Stormlight Archive 1
Brandon Sanderson
Kalak makes his way through war to get to the meeting place. By the time he arrives, only Jezrien is still there. The others have already left and Talenel (Taln) died holding a passage and would be in the place of torture they go to between Desolations. They plan to end the Oathpack. They will leave Taln still bound to it. The others have already left their swords thrust into a rock with a promise not to seek each other out. Kalak feels bad about leaving the people who look at them as dieties. After Jezrien leaves, Kalak thrusts his own sword into the rock and walks away.
PART 1
1. Szeth is dressed in white at a treaty signing celebration between the Parshendi (black/red marbled skin) and the Alethi (higher ranking are lighteyes). Musicspren (tiny spirits) are all around the air. Szeth leaves his bench to make his way through the crowd to the King’s chambers. He is about to take a sphere from his pouch when he notices 2 stormlight lamps. A couple of darkeyed Alethi guards (forbidden swords because they aren’t lighteyes) with spears tell him to leave. Szeth takes in the stormlight, and it immediately starts leaking out of him. He uses his first type of Lashing (manipulate force/spren/god that holds men to the ground) to fall on the guards and right himself before starting to summon his Shardblade. He Lashes one guard to the ceiling and uses his Shardblade to sever the other’s soul. The first guard shouts out for help. Szeth places one of the guard’s spears underneath him and lets him fall on it when this stormlight runs out. More guards are coming. The Parshendi hired him to make sure he was seen killing King Gavilar. More stormlight gemstones glow on the wall; no one has seen it used for millennia. Szeth lets guards see him run into a storage room. He uses a Full Lashing (binds objects together) to close the doors. He uses his Shardblade (tears souls from living; cuts any inanimate object) to cut out a large stone square from the wall and a Basic Lashing to have it fall on the guards as tehy break into the room. He continues twoard the King’s chamers where the guards attack immediately. Szeth uses a Reverse Lashing (uses stormlight, requires constant touch) to draw the guards’ spears. He then kills them with his Shardblade (first carried by Knights Radient to kill Voidbringers - siad to be able to hold stormlight perfectly because it would cut through their stone hard skin). Szeth continues down the hallways collecting stormlight from torches and using it and his Shardblade to kill the guards. One guard has a Shardblade and Shardplate. Szeth knows he must kill him before chasing the fleeing King. The Shardbearer is skilled, but Szeth is able to land two blows to his side that crack the armour. The process is taking too long, so Szeth decides to catch up with the King and comeback to kill the Shardbearer. When the Shardbearer doesn’t follow after him, Szeth realizes it is actually King Gavilar who is said to be a skilled swordsman. Szeth goes back to fight him and Lashes the furniture to attack. He Lashes himself at the King, but the Shardbearer lands a blow to his face. Pain shoots through Szeth as he is thrown to the balcony and drops his Shardblade. He Lashes the balcony until it falls taking him and the approaching king with it. Szeth uses the last of his Stormlight to Lash himself to the wall while the king falls. Szeth opens up Gavilar’s armor and inhales the remaining Stormlight to start healing himself. Galivar tells Szeth to tell Thaidakar he is too late. Szeth doesn’t know who that is and tells him the Parshendi sent him. The king gies him a sphere of black light “they” must not get. He asks Szeth to tell his brother he must find the most important words a man can say. Then he dies. Last requests are sacred to Szeth’s people so he writes the message in the king’s blood on the ground. He takes the sphere and leave the king’s shardblade.
2. Five years later Cenn is a fifteen year old spear man about to go into battle. Dallet is next to him in line and giveshim some advice to prevent him from getting killed. Cenn is surprised to find Kaladin Stormblessed, their squad leader, is only a few years older than him and paid to have Cenn transferred to his squad. Dallet says he will look after Cenn. When the army starts moving, Kaladin’s squad starts running for the high ground he and Dallet chose. The squad runs without their shields out and infront of the rest of the army to avoid arrows. When they reach their destination, the squad keeps a tight “v” formation. The wounded are moved to the sides. When Kaladin puts them on the move again, Cenn can see their army clearly loosing. They stop to make formation as they are attacked, but Cenn gets separated and ends up on his own. He faces down six attackers and takes a spear to his thigh. Kaladin comes to his rescue. The rest of the squad surrounds them while he bandages Cenn’s wound. Kaladin spots a lighteyed officer, a brightlord, and uses a subsquad to distract the guards while he goes in for the kill. Dallet says Kaladin spends most of his earnings to bribe the runners to get his injured off the field and to get young men into his squad to prevent them from getting killed. A shardbearer appears and Dallet has his subsquad get into formation. Cenn knows he can’t get up and closes his eyes.
3. Eight months later Kaladin is in a slave wagon with three brands in glyphs on his forehead; one means he is dangerous. He has made ten escape attempts, but even the more successful ones still ended up with him being a slave. One man offers him half of his daily slop to go with him next time, but Kaladin refuses. Another man asks for his story. Kaladin says he killed a lighteyes but is there because of the one he didn’t kill. Kaladin thinks he makes things worse when he tries to help people. He has three leaves of blackbone hidden in his belt, but no idea how to use them. A windspren takes the form of a woman and asks him about the leaves in his hand. He is surprised when she uses his name because spren don’t think or remember things. None of the other slaves know his name. She asks why he doesn’t fight anymroe. Tvlakv (Thaylen, white beard and brown eyes), the slaver, and his mercenary, Blane, go to check on a coughing slave. Kaladin tells them the man can be saved by giving him extra water and adding sugar if they have it. Blane takes the man out of the caged wagon and bludgeons him to death. In his fury, Kaladin grabs the bars and drops the leaves. Tvlakv says he can’t risk the others getting sick. Kaladin considers poisoning Tvlakv, but realizes he has dropped the leaves. He thinks he is cursed.
4. Shallan from Jah Keved came up with a plan with her brothers to get money back into their family. She sails wtih Captain Tozbek (Thaylen) his wife, and his crew in the search of Jasnah Kholin, the sister to the king. They have docked at Kharbranth and one of Tozbek’s men confirms the princess is on the island. Tozbek says they will wait two days in case Shallan needs to get back home. She thanks him and departs the ship with Yalb to escort her to Conclave where the Palanaeum is. Shallan sketches in her sketchpad while Yalb goes to get her a ride. She keeps her safehand (left) covered with her oversized, buttoned up sleeve. Yalb arrives back with a man pulling a rickshaw. Shallan rides in the seat while Yalb walks beside translating what the porter says. He explains there are bells around the city to warn the poeple of storms though the city is safe because of the lait (nearby rock formation to protect against hte highstorms). They take the shortway through the smelly, dirty city to the conclave. The porter wants to conspire with Yalb to overcharge Shallan and split the profit. Shallan pays the porter and gives Yalb a firemark (currency is stone shards kept in spheres that can hold stormlight) to wait a few hours for her in case she needs to return. Inside Shallan admires the artistry of the building and how it is carved out of the stone. She wrote to Jasnah about becooming her ward when her father died and the debts started to become known. If it is found out that her father is dead and the family cannot pay his debt, they will be dispered into servitiude or possibly assassinated by creditors. She steps into the room where Jasnah Kholin is waiting.
5. The windspren is still hanging around Kaladin, but doesn’t seem to be letting anyone else see her. Kaladin notices Tvlakv arguing with teh mercenaries, Bluth and Tag, about being lost. Kaladin says he might be able to help, but when Tvlakv gives him the map, he tears it up. Tvlakv points out Kaladin should want to get to market to have a better chance of escapte and getting his revenge on Amaram, the man that soldhim into slavery. Kaladin reminds him he didn’t get his brand for deserting as Tvlakv has been saying. Tvlakv knows Kaladin will not sell if his real crime is known. Kaladin admits he doens’t know where they are. Tvlakv goes back to trying to find their way. Most of the slaves are scared of the highstorms and what they might bring: the stormfather, lost Radiants, or Void Bringers. Bluth opens up the leaky sides to let the rain wash the slaves clean. Tvlakv comes out of his waterproof cover before the rain has stopped, indicating they are close to their destination. The windspren comes back after the rain is gone and tells Kaldin there are more like him nearby. They start down a hill and he can see a massive army with sone barracks (meaning soul casters). They have arrived at the Shattered Plains where the king’s army is fighting the Preshendi. The slaves are excited because the king’s slaves are said to be treated well. Kaladin wants to go back to being in battle and having meaning to his life.
6. Shallan finds Jasnah talking to the king of Kharbranth. They have agreed to some terms and Jasnah interviews Shallan on their way to a hallway where a boulder has fallen. The kings granddaughter is trapped in a room on the other side. Jasnah has her soul caster (bracelet and rings chained together to held gems containing stormlight) and uses a black stone to turn the boulder into smoke. Shallan’s father had one as well; they found it in his pocket when he died, but it was useless. Once the smoke has cleared, Jasnah tells HSallan she will not take her on as a ward. Shallan refuses to give up and follows after the princess and the king as they go to the Palanaeum. The plan she and her brothers came up with means stealing Jasnah’s soulcaster.
7. Tvlakv haggles with a woman over the slaves’ worth. She is impressed with Kaladin, but Tvlakv tells her he is a deserter. He apologizes to Kaladin, saying if he isn’t honest, word will get around. The woman buys them all and Kaladin is sent to be a bridgeworker. He notices the banners are for Highprince Sadeas, ruler of his homedistrict. When they get o the barracks for bridgemen, the sergeant, Gaz, immediately puts Kaladin on a team to carry a bridge for the soldiers. He doens’t have shoes or a padded vest like the others and only gets small breaks when the soliders cross a casm before they have to race to get to the next gap before the troops. When they arrive at the front lines, Gaz has the men switch positions. He puts Kaladin directly in front. While he is happy he can see, Kaladin quickly realizes his new position is more dangerous as arrows kkill the men around him. The surviving men are able to get the bridge in place. Kaladin almost falls into a chasm, but manages to catch himself before passing out. Several hours later, the windspren wakes him up because the army is leaving and he will die if he is left behind. Kaladin is able to get up and finds a body to take sandles and a vest off of for his own use. He is disappointed it is the man that helped him with directions on their way there. He learns the windspren’s name is Sylphrena (Syl). He is ordered back to the bridge to carry it back. Soldiers are enlisted to help. As it takes 25 men to carry and they lost over half of the bridgeworkers. Kaladin realizes this was the worst they could do to him.
8. House Davar rose because of Shallan’s father’s skill in politics and illegal use of the soul caster to create marble queries. Shallan’s plan is to switch out Jasnah’s soulcaster for her father’s broken one so her brothers and she can continue to create deposits. She also has to frame one of Jasnah’s enemy’s for “breaking’ the soulcaster. Shallan has a servant lead her to the Palanaeum. She enters the Veil (theater-like room before the Palanaeum proper). After learning how much it costs to enter and read, she decides to sit in a reading cove to wait for Jasnah. A servant leads her to Jasnah’s alcove to wait. Shallan draws the city, Yalb, and the porter from memory. Last, she draws Jasnah. Finally she writes to jasnah to ask her to reconsider her answer. Shallan has struggled to attain knowledge where others have it handed to them. She will try harder and appreciate it more. Just as she finishes and starts feeling a bit guilty about being there as a theif, an ardent, Kabsal, comes to the alcove to wait for Jasnah as well. Shallan keeps a formal tone with him (as she was taught) until Kabsal starts to carry out his threat to dance on the desk. He admires Shallan’s drawings and perfectly applies her lacquer to the drawing of Jasnah. He asks her to let Jasnah know he came to talk with her. He sees her as a challenge he must try to convert from heresy to the Almighty. Shallan apologizes for Kabsal explaining she is not part of Jasnah’s entourage as he though. He takes the fault for making assumptions and asks what she is fond of. She tells him jam. He promises her jam to alleviate her guilt.
9. Jasnah is not pleased to find Shallan in her alcove. The princess scolds her and sends her away. Shallan doesn’t get far before she sits on the ground to compose herself. A servant comes to bring her back to the alcove. Jasnah apologizes for losing her temper. She tells Shallan she may peition her in the future after Shallan has studied history and philosophy. Shallan leaves and finds Yalb waiting for her outside. He uses her as a way to excuse himself he has been using to cheat guards out of their money. As they walk back towards the ship, Yalb convinces Shallan third attempts are usually the most successful. He takes her to a bookstore and the woman behind the counter fetches the owner. She tells him what she wants, but he condecendingly offers her romance novels. She tells him off and goes to help the woman find books. When he comes back and tells her the price, Yalb comes rushing in to say he is from a competitor’s book store and wants to give her a lower price. Shallan plays along until the price is reasonable. Yalb escorts her back to the conclave and she gives him a drawing him him and the porter. Once inside, Shallan rents the alcove next to Jasnah with the plan to cram and impress her before the princess leaves Kharbranth. Jasnah is impressed with the effort and goes through Shallan’s satchel. She finds the journals with Shallan’s drawings and observations and is convinced Shallan really does seek knowledge. She agrees to make use of Shallan while they are both in Kharbrath and sends Shallan to her rooms.
