Difference between revisions of "Summary:The Way of Kings"

While working, they talk. Teft asks Kaladin why he tries to lead the bridgecrew. Kaladin says that the responsibilities of the bridgeleader are his to decide. Kaladin asks Rock how he came to be a bridgeman. Rock tells him that his leader, or nuatoma, dueled Highprince Sadeas to try to win shardplateShardplate. When he lost, Rock, his cousin and servant, was bound to Sadeas. He was a cook, until he snuck chull dung into Sadeas's food, which caused his fall to bridgeman status. Teft asks Kaladin for his story explaining why he is a bridgeman. Kaladin says that he killed a man, though it wasn't murder and he was thanked by someone important. He cryptically says that he is a bridgeman because a lighteyes did not take it well when he turned down a gift.

Dalinar wins the battle and Adolin takes the gemheart. Dalinar is looking eastward, toward the [[Origin]], when he notices a group of Parshendi on a nearby plateau. Among them is a [[Eshonai|large Parshendi wearing a Shardplate]]. Dalinar wonders why the Shardbearer hadn't participated in the battle. The group flees toward their base at the center of the Plains.

Kaladin rides the highstorm as he sweeps across Roshar. In the dream Kaladin views many places and people, a large portion of which he had never seen or heard of before. Blowing southwest and then westward, Kaladin sees flashes of lights, almost appearing to be physical things he could touch. Approaching them he sees that they came from a building amidst a city built of a triangular pattern. He bursts in there and sees a man with large Shin eyes, a shardbladeShardblade, wearing white (Szeth - the Assassin in White), just after he has committed an assassination. It feels to Kaladin as though the assassin could see him. Nearing the western ocean, Kaladin separates from the storm after hearing a booming voice that shakes the stormwall. This voice calls Kaladin a child of [[Tanavast]] and of [[Honor]] and warns him that [[Odium]] comes. Kaladin asks why there is so much war, and voice responds, "Odium reigns." Kaladin then awakes inside his barracks, held down by dark figures. He instinctively starts to fight them off before realizing they are his bridge mates. They had to hold him down to stop him from running out into the highstorm while dreaming. They all go out to bathe in the riddens, and Kaladin decides to accept a shave from Rock. Rock reveals that Sigzil is a [[Worldsinger]]. Bridge Four is assigned a new crew member, a Parshman who can't bother to give them his name, so they call him [[Shen]].

Kaladin is waiting in one of Amaram's waiting rooms. Only four of his twenty-six men survived -- he had actually begun to believe those who called him lucky. Numb, he thinks how he can now be considered among those who have killed a Shardbearer like [[Lanacin]] the Surefooted, or [[Evod Markmaker]], but he just doesn't care. Refusing the Shards was probably the stupidest thing anyone has ever done, but the thought of taking them revolts him. Amaram enters the room along with a [[Stormwarden]]. They are discussing the identity and motives of the Shardbearershardbearer. The rest of the squad enters along with some lighteyed officers. Amaram asks Kaladin why he charged the Shardbearer and why he rejected the Shards. Kaladin doesn't want to reveal his disdain of lighteyes, and becoming one of them, so he replies that he doesn't know why. Amaram makes a signal, then his soldiers slaughter the four spearmen while Kaladin is held back by guards, shrieking in anger and agony at seeing his men murdered. Amaram looks guilty, but he justifies his actions by saying that he is trained in the sword and that Kaladin would demand the Shards back in a few days anyway. Since Kaladin saved his life, he will spare his. He will promulgate the story that he (Amaram) killed the Shardbearer and that Kaladin fled the scene, the rest of the squad killed by the Shardbearer. The Stormwarden brands Kaladin a slave.

Dalinar finds Elhokar in the sitting room of the palace wearing his Shardplate. Dalinar initiates a quick brawl in which he easily subdueskicks Elhokar byseveral breakingtimes, thecracking breastplatehis ofShardplate and repeatedly keeping him from summoning his Shardplateblade. Dalinar ends the "fight" by breaking Elhokar's breastplate, subduing him. He then demands to know if Elhokar himself cut the girth on his own saddle in an attempt to get Dalinar to take him more seriously. Reluctantly, Elhokar admits to cutting the girth. An exasperated Dalinar then explains the consequences of this -- including Sadeas's betrayal. Additionally, Dalinar demonstrates how easily he could kill Elhokar, stating that he could have done it a hundred times over and that he is not Elhokar's enemy. Releasing his nephew, he tells Elhokar that tomorrow he will appoint Dalinar as Highprince of War. Determined to finally see the war won and Alethkar united, he decides to stop trying to be Nohadon the peacemaker and return to being the Blackthorn the warlord. Elhokar is reluctant, fearing rebellion from the various highprinces, but Dalinar turns to leave, confident that he will make the appointment and content knowing the challenges that are before him. Just before exiting, he also informs Elhokar about the courtship between himself and Navani.