Summary:Oathbringer/Chapter 11
| Chapter 11: The Rift | |
|---|---|
| |
| Oathbringer Summary | |
| Follows | Chapter 10: Distractions |
| Precedes | Chapter 12: Negotiations |
| Analytics | |
| Viewpoint | Dalinar Kholin |
| Word Count | 5561 |
Plot Summary
Thirty-three years ago
Dalinar impatiently awaits for the battle to begin, wearing his new shardplate. Gavilar and Sadeas are with him. Their efforts at quelling the other princedoms has only resulted in most of them uniting against Gavilar's rule. Sadeas discusses a political marriage with Dalinar, but he is not interested. The only woman he loves (Navani) is already married, with a daughter. The fog finally rises from the city, and they discuss the lord of the city, Tanalan, who has a shardblade, but not plate. Gavilar gallops off and Dalinar eagerly follows, determined to win the blade. They are pelted with arrows, rocks and netting, but they quickly reach the fortifications, wreaking havoc on the defending soldiers. When Dalinar jumps back down to destroy the catapults he misjudges his plate's weight and falls down, bending his hammer's handle. He then vows to never make a greenvine mistake like this again. After getting a new hammer from Sadeas he continues his barrage, causing the soldiers to flee. He glories in his power and the Thrill. The catapults neutralized, the army moves through the city gates. Dalinar looks down at the city and feels that something is wrong. Suddenly, the entire precipice collapses and falls into the Rift. Dalinar crashes through many layers of buildings. His shardplate is damaged, but he survives, unlike the elites that fell with him. Next comes a hail of arrows at him. He runs across a bridge as two soldiers attempt to collapse it, which would send Dalinar another hundred feet down. He is saved by Teleb, who shoots the soldiers. He meets Tanalan, who questions why he should submit to the "king." Dalinar's reasoning is that the strongest military commander should win the throne, and attacks. He manages to get within the reach of his blade and wounds Tanalan. More archers shoot at Dalinar, but he collapses the platform, mortally wounding the brightlord. When the guards carry him away, Dalinar finds he has more wounds from his duel with Tanalan, but the Thrill pushes him along, driving away pain. He sees Tanalan taken through a secret door in the rock and follows. He finds him lying in his blood, a beautiful woman at his side, crying. Their son, only a small boy, challenges Dalinar with his father's shardblade.
Hours later, Dalinar rests with his new shardblade, Oathbringer, sipping wine to help with the pain and shame he feels. Gavilar sits down beside him and wonders what the consequences of the day will be. The remaining people will rebel because Dalinar had killed their highlord and heir. Dalinar suggests he makes soldiers out of them. Gavilar knows they need to act differently, to have an actual functioning government rather than destroying and pillaging for control. Dalinar leans back to rest and remembers the sound of a brave boy crying.
Characters
- mentioned only
Setting
- Thirty-three years ago 1141
A battle at Rathalas.
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