10. Kaladin has been on Bridge Four for a few weeks and has noticed it has a higher mortality rate than the others. Only one other man is still alive from his first run. He wonders why the war is on the Shattered Plains and why thearmy seems to be sending men out just to die when there are several things they could do to prevent death. Syl is worried about him. Kaladin sees a young boy (14 years old) join the bridge crew. He wants to protect him, but thinks the boy will be safer if he doesn’t. Syl says she has seen Kaladin and how he used to be. She cannot stay and watch him give up. She says she will try to come back. Soon after on a bridge run, the boy and the last surviving man from Kaladin’s first run are killed. There is a highstorm that night. Kaladin cries for the first time in a year.
11. Nine years ago. A girl named Sani lies asleep on Kaladin’s father’s (Lirin) table. Lirin is going to have Kaladin help him with the girl’s wound. He has young Kaldin wash his hands because water keeps away the deathspren and rotspren. When Lirin says it is the wisdom of the Herolds, Kaladin calls the Herolds demons, as he heard from an ardent. Lirin explains the Herolds led mankind against the Voidbringers. The Radiants were the order of Knights the founded who betrayed mankind once the Herolds left, neither were demons though. When they unwrap Sani’s hand, Kaladin recognizes one of the fingers will have to be amputated. Once all the work is done, they clean. Kaladin thinks his father is selfish for not charging for his services and only taking donations. Lirin asks where Kaladin was before the surgery. Kaladin and Tien (younger brother) were with Jam to see what he has learned from his training with the quarterstaff. Lirin doesn’t want Kaladin to become a soldier. He wants to send him to Kharbranth when he turns 16 to train with talented surgeons because of their grandfather’s hard work to get them to the second nahn. They have full citizenship and are allowed to travel. Lirin wants Kaladin to use his talents to help people instead of killing.
12. Kaladin leave the barracks at the start of a highstorm. Gaz is out saving his spears from the rain and threatens to string Kaladin up. Kaladin says he is going to the Honor Chasm (to commit suicide) and Gaz asks him to leave his vest and sandles behind. Kaladin does and then walks away. He is about to step off the edge when Syl returns with a blackbane leaf. She thinks Kaladin lost hope when he lost the leaf. Kaladin becomes inspired. He returns to the barracks and takes Gaz down to the ground. He demands to be bridge leader. Next Kaladin goes inside the barracks for Bridge Four and starts demanding the name of each bridgeman. Most resist at first, but eventually he has them all. He plans to find a way to protect them all. He uses this responsibility to keep himself going.
Interlude 1
Ishikk is a Purelaker fisherman. Purelakers (once called Sela Tales - one of the Epoch Kingdomes) worship the god NuRalik, but when speaking outside of a grotto must trick the god’s younger brother, VunMakak, into thinking they worship him. The days fishing isn’t going well. He passes by Thaspic who carries the clothes he just washed on his raft. He tells Ishikk the foreigners he is waiting for are at Maib’s place (closest thing they have to an Inn). When he arrives, Maib gives him fish soup and he gives her a lucky and healing fish called a Kolgril. He sits with the tree men he calls Grump, Blunt, and Thinker. They are Makabaki men looking for someone named Hoid. Ishikk tells them he has searched and asked around in his travels, but he hasn’t found any sign of the man. He suggests he could catch a fish tht would help them find him. After some discussion in another language, the three men leave.
Interlude 2
Nan Balat (Shallan’s older brother) enjoys killing small creatures such as ripping the legs off a crab one by one. His axehound, Scrak, kills a songbird. The oldest brother, Nan Helaran, stood up to their father’s temper and is now dead. Nan Balat has a lame leg from a bad break. Asha Jushu was driven to vice and Tet Wikim to despair. As he contemplates his cowardice at sending his little sister to steal Jasnah’s soulcaster, he rips apart another crab. Wikim comes to tell Balat they have a large problem.
Interlude 3
Over the past five years since killing the king, Szeth has been traded to many different people. He hid the King’s sphere in Jah Keved. His oathstone eventually ends up with a traveling merchant, Took, that likes to over-exaggerate his stories. After a night of drinking in Ironsway, Balcend, Took starts walking back to where they are staying with Szeth following him. Two men apear from the shadows and kill Took. One of the men recognizes Szeth is a Shin and they find his oathstone amongst Took’s spheres. Szeth tells them he must obey their commands as long as they have it. However, he cannot obey orders that would have him kill himself or give up his blade. He doesn’t mention his blade to them.
PART 2
12. King Elhokar rides with the high Princess on a hunt. Their party includes two brothers, Adolin and Renarin, and their father, Dalinar Kholin. During the highstorms, Dalinar has been having visions. His sons what to protect him from other high raning men that might try to take advantage of their father’s weakening state. Renarin tries to distract Adolin from his suspiciouns of High Prince Sadeas, but talk of the hunt or his latest failed relationship don’t interest him. He wants to be able to hear what the king is saying. King Elhokar takes off to checkout a nearby watch tower. Dalinar leaves Adolin in charge and follows after the king. They race to climb to the top of the tall platau and Dalinar has to remind himself to let the King win. Elhokar has been worried about any assassination attempts and Dalinar admits there were people on the King’s bacony one night. No evidence was left and no one has returned. He wants to tell the king about his visions, and that he thinks they should return to Alethkar, but he knows he will be thought of as crazy. Adolin commands the guards and has them position the way his father would have. He refrains from challenging the men that insult his father to a duel because he is on duty and in charge. When Elhokar and Dalinar return, Adolin gives his report. Adolin is not excited about the hunt, but Dalinar wants the high princes to unite under Elhokar back in Alethkar. He hasn’t found the right way to broach the subject so it doesn’t sound like retreating. The King’s Wit comes by briefly to quip with the men. Bashin, a darkeyes of the first nahn announces the bait is in place for the hunt. They will be using thick arrows that have gems in them (Navani - King Gavilar’s wife- lead the research effort) and special bows. There is a problem with the chull that is towing the bait and they all see the bait is not on the end of its now frayed rope. The beast climbs out of the chasm onto the viewing plateau where the audience is unprepared for the danger.
13. Dalinar immediately summons his shardblade, Oathbringer, and charges at the 30 foot beast that has 14 legs, 4 claws, and a tail. Sadeas calls for his bow while Adolin starts to catch up with Dalinar after retieving Sureblood, his Ryshadium stallion. Soon Dalinar’s, Gallant, was there as well. The pair ride around the chasmfiend killing its legs with their shardblades. Elhokar rides out on his own horse, Vengence, to distract the monster. When the king tries to take a turn too quickly, he loses his mount. Dalinar tells the king to retreat, but it isn’t long before Elhokar is back in the gray trying to kill the beast with his shardblade. Sadeas firest the large arros to help. Renarin rides out to help, but Dalinar sends him back because he doesn’t have a shardblade or plate. Adolin rushes to the King’s side, but is knocked away by a claw. THe only thing that matters to Dalinar is saving the son of the brother he failed, so he rushes to him. Adolin is surprised to see his father living up to his warrior reputation. He calls his shardblade again and rushes back at the monster to continue taking out its legs. When it finally doesn’t have enough legs to handle its own weight, it falls to the ground. Elhokar uses his shardblade to kill the chasmfiend and pulls out the largets gemheart Adolin has ever seen (the size of a human head). The soldiers yell in triumph as the king holds it up.
14. Kaladin is determind to lead the men of Bridge Four. He wakes them up early and orders them to fall into line outside. The men ignore him. He picks a large man, Moash, punches him in the stomach, and drags him outside. The rest of the men follow. Kaladin tells them his plan is to strengthen them and build up their endurance so they can move bridges faster and avoid being shot by arrows. The men laugh at him and Gaz confirms Kaladin only has authority on the field. The men disperse as Gaz sneaks away. Syl follows Gaz and returns to Kaladin to tell him where he is hiding. Kaladin sneaks up being him and asks for his pay. Gaz reluctantly gives him four clips. Kaladin makes him give all five and then gives one back to Gaz to remind him where the money comes from. Kaladin spends the rest of the morning running a iece of lumber back and forth some distance. A bridgeman, Rock, looses several clips betting on its weight. When it is time for lunch, Kaladin tells his men they are on afternoon duty and have meal duty after that. He jogs away until he finds an alley where he can stretch and catch his breath. Syl is worried about how much she has grown to understand. She knows she is not like other windspren, but can’t go back. She doesn’t remember much of anything before meeting Kaladin.
15. Unlike the other lighteyed men, Adolin works to clean up after the disaster. The bridge to go back was destroyed, so they have to wait for men to return with a bridge crew. Adolin can’t help thinking the heroic Dalinar he saw save the king is what they need. He goes to take the casualty report to Elhokar. Dalinar does not approve of the way the ar has turned into a competition between the high princes to collect gemhearts. Usually they wait for the chasmfiends to climb to the top of the plateau and make a rocky chriysalis that is vulnerable. The high princes race each other and the Parshendi to them to get the gemhearts. Dalinar believes this is why they have forgotten why they are at war. Sadeas nods to Dalinar, indicating his part of their agreement is done. Dalinar notes he will need to find Vamah later. Elhokar calls Dalinar over to discuss recent victories. Dalinar is not impressed with Sadeas’ bragging or how he treats the bridgemen as fodder. Adolin wants to point out how Sadeas stood back from the battle that day, but Dalinar stops his son before he calls the high prince a coward. Sadeas calls Renarin useless. Dalinar gives Sadeas an out from having to duel him (saying he misheard what he said) and Sadeas takes it. Wit comes along and insults Sadeas. Luckily for Wit, there are strict laws for punishing a man that kills the king’s Wit. Dalinar takes Adolin to investigate something at the King’s request - the saddle. Dalinar shows Adolin how the girth strap of the saddle is smother on one of the ends as though it was cut so it would break. Next, they visit High Prince Vamah to remind him how much he depends on the king since he has been covally complaining about what the king charges for soulcasters. Dalinar brings Adolin to meet with Sadeas, who confirms he has told Vamah his price of wood has doubled to ensure Vamah’s dependency on the king. Dalinar mentions his worry about Elhokar’s paranoia and Sadas points out how Dalinar encourages it by following the codes so closely and being over protective (Dalinar is trying to make up for being passed out drunk the night Elhokar’s brother was killed). Sadeas urges him to stop seeking the answer to his brother’s last words from an ancient book, the Way of Kings (guidebook for the Radiants). The king had only started following the codes the last few years of his life. Only Dalinar, Sadeas, Elhokar, and Jasnah know about it until Dalinar tells Adolin. He also tells him Sadeas was the King’s decoy and vowed to protect Elhokar. The king approaches and asks if they can be on their way. Dalinar refuses to leave his men behind for such a dangerous journey back. Elhokar asks about the saddle and Dalinar admits it could have been cut. He promises to continue looking into it. Elhokar gives them a brief look of distrust before leaving them. The bridgecrew arrivers - one of Sadeas (rather tan Dalinar’s slow chull pulled bridges). Dalinar is proud of Adolin though he still has a lot to learn. He goes to check on Gallant and thells him to take the extra melons for his good work. He thinks about a passage from the Way of Kings whre a king hellps a man carry a stone and hopes the others will hlelp him carry his invisible load. Dalinar keeps his study of the book private since it is so unpopular (association with lost Radiants, ideas about kings doing manual labor and Darkeyes ranking above Lighteyes). He borrows a mare for the return trip.
16. Seven and a half years ago. Kaladin tells Laral that his father is planning to send him to Kharbranth to become a surgeon. She is surprised because he has talked about becoming a soldier, winning a shardblade, and coming a Lighteyes. She has him look out over the land and says the Origin is out there, but his lack of enthusiasm makes her think he is moping. Kaladin isn’t sure what he is supposed to do. His little brother, Tien, gives him a rock to make him feel better, and Kalidin takes him to chase a lurg. Laral goes to talk to some of the other boys who are worming the crops. They were discussing whether or not a Darkeyes can become a Lighteyes - no one seems to have ever seen it happen. The oldest of the nine boys, Jost, duels Kaladin with a quarter staff. Kaladin loses, but gains his love for fighting. He wants to be taught how to fight, but Jost refuses. When Kaladin arrives home his father tells him Laral’s father, Brightlord Wistiow, has died and left them money to send Kaladin to Kharbranth to become a surgeon and return to Hearthstone. Kaladin still doesn’t know what he wants to do.
