Auri is carrying around the gear she found, named Fulcrum, when she trips and drops it down the stairs. It breaks into three different sharp pieces. This is the same gear that Auri also had trouble finding the ‘right place’ for. After it breaks Auri is actually ecstatic because now, as three parts, Auri has no touble figuring out what to do with the gear. For some reason, the fact that the gear had struck and crumbled the seventh step meant that Kvothe was not coming on the seventh day, but today, the sixth day. Kvothe has promised Auri three gifts when he returns so Auri races around trying to find three gifts for him. She makes an alchemical candle infused with beeswax, laurel fruit, and lavender. She also finally takes the sheets from the newly found wardrobe and makes Kvothe a place where he can stay if he wanted to.
She goes into a chamber known as Boundary, which is connected to an inn above ground. She comments that, “The room used to belong to her. But no. This room belonged to someone once. Now it didn’t. It wasn’t. It was a none place. It was an empty sheet of nothing that could not belong. It was not for her.” This leads me to believe that Auri has some kind of connection with the innkeeper who owns the establishment. She takes a cooked duck and leaves the three sharp pieces of the gear in its place. She sets everything up and in the last chapter, Auri hears music, signaling Kvothe’s return.
The greatest discovery that I have found from reading this novella that relates to the rest of the book is actually pretty major. I think Auri is in love with Kvothe. Kvothe definitely has no idea she likes him more than a friend but there are subtle hints in the text that hint at the possibility. Auri flushes whenever she thinks about Kvothe as more than a friend.
When Auri is making soap she wonders if Kvothe would like a cake of kissing soap. She stops herself from finishing the thought saying, “But no. She flushed before she finished thinking it. Besides, it was no right for him. The mysteries might fit, but he had much of oak about him. Willow too, and he was absolutely not a selas sort. Those are all soap ingredients. This is major. I’m pretty proud of myself for picking up on this. Kvothe is in love with a girl named Denna, but so are lots of other people and she gets around. Kvothe is always there when she is struggling and they have a friendship that borders on true love. Denna LOVES selas flowers it is her favorite. Kvothe goes out of his way to present selas flowers to Denna more than once. For Auri to say that he is not selas type means that she is opposing Denna and believes Kvothe is not right for her.
After Auri sets up the matress, “She spread the mattress carefully against the wall across from her own bed. Close enough that if he needed her just whispering would be enough. Close enough so if he wanted to, he could sing to her at night. She flushed a bit on thinking that.”
While Auri is still thinking of the third gift it says, “And the third thing? Well…She ducked her face and felt a slow flush climb her cheeks.” Auri loves Kvothe! She thinks about him sexually. The pausing gaps in her thoughts are obviously her fantasizing about Kvothe. After this she uses a hollyberry seed and, “Licked her lips and pressed the berry up against them, daubing it from left to right.” She tries to put on lipstick for Kvothe. She loves him. Finally some useful information about the rest of the story and I am excited to have uncovered it. Of course the author wasn’t going to come out and just say it; I had to discover it myself.