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"It's like having a flower in my heart."
―Auri[1]

Auri (PR: /'ɑɹi/; RD: /'aʊɾiː/)[2] is a former student of The University and close friend of Kvothe who lives in The Underthing.

Description[]

Auri is a young woman described as appearing a few years older than Kvothe, with blonde hair and a delicate, petite frame. Her hair is long and thin, causing it to float around her head like a halo. She often displays very proper manners and conducts herself with a gentle and careful air. Although she lives in a rather dangerous environment and sometimes displays extremely eccentric behavior, she is very intelligent and quite capable of taking care of herself. She also is shown to be skilled in alchemy and possibly naming.

While Auri is cautious of people and of the open sky, in reality, she is a very enthusiastic and curious person. She is quite eccentric, however, and likely cracked like many of the students currently residing in Haven. Because of this, only three confirmed people: Kvothe, Mola, and Elodin, know of Auri's whereabouts.

Elodin tells Kvothe that he has known about Auri for years. This, along with her young appearance, would mean she was inducted in the University at a very young age. This also implies she may be older than she appears.

In The Chronicle[]

Auri lives below the University in a system of ruins which she calls the Underthing. She has special names for many of the rooms that can be found there, such as Vaults, Cricklets, Throughbottoms and Billows, usually naming them for their characteristics. She keeps track of many of these rooms, constantly setting them to what she interprets as right. She navigates the remnants with a small green light she calls Foxen.

Kvothe eventually befriends Auri after he suspects that someone is spying on him whilst he practices his lute. This turns out to be Auri, who can enter the secret courtyard where Kvothe practices through a sewer grate out of the Underthing. Kvothe tells Master Elodin it took him more than a span to catch a glimpse of her, and even longer before she would speak to him. But eventually, Auri grew to trust Kvothe exclusively. Elodin admits he has observed the girl for some time, but has never been able to approach her. Even after meeting Kvothe and allowing him to enter the Underthing where she lives, she still does not like personal questions and often runs away when asked, claiming she does not like remembering.

Auri is very fond and protective of Kvothe, more than once promising to keep him safe, or that he will be safe when he is with her. Kvothe, likewise, treats Auri very similarly, thinking of her as his "little moon-fey". As of The Wise Man's Fear he has threatened every person he's introduced her to in the hope that this will deter them from reporting her to Haven.

Auri is very sneaky and quiet. This allows her to walk about the rooftops of the University and the small surrounding town during the night. She calls this "going on tops of things" and has secretly observed at least Master Elodin whilst doing this. She has also been able to discern Kvothe's room at Anker's during the evening after Kvothe is dosed with a plum bob and she steals into his room to comfort him.

In The Slow Regard of Silent Things it is revealed that Auri is a former student of The University who studied Alchemy under Master Mandrag. It is also hinted that Auri was a victim of rape, which may have contributed to her mental health. At the culmination of the story she demonstrates an ability in shaping (by naming) when she runs out of time to properly construct a gift for Kvothe. Almost casually, she demonstrates the most powerful example of naming in any of the books, as the whole world bend to her will and makes the candle she later gifts him in The Wise Man's Fear. It is likely this vast understanding of naming is what has left her mentally unstable. It may be that Alchemy is to Naming as Sygaldry is to Sympathy.

Gifts[]

Kvothe and Auri often exchange food and gifts, which they describe to each other in fantastical ways. Though they mostly share things to eat, Auri occassionally gives Kvothe both material and immaterial gifts thus far consisting of:

  • A Wooden Ring : Auri describes that it keeps secrets of Kvothe
  • A Kiss (Holly berry lipstick)
  • A Key: Auri describes that it will open the moon.
  • A Coin: Auri describes that it will keep Kvothe safe at nights.
  • A Candle
  • A Green Coin

She has also invited Kvothe to live with her in the Underthing.

Speculations[]

Fans of the series have speculated that Auri is possibly Princess Arielle that Kvothe saves from Sleeping Barrow Kings.

"I can tell you....The truth about Princess Ariel." -Kvothe to Aaron

Some believe the name "Auri" may have resulted from Kvothe's innate talent for naming, as seen with the horse Keth-Selhan.

Many believe there may also be something in the gifts of coin, key, and candle, as all are specifically mentioned in the popular folktale Taborlin the Great. In The Slow Regard of Silent Things, to save time the candle was finished by Auri with magic in a manner likened to grammarie.

It is possible that Auri has a connection with the Amyr, as she mentions Kvothe looks like one of the Ciridae. Kvothe asks her what she knows about the Ciradae, but the question startles her away.

In The Slow Regard of Silent Things Auri constructs a new name for Kvothe she intends to present to him when needed. What this name might be is not revealed and has led to rampant speculation amongst fans.

Trivia[]

In 2018 a Finnish band, Auri, released a self-titled album. The band consists of famous Finnish musician Tuomas Holopainen (known as music composer of Nightwish), his wife Johanna Kurkela (famous Finnish pop singer) and Troy Donockley (also known from Nightwish). The name of the band came from the Kingkiller Chronicle character, as all band members are fans of Patrick Rothfuss and his books. There are plenty of songs in the Auri album inspired by the books (The Name of the Wind, I Hope Your World Is Kind or Underthing Solstice).

The name Auri is similar to "aureum", which means "gold" or "golden" in Latin. This may be related to her blonde hair. It may also be related to the Quenya Elvish word for "sunlight" which is "árë" as Kvothe bases this name on her "sunny disposition," which in turn is based off the Hebrew word for "light" אוֹר (ohr) or finnish word ,,aurinko" (sun).

Fan arts[]

References[]

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