17. Kaladin goes to an apothecary for supplies. He buys what he can and saves his one infused mark in case he needs light. When bridge four’s shift starts, they are almost immediately called to duty. Everyone rushes to get their things and get to the bridge. At each chasm when they set the bridge, Kaladin refuses to lay down (or even sit) with the rest of the bridgemen. Some of the soldiers mock him. He confuses a squad leader when he points out his body and bridge are the only weapons he has (soldiers take care of their weapons before themselves). When it comes time for their crew to lay the bridge to meet the Parshendi, Kaladin insists on taking the front center spot, replacing Rock. The men around Kaladin are hit with arrows as they run. One scrapes his side, but he keeps going while shouting his brother’s name. Once the bridge is in place, Kaladin goes back out to gather his wounded men until all are accounted for. Rock and Teft help him. Kaladin gives Narm his shirt to use to start a fire with Moash’s flint and steel. He does what he can for each wounded man using the bandages, thread, and needle he bought from the apothecary. He uses a knife from a fallen soldier to cauterize the wounds and a watergourd to clean them. Rock points out Gaz has orders not to let them bring back wounded that cannot walk on their own. Kaladin bribes Gaz to let them go last with the wounded soldiers and bring back their own wounded with his last sphere. Gaz tries to refuse, but Kaladin threatens to kill him. He acepts the bribe but complains the sphere is already drained even though it was just charged in the previous night’s storm. Syl doesn’t trust Gaz, but Kaladin hopes his bribe will be enough.
18. Adolin takes the strap from the King’s saddle to a leather shop. Both leatherworkers agree the strap was cut, but assume it was from owner mistreatment rather than a purposeful cut. Janala waits for him outside and they walk around. She wants Adolin to talk to his father about their drab uniform. Two horns blow and Adolin waits for the third to summon Dalinar’s army, but it doesn’t happen (Sleep writing? Mglor x3 x oil). Dalinar is travelling up the hill away from the ten high princes’ war camps to see the king. He hears the horns sound, but only looks back long enough to see Sadeas is already on the move. Teshav, on of his officer’s wife, reports they haven’t found any suspicious behavior that would indicate someone cut the king’s saddle. She has also found several of the high princes are behind in paying war fees to the king. She suggests letting the princes grow their own crops might be a good idea, but Dalinar want s to solidify their loyalty to Elhokar since he is the first heir of the united Alethkar. He decides to propose a discount for the soulcasters for any princes that are current on their taxes. He has Teshav tell her husband to have the fourth battalion patrolling to discourage theft. She is not particularly happy about her husband being removed from battle or the quarter of Dalinar’s army dedicated to the camp. He worries about High Prince Aladar wanting to vacation back in Alethkar, but knows it could help their homeland. After Teshav leaves them, Dalinar speaks to Renarin about his action on the battle field. Renarin feels useless and Dalinar knows how it feels to be the second son. He promises Renarin shardplate and blade if he gets another set. Even though Renarin’s blood is weakening, being a shardbaearer should help him be able to fight and feel useful. Adolin further upsets his date by stopping by the temple to talk to Kadash (solider turned ardent) about his father’s visions. Kadash believes they are the horrors of Dalinar’s past coming back to him. Before he leaves, Kadash reminds Adolin they need to talk about his Calling (duelling, frowned upon during war) because he hasn’t elevated in a while. Dalinar speaks with Elhokar and suggests they forget the war and go home. Elhokar knows that is not possible until revenge has been taken on the Parshendi. Dalinar relaizes Elhokar is right and suggests naming him the High Prince of War to unite the other high princes. Elhokar is skeptical; he thinks his uncle is getting too weak. He promises to do it if Dalinar can prove the others are willing to follow him. Dalinar agrees and starts heading back to camp thinking about who to approach first. Renarain points out a highstorm that is on the way. They rush back to camp, but Dalinar ends up in a stone structure with soliders. When the storm hits, his fit starts.
19. Dalinar dreams he is in the past in the body of a man named Heb. He tries to protect Taffa and her daughter, Seeli, from the Midnight Essence creatures (dark, six legged). He stabs one with a fire poker and smoke comes out of it. He is wounded several times before they are able to get out of the house. He wants to lead the woman to a river to keep the monsters from tracking them so he can go back and start a resistence with any remaining villagers. They become surrounded and Heb usies his own body to protect Seeli. Two shardbearers, Knights Radiants, appear and help Heb fight off the Essence. One (male) leaves to help more people while the other (female) stays to heal their wounds. Heb asks her about the time and location. She tells him they arei n the Eight Epoch, 337 (which means nothing to Dalinar) and in the Kingdom Natanatan (where the Shattered Plains are in Dalinar’s own time). She can tell he has been trained and invites him to Urithiru to join them before running off to help others. Taffa’s voice changes and Dalinar is talking to whoever has been showing him the visions. It tells him to unite them, but cannot tell him of the future, only the past. Dalinar asks if he is right to trust Sadeas and the voice confirms it. Dalinar wakes up in his own time and tells the Sodiers to release him. He goes to a corner to think about how to unite the high princes.
20. Seven years ago Kaladin tried to save a little girl. She had fallen and he decided to stop the bleeding from her broken leg as quickly as possible. He gave orders to the surrounding crowd for supplies while men held back the girl’s father, Harl. Kaladin got the leg done and loooked up to see the girl had died. Later, Kaladin was upset and crying. His father told him he did a good job but needs to learn when to let go.
21. Kaladin wakes up feeling awful and sore. He drags himself out of bed and checks on his wounded to find they are still alive. He does his stretches and then goes to borrow a piece of lumber to exercise. Afterwards Gaz finds him to tell him Sadeas has ordered the wounded are not paid or fed until they are working again. Kaladin asks his men for help, but only Rock is willing to share his food. Kaladin finds Gaz and asks for his team to be put on stone collecting duty. Kaladin is hoping this will relieve at least some of the animosity the other bridges are showing him because they only lost eight men last run. Rock says there is something about Kaladin that protects him. He also can see Syl. Kaladin and Rock approach Teft, who refuses to give up his food. Kaladin only asks for his loyalty. Teft hesitates, but eventually agrees, warning Kaladin he betrayed the last person he swore it to. Kaladin tells them there is a reed they need to collect while collecting stones outside camp.
22. There is a feast a few days after the highstorm. Dalinar and his sons attend, but Dalinar sits up at the knight’s table with the other high princes. Adolin comes to tell him there are rumors going around that Dalinar is a coward and asked the king to forget the vengeance pact. Dalinar admits he mentioned it to the king, but quickly realized it would not work. He explains his new strategy to his son who has been fighting duels with men that call them cowards. Adolin thinks Dalinar should duel, but it is against the codes. The king’s mother, Navani, comes over to talk to Dalinar. Adolin leaves them. She tells them half-shard shields have been developed that can stop a shardblade. She sets up a time to meet with Dalinar. Elhokar makes an announcement that Sadeas has been promoted to High Prince of Information. Navani points out that her son is not a good king and seen as weak. Dalinar goes to talk to Elhokar about the appointment. Elhokar doesn’t realize he is making Dalinar look like the attempted assassin by taking the investigation away from him. Sadeas persuaded the king to promote him because High Prince of Informationwould ruffle less feathers that Dalinar’s request to be High Prince of War. Elhokar sees this as a harmless move, but Dalinar knows it can ruin him.
23. Kaladin stays by the wagon to help his men load the rocks into it. Syl helps lead Rock to the correct reeds to collect. Teft wonders why he isn’t finding as many. Kaladin bundles the reeds together and ties them to a dowel under the wagon. The rest of the men are angry at Kaladin for giving them extra work. He tries to explain they need the other bridge crews to not hate them, but the men don’t seem to care. Kaladin realizes he is trying to save the lives of men that have nothing left to live for. That night, Kaladin, Rock, and Teft sneak back to where the wagons are kept and find the one with the reeds tied to it. They put them in sacks and walk with defeated posture so people would think they were on duty. They go to the edge of the chasm where Kaladin almost killed himself and start milking the sap from the reeds into a few bottles Kaladin was able to steal from the trash. Rock tells them he was the relative to a nuatoma (Horneater version of a Brightlord). He was his cook and was brought to the lowlands when his nuatoma came to challenge Sadeas for his shardplate. After his nuatoma was killed, Rock because Sadeas’ servant. He put chull dung in the high prince’s food. Sadeas made him a Bridgeman because of it. Kaladin realizes the comrodery is what the bridge team is missing. He tells them he killed a man. A very important person thanked him and offered him a gift. Kaladin implies he bacame a Bridgeman for turning down the gift. They all work silently after that.
24. Dalinar goes to High Prince Roion because he has the smallest princedom and has collected the least gemhearts. He tries to convince Roion that a joint assult could help them take The Tower, a plain that gets a lot of chasmfiends and Parshendi. Their combined talents of infintry and archery could give them an advantage. Dalinar promises to give Roion the first shardplate found and he would take the second. Roion says he needs time to think it over, but Dalinar doubts he will agree. The rumors about him have been spreading and Roion asks if he will attend the feast because a highstorm is predicted at the same time. Dalinar says he will be there. Adolin finds his father in the map room and tells him he thinks his mind is going. Dalinar tries to stop him, but Adolin raises his voice and refuses to let his father ruin their house. Dalinar thinks he is right, but Adolin believes that is more tricks of a broken mind.
25. Seven years ago. Kalain overheard two women speaking badly of his father. It upset him and he stormed off. He found his mother scraping crem (in storm water) from buildings before it would turn to stone. Kaladin wanted to know why poeple hated his father. Hesina, his mother, says people need something to blame when things go wrong. Kaladin openly questioned wanting to be something other than a surgeon. SHe admitted they encouraged Kaladin playing with Laral because marriage to her would elevate his status. Kaladin wondered about going to war to win a shardblade and become a Lighteyes before marrying Laral so he wouldn’t be ranked lower than her. Lirin came to get them for the new brightlord’s arrival and they met Tien, who was standing on a rainwater barrel to see. Other boys laughed at Tien’s small size. Kaladin joined his brother. Brightlord Roshone was not impressed with their town. Lirin asked him about his trip, but Rohsone wasn’t interested in hearing from the man that let the last brightlord die. Kaladin hoped Roshone was a warrior. Lirin said they will have to see how Roshone and Hearthstone will get along together.
26. A chasmfiend is spotted and Dalinar’s camp is the closest to the particular plateau. He decides they will go after it and has his shardplate put on. Sadeas decides to come along to continue his investigation. He questions some of Dalinar’s soldiers before going to talk to Dalinar himself. Sadeas thinks reading the code has ruinded Dalinar as it did Gavilar. Dalinar rides off in anger thinking of how things used to be and how his brother saw things differently three days before he died. When they reach the chasm, Dalinar and Adolin jump in to start fighting the Parshendi head on. In the middle of battle, Dalinar is overcome with feeling sick at all the death that surrounds him. Adolin protects him until he pulls himself back together. The bridge is put into place. As Dalinar’s men cross to the plateau to fight, he sees Sadeas’ look of disapproval. When Gallant crosses, he mounts the Ryshadium and continues into battle to protect his men. After the battle has been won, Adolin cuts the gemheart out of the chasmfiend. Daliniar is shocked by the number of bodies surrounding him. He wonders if Adolin is right about his mind. He sees a group of the remaining memebers of the Parshendi army watching them. He notices one of them in shardplate and wonders why he was not part of the fight.
27. Kaladin takes the extra sap to the apothecary. When he is only offered two marks, he knows something is up. He threatens to tell the soldiers how the apothecary milks the reed himself and charges the army two skymarks for a small bottle. The apothecary explains he and the others like him got together to agree on prices so they could all survive the war. Kaladin agrees to sell the bottle for one skymark and bandages. With Kaladin providing the supply, the apothecary has a reasonable excuse for the high price. After the deal is struck, Kaladin wonders if he should take the money and run. In the end, he decides he has to protect the bridgemen. Gaz decides to take advantage of the other bridge crews hating bridge four and asssigns them to chasm duty figuring Kaladin won’t mind having the undesirable job. The men of bridge four climb the ladder down into the chasm and start looking for anything valuable they can retrieve from teh bodies that have fallen in. As they search, Kaladin, Teft, and Rock talk. Dunny ends up joining them and even sings a song. They eventually run into a large group of bodies and start salvaging what they can. Kaladin forgets himself when he is handed a spear and goes through a kata. He tries to tell the men he just did that for exercise before his new life. Rock tells them they found Parshendi bodies and takes Kaladin to them. They find their armor is attached to them. Kaladin is confused by the intricate glyphs on their blades since they are supposed to be savages. On the return trip, a few more men join their conversation, but Kaladin knows he has to win them over quicker for them to survive. He asks Rock to meet him after they are searched from leaving the chasm. Kaladin uses a good amount of money to get everything Rock needs to make stew. The bridgemen come out and Kaladin offers them some. He wins over most of the bridge four crew, but some are still reluctant. Kaladin knows they will join soon.
