Denna. I sent a ring to Bredon, but the runner returned
- 70 Enjoy the suns.h.i.+ne, But though you might feel fine, If you don't stop now, you'll be filled with regret.It's better to simply pay, And prepare for a rainy day Than think of the tinker when you're dripping wet.I laughed and applaude
- 71 CHAPTER SEVENTY-SEVEN.Pennysworth TWILIGHT WAS SETTLING IN as we rounded a curve in the road. I heard clapping and stomping mingled with music, shouting, and roars of laughter. After ten hours of walking, the sound lifted my spirits to an almost cheerful
- 72 And then there was Tempi, a hired killer who wouldn't look me in the eye or hold a conversation. A mercenary I firmly believed could look forward to a decent career in the Modegan theater... .Five days after leaving Severen, we came to the area where
- 73 I began to have a horrible suspicion that he might not actually understand what it was we were doing out here in the Eld. "Tempi, you know what we are doing out here, in the forest?"Tempi's eyes moved to my rough sketch in the dirt, then ba
- 74 Still, it seemed to be my only option. I walked over to where Tempi sat. He had finished cleaning his sword and was making small adjustments to the leather grip. "Tempi?"Tempi lay aside his sword and came to his feet. He stood uncomfortably clos
- 75 With the camp to myself, I melted down the tinker's candles to make two small wax simulacra. I'd been wanting to do this for days, but even at the University creating a mommet was questionable behavior. Here in Vintas ... suffice to say I though
- 76 "I always thought of it as a dirty grey," she said. "Sort of washed out from his being on the road all the time.""That makes good sense," Dedan said, and I watched Hespe's face go gentle again."White," Tempi vo
- 77 "Domesticated?""That's it," he said, looking around. "A farm is domesticated. A garden. A park. Most forests too. Folks hunt mushrooms, or cut firewood, or take their sweethearts for a little rub and cuddle."He shook his
- 78 "If you can find something in your pack that will make me happy," Jax said. "I will give you my house. It's old and broken, but it's worth something."The tinker looked up at the huge old house, one short step away from being
- 79 I turned to a man at the table next to us, quietly eating his bowl of soup. "Is this a market day or something?"He looked at me like I was an idiot, and I saw he had a bruise going purple on his jaw. "There's no market day in Crosson.
- 80 Tempi looked at me intently. He made a gesture I didn't recognize. "That is mad talking," he said at last. "Is that the correct word? Mad?" He stuck out his tongue and rolled his eyes, wiggling his fingers at the side of his head.
- 81 The old man closed his eyes for a moment, then nodded to himself. "I can hear it in your voice. This is no pa.s.sing fancy." He leaned close and pressed his ear to Jax's chest. He closed his eyes for another long moment and was very still.
- 82 CHAPTER EIGHTY-NINE.Losing the Light THE LAST FOUR DAYS had been endlessly overcast and raining. At first the trees had given us some shelter, but we soon discovered that the leaves overhead merely held the rain, and the slightest stir of wind sent down s
- 83 Marten knelt to examine something on the ground, and I took the opportunity to catch up with him."We're being followed," I said, not bothering to whisper it. They were at least seventy feet behind us, and the rain was rolling through the tr
- 84 "Surprise."He nodded. "We surprise. Wait. Hunt rest. Tell Maer."I nodded. Not the quick resolution we had hoped for, but the only sane option against this number of men. When Marten came back the three of us would take our first sting
- 85 Seventeen burned, broken, or otherwise ravaged by the lightning. Of those, eight had been dead, or wounded unto death, beforehand.We found tracks of one sentry who had watched the whole incident from the northeast piece of the ridge. His tracks were a day
- 86 "That's ..." Dedan said weakly. "That's ...""I do not believe in faeries," I tried to say, but it came out as barely a whisper. I tried to say, but it came out as barely a whisper.It was Felurian.CHAPTER NINETY-FIVE
- 87 Felurian sat cross-legged on the cus.h.i.+ons across from me, her face angry and terrible, her eyes cold and hard as distant stars. With a deliberate calm she brushed a slowly fanning b.u.t.terfly from her shoulder. There was such a weight of fury in her
- 88 I bent over my lute and danced my fingers across the strings. I wove chords like water over river stones, like a soft breath against the ear. Then I steeled myself and sang: Her eyes were of the bluest black Like night sky with the clouds blown back Her s
- 89 Still, I learned things from these stories: a thousand small, scattered facts about the Fae. The names of the courts, old battles, and notable persons. I learned you must never look at one of the Thiana with both eyes at once, and that the gift of a singl
- 90 Other answers were nearly incomprehensible, filled with Fae words I didn't understand. When she tried to describe those terms, our conversations became hopeless rhetorical tangles. At times I felt like I'd found myself a quieter, more attractive
- 91 "What was his name?"She shook her head. "no calling of names here. I will not speak of that one, though he is shut beyond the doors of stone."Before I could ask more questions, Felurian took my hand and nestled the stone between our pa
- 92 "Tell me!" I meant to shout it, but it came out pleading."It would be frustrating, I suppose," the Cthaeh continued calmly. "The few people who believe in the Chandrian are too afraid to talk, and everyone else will just laugh at
- 93 Chronicler sat very still, but he did not look away."I swear it by my tongue and teeth," Bast said crisply. "I swear it on the doors of stone. I am telling you three thousand times. There is nothing in my world or yours more dangerous than
- 94 "She would be," said a rough voice from the edge of the hearth. "If you had ever so much as seen her shadow."I turned to see the hawk-faced fiddler. "I beg your pardon, sir?""You should beg the pardon of everyone here,&q
- 95 The boy thought about it. "I like mine better," he said after a moment's consideration.I patted him on the back. "It's a good man that sticks to his own verse." I turned back to the leader of the little troupe. "Any goss
- 96 "Why?"Tempi thought for a moment. "When you speak of Lethani, it should not come from here," he tapped on my head. "Or here." He tapped on my chest over my heart and ran his fingers down to my left hand. "True knowing of
- 97 She tapped my lute case, then did the same to my travelsack and the sword on my hip. "Give these to the boy and he will take them inside for you."Without waiting for me to reply, she began to tug my travelsack off my shoulder, and I couldn'
- 98 I waited for an hour, then two. I strained my ears, but I couldn't hear anything from the other side of the door. A few people walked past in the hallway: two in mercenary reds, and another in simple grey homespun. Each of them looked at my hair, tho
- 99 Vashet began to walk around me in a slow circle, still swinging the willow rod. Whop whop Whop whop. She moved behind me, and not being able to see her was worse. Whop whop Whop whop. She swung the rod faster and the noise changed. Viiiip. Viiiip Viiiip.
- 100 "It must have been hard," I said. "Coming here and being the stranger to everyone."Vashet shrugged, making her sword rise and fall on her shoulder. "At first," she admitted. "But they recognize talent, and I have that to