Nighteyes

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The Realm of the Elderlings

The Farseer trilogy : Assassin's Apprentice | Royal Assassin | Assassin's Quest

The Liveship Traders: Ship of Magic | The Mad Ship | Ship of Destiny

The Tawny Man: Fool's Errand | The Golden Fool | Fool's Fate

Rain Wild Chronicles: Dragon Keeper | Dragon Haven | City of Dragons | Blood of Dragons

Fitz and the Fool: Fool's AssassinFool's QuestAssassin's Fate

Novels: The Willful Princess and the Piebald Prince

Short stories: Homecoming | The Inheritance | Cat's Meat | Words Like Coins | Blue Boots | Her Father's Sword



Nighteyes by Jackie Morris.
Nighteyes by John Howe.

The Wit-companion of Fitz.

Appearance

Nighteyes is a wolf, larger than the very big domesticated dog that Fitz tries to pass him off as on numerous occasions, not always successfully.

In temperament, Nighteyes proves to be a humorous if somewhat caustic companion with a pragmatic streak. Those closest to him he deems "pack," and he's frequently impatient with Fitz's habit of living either in the past or borrowing trouble from the future. Nighteyes' own approach is to live for and in the moment.

As a puppy

Nighteyes was captured by a trapper who killed his dam and his litter mates for their hides. He spent his puppyhood for sale in a trapper's cage until FitzChivalry heard his cries and saved him.

Fitz brought him to Buckkeep where he stayed in an abandoned drover's (?) cottage on the edge of the grounds. Fitz spent as little time with Nighteyes as possible, intending to restore him to health and then send him away. Despite his best efforts, Fitz found himself Wit-bonded with Nighteyes.

Early Years

For most of the first summer of the Red Ship Wars, Nighteyes was little involved until the battle at Bearns, where he, Fitz, and Burrich fought side by side to protect Queen-in-waiting Kettricken. It was after this battle that rumors first started naming Fitz "the Witted Bastard."

Nighteyes was instrumental Fitz's recovery from Regal's dungeon, taking Fitz into himself so that FitzChivalry's dead body could be buried. When it came time to put Fitz back in his body both Nighteyes and Fitz fought the command, but Burrich forced them to obey and Fitz was restored to his own life in his own body.

After Fitz's return from death, Nighteyes stayed with him and Burrich at a cottage while Fitz recovered. After Burrich left, Fitz decided to be as much a wolf as he was able to and he and Nighteyes spent the better part of the summer living as wild wolves. In late summer, Fitz decided he wished to have revenge on Regal.

Nighteyes and Fitz followed the Buck River through Farrow and Tilth, hunting Prince Regal. Nighteyes found an opportunity to join a pack of wolves, which he did for a time, but eventually decided that he would rather be with his wit-bond, Fitz. No sooner had they found Regal than Fitz was Skill-commanded to find King Verity. During their search, they were ambushed in the mountains by another Witted one, but they successfully escaped.

After a time, Nighteyes found the Fool and brought him to the severely wounded Fitz. The Fool brought them both back to his cottage in the Mountain Kingdom. During Fitz's recuperation, the "Scentless One" and Nighteyes became close and this bond strengthened throughout the rest of Nighteyes' life.

Finding Verity

Once Fitz was healed, he, the Fool and Nighteyes all set out with Queen Kettricken and Kettle to find Verity beyond the Mountain Kingdom. Along the way Nighteyes is instrumental in their survival as he watches both in front of them and behind them with his seemingly limitless ability to run. He also does a lot of the hunting during the journey, and on many occasions catches meat the party would not have survived without. Along the way he is able to observe that Kettricken has a small predilection for the Wit and through that he is able to create a semi-bond that helps Kettricken get through the hard times they come across during their trek to find her husband, King Verity.

Time with Badgerlock

After the Red Ship Wars, Nighteyes and Fitz spent several years wandering the Six Duchies and beyond, getting as far as Bingtown before settling in a cottage not far from Forge. Then followed several years of quiet rural life, during which time they raised Hap to apprenticing age, interrupted only by occasional visits from Starling the Minstrel.

Late Life and Death

With the return of the Fool, Fitz begins in earnest to think about returning to life at Buckkeep. Nighteyes tries to withdraw as much from their bond as he can to hide his frequent great pain. One day Nighteyes chokes on a fish and his heart stops. In panic and grief, Fitz uses both the Wit and the Skill to force him to return him to life, although it takes the Fool to complete the intervention and halt Nighteyes' death. Infuriated with Fitz's meddling in what Nighteyes intuits to be the natural order of things, Nighteyes withdraws his Wit contact from Fitz.

By the time they return to Buckkeep, Nighteyes has forgiven Fitz as much as he is able to and they head out in pursuit of the runaway - or possibly kidnapped - Prince Dutiful and the splinter Old Blood faction known as the Piebalds who are suspected of possessing him. It is during these adventures that Nighteyes begins to truly show his age, failing to keep up easily with Fitz and the Fool as they pursue the prince and only able to catch up infrequently. Nevertheless, he provides what help he can before being left behind again.

After Dutiful is recovered, Nighteyes dies of old age at Fitz's side. Fitz burns the corpse, as is proper for any Six Duchies' deceased, and shaves his own head in traditional mourning for his beloved, departed Wit beast.