The Kingkiller Chronicle, #1
The Name of the Wind
by Patrick Rothfuss
Contents
CHAPTER SEVENTY-TWO Borrorill
Overview
Kvothe escorts injured Denna from Trebon and accompanies her to the burned Mauthen farm. Denna reveals a secret, evasive patron they dub "Master Ash." At the ruins they confirm blue fire and find pervasive rot and rust, convincing Kvothe the Chandrian were present. Shaken but resolute, they begin searching the woods for Master Ash.
Summary
Denna tries to slip out of the inn quietly, but the barman demands payment for her room and care. Kvothe pays and joins Denna outside, noting her bruises and bandaged arm. They avoid questions about the massacre, take a cart as far as Borrorill, and walk toward the Mauthen farm.
On the way, Denna speaks of a secret, wealthy patron who tests her trust and keeps meetings private; they nickname him "Master Ash." Kvothe lies that the University sent him to investigate rumors, but Denna calls him on it; he admits he fears telling her the truth. She recounts playing at the wedding, being signaled by Ash, answering his questions, then hearing shouting and seeing fire. She fled, was injured, and woke in town.
At the farm, they find the barn and house charred but not gutted; Denna confirms the fire burned blue. Kvothe uses sympathy to light a shingle, notices oddly rotten timbers and rusted iron, then breaks the new pump’s handle, corroded through. Remembering similar signs from his troupe’s murder, he connects the decay and blue flame to the Chandrian.
They sit apart from the ruin as Kvothe sings the children’s rhyme that names the Chandrian, and Denna reluctantly agrees it fits. Kvothe, rattled yet vindicated, admits he wants water and answers; Denna concedes the killers could indeed be the Chandrian. They resolve to search for Master Ash, hoping he survived and saw something.
Denna leads Kvothe to the bluff where Ash left her. They attempt to track but find little and instead reach a stream to drink and rest. They share apples, Denna sings a teasing verse, and despite a quiet intimacy, they find no further clues. The chapter ends with them together, committed to searching the woods for Ash.
Who Appears
- KvotheNarrator; pays Denna’s inn costs, investigates the Mauthen ruins, links blue fire and decay to the Chandrian, resolves to search for Ash.
- DennaInjured survivor; recounts the night, reveals a secret patron dubbed “Master Ash,” confirms blue fire, and joins the search.
- Master AshDenna’s secretive potential patron; tests her, met near the farm, now missing and possibly a witness or victim.
- BarmanInnkeeper who extracts payment for Denna’s room, meals, and supposed doctoring before letting her leave.
- Farmer (carter)Gives Kvothe and Denna a ride toward Borrorill, then drops them to walk on.
- Constable and Mayor of TrebonQuestion Denna after the massacre; represent local suspicion and rumor of demons.
- Old woman caretakerSits with unconscious Denna; judges her harshly, contributing to Denna’s hasty departure.