Pate (novice)
| Pate | |
|---|---|
 Pate, by TheMico © | |
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| Title | Novice |
| Allegiance | The Citadel |
| Culture | Westermen |
| Born |
281 AC or 282 AC[1] westerlands |
| Died |
300 AC Oldtown |
| Book | A Feast for Crows (POV) |
Pate is a novice of the Citadel. He is the POV Character of the Prologue of A Feast for Crows.[2]
Contents
Appearance and Character
Pale is pale, soft, and pasty-faced.[3]
He was named after the folk hero Spotted Pate, the pig boy, but Pate hates it when people compare him to the character, and sometimes thinks his mother must have hated him to give him that name.[2]
Pate used to dream of being a maester in a castle, respected and admired, smiling at the smallfolk, but those dreams have faded after five years at the Citadel without progress. He is in love with Rosey, the youngest serving girl of the Quill and Tankard, and is jealous when she pays attention to other men or other men express interest in her. Pate is afraid of Maester Gormon, who once accused him of theft. He hates Leo Tyrell, who often mocks Pate.[2]
History
Pate was originally from the westerlands. He came to the Citadel at the age of thirteen, but he has not earned any links for his maester's chain in five years. He has twice tried for a link without success. The first time was with Archmaester Vaellyn, to demonstrate his knowledge of astronomy, but fell to "Vinegar" Vaellyn's acid tongue. Two years later, Pate finally regained the courage to try with Archmaester Ebrose, for a silver link for healing, but Ebrose's disappointed sighs were just as painful. Afterwards, Pate felt he was lucky when he was chosen to help old senile Archmaester Walgrave with his ravens, but soon his duties included fetching Walgrave's meals, sweeping out his chambers, and dressing him every morning. When Walgrave broke the lock on his own strongbox, after losing the key that opened it, Maester Gormon suspected Pate of breaking it, and accused him of theft. And though Pate hoped that at least he would be guaranteed a black iron link for ravencraft, Walgrave's subject, he soon learned that the senile Walgrave remained an archmaester only by courtesy, and Maester Gormon was the judge of those who seek such links.[2]
In addition to looking after Archmaester Walgrave, who often forgets who Pate is and thinks he is someone called Cressen, Pate's daily duties include tending the ravens in the Ravenry. The white ravens know his name, and often quork "Pate, Pate, Pate" whenever they see him.[2] Pate's sleeping cell is below Walgrave's chambers at the top of the west rower of the Ravenry.[3]
Recent Events
A Feast for Crows
The serving wench Rosey of the Quill and Tankard inn introduces Pate to a hooded stranger, who calls himself an alchemist. The alchemist dances a golden dragon coin over his knuckles, and says he will exchange the gold for Walgrave's iron archmaester's key. When Pate protests that he is no thief, the alchemist gives him three days to reconsider the offer. Pate is hesitant, as the personal key of an archmaester can open any lock in the Citadel. However, Pate needs the gold to claim Rosey's maidenhead, the price her mother Emma has set. Pate dreams of running away with Rosey, either across the narrow sea to the Free Cities, or somewhere in Westeros to serve the smallfolk with the medical knowledge he has learned at the Citadel. Three days later, Pate takes the key from the strongbox beneath Walgrave's bed, and feeling that a thief was a thief, also steals a bag of silver stags, while the white ravens call his name.[2]
Pate comes to the Quill and Tankard with his friends, Alleras, Mollander, Armen, and Roone, to celebrate Alleras's newly acquired link. Leo Tyrell enters the inn and mocks them, calling Pate "our spotted pig boy". Pate considers hitting Leo in the mouth with his tankard and knocking out his teeth, but knows he cannot, due to Leo's martial skills and high birth. Shortly afterwards, as the others leave the inn to go back to the Citadel, Leo threatens to take the virginity of Rosey, but Alleras reassures Pate that if Leo cannot afford to buy wine, he cannot afford a gold dragon to pay Rosey's mother.[2]
Pate waits for the alchemist for a while, but then decides he is not showing up, and heads back to the Citadel. Down the road alongside the Honeywine river, he encounters the alchemist, who says he didn't want to bother Pate while he was with his friends, and has Pate follow him into a narrow alley. The alchemist gives Pate the coin, and Pate bites down on it as he has seen others do with gold coins, though he doesn't know what gold should taste like. The alchemist asks for the key, and Pate asks him if he wants one of the Citadel's rare books from the locked vaults, but the alchemist refuses to answer. Pate asks the alchemist to show his face, which is revealed to be that of a young man. He has a slight scar on his right cheek and a hooked nose, while his hair is thick, black, and curly.[N 1] Pate does not recognize him, and asks who he is, and the alchemist replies, "A stranger. No one. Truly." Finally, Pate gives the alchemist the key, feeling light-headed. Pate walks away, but falls to the ground, his legs weak and his heart hammering, and dies. His last thoughts are of Rosey.[2]
Later, Samwell Tarly comes to the Citadel and meets Alleras, Leo, and a young man who looks like Pate, who introduces himself as "Pate, like the pig boy."[3]
Quotes
Emma had decreed that Rosey's maidenhead would cost a golden dragon. Pate had saved nine silver stags and a pot of copper stars and pennies, for all the good that would do him. He would have stood a better chance of hatching a real dragon than saving up enough coin to make a golden one.[2]
—thoughts of Pate
Ebrose might not think him worthy of the silver, but Pate knew how to set a bone and leech a fever. The smallfolk would be grateful for his help. If he could learn to cut hair and shave beards, he might even be a barber. That would be enough, he told himself, so long as I had Rosey. Rosey was all that he wanted in the world.[2]
—thoughts of Pate
When I am a maester in a castle I will have a horse to ride, he thought. Then he tripped upon a cobble and wondered who he was fooling. There would be no chain for him, no seat at a lord's high table, no tall white horse to ride. His days would be spent listening to ravens quork and scrubbing shit stains off Archmaester Walgrave's smallclothes.[2]
—thoughts of Pate
Alchemist: Have you decided what you are?
Pate: I suppose I am a thief.
Alchemist: I thought you might be.[2]
—the alchemist and Pate
He had no time to think about it, to weigh his choices. The alchemist was walking away. Pate had to follow or lose Rosey and the dragon both, forever. He followed.[2]
—thoughts of Pate
Pate: What's happening? I don't understand.
Alchemist: And never will.[2]—Pate and the alchemist
Notes
- ↑ This description matches the appearance that Jaqen H'ghar takes when he changes his face before Arya Stark in A Clash of Kings.[4]
References
- ↑ See the Pate (novice) calculation.
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 A Feast for Crows, Prologue.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 A Feast for Crows, Chapter 45, Samwell V.
- ↑ A Clash of Kings, Chapter 47, Arya IX.