Name of the Wind 70 - 72

Chapter 70

Kote wakes up in a fleabag inn by the Imre docks. In the tavern, he overhears some travelers talking about what sounds suspiciously like a Chandrian attack in a town a ways up the river. He resolves to go investigate, but has no money, so he decides to borrow some more from Devi. She is initially reluctant, but finally agrees when he offers to show her a way to sneak into the library.

Always brings up the excitement level when the Chandrian are mentioned, but now Kote has to dig himself into some heavy debt to buy a horse to go investigate. Also, he is blowing off his studies, will that come back to bite him?

Chapter 71

Kote buys a horse from a Cealdish man. The horse is magnificent, an all-black beast that would fetch a high price for his color alone. Kote talks the man down from 20 talents to 15. He's surprised how easy it is.

He rides the horse forwards Trebon, on the way crossing a river polluted by some solvent from an upriver factory. Just outside of town, he runs into a tinker who trades him a large lodestone for the horse. He points out that the horse is not all black: the solvent in the water removed the dye from one of his feet. No wonder the dealer came down in price so fast. Kote also gets a new shirt in trade for the saddle.

He walks into town and asks an innkeeper about the wedding. Innkeeper tells him he can speak to the survivor upstairs. He walks into the room and finds ... Denna!

Kote seems pretty reckless riding off to investigate this rumor, I want to shout at him, "don't do it!" But you know he can't resist a chance at finding out more of the Chandrian. Not sure it's a good deal he makes with the tinker, but he seems to know what he's getting is worth it. And then the big plot twist at the end of the chapter - so curious to find out how Denna got here and what she knows.

Chapter 72

Denna looks pretty banged up on the left side of the body and has a bruise on the left side of her face. She leaves the inn and Kote follows. She is going to stiff the innkeeper but Kote, not wanting trouble with the constable, pays the man. She tells Kote about a mysterious patron she's been courting. He hired her to play at the wedding, then told her to walk off a ways. When she came back, the place was on fire. She claims she started running and ran into a tree, knocking herself out. They search the scene, find some burned-out buildings. Kote finds that the wood splinters easily and the iron is rusted, things he found at the site of his troupe's attack and associated with Chandrian in lore. He and Denna go looking for signs of her patron, but find nothing. They stop at a stream to wash up and eat.

So, the mystery depends further with Denna - she can't reveal much about her would be patron, as she has been sworn to secrecy. He has set up tests of her ability to stay quiet, which, as Kote points out, makes him sound very shady. He hired her to play at this wedding - a big red flag in my book, maybe he is connected to the Chandrian. Kote does not make is connection. Their investigation points strongly to the Chandrian but gives not much info as to what to do next. They can't find trace of Denna's patron - maybe he died, less likely he got away, most likely IMO he is in league with the Chandrian.