Chapter 3: Wood and Word
Graham walks through the door with a oil finished, dark charcoal colored mounting board with an engraving that read, "Folley." A special mounting board for a special sword. (The implications of this sword are obvious, but could it all be a ruse?)
Later that evening, a group of at least a dozen, newly traveled men jovial enter the establishment and they have coin give in exchange for good food and a friendly atmosphere. Kote moved with the speed of a man who needed the money these men had to spend. Also, after singing a jingle which sounded like he had sung it a hundred times, a tinker set up shop outside the inn. Selling, trading, and crafting miscellaneous anythings, the tinker came and went with the traveling anybodies. Food was eaten, brew was guzzled, jokes were told, and songs were sung. Among these songs was one titled, "Tinker Tanner."
Without thinking, Kote began leading the crowd as he recited more verses to the song than anyone else there had ever heard.
(Big mistake.)
"Kvothe?" a half-drunken man approaches the innkeeper.
"Kote, sir." Kote corrects the mistaken man.
"Kvothe the Bloodless," the man corrects them both, adding on a proper title to the name, now also pointing out Kote's flame red hair.
Kote did his best to play innocent, busies himself away, and pretends to injure his leg. With Bast assist him up the stairs to his room, Kote gives him a new back story with orders to casually spread it among the crowd before the night is done.
The next day, "Kvothe" visits the blacksmith, asking for some pig iron. After all, there be demons around and everyone knows that you need pig iron to fight off the demons. Before he leaves, he also bargains away some spare blacksmithy gloves and apron to clear out a thorn bush behind the inn to make room for a garden.
(The plot continues to thicken.)
* * *
The Professions of a Medieval World
In these first three chapters there has been an emphasis on the different people who live in this village, highlighted by their different professions. Sure, people in medieval times were defined by their professions, but not all books put such an emphasis on this fact. The Name of the Wind seems to be a very orderly universe and I like it.
Flame Red Hair
"...And his hair had been bright before. The color of flame. Now it seemed... red. Just red hair color really."
I think the main reason people enjoy reading fantasy novels is the transportation into another world. And part of the introduction into any fantasy story is figuring out the rules of that world. "Flame red hair" on a man in hiding? Surely, if he could have dyed his hair he would have done so. This wasn't ordinary hair and this is not emphasized on its fading color. I just wonder how many other people have flame colored hair or hair of any other extravagant hue. I would think that no acting in the world could hide hair like that if it was one-of-a-kind.
Folley
The obvious guess would be that Folley was the sword used to kill the king near a fountain in Imre. The fact that Kvothe wants to mount the sword speaks volumes. This act was not a shameful act, but a prideful one. This is consistent with the presence of Bast, his apprentice. Whatever he did in the past, even though it sent him into hiding, was not a despicable act--at least not to all.
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