Chapter 15: Interesting Fact

Elodin arrives nearly an hour late to his naming lecture, disheveled and cheerful, and demands “interesting facts” from the six remaining students. Brean, Fenton, Uresh, Inyssa, and Fela offer facts with mixed success; Elodin is delighted by Fela’s account of newly sighted patients only recognizing shapes through touch. Elodin dismisses Kvothe’s vague Adem “Lethani” claim as not a fact, exacerbating Kvothe’s frustration.

To illustrate his point about small facts and names, Elodin awards Fela a milkweed pod. When the seeds drop instead of floating, he shakes them loose and frantically tries to catch the drifting fluff. The attempt escalates into a frenetic chase over desks and chairs until Elodin trips, bloodies his knee, and unleashes a terrifying multilingual tirade—only to choke on a seed, recover, and limp out without explanation.

After lunch and a Medica shift observing senior students, Kvothe crosses the river to look for Denna. He canvasses the Eolian, several inns, public gardens, and instrument shops, asking after a dark-haired woman interested in harps, but finds no trace. Returning to the Eolian near nightfall, he shares a drink with Count Threpe and listens to music before heading back toward the University.

On a busy, festive Imre evening, Kvothe hears Denna’s unmistakable laugh and spots her outside a café. Before he can approach, he sees Ambrose close a carriage door, kiss Denna’s hand, and escort her inside. Shocked and rooted in the street, Kvothe watches them go, his rivalry with Ambrose suddenly entwined with his feelings for Denna.