28. Adolin accompanies Dalinar throughout camp for inspections, but Dalinar lets his son take the lead on most issues. Adolin talks to the soldiers Sadeas questioned. Their statements of loyalty to Dalinar made it sound like they believed Dalinar was responsible for cutting the king’s saddle strap. Brightlord Thanadal sends a messenger to tell Dalinar he won’t form an alliance with him. Every high prince has rejected his offer (except Sadeas, who he didn’t ask). Dalinar sends for his Warhammer and uses it to smash rocks in the latrine ditch. He spends his workout thinking about the codes and whether or not he is losing his mind. Navani arrives to talk to Dalinar and he stops when he realizes he missed his scheduled appointment with her. She lets him know the spanreed bound to Jasnah is flashing. Navoni asks to join the communication with her daughter and he agrees. When they arrive Adolin is there and has brought Danlan to be one of Dalinar’s clerks. She has just arrived at camp to spend time with her father, Brightlord Morakotha. She prepares the spanreed and Dalinar sends his acknowledgement to accept the message. The reed moves on its own. She asks him if the Parshendi had shardblades when he first met them. Dalinar doesn’t remember them having the weapons until after her father died. She asks what the Parshendi first spoke about with them; they talked about their maps and so that is what he replies. Jasnah ahs her new ward draw a picture for Dalinar and it looks like a chasmfiend. She tells them this is what her books say is a voidbringer. Though the books are very old, they are all only translations and sometimes incomplete. Dalinar thinks someone who once resided in the kingdoms (where the Unclaimed Hills are now) must have drawn the picture. Dalinar tries to convince Jasnah to return, but she has more research to do. She promises to return and notes that she wants to see a chasmfiend. Once the conversation is over, Navani wants to know why he wants her daughter to return so urgently. While others disdain Jasnah for not choosing a devotaries she doesn’t beleive in, it helps Dalinar trust her. Dalinar admits to Navani that he will be abdicating in favor of Adolin. She think it is a mistake. Dalinar rests while he thinks of returning to Alethkar after the preparations are made.
Interlude 4
Rysn steps down from the wagon and thinks it is odd the grass doesn’t move. Her babsk, Vstim, has her set up the fabrial with the heliodor that lets them know when people are approaching. The Shin arrive and Rysn is curious about them. There are a lot of guards, which are considered lowly by the Shin. Thresh, the man they are planning to trade with, is a farmer. Rather than bartering like a normal merchant, Vstim is very honest about his ware: Trash soulcast into metal. Thresh is also honest about how the chickens he is trading aren’t nearly as valuable as horses. They mention a “Truthless” Thresh sold to Vstim who made a great servant but he eventually traded. Thresh threw that money in the river and hopes they never have another Truthless. After the deal is struck, Rysn comments on how odd the exchange was. Vstim makes Rysn pot some grass and tells her she needs to care for it until it doesn’t seem odd anymore.
Interlude 5
After a night of drinking, Axies the Collector (a Aimian - rare - casts shadow the wrong way) wakes up naked in an alley in Kasitor, a large Iriali city (people with gold hair are considered to have pure blood). A homeless man tries to charge him rent and for destroying a temple in his little city made of vegetables. Axies says he is a Voidbringer and can only be driven off with a sacred cloth, indicating one of the beggar’s blankets. The beggar throws it at him and Axies uses it to cover himself. He checks his body for new notes (can change color and markings on skin at will) and finds one about seeing spren while drunk. He has dedicated his life to studying spren, which are elusive. He joins a crowd to watch the daily 7:46 appearance of a giant spren named Cusicesh (the Protector) emerge from the water. For ten minutes it goes through different human faces before withdrawing back into the water. A street urchin steels his blanket as he makes notes on his leg. Guards come and arrest him and he starts looking for captivity spren though he has never seen on in all his time incarcerated.
Interlude 6
Szeth, Truthless of Siniwar, works for a crime lord, Makkek, in a town called Bornwater. Makkek holds Szeth’s Oathstone and has Szeth killing off all of his business competition. A man named Gavashaw has come to the city to be Makkek’s rival. Szeth is sent to kill him. Szeth takes care to be sneaky so he doesn’t have to kill any guards (his attempt at keeping what humanity he has left). He uses Stormlight to Lash himself to walls of the mansion where Gavashaw has taken up residence. His shard blade cuts a hole in the roof and he Lashes the loose piece to a distant space to distract the guards when it crashes. Szeth is suspicious because he doesn’t find any guards inside. When he gets to Gavashaw’s bedroom, a man is waiting for him with Gavashaw’s head already on a platter. He says Szeth’s abilities are being wasted. Szeth goes to return to his master as his job has already been completed, but the other man reveals Mekkek’s head and Szeth’s oathstone. He has a list from their master of people for Szeth to kill, some with instructions. Szeth is shocked by the list and how it will upset most of the world. Six high princes, a Selay gerontarch, and the king of Jah Keved are on the list.
PART 3
29. Shallan talks with Nan Balat and her other brothers about her progress. She admits she has not gained enough trust from Jasnah to be able to switch out the broken soul caster for Jasnah’s working on. Nan Balat sends everyone away and tells her their father’s friend, Luesh, has died. They don’t suspect foul play, but he was the only one that knew how to use the soulcaster. Nan Balat doesn’t think they have much time left before their father’s debtors come to collect and people start finding out their father is dead. Jasnah has Shallan study the death of Galivar. She likes learning, but is not sure why that specific topic was chosen. When Jasnah joins her, they discuss what she thinks about the topic, but Shallan Ian my able to draw conclusions. Jasnah encourages her cleverness and discourages the rudeness of her remarks. King Taravangian (said to be a bit slow) comes to have lunch with them. He has heard of Shallan’s drawing skills and asks her for a portrait of himself. She takes a mental image and starts sketching. The king asks Jasnah where she found her soul aster, but she evades the question and declines to answer. They discuss her atheism. Shallan pays more attention to the conversation than the drawing. When she looks at her work, she sees she has drawn two odd figures in the window. They are tall creatures with complicated symbols where their heads should be. The figures where not in the memory snapshot she took in order to draw him. She crumpled it up and tells Taravangian she will draw him a new one by the end of the day. The king leaves them. Shallan thinks her feelings of closeness with the Almighty might prove his existence. Jasnah is skeptical more and more of the Almighty’s existence, but agrees she could be swayed with more information. She tells Shallan to channel her cleverness to make appropriate comments rather than offensive ones. Jasnah gives Shallan time to finish the new drawing, but Shallan has trouble focusing because she enjoys her scholarship with Jasnah and feels head about having to steal her soulcaster
30. Kaladin has gotten the rest of Bridge Four to recognize him as their leader. Lamaril comes to Gaz to warn him that Kaladin forming a team is a threat. He wants Gaz to make sure Kaladin does on the field and doesn’t become a martyr that could start a revolution from the bridgemen. Gaz is torn because he needs Kaladin’s bribes to pay back Lamaril, but if he doesn’t lol Kaladin, Lamaril will make him a bridge man. Kaladin isn’t happy with how many men he is still losing. Syl says she saw Gaz and Lamaril talking and it looked suspicious. Kaladin decides to have the bridgemen carry the bridge on its side. He tells the men and Gaz it is to exercise different muscles, but he is really looking for a way to use the bridge as a shield to protect his men.
31. Six years ago. Kaladin is getting ready to leave for Karbranth. Latin is drinking a special wine reserved for special occasions. He tells his son not to come back to their town if he can help it. They discuss the new Brightlord Roshone not wanting to be in their town. He has told Larin to charge for his services. When Larin refused, Roshone told people to stop donating to them. Supplies are dwindling and Kaladin wonders about selling their spheres to keep going. People come to the door demanding the spheres. Larin brings out the spheres and uncovers them. Kaladin is temporary blinded, but the light shows these are the villagers demanding the spheres for the brightlord. Larin TEPS them to come beat him up and take them, but the men all leave.
32. Kaladin has the bridgemen practice carrying the bridge on its side, but the method has flaws. He leaves Rock in charge of the practice and goes to ask Gaz for more men. Gaz agrees to give him one. Kaladin starts looking over the men when a one armed Herazian named Lopen volunteers. Kaladin takes him. When they are called to duty shortly after, Kaladin tells Lopen to get water skins and carry as many as he can behind the bridge crew. Before they start the run, Lopen shows up with two of the recovering men carrying a litter full of water skins. Between runs, the crew drinks water and talks amongst themselves. They run for a long time and Kaladin hopes the Parshendi will have already left with the gem heart by the time they arrive. As they approach the final chasm to the plain known as the Tower, Kaladin has his crew do the side carry. They run slightly to the right, exposing themselves to the Parshendi archers. As they start running, Kaladin feels a surge of energy. Just before the assault of arrows comes down, Kaladin has them shift to the left to use the bridge as a shield. He does the same with the next round of arrows. After that, the Parshendi ignore Bridge Four and focus on the other bridges. Kaladin looks out onto the battlefield and sees other bridges attempting the side carry and failing. It takes too long for the surviving crews to get their bridges in place and the army’s attack is thrown off too much for them to be successful. Lamaril and Gaz come up to Kaladin. He says he will tell their superiors they knew nothing about it if they leave him alive. They send soldiers to beat him. His spheres roll out of his pocket, but the stormlight has left them.
33. Shallan goes to the Palanaeum proper to get books For Jasnah. Standing at the top and looking down into the inverted pyramid shaped library, she can only see halfway down. She makes her way to get Jasnah’s book. While there, she knows she is close to where Shadows Remembered (the book Jasnah was reading when the king came to visit) and decides to see what it was about. She is surprised to find it is a collection of folktales about Voidbringers. Shallan goes back to the alcove with Jasnah’s book and Kabsal is there waiting for her with bread and jam. He says he is worried about her soul because she is ward to an atheist. He shows her how strokes of a bow in a metal plate move sand into the same formation as their world’s cities. He hopes he will be the one to make Jasnah believe in the Almighty. When Jasnah arrives, she asks if he can also make the shape of Urithiru. He believes the city to be a fable and leaves somewhat embarrassed. Jasnah warns Shallan that Kabsal is trying to use her to get to Jasnah and will eventually try to get her to steal her Soulcaster.
34. After being beaten, Kaladin is hung upside down for the high storm to judge him. rock, Teft, and Moash come to talk to him. They tell him Lamaril was executed. They offer to cut him down, but they all know it would be a useless guesture. Teft gives Kaladin the one sphere they were able to retrieve from when they spilled out of his pouch. Kaladin has them tell the men to come out after the storm to see that he survived. The men go into the barracks. The storm comes and Kaladin has no way to retreat or defend himself.
35. Kaladin flails in the strong wind and is tossed about by the storm. He lands on the roof of the barracks and tries to hold on as best as he can. Syl does what she can to help him. Kaladin makes sure to keep the sphere in his hand. There is a calm in the storm and complete blackness and silence. A giant face appears in front of Kaladin and smiles. The sphere glows and Kaladin looks at it. When he looks back up The face has disappeared and the storm continues to rage on. Soon after, Kaladin passes out. The next morning, Rock leads the men out of the barracks and they see Kaladin’s lifeless body hanging. They are all shocked when he wakes up. The sphere drops from his hand and Teft notices it is not infused with Stormlight like it should be. He wants some answers from Kaladin.
36. Shallan has earned Jasnah’s trust enough to be a bathing attendant. Shallan had worked to make her broken soulcaster look just like Jasnah’s and now had the opportunity to switch them out. She knows she cannot do it. Shallan asks about the treaty Galivar proposed with the Parshendi in order to collect more shards. Jasnah doesn’t give her the answers she is looking for and suggests they start working with hands-on philosophy. They dress and Jasnah takes Dhallan out into the city at night. She takes her down an alley that leads to the theater district. People have been complaining about crime in this particular alley, but it is still not patrolled by the guard. Jasnah flashes her soulcaster briefly and four men come after them with knives. Jasnah uses up the Stormlight in a few of her gems to kill the men and then they return to their rooms. Shallan is appalled at what Jasnah has done and how cold she seems to be about it. Jasnah presents her with questions of morality and how she will have to make decisions that make her sick. While helping her get ready for bed, Shallan takes Jasnah’s soulcaster and puts the broken one in its place.
37. Five and a half years ago. Kaladin is peeling roots with his mother, but is distracted. He doesn’t like what he has seen of the townspeople. When he sees the carriage leaving the brightlord’s mansion, he takes off and finds his dad waiting for it. Kaladin wants to go with him for his meeting with Roshone and Lirin doesn’t object. Lirin mentions he had thought of moving the entire family to Kharbranth. Kaladin asks why they sta if the people all hate him. Lirin points out the villagers stopped paying him because Roshone told them to, but they still leave them food. He feels connected to them and a need to protect them. When they get to the mansion, Roahinenis already eating. Lirin and Kaladin sit at his table. Lirin doesn’t eat and the food is too spicy for Kaladin. Lirin sends him to the kitchen for food. Roshone’s son, Rillir, comes along with Laral. He makes fun of Kaladin and Laral goes along with Rillir. Kaladin is furious. Lirin comes to get him and on the ride back home he explains he stratigically stormed out to keep Roshone planning his next move to get the spheres. Kaladin realizes Lirin stole the spheres from the last brightlord, Wistiow. Lirin said he couldn’t trust the new lord to be fair and he was right. He believes Rillir will marry Laral for the connections. Kaladin is upset his hero turned out to be a thief. He decides he wants to go to Kharbranth to learn how be clever and how to talk to lighteyes. He decides to go by Kaladin instead of just Kal.
