Rethe is Aethe's finest student, the first student of the Lethani, and the dictator of the nine and ninety tales, which are at the heart of Ademre and the teachings Kvothe receives.
In the Chronicle[]
Rethe is featured in Kvothe's education during his training with the Adem. She is the key figure in our current understanding of the nine and ninety stories told by Shehyn. The tale begins with the description of the first Adem school and details the journey of Aethe, and his mastery of archery. Rethe was a challenger to Aethe and, despite Aethe's doubts, she soon became his finest student. As time passes Rethe challenged Aethe to a duel, featuring Aethe in a grove of young swaying trees. Contrary, Rethe sat atop a hill, with no cover, enraging Aethe. Rethe had mastered the reading of the wind as Aethe had, and upon being shot by Aethe wrote four lines of poetry on a piece of silk; she then released it, the wind carrying it and pressing it against Aethe's chest.
The poetry read:
- "Aethe, near my heart.
- Without vanity, the ribbon.
- Without duty, the wind.
- Without blood, the victory."
Reading this, Aethe feels remorse and grief, tending to her for her remaining days of life. It is during this period that Rethe dictated the ninety nine tales relating to the Lethani, saying that there would be a one hundredth tale when she awoke, but prior to waking she perished.
Speculation[]
The indications given by the swords posessed by the Latantha, and the estimates Kvothe makes based on the names of previous holders of Caesura lead readers to believe that Ademre may be one of the fallen cities once ruled over by Myr Tariniel brought low by Haliax. It is believed that the one hundredth tale is that of the fall of Myr Tariniel itself and the fate of the moon.