Fitz and the Fool Trilogy

[u/EqualConsistent9623]

Did Nighteyes go into Fitz when he died? In their time with the Old Blood, there were several mentions of Wit partners who had gone on in the other after death. Rolf rebuked that severely but Fitz mentioned that he and Nighteyes had not decided what they would do when they died.

When the Fool visited Fitz at the start of Fool’s Errand, Nighteyes wanted him to tell the Fool of their time with the Old Blood, and I think Nighteyes wanted some validation of what he intended to do. He told Fitz something along the lines of “we think better when we talk to the Scentless One”.

When talking about the woman-deer pair, Fitz said “The wrongness I sensed still crawled along my spine. “Yet.” I struggled to make myself admit this to the Fool. “Yet privately I wondered if any safe those two could fully understand the decision that had been made. If perhaps, despite how it appeared to us, it felt right to them.” (Chapter VIII: Old Blood, Fool’s Errand)

Then later Fitz talks about how Nighteyes had learned to seal himself so Fitz couldn’t feel him at all, though he were behind a curtain.

So my guess is:

1. ⁠Nighteyes didn’t want Fitz to heal him because he intended to go to him after his death and didn’t want Fitz trapped in his dying body. He was worried about Fitz and I think couldn’t let go.

2. ⁠He didn’t tell Fitz so that Fitz could learn to live without him, but at crucial moments and times of danger or great sorrow he came out to give Fitz advice.

3. ⁠He was able to go to Bee and come back again because his consciousness was wholly his and separate from Fitz’s, rather than a meshing of substances like what happened between Fitz and Beloved. Also because Bee was their Cub. She has 3 fathers lol.

4. ⁠There was a story about a woman whose dog had died, but when she was in trouble he went to get help for her by ‘giving dreams’ to another man who I assume was also witted.

5. ⁠Is the idea not that it’s bad for 2 beings to co-exist but that they should not compromise how the other lived, as in the case of Pelladine not allowing the cat to groom or gorge?

6. ⁠Perhaps Nighteyes knew all along that their ultimate end would be inside memory stone and he was preserving himself to go into it with Fitz. Without both Nighteyes and Beloved perhaps Fitz wouldn’t have enough to go into the stone.

[u/MatchlessVal]

I completely agree with your guess, but only got there on my 2nd re-read!

My first read of the final trilogy left me a bit confused on this point, because I always assumed that Nighteyes had let himself end instead of going into Fitz. But I think you're absolutely right.

I feel like he chose to remain with Fitz, but buried so deep so as not to affect his daily life. I mean, how else could he exist as a being to "transfer" into Bee (Wolf-Father) and then "transfer" back to Fitz when he and Bee meet back up @ Clerres?

[u/EqualConsistent9623 → u/MatchlessVal]

That part confused me initially too! If he were just a more-than-memory or essence, I don’t think he could have done that and shared memories of his childhood with Bee? And when he was with one of them he couldn’t be with the other.

Many people seem to think he wouldn’t have let himself live on though. Or perhaps he tried to die completely but Fitz held on too tight?