38. Kaladin evaluates his wounds. He can see the deathspren around him and Syl has become a bright light fighting them off. The Bridge Four keeps him in the back of their barracks knowing he will be a sore spot for Sadeas. Teft comes back to relieve Skar from watch over him. He puts three Simone spheres in Kaladin’s hand and watches a few wounds heal as Kaladin absorbs the Stormlight. Teft thinks he should alert the Envisagers, but remembers they are gone because of him. He decides to keep it quiet and get Kaladin Stormlight slowly so he doesn’t heal too quick and arouse suspicion.
39. Shallan sits in her room drawing out the deaths of the men in the alley. She philophosizes about the morality of Jasnah’s actions. Her mind wanders and she finds her hand has been drawing a scene with a man laying in a pool of his own blood. She throws away the picture and decides to go outside. A servant catches her and gives her a blinking ruby spanreed. Her brother Nan Balat, asks her about her progress. She lets him know she has the soulcaster, but she has to let Jasnah come to conclusions about it in her own before she leaves. If Shallan takes off unexpectedly, Jasnah will suspect her and send people after her. She is also looking for ways to activate it. She burns the paper and goes outside. After a few drawings, she decides to put on the soulcaster and give it a try. She isn’t able to activate it and worries all her efforts will be for nothing.
40. Kaladin wakes up and is surprised at how good he feels. He goes outside and finds the bridge crew practicing. Rock was named Bridge Leader, so they started calling Kaladin Captain. They are shocked to see him and stop practice to surround him. He is surprised when Rock tells him it has only been 10 days since the high storm. They are on duty and called for a run. Kaladin goes to join them, but Rock points out he isn’t ready. He joins men carrying water skins. When they get to the battlefield, he watches the fight. He sees the Parshendi aren’t particularly skilled in large battles compared to the rained Alethi men. He thinks the Parshendi want the gems because they must have soulcasters. He also thinks their numbers are dwindling because they don’t come as far in allergies territory as they once did. Sadeas uses the bridgemen as fodder to make the Parshendi feel like they have accomplished something by taking out bridges. They focus less on his trained fighters and less of them die. This particular battle is fairly evenly matched resulting in a lot of deaths. That night as Tock is making stew over the campfire, Maps presents Rock with a shaving kit from all the men. He tells them the stew is ready and then runs into the barracks. Kaladin sits by Sigzil who had helped him analyze the battle earlier that day. Sigzil tells him about a coastal city to the north called Marabethia. Criminals there were given the choice of execution or being used as bait for the greatshells with a chance to go free if they survived long enough. Most men chose to be bait because it gave them hope for survival. Sigzil appreciates Kaladin giving the bridgemen false hope because it allows them to gather and laugh together. Rock comes out with his face mostly shaven except his styled sideburns - a mark of his people. He offers to share the razor with the rest of the crew and some take him up on it.
41. Five and a half years ago. Kaladin is shocked to find Laral screaming and his father working in so much blood trying to save Roshone and Rillir. The guards take Laral away. Kaladin jumps in to assist. Both men have whitespine tusks in them. Lirin quickly realizes he cannot save Rillir and moves into Roshone. Roshone is furious and can see if son struggling. Kaladin uses daze water to get him to sleep. Lirin then has him use the same on Rillir to ease his pain as he dies. Lirin cuts out tusks from Roshone’s leg and sees it is very close to the femoral artery. He pauses for a second, knowing he could end their suffering, but instead finishes saving Roshone. That night after Roshone has been moved to his mansion, Kaladin watches the sun set. Lirin joins him. He thinks his son is learning not to cry over death. Kaladin asks why Lirin let Roshone live. Lirin says he is not a killer. Kaladin knows he would have killed Roshone to make things better for the whole city. He believes some people need to be removed for the greater good.
42. Shallan explains she thinks Jasnah was right legally, but morally she did wrong by seeking out the men to kill them. Jasnah is impressed Shallan thought it out thoroughly for two weeks before giving her answer. She hasn’t made any mention of the soulcaster being different. She gives Shallan the day to do whatever she likes and goes off to study. Shallan stays in her room and tries to use the soulcaster on a stick. She hears a whisper in her room and rushes out to find a maid cleaning Jasnah’s room, but it couldn’t have been her voice. Shallan explains no one is to enter Jasnah’s room and tells the maid to go explain to the Princess her mistake right away. Shallan uses the opportunity to search through Jasnah’s room. She reads some of her notes, but does not find anything useful. She is startled by Kabsal’s knock at the door. He lures her outside with bread and truthberry jam. They flirt and he mentions leaving the Ardentia. Shallan brings up Jasnah’s theory and he admits he had originally considered having Shallan steal the soulcaster for him. The Ardents forbid him from attempting this plan and think he is too interested in Shallan. They part and Shallan returns to her room to find a letter from Captain Tozbek saying he will arrive in a week to pick her up and return her home. Jasnah questions Shallan coming back to the rooms. Shallan decides she wants to study and pretend she can lead this life while she has the chance.
43. Kaladin wakes up to find his crew ready for practice and waiting his orders. They are approached by Lamaril’s replacement, Brightlord Matal. His wife, Hashal, travels with him and is carried in a palanquin that he walks beside. She explains Matal asked for this position and will not be a lenient as Lamaril. Kaladin makes a remark and a guard goes to hit him with the butt of his spear. Kaladin blocks it without thinking, but knows more deflections will get him killed. He lets the next blow hit him in the head. Hashal tells them they will be on chasm duty permanently. Kaladin tells his men they will get to work. The men look to him for what to do next, but Kaladin has lost hope and says as much. He keeps to himself and Teft joins him. He says it doesn’t my matter if they die, they need hope. He quotes part of a Radiant slogan, “Journey before death.” The phrase gets Kaladin thinking. He tells the men he they only have to return with minimal gear to appease the brightlords. They can spend the rest of their time in the chasms being trained to fight. Kaladin has a plan to escape, but he admits Sadeas will try to retrieve and/or kill them. Most of the men agree they would rather die free than live as slaves waiting for an arrow to kill them.
44. Five years ago. Kaladin sits in the rain after patching the leaky roof. He does not like the Weeping (weeks of light rain denoting the end of the year with only one highstorm in the middle) and Tien joins him in the roof to cheer him up. As the carpenter’s third apprentice, he gets yelled at for making useless objects. He heads Kaladin a horse he carved. Their mother sees them and joins them. They talk about how Lirin started spending the spheres to let Roshone think he is winning. They have only two more months until Kaladin can be sent to Kharbranth. When Lirin gets home, he tells them they must go to a town meeting in the square. Roshone arrives in his carriage with Laral, who he is now engaged to, and Amaram, who is in charge of guarding the Princedom while Sedeas is away. He is there to recruit people for the local army. A few boys volunteer, but not enough. Roshone tells Amaram which names to read off (his right) and Tien is called. Lirin starts to argue and Amaram asks Roshone to reconsider. Roshone refuses. Kaladin offers to take Tien’s place, but is told that is not allowed. Kaladin volunteers to go with him and Amaram agrees. Kaladin promises to bring Tien back to his parents after their four years are over.
45. Shallan continues her studies of King Galivar. She is confused why he suddenly became scholarly upon meeting the Parshendi. She asks Jasnah about the voidbringers, but Jasnah doesn’t tell her anything new. She leaves in the oretense of finding a book about Galivar, but spends the time trying to learn about the voidbringers. Kabsal comes to find her after he waited with Jasnah for an hour. She asks him about the voidbringers and he said they were meant to balance the Almighty. Shallan admits to Kabsal that she has to leave the next day to return home. He tries to convince her to stay and then asks if he could go with her. She knows she cannot do that to her family and is surprised to find her feelings for Kabsal are not very strong. He asks her to draw him before she leaves and she drags him up to Jasnah’s alcove. She sketches him and gives it to him as a gift. He commissions her to draw them together. She borrows a mirror from Jasnah to place herself next to Kabsal. She lets her mind wander as she draws and finds she has again drawn the figures with symbols for faces. She flees the room and gets on the lift. She draws again and finds the figures are above her. She goes to her room and draws again and finds the figures are surrounding her. She reaches out and feels something though she cannot see anything. She hears the cold whisper ask what she is again and she admits she is terrified. The room around her transforms into a sea of beads. A old, warm voice tells her it will change and asks her for what she has. She drops the spheres she was holding. She falls into her bed and finds the goblet on her bed is melting into blood, one of the ten essences. She soul casted. There is blood everywhere and she accidentally knocks over a vase that shatters. Jasnah knocks on her door and Shallan panics. She uses a shard of glass to cut her arm and then acts as though she feinted. Jasnah opens the door, rushes to her and calls for help.
46. Kaladin dreams that he is part of the highstorm. He dives through a building and sees Shallan. He sees Szeth. At last, he stops before the large face he saw during the highstorm he was left out in. It tells him the Oathpact is broken and Odium is coming. Kaladin wakes up to being held down. He reflexively gets away from the men before he realizes it is the bridge four crew. He was trying to go out into the highstorm in his sleep and they had to hold him down. He feels off, but starts to feel better after a sphere suddenly loses its Stormlight. He goes to the door and finds it is the drizzzling at the end of the storm. He uses it to bathe himself and then has Rock shave his face for the first time. He has had the beard for a long time. Sigzil says the shave suits him and makes him look like a leader. He tells them about Babatharnam, where they determine rank by age. The ruling dynasty kills anyone that might get old enough to challenge them. Rock calls Sigzil a Worldsinger (tells people about other places in the world). Sigzil is offended and walks away. Gaz comes to give them their new recruit: a Parshman. Brightness Harshal is doing all of the assignments and wants to experiment. Kaladin tells the others they will accept the Parshman as they have accepted everyone else. He gives him the name Shen. Teft says he is going to keep watch over Shen. Kaladin goes for a walk to clear his head. Syl goes with him. He sits down between two stone buildings to think about his past. He thinks the Almoghty hates him because everyone he tries to protect ends up dying. Syl suggests the Almightly keeps saving him. Kaladin asks if she believes in the Almighty, but she isn’t sure. He asks if she has ever heard of Odium and she flies away to hide. One of Sedeas’ lower ranked officers throws a whore to the ground and kicks her. Brightlord Adolin arrives and draws his shard blade. Sadeas’ men run away and Adolin escorts the whore out of Sadeas’ camp. He tosses Kaladin an emerald sphere to deliver a message that he will miss a meeting. Kaladin takes the sphere and ignores the message. Syl doesn’t like how Kaladin changes when he thinks about Lighteyes.
47. One year ago. Kaladin’s four years of service where almost up, but he knew he couldn’t go home after Tien was killed. He goes to bribe Gare to have a young boy, Cenn, put into his squad. He then bribes the surgeon, Ven, to help his men right after the light eyes. When he returns to his squad, he is shocked at how much Cenn looks like Tien. When the battle starts, Cenn gets separated and Kaladin rushes away to save him. He bandages his wound while the rest of his men gather around him to protect him. They see one of Hallaw’s officers (one of them killed Tien). Kaladin tells them killing him will get them closer to the real battle on the Shattered Plains. They attack and Kaladin is able to kill him. As they are looking around for a superior to confirm the kill, an enemy Shardbearer breaks through their own army and heads for his squad. Ten of his men are killed before he realizes what is going on. The Shardbearer heads straight for Amaram. Kaladin charges after him. All but four of his men are killed. Kaladin is able to get a spear tip through the eye slit of the Shardbearer’s helmet and kills him. Technically, the Shardblade belongs to him, but he gives it to Coreb. He is stunned at losing so many men he loved and walks back to camp alone.
48. Shallan is being kept in the hospital because everyone assumes she attempted suicide. She has been drawing and the symbolheads continue to show up in her hospital room. King Taravangian visits with her. She tells him she was overwhelmed with work and is planning to return home. She asks for visitors and he agrees it might be helpful. Jasnah comes to visit her immediately. She gives Shallan a book with blank pages and tells her about the Devotary of Sincerity. They allow all questions while maintaining their belief in the Almighty. Kabsal comes to visit with a very rare jam: strawberry. Jasnah puts some in her finger to smell it, but wipes it off on a cloth. Shallan notices it smells bad and refuses to eat any. Kabsal takes some on his finger and eats it. He tries to get Shallan to try it, but she continues to refuse. Kabsal gets up and falls to the floor. Shallan goes to help him, but everything goes fuzzy. Jasnah says she will need to soulcast Shallan’s blood to purify it. Shallan reaches into her safe pouch and pulls out Jasnah’s soulcaster. She feels a warmneas through her body before she passes out.
