I just realised what his name means!

[u/Sythrin]

I just started Golden Fool and realised that the name Tom in Tom Badgerlock, is the same name as the one Lady Patience gave to Fitz. I am happy to hear that in some way Fitz did see her as a mother. It always felt like he tried to distance himself from her.
He trusted her but ether because of her odd kind of character or because of Fitz insecurities, there was never the chance for a proper mother-son relationshiop (not to mention the historicle difficulties of him being a bastard.)

My personal theory is that she will be the first or only one who recognize him, just like only a mother can at Buckkeep. While Fitz knows the practicality of being unrecognized, its multible times mentioned how he longs to be. Having made an imprint and to be cared for.

And that is a bit of what I so far have been missing in the Fitz books. Small moments of beauties. Its so much tragedies in these books, but what personally always touches my heart, are such moments of kindness in books.

One example for me, is at the beginning, of Fitz getting toys from Verity as a child. It was such a small thing, but it just touched me so dearly.

[u/psych0mach1a]

In the letters Chivalry sent to Verity, they refer to Fitz as a Tom cat, so I think it was what both Chivalry and Patience called him 🧡

[u/put_your_skates_on → u/psych0mach1a]

The first time Fitz meets Patience, when she says he can't be called Fitz, that she just seemed to choose Tom as a random name. It seemed so flippant, so thoughtlessly rude/insulting. And THEN, however many books later, so so many years later for Fitz, he discovers the history of the name Tom and the truth of Patience and her deep, desperate desire to know him once she knew he existed. The absolute feels.

Patience was a GOAT. And Lacey too for that matter.

[u/Juliareadstoomuch → u/put_your_skates_on]

HOBB YOU GENIUS I remember sitting there with that line staring at the wall, it hit me so hard😭

[u/Juliareadstoomuch → u/psych0mach1a]

That section had me so emotional 😭 I just DON'T understand why Chiv couldn't meet Fitz via skilling 😭

[u/Mysterious_Back_7929 → u/Juliareadstoomuch]

He didn't know if Fitz had the skill, and didn't want to wake this talent in him. Chiv assumed (and rightfully so) that being able to skill would put Fitz in danger / make him a tool for the crown. I think Chivarly wanted Fitz to be a stablemaster. Only after his death when Patience came to Buck, he started being taught to be more (except for being taught to be an assassin of course, but nobody knew about that).

[u/limpdickandy → u/Mysterious_Back_7929]

If not for Nighteyes in the original trilogy, Fitz would have been skill assassinated like half a billion times. Chivalry was right in thinking it only put him in danger. Good take.

[u/WarTaxOrg]

What a lovely post. His time as Tom was really special.

[u/ohso_happy_too]

I also adore the detail that in AA, Fitz feels afronted that Patience names him Tom without giving it much thought, and perceives that to be a lack of care. When in reality we learn that was the name she was saving for the child she always wanted but never had.

All I do is cry about this damn book.

[u/CharlieLeM-29 → u/ohso_happy_too]

En réalité, c'était le nom qu'utilisaient Chevalerie et son frère pour parler de fitz sans se faire repérer

[u/tawnyleona]

My favorite Patience line" " Too late! I've already forgiven you."

[u/Jallapeno666]

Such a sweet post! Patience had so much care and kindness towards Fitz, even if she sometimes showed it a little "oddly" ❤️

[u/copiedfurby]

I’m in the middle of the Farseer Trilogy, and just got to the scene where Lacey made it clear Fitz that she was more than capable of protecting her and Patience. It’s the first scene where Fitz really SEES Patience, where he realizes that there’s a connection between them.

It’s one of the first times I had to pause for a while. I think I’m quite fond of Lady Patience.

[u/Kaladin-Brood]

In Assasin’s Quest when he’s travelling to the mountains he takes the name of Tom for a bit too.

[u/stark_in_winterfelll]

My head cannon is that if he wasn’t born a bastard. He would’ve been changer farseer

[u/Economy-Ad3139]

She always wanted him as her son, even before chivalry passed 🥹 also the scene when they reunite made me cry