Where I came from, part 1

A lot of people have been wondering where I'm from, and where I learned all my sympathy from (because it sure wasn't from Master Hemme, I'll tell you that much). A smaller number of people have also been wondering why I know all my sympathy, and furthermore why I'm at The University. This is a much more interesting question, because it only takes a sentence to explain "I learned sympathy from an arcanist named Abenthy."

So, Why is Kvothe the Bloodless enrolled at the University?

Abenthy taught me more than just simple sympathy. Sure, he taught me some critical thinking, some chemistry, some history, and more than a few dirty jokes. Most of all he taught me to love learning. But none of that is why I came to the university. No, Abenthy convinced me to come to the University completely by accident.

Abenthy knew the name of the wind.

I'm sure you've all heard the stories of Taborlin the Great, who knew the name of all things. He is in a room with no door, he speaks the name of stone, the wall parts into two. He walks off a cliff, speaks the name of the wind, the wind catches him and he floats safely to the ground. This is widely regarded as storybook magic, but as any self respecting student at this institution should know, naming is very real. (Why do you think we have a Master Namer? Although I'll be the first to admit, I doubt Elodin actually knows how to tie his shoes let alone the true names of anything. That man is completely insane.) Obviously it's exaggerated in the stories, but it is a very real thing. What happened was this:
Our troupe had just arrived in a small city. We were preparing to perform, and I, having no role in the upcoming performance, was wandering around the city near our caravan. It was then that I spotted what I assumed to be a tinker. I began to approach his cart when the captain of the watch began to harass the man and asked him to leave. It turned out he was an Arcanist, and he was making the townspeople nervous. Abenthy (although I didn't know him as such) was politely telling the captain he was merely selling goods when the captain began to get rough with him. And then, out of nowhere, it happened: Abenthy shouted something into the air and conjured up a small whirlwind which struck the captain to the ground. He wasn't hurt, but he was scared, and they left Abenthy alone after that.

I didn't need any convincing one way or the other. I knew at that moment that I wanted that kind of power. Abenthy joined our troupe that night and began teaching me sympathy on the road, and that's where my education began.

Alright that's all I'm writing right now. I'll finish this particular narative at a later date.

--Kvothe