49. Kaladin starts training his men to be fighters. He has a few of them try to knock him off balance, but they cannot. He tells Teft to pair them off and assist in teaching. By Teft’s quick response, Kaladin can tell he was once a soldier as well. Kaladin calls a few of the others over, Rock, Lopen, and Dabbid, over to give them their alternative job. Rock explains where he is from, the first and second sons take care of food since it is vital for everyone to live. He was the third some and was therefore a tradesman. The fourth son becomes a warrior. Kaladin explains they will be collecting materials to hand into Hashal. Syl reveals herself to Lopen. She will be checking out the side corridors to show them where they need to go. Kaladin wants Tock to map the chasm as they go through in hopes of finding a way out on one of the far edges.
50. Shallan wakes up in a private hospital room. A nurse sees her sit up and goes to tell someone. Shallan tries to get answers from the guard at the door, but he ignores her. Jasnah comes in and is obviously furious with her. Shallan explains she stole the soulcaster to try to save her family. Jasnah points out how foolish she was. She says the bread Kabsal brought her was always poisoned and the jam had the antidote. His plan was to kill Jasnah with the bread. He is now dead. Jasnah has arranged for Shallan to go hom the next morning and says her career as a scholar is over as no one will ever take her as a ward again. Shallan doesn’t have the nerve to ask her about the symbolheads. She tries to apologize, but Jasnah leaves her to sit in her guilt and shame. Shallan cries, but no one else comes to visit her.
51. One year ago. Kaladin waits in Amaram’s war center. Amaram welcomes Kaladin and his remaining men in with a few of his own honor guard. Amaram asks Kaladin why he went after the Shardbearer when even his own guard ran away. Kaladin says he didn’t think about it. He didn’t want the armor or blade that took out his friends. Amaram’s men slaughter Kaladin’s remaining men. They mark him as a slave. Amaram is going to take the shards for himself saying it is what is best for the rest of the army. They will tell everyone Kaladin’s men plotted with the Shardbearer and Kaladin ran away from them when he found out.
Interlude 7
Baxil and Av walk behind their mistress down a corridor. Baxil keeps looking over his shoulder and Av nudges him to get his attention back on the mistress. She starts destroying art as they watch. Baxil debates trying to find the Old Magic and asking the Nightwatcher for a boon. At doesn’t think it is a good idea because it always comes with a curse and one never knows what they might get. The Nightwstcher decides what you deserve. Baxil still wants to go looking for it, but doubts he will be able to find it.
Interlude 8
Two ardents, Ashir and Geranid, are in a small Reshi island. Ashir chats as he makes food. Geranid has been studying Soren and thinks she has made a discovery. The flame Soren dance around and change constantly, but when she measures them and writes down their sizes, they seem to be locked in on that size until the measurement is erased. Ashir tells her to go into the other room and write down one of his three measurements. He is surprised when only the third one stops shifting, the only measurement Geranid wrote down. She thinks she might have discovered something that can help their understanding of Soren and fabrials.
Interlude 9
Szeth draws the Stormlight from the spheres in his pouch. He kicks in a door and starts killing everyone in the room. King Hanavanar of Jah Keved calls out for his armsmen. Szeth is upset over the massacre he has been ordered to carry out. He heads for the king, but the table by him starts to shake. Szeth lashes himself to the ceiling. Two Shardbearers appear, and the king brings out his own Shardblade. Szeth goes to face them. Guards come in with half-shard shields. Szeth drops his Shardblade and it turns to mist. He absorbs more Stormlight than he ever has before. He uses it to lash men to the ceiling or across the room. He lashes himself up and down to reduce his weight and move easier. He takes out the kings two Shardbearers in seconds. When the king finally starts to run, it is too late. Any remaining guards that try to protect him are killed quickly. Szeth hates him for planning this trap during a feast and causing so many unnecessary deaths. The king asks what he is and Szeth answers, “Deeth.” He uses his Shardblade to kill the king.
PART FOUR
52. Adolin is upset his father, Dalinar, is still planning to abdicate his princedom to him. Dalinar informed him of his intentions a week prior and Adolin asked him to think over the decision. Dalinar has not changed his mind. He plans to return to Kholinar and use his shards to help protect their lands from neighboring Princedoms. Jah Keved has many shard bearers and a war between the two would be very destructive. As the highstorm comes in Adolin and Renarin prepare their father for his vision. Dalinar finds himself a guard at the Feverstone Keep. The others there are waiting on word of the Knights Radiants. A messenger comes back to tell them men are approaching from the Order of the Stonewards and a large number of Windrunners are approaching. Radiants are heading towards them instead of fighting in the front lines. Dalinar runs out of the fort and towards the Radiants as they arrive. One steps forward, stabs his shardblade into the rock, and then let’s his shard plate fall off as he starts to walk away. The other Radiants follow suit. Men run out of the Keep to get the weapons and armor and start fighting amongst each other. Dalinar runs among the Radiants asking what they are doing and why. The voice he normally hears in his visions tells him “the Night of Sorrows will come and the True Desolation. The Everstorm.” Dalinar demands answers but the voice only tells him to read the book and unite them. When he wakes up, his sons look concerned. Renarin is pale and appears to have had a fit. Adolin tried to convince Dalinar he can still rule if he ignores the visions. Renarin suggests it could be Old Magic from the Nughtwatcher. Dalinar admits he did seek her out, but it was years ago. Adolin asks what Dalinar asked for, but Dalinar keeps his request and curse (forgot his wife) to himself. Dalinar doesn’t think he can because he thinks they are real. They decide to have Navani document so they can research if there is any truth to them or if it is really all just in Dalinar’s head. After Navani scribes the vision, she tells Adolin she bought a basket of a avramelons to take to Danlan. Renarin is out assessing the damage from the storm. Navani tries to take advantage of being alone with Dalinar, but he sends her away because by Alethkar laws, they are siblings (his brother’s widow) and he cannot become a hypocrite while he has been chastising his fellow highprinces for their behaviors. She leaves him. Dalinar asks the Almighty to tell him what to do.
53. Sadea’s bridge teams are running out in front of his forces. Kaladin feels the blood go down his cheek after an arrow grazes it. They get the bridge down and the men are exposed. A young bridgemen, Dunny, takes an arrow from one of Sadeas’ own archers and then one from the Parshendi side as well. Kaladin rushes to help him, but Moash pulls Kaladin out of the way before he is trampled by the army. Kaladin sees a man with an arrow through his leg and he starts to help him. He shouts to his men for supplies and to find other wounded. The men are elect at at first, but Kaladin is determined to help them. They will carry them back on their own bridge. Teft smiles and tells Kaladin to keep his spheres on him for luck when they run. Kaladin points out his spheres are going dull after a few days and thinks there is something wrong with him. Teft reminds him to keep working on the man’s leg. After the others have been helped and one man ends up dying, Kaladin remembers the cut in his cheek. When he reaches up to touch the wound, he cannot find it. He thanks Moash for saving him from being trampled.
54. Dalinar attends the feast, but finds no one is really paying him any attention. Wit comes to sit with him and says he will be leaving for a while. Dalinar thinks this will upset the king beixase he is fond of Wit, but Wit says the Cosmere is more important than the wants of one man. He calls for Adolin and six guards to join him at the King’s island. When they do, Dalinar goes over to talk with Highprince Hatham, Au-nak (Natan), and an ardent. They are discussing war and the reasons and/or excuses behind it. Dalinar asks if any of them had heard of Feverstone keep, but none of them had. They go back to talking about War. When asked about it Dalinar says it doesn’t really matter because people will always find a reason to fight. Hatham asks about Dalinar’s devotary which is the Order of Talenelat. Hatham makes a comment about the order hating religious arguments to absolve him from his lack of interest in the conversation. The Ardent makes a comment about the Natan and insults Au-nak, who storms off. Hatham follows. The Ardent reveals to Dalinar that he was asked to insult Au-nak to make negotiations with him go smoother for Hatham. Dalinar becomes weary that anyone could be trying to manipulate him. With his men in place, Dalinar approaches King Elhokar and Highprince Sadeas to ask for the results of Sadeas’ investigation of the cut leather strap. Sadeas presents his findings that the king’s horse started out with one set of gear, but after inspection, it was changed before the king set out with Dalinar. Of the ten Stormlight gems in the king’s shard plate, eight were found to have broken during the battle. While a few broken ones are normal in battle, 8/10 is suspicious. He doesn’t see anyway Dalinar could be responsible for the attempt in the king’s life. Sadeas walks away to get himself a plate of food. Dalinar follows him and thanks him for not going through with accusing him. Sadeas is exasperated. He had asked for the position to prove Dalinar’s innocence. He knew Dalinar is too righteous and loyal to make an attempt on the king, but Sadeas is disappointed Dalinar thinks no one else is honest. Dalinar asks him to join forces on their next attack. Sadeas’ men can arrive quickly and The strength of Dalinar’s army could help them win shards. Sadeas has plate, but he cannot beat a shardbearer without his own shard blade. Dalinar wants to end the war by winning. Sadeas is intrigued by the idea and tells Dalinar to send him the details later.
55. Kaladin is released they have arrived at the plateau before the Parshendi. Sadea’s men try to break open the chrysalis with a small group protecting them. The bridgemen watch as Dalinar and his army arrive with their engineered bridges pulled by chulls. The men are impressed he doesn’t use bridgemen. Kaladin knows people say Dalinar is like the Lighteyes of old and has a good honest reputation. But so did Amaram. He is surprised when Dalinar, Adolin, and the rest of the army join the fight. It isn’t long before the Parshendi are defeated. Since they are back from bridge duty so quickly, Bridge Four is sent down into the chasms to collect things. They find a the body of a light eyes and his pouch has many spheres. One is an emerald broam. Kaladin decides they will hand in the emerald one and tries to come up with a way to keep the rest for themselves. Maps asks Sigzil to tell them a story. Sigzil explains he does not tell stories; he informs people of other countries and cultures. Kaladin asks him about a city he saw in his dream during the highstorm where people live in gouges in the ground. Sigzil starts to tell them about Sesemalex Dar. Kaladin is surprised to learn it was a real place and wonders about the strange things that have been happening to him. Sigzil mentions that in some places, the noblemen fight with spears and in some places, they detest violence all together. He wishes he could use a bow and arrow as it was considered dignified by his people. Syl leads them to a place where Alethi and Parshendi bodies are. When Kaladin starts to go through the Parshendi’s belongings, Shen gets protective of the bodies. Teft has to hold him back. Kaladin finds a bow and someone else finds a spare string. Kaladin pockets a few arrows. He tells them they will have to store some of the gear so they can use their time to train in the future. As they walk back and come to the furthest out permanent bridge, Kaladin asks if any of them have experience with a bow and arrow. He thinks they can shoot a pouch of spheres to the bottom of the bridge and have Lopen collect them as they pass back from bridge duty. Someone suggests they tie rope to the bridge instead, and Lopen offers to buy rope from a cousin. Kaladin points out it would be too noticeable. As Teft is getting ready to attempt the shot, Rock takes the bow and arrow from him. He cuts a notch into the arrow and toes the bag at round it. He makes the shot and tells Kaladin he will not use this skill to fight. Kaladin says he might ask him to repeat this chore in the future. He is starting to get an idea and tells Lopen to get them the rope.
56. As Dalinar arrives at the battle, he rides out in front of his honor guard to take out the Parshendi with his Shardblade. He starts noticing they fight in pairs: one bearded, one not. He wonders if they are teams of husbands and wives. After a while, he starts to feel nauseous again, but he pushes back the feeling to go in. He sends his horse, Gallant, off to be taken care of and then climbs a rock formation ti get a better view of what is going on. He sees the Parshendi have sent in reinforcements that are attacking around Sadeas’ banner. He calls to his horse and mounts him. They rush to Sadeas killing Parshendi on the way. After Gallant gets a gash in his side, Dalinar sends him away and continues toward Sadeas alone. He sees the other Highprince in the ground with his armor smashed and leaking Stormlight. Dalinar has no time to check in him and fights off dozens of Parshendi. Adolin comes in to assist him and Dalinar is exhausted. Sadeas men help him up and are taking off his shattered armor. Sadeas is thrilled when Adolin tells them they have won the day. Dalinar is relieved. Sadeas asks Dalinar why he fought alone at such a risk. Dalinar explains it is part of the code not to abandon an ally on the battlefield. Sadeas has been cursing the Way of Kings book, but now has become interested in hearing about it and trying to understand Dalinar.
57. Maps dies from an arrow through his lungs on a bridge run. Kaladin is frustrated and helps three other wounded men from other bridges. Lopen gives him the latest bag of spheres and says he dropped the rope down the chasm as instructed. They make their way back to camp and wait in parade rest while the army crossed. The spearmen mock them and throw things at them. Kaladin explains it is because they know they should be better and are ashamed this bridge crew is better than they are. Instead of improving, they jeer start the bridgemen. When they get back to camp, Kaladin let’s the men go for night activities. They salute him and he is surprised. Teft says he taught them his own salute. Kaladin goes to clean up the scrape on Teft’s arm. Teft goes to punch Kaladin. Kaladin jumps back in surprise. Teft smiles as Lopen comes back with the medical kit and tells Kaladin he is glowing. Kaladin looks down at himself and sees Stormlight leaking from his skin in small whisper. Teft says he has unknowingly been feeding off of Stormlight for a while. Kaladin rushes off between two barracks and asks Syl what she did to him. She isn’t sure what is going on. She knows that she binds things. Kaladin thinks back on her jokes if binding things together and realizes she is not a wind spren as he thought. He uses the Stormlight to attach a rock to a wall. There are tiny bind spren around it. She points out spren are attracted to things, not the creators of things. He thinks he is cursed like the Radiants and that is why the people around him die. He thinks it is something she has done to him, and she takes off. Later, as the sun is setting, Kaladin wanders off by himself. He runs into Wit who says Kaladin can call him Hoid. He plays the flute at the fire and tells Kaladin a story about Derethil. He sailed on a ship with the Wandersail through a highstorm to seek the origins of the voidbringers. The ship crashes and Derethil and his men find themselves brought in by the Uvara, the people of the Great Abyss. The place seems very orderly until they see a little girl fall. She is immediately murdered. Derethil asks why and is told by their guide, Nafti, that their emperor will not suffer failure. Derethil goes to the tower to seek out the emperor and finds he died a long time ago. He shows the people the dead body and the city erupts into chaos. Derethil and his men leave and Nafti asks to go with them. As they are sailing away, Derethil asks why the people went crazy. Nafti explains they realized they had not been killing for the emperor since he was dead, but murdering on their own. Kaladin asks for the meaning of the story, but ahold tells him it is to make him reflect. Kaladin questions the people needing someone to take responsibility and Hoid notes that people usually see something in stories that relates to their own lives. He gives Kaladin the flute and expects him to learn to play it before their next meeting. He says his apprentice (Sigzil) is graduated and Kaladin should tell him so. Hoid leaves and Syl appears. She doesn’t like him. She says she is responsible for what is happening to him. She takes something from him and replaces it with something of hers. She can stop, but she will go back to forgetting. Kaladin rushes back to camp. He knows he has always taken too much responsibility for others. If he went back to being a normal man, he would just die like the rest of them. He wouldn’t be able to help anyone. He starts to run with Syl following him. He arrives back at camp as the others are eating their Horneater stew. He finds Teft sitting alone and asks how he know what was going on. Text tells him he grew up in a secret sect that waited for the Radiants to return. He admits he only knows stories and legends. Kaladin says they are going to find out what he can do.
58. Adolin has a cup of yellow wine with Danlan, a few friends and their dates. They are dressed casually in the lighteyed fashion while he wears his uniform. The conversation starts out how Adolin was wrong about Sadeas putting any blame for the attempt on King Elhokar’s life his father. This leads to rumors about Dalinar and Adolin stands up for his father and points out his recent achievements. Danlan asks if Sadeas accusing Dalinar could have started a war and they all agree it could have. Adolin excuses himself to prepare for a duel he has schedule with a brightlord . Danlan says she will meet him there. As he walks through the unorganized outter market, he realizes Dalinar’s men are the only obvious protection the area has. Most people are not worried about a Parshendi raid on the market. Adolin starts to see why his father follows the codes. Dalinar sits with King Elhokar and Sadeas to watch Adolin’s duel. Dalinar tells Sadeas a story from the Way of Kings: King Nohadon has walked a great distance with no money to learn how his people lived. Sadeas thinks it is a bit silly. They watch Adolin easily win his match against Brightlord Resi (he challenged the strongest Shardbearer under Highprince Thanadal’s command for saying something insulting against Dalinar. Dalinar is impressed knowing Adolin dreams of dueling, but remains out of duels that would rank him to abide by the codes that say dueling is to be limited during times of war. Dalinar says he wishes they were at peace so Adolin could duel. Both the King and Sadeas are shocked he brings up abandoning the war again. Their protests prompt Dalinar to think about why he wants to abandon the war. He explains he would rather return to Alethkar and unite the highprinces under Elhokar. Then he would find out why the Parshendi sent the Shin assassin in white to kill King Galivar. He would the. Demand retribution (such as their king). Elhokar and Sadeas are surprised and believe it could be a good idea. Elhokar goes on a rant that makes Dalinar think his paranoia has gotten much worse with the latest attempt on his life. Sadeas brings up that they are killing more Parshendi while they are combining forces, but he is also losing a lot of men waiting for Dalinar to arrive. Sadeas suggests he use some of his bridge crews to get to the battles faster. Dalinar is hesitant because the bridge crews tend to take on a lot of death. Sadeas points out the Parshendi won’t attack the crews he uses because they will arrive late while the battle has already started. With a nudge from Elhokar, Dalinar agrees. Elhokar goes to talk to Adolin.
59. Kaladin is inside the barracks with Teft trying to take in the Stormlight from three clip spheres. He has been trying for a week with no results. They finish sorting the vests looking for damaged ones while the rest of the men are training. Teft says Kaladin is not a Radiant because that involves a way of life of following the lessons written by some king (Way of Kings). When they join the others outside, Bightness Harshal comes with her husband and tells them they will now be in every bridge run and will have chasm duty at night. Kaladin is furious and tells the men to prepare for the change though he knows he will lose men too fast for them to train and escape. Lopen comes over to tell him he breathed in the Stormlight. Kaladin tells Syl to find him a place with Parshendi bodies in the chasm. He has a task for himself while the other men go through spear training. He stays with the other bridgemen for a bit and is impressed with their progress. He knows they can’t fight yet though. He leaves them behind and Syl leads him to a Parshendi body. He uses a knife to cut the armor from its body and has Syl get Lopen for him. When Lopen arrives, he has the things Kaladin requested. Kaladin uses them to attach the armor to a vest and cap and makes a shield out of Parshendi bones. They go to the highest point in the chasms they have found, which is still about 40 feet below the bridge. On the way, a chasm fiend passes nearby, but goes in a different direction. Kaladin thinks about how the First Ideal of the Knoghts Radiant and then inhales the Stormlight. He fuses rocks to the wall with it and uses them to climb up the chasm wall. He gets to the bridge and ties the bag to it and dangles from the rope. He knows he’ll have to cut the rope to keep it from being noticed, but he doesn’t know how to get down. Syl tells him he should drop and he will be fine. Reluctantly, he decides to trust her. He drops and at the last minute uses the last of his Stormlight to land. Lopen points out the results of the armor might not be any different then when he tries the side carry, but Kaladin is confident.
60. Dalinar tells Adolin he will not abdicate, but will sign a secret decree in front of the king that will allow Adolin to remove him from office if his mental state becomes too unstable. Adolin still doesn’t trust Sadeas and doesn’t think he should know about it. Dalinar trusts Sadeas, but agrees to leave him out of it. Navani arrives with a Gabriel on her shoulder. Renarin asks about it and Navani demonstrates it in Adolin’s hand. It doesn’t heal wounds, but not does remove the pain. She thinks it will be practical for surgeons and on the battlefield. Dalinar asks if they have studied anything like Shards, but Navani says they haven’t discovered anything quite like it yet. As they are discussing this, Dalinar is thrown into a vision. King Nohadon (author of Way of Kings) is concerned about the surgebinders. He looks out over Kholinar (Dalinar’s home) and the deaths and destruction of the latest Desolation. He is frustrated with the war against Alakavish and wants peace for his people. When he asks for Karm’s (who Dalinar is seeing from) advice, Dalinar tells him to write a book of how to lead. Nohadon dismisses the idea quickly. He walks away to think and Dalinar tries to talk to the voice he usually hears in the visions, but there isn’t an answer. When he comes to, Navani tells him to repeat the last thing he said in the vision: “To be human is to want that which we cannot have.” Navani grabs one of Jasnah’s books, Corvana’s Analectics, and shows him the gibberish he has been speaking during the dreams is written down there. The last line was from a song. She believes he is speaking in the Dawnchant, a dead language. She explains this is Adolin’s proof that the visions are real and they can translate Dawnchant if she can get enough samples of the language and translation.
61. Adolin leaves to check in the damage caused by the storm. Dalinar tells them he is sure he spoke to Nohadon. He asks Navani about the things he saw, but she is not a historian. She tells them the story of how Parasaphi climbed the peaks of the Dara mountains to find stones touched by the Hearalds. To repopulate her people, she brought the stones to Nadris and harvested his seed to put on the rocks. They hatched 10 children and founded the nation Marnah, which is the origin story for the Makabaki. She believes the Desolations were wars. The Voidbringers trying to force mankind off or Roshar. Dalinar needs time to think alone. Renarin leaves, but Navani stays. She shuts the door and Dalinar goes to open it, but stops. She is tired of being shunned by the world because he husband died. She knows Dalinar still knows who she is and has for a long time. He kisses her. He is afraid they will both be shunned if people find out. Navani points out there isn’t a decree that keeps them apart and she doesn’t care what people think. She is determined to find a way for them to be together. Dalinar loves her but feels guilty over the situation.
62. Hashal increases the quota for what the men of Bridge Four must bring out of the chasm at night, so they lose their training time. After being up all night, they only get three hours of sleep before having to go on a run. Kaladin is wearing a prayer band in his arm. Before the final platue, a soldier tries to take one of their water skins. Kaladin takes it back from him and the rest of the bridge crew comes to back him up. The soldier returns to his post. Kaladin sees Dalinar’s army approaching using Sadeas’ bridge crews instead of his usual mechanical ones. Before they cross the final chasm, Kaladin runs to Lopen who tosses him the bag of armor. He puts it on and runs out in front of the bridge. The majority of Oarshendi arrows are launched at him. He uses Stormlight to run faster and draw the arrows to his shield. All of the bridges are put into place. Teft confirms the Stormlight was not visible during the run. Matal comes over to Kaladin to scold him. Sadeas chooses to cross on their bridge to prompt Matal for the idea. The bridge four crew looks for wounded and find one man with a cut in his arm. As Kaladin is explaining how to clean, see, and bandage the wound, Lopen calls out his name in warning. A group of Parshendi archers have come after them. As they are about to unleash their arrows on them, Salinar comes along and takes them out with his shardblade. He salutes Kaladin before returning to battle. Kaladin decides they will have to pull back further after the bridges are in place from then on. Moash is impressed with the outcome and considers Kaladin’s prayer armband.
63. Leyten shows Jaladin the improvements to the armor he made. Kaladin asks him how an armorer’s apprentice ended up as a bridgeman. He explains when a lighteyes is injured from a failed piece of armor, they have to blame someone. Kaladin says he wants the entire crew to have armor and Leyten asks for help. Kaladin agrees to send it to him. He helps the other men with their formations. He pulls Moash aside to tell him he is the best they have and wants him to be a decoy with him. He warns Moash not to burn himself out. He then sends him to help the others with their stances. Kaladin considers if escaping is still the best plan. Rock points out they will still all die, just a bit slower. He plans to discuss their escape plan further with Sigzil. Teft asks Kaladin to show the men some moves to improve morale. Kaladin admits he can’t because it will cause him to rush them into something they aren’t ready for.
64. Dalinar walks in the gardens with Navani. She tells him how she thought he had lost interest and he admits when Gavilar started courting her, he backed off. He didn’t tell her he avoided her to prevent himself from killing his brother to take the throne and her. He asks what she thought about his wife and she admits they were perfect for each other, but she was still jealous. They both agree they are committed to making their relationship work somehow. The alarm sounds and Dalinar rushes off for the attack on the Tower. Kaladin and his men walk out with all of them in full armor for their bridge run to the Tower (where the side carry failed). The decoys and the men in front have shields as well. The other bridgecrews cheer them on. Adolin is happy to know his father Ian my crazy. He joins Dalinar in full plate and they are approached by Sadeas. He wants to tack together thinking the Parshendi will bring a large number of their armies. If they can kill most of them, they might be able to bring their numbers down enough to end the war. Dalinar agrees, but still worries about the bridgemen. Sadeas says they have a new method that has reduced casualties and Dalinar agrees to his plan to attack together.
65. Dalinar and Sadeas discuss strategy. If they are successful, they will take out an estimated 1/3 of the Parshendi army. Sadeas wants to wait until the bridges are in place, but Dalinar refuses to let the bridgecrews go it alone and insists on going in with them. He wonders why only some bridgemen have armor. As the 40 bridgecrews start their run, more men are falling. Kaladin and the other decoys run out in front and Kaladin seems to take most of the arrrows, but there are still casualties and injuries. Skar got an arrow in the foot and Kaladin orders it be wrapped until he can look at it. Teft got an arrow in his shoulder between plates of armor. He is losing too much blood and Kaladin has to cauterize it. Dalinar fights off the Parshendi and let’s the Thrill course through him. He attacks a group that was slinging large rocks at him. When he goes to cut on down, he sees it how young the guy is. The Thrill leaves him and he starts to get nauseous. His guard comes in and finishes off the rest of the Parshendi around them. Adolin approaches and asks what they are going to do about the reinforcements sent by the Parshendi quickly approaching. Dalinar runs to higher ground and sees Sadeas’ army retreating with all his bridge crews
66. Kaladin finishes properly taking car of Skar’s foot and then turns to check on the battle. He is shocked to see Sadeas’ men retreating and the bridgecrews being told to get ready to run. Kaladin runs over to Sadeas as he is crossing over the bridge and sees that he is not injured and doesn’t have any reason to retreat. He can distinctly hear him saying he tried to warn Dalinar that his honor would get him killed one day. Kaladin is enraged. Dalinar knows he has been betrayed and the men are losing hope. He retreats behind the front lines a bit to catch his breath. He tells Adolin he was right about Sadeas. Adolin says he only blames Sadeas for his betrayal and would not want his father to have fallen to the low ways of the other highprinces. Dalinar speaks inspiration into his men and charges back into battle with his shardblade and son. He regrets having to leave Renarin to become a Highprince without even shardplate.
67. Kaladin tells his men not to place their bridge across the chasm. As they wait to cross, he comes up with a plan. He tells Matal to go without them because they will only slow him down. Matal leaves them behind figuring the Parshendi will probably end up killing them. Kaladin explains to their men this is their chance to escape. He starts thinking of how to help the wounded men back at camp. Syl forms next to him life sized. He is shocked she can make herself so large. She is in dismay about Dalinar and his army. Kaladin tries to convince himself it is my worth giving up his men’s life to save a man that probably isn’t what he appears to be. He remembers Dalinar saving his crew before. He tells for his crew to charge and they all willingly follow. Dalinar and Adolin fight back-to-back at the front line and are tiring. They know this is the end and keep fighting as the Stormlight leaves their armor making it heavy. Suddenly, Dalinar sees bridge four running into place. They have a slight hope and he rearranged the men to punch through the Parshendi and head for the bridge. Kaladin runs out in front of his crew dodging arrows. He notices Parshendi gathering on the plateau next to them and tells the men to side carry the bridge to defend themselves. Another volley of arrows comes from the tower. Kaladin uses all of his remaining Stormlight to catch the arrows with his shield in a flash of Stormlight that throws him back. The Parshendi that see this run away. Kaladin is pulled to the side with the other injured. Moesh leads the bridgecrews back to placing the bridge for Dalinar’s retreat. Kaladin asks Syl if she can do anything to help him, but she can’t. Kaladin remembers the day Tien died. It was only four months in and the messenger boys were reassigned to form a squad of spearmen. Kaladin was determined to find him and told everyone it was his orders. He gets near him and ends up getting a spear through his leg and puts his own spear through an enemy’s neck. He finally finds Tien in the front middle of the line and calls to him. Tien turns and smiles as he sees Kaladin and then he is dead. Kaladin gets to him and is numb. The squad leader says he has to find other uses for men that are sent to him that don’t know how to fight. Tien and two other boys were meant to slow down the enemy’s assault. Kaladin holds his dead brother king after it gets cold. Kaladin comes too and sees the bridge still isn’t all the way across the chasm. Syl asks if he remembers the Words. He grabs a spear and runs for the bridge. He launches himself across the rest of the chasm where the Parshendi are approaching. He notices the gems in the beards and breathes in the Stormlight from them. He says the Second Iseal of the Knights Radiant, “I will protect those who cannot protect themselves.” There is a crack through the air and the bridgemen see the Parshendi fly back. Moash says something has changed. They watch Kaladin fight in a fury.
68. Dalinar and Adolin continue the charge down the hill towards freedom. The rest of Bridge Four is stunned by Kaladin’s steaming Stormlight as well as his skill. None of them had ever seen anything like it. Teft gives the order for them to help Kaladin and for Lopen and Rock to help the wounded. Dalinar keeps fighting the Parshendi and is then approached by a Parshendi shardbearer. He realizes they weren’t going to risk him unless it looked like they might escape with their own shards. Dalinar is able to get up on a cliff and knock boulders down on the Parshendi, but his armor is weakened and heavy. When he drops down the ground. He knows he will have to make his final stand there surrounded by the other Parshendi watching. The soldiers start to reach Kaladin just as he starts to run low on Stormlight. The Parshendi realizes what was happening and started sending men who disnmt have the gems in their beards. Kaladin realizes the Parshendi seem to be more honorable than most Alethi men he has met. He gives orders to his men and has Moash come with him. He has trouble finding an officer. He promotes the first man that answers him and tells him to start leading the men across the bridge. Kaladin finds the Cobalt guard next and they refuse to leave Adolin. Kaladin gets Adolin out of fighting and tells him his men need him to lead them out of there. Adolin is reluctant to leave his father, but Kaladin says he will go after him. Adolin sends the Cobalt guard with Kaladin who sends Moash with Adolin. Kaladin races through the Parshendi to get to where Dalinar is fighting. Dalinar is in a daze on the ground. He hears the Parshendi shardbearer say in the Alethi language that he has found him at last. He then sees Kaladin arrive glowing with Stormlight. He sees the crack in the Parshendi’s shardplate and jams the tip of his spear in it twice. He expelles enough Stormlight to make the Parshendi back off and start saying “Neshua Kadal.” Kaladin uses the opportunity to get Gallant to Dalinar. Kaladin orders him to get on his horse. Dalinar tries to argue he could keep fighting, but Kaladin points out his men won’t leave without him and Kaladin’s men won’t leave without them. Dalinar agrees and rides his horse to the bridge. Once all the Alethi men are across, Dalinar looks back over and the Parshendi shardbearer salutes him with his shardblade. Dalinar returns the guesture. He knows they will not be followed and starts triage. He sees Kaladin expertly stitching up his own men. Dalinar asks why Sadeas sent them back for him. Kaladin admits they came back on their own. They planned to run away, but decided to help Dalinar instead. Now they are too wounded to run. Dalinar offers to bring them back to his own camp. Kaladin doesn’t think that will help considering Sadeas’ betray. Dalinar doesn’t have the resources to start a war with Sadeas so taking the bridgemen into his own camp would be stealing. Dalinar gives him his word he will work something out with Sadeas, but he knows he cannot ever trust the other highprince.
69. Navani sees Sadeas’ troops returning and has a bad feeling when she sees it doesn’t look like they had even been in battle. She arrives at Sadeas’ camp just before Renarin. Sadeas tells them the Larshendi came with extra men and overtook them. They escaped, but we’re unable to help Dalinar, who he says he saw his shardplate ripped to pieces. Navani drops to the ground and paints a prayer for justice and lights it on fire. A messenger comes and tells Sadeas something and he becomes angry. Dalinar borrows his son’s gauntlet. It will take a while for his own armor to heal and the gauntlet he left behind to grow back. He will have to keep his armor charged with Stormlight to prevent the Parshendi from trying to grow an entire suit from what he left behind. He sends his highest ranking officer ahead to his camp to prepare the rest of his soldiers. He arrives with what is left of his army at Sadeas’ camp and publicly embraces Navani. He walked up to Sadeas and asks why he betrayed him. Sadeas thinks talk of the codes ruined Galivar and Dalinar and will also ruin Elhokar. He is certain he can master Dalinar’s strategy with his own army. Dalinar offers payment for the bridgecrew that saved him. Sadeas refuses to sell them. Dalinar pulls out his shardblade and offers it to Sadeas for all his bridgemen. Sadeas accepts and Dalinar sends Kaladin to collect their things and the rest of the men. He promises they will be free and safe in his camp. Kaladin is shocked. Dalinar explains reading one priceless sword for hundreds of priceless lives was worth it. Dalinar walks right into Elhokar’s camp and approaches him alone. He kicks him in the chest and takes him down to the ground. Elhokar screams for the guards, but no one comes to his rescue. He points out he could kill him and could have at any point. He orders the king to name him Highprince of War so he can unite the highprinces under Elhokar. Dalinar’s plan is to have assigned plateau runs and all the gemhearts go to the king with spoils determined by Elhokar. He also tells the king that he is courting his mother and he will have to get used to the idea.
PART FIVE
70. Shallan sits in the hospital wondering how Jasnah avoided being poisoned. She sketches Jasnah eating the bread but realizes it is the wrong form. She leaves the hospital in her robe and goes to the Enclave. Jasnah is in her alcove and Shallan confronts her. She tells her she knows her Soulcaster fabrial is a fake and Jasnah does what she does on her own. She figures out that Jasnah changed the jam but that got rid of the antidote, not the poison. Before she ate the bit of bread, she changed it into something else and that got rid of the poison. Jasnah tries to deny it. Shallan calls out to the symbol headed figures and asks them to take her back to the place. They say she needs to tell her a truth about herself. She says she killed her father and they are transported. Jasnah gets them back to the Alcove and she calls Shallan an idiot for taking them to Shadesmar with only one barely lit sphere. Shallan begs to be a part of what Jasnah is studying. She promises not to lie or steal ever again, but admits she will probably mess up again. Jasnah hands her a book and tells her she will need to read about the Voidbringers.
Szeth arrices in Kharbranth for the last name on his list: Taravangian. He sneaks into the palace through a servants’ bathroom and uses Stormlight and his shardblade to get himself a floor lower to the lighteyes bathroom. He changes his clothes and then goes to where Taravangian is supposed to be. He knocks out the two guards at the door and enters. He tells Taravangian all the others are dead, but the king does not acknowledge it. Since his instructions are to make sure he understands, tries to get the king’s attention. Taravangian turns around and reveals Szeth’s Oathstone. He was the one behind the orders for murder. Szeth asks why and the king replies he must knock down the current structure to build back better. He takes Szeth into a secret room where people are slowly having their blood drained to kill them. Some of them speak before they die and Taravangian thinks the words are significant to saving them. He admits he is a monster, but he is doing it to save the world. He tells Szeth he has added another name to his list: Dalinar Kohlin.
71. Shallan asks if Jasnah soulcasted her blood. She admits she had to several times to get rid of the poison. Since blood is one of the essences, she already knew how to do this. She asks about the symbol headed figures and Jasnah explains they are a type of spren that is related to their soul casting as the knights Radiants were also tied to spren. Jasnah is looking for logical and scientifically answers to the legends. Shallan reads some of Jasnah’s notes on the Voisbringers and realizes they are the Parshendi.
72. Kaladin feels guilt over having killed so many Parshendi and going after their shardbearer at his injured point to save Dalinar. He doesn’t my know if the ends justify the means. He meets with Dalinar. The Highprince wants Kaladin to train the bridgemen to be soldiers to help replenish his own army and for Bridge Four to become the personal guard for himself and his family. Kaladin thinks it over. He requires other lighteyes do not have the ability to give him commands because it could jeapirdize Dalinar’s safety. He also asks the bridgmen are given duties around the camps for at least a year. He says he will talk to his men about it, but he is pretty sure they will agree. He gets to their new barracks and finds them empty. They are behind the building around a fire eating the stew Rock had cooked. They want to know more about Kaladin’s abilities and if they can learn to do it too. He admits he isn’t sure about any of it and thinks it could be bad if it is related to the Voidbringers or Knights Radiants. The men don’t care if it will help them survive. Sigzil plans to design tests to measure his abilities. They all relax together and welcome members from other bridgecrews to join them.
73. Jasnah explains what the histories suggest. The Parshman would have periods of peace, but then something would set the off on a rampage. No one knows why. She points out how ingrained Parshman have become in their entire society. If they all went off at once, it would destroy their civilization. Shallan finally understands the impact of what Jasnah has been looking for. Jasnah says they will head to the shattered plains to see if anyone can tell them if the Parshendi were previously Parshman and if so what made them change. There are others after the information and that is why Kabsal tries to kill Jasnah. Jasnah shows Shallan the mark Kabsal had inside on his arm. Shallan recognizes it as the same symbol Nan Balat had shown her. She thinks her dad might have been part of that organization.
74. A highstorm comes and Dalinar slips into another vision. He is surprised to see the vision is familiar. He is in Kholinar and there is a wall of ash coming towards him and the city. A golden figure tells him he must “unite them.” Dalinar asks why he lied to him about trusting Sadeas, but the answers he get don’t seem to match. He realizes the words at the same as before. The person showing him these visions Isn’t really there, but left a sort of recording. The wall of ash approaches and destroys everything in its path. The other visions were what he has seen directly but this one is his fear. The golden figure tells Dalinar that “he” will wait until men have started fighting each other and will use that as an opportunity to destroy them. They need to bring back the Knights Radiant to defeat him. He says “he” is bound to some rules and making him select a champion might do well for them, but he isn’t sure how things will go without the dawnshards. He reveals that he was the Almighty, but he is dead now, killed by Odium.
EPILOGUE
Wit sits at the gate at Kholinar and chats with the night guards. He asks them what is valued most in men. They give their answers (intellect, artistry, and invention) but Wit points out of if one idea is thought of individually twice, only the first will get the credit. Suddenly, there are loud thumps on the doors. A shardblade slices between them and cuts the bar holding them shut. A man with matted hair and beard drags his shardblade in and tells them he is Talenel’Elin, Stonesinew, Herald of the Almighty. He says the Desolation has come and he has failed. Wit says they value timeliness and he thinks this man might be too late.