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Kalak, one of the ten [[Herald]]s, wanders through a torn landscape littered with dead humans, [[thunderclast]]s, and other beasts. He is traveling to the Heralds' preordained meeting place (a rocky spire) for those who survived the [[Desolation]].
Upon arrival, he finds only their leader, [[Jezrien]], waiting for him. At first, Kalak assumes that the other eight must have died, for the battle was "furious". However, he notices
Kalak
Finally, both Jezrien and Kalak summon their Blades and slam them into the ground along with the other seven. They depart following opposite directions along the barren landscape, vowing to go their own ways and
*[[bws: annotation-the-way-of-kings-prelude/|Prelude Annotation]]
The woman decides that Kaladin and his companions are to be made members of the bridge crews. Kaladin and his new immediate superior, [[Gaz]], take an instant dislike to each other, and as a result, Kaladin is placed in one of the worst locations on the bridge when they are called on a bridge run, without the benefit of shoes or vest for protection.
After several hours of agony carrying the bridge, they arrive at the chasm where the enemy Parshendi are waiting on the other side. They take
He wakes up hours later when the windspren who's been following him shocks him with some sort of energy. Kaladin realizes that if he doesn't hurry, he will be left behind. The spren tells him that her name is Sylphrena, or [[Syl]].
Kal (his nickname as a boy) helps his father, [[Lirin]], treat a young woman, [[Sani]]. He reflects over the course of the surgery on how his family is treated so differently because of his father's career.
When they finish amputating Sani's middle finger, Lirin asks Kaladin why he was late to arrive, and Kaladin replies that he was with a boy named [[Jam (Hearthstone)|Jam]] learning to use a quarterstaff. This sparks a debate between Kaladin and Lirin about the relative merits of being a soldier or a surgeon. Lirin meets Kaladin's claim that it's possible to save lives by killing others with the assertion that doing so is like "trying to stop a storm by blowing harder." Eventually, Kaladin simply stops arguing and goes back to cleaning up the room.
Lirin quizzes him on various things a surgeon should know, then tells him that he plans to send him to Kharbranth to train under the surgeons there if he can find a way to do so. Lirin also tells him that he's incredibly gifted when it comes to surgery, and he shouldn't waste himself on soldiering.
Later, Kaladin, Rock, and Teft sneak into the wagonyard to retrieve the knobweed. Relieved that it's still there and not too dried out, they head to the where Syl found chipped, discarded liquor bottles to use for the knobweed sap. They then head to the Honor Chasm to squeeze the sap into the bottles.
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 his Shardplate. 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.
{{Anchor|Chapter 24}}
;Kaladin
The Parshendi have seen the approach of Bridge Four and prepare to
;Kaladin (flashback)
;Kaladin
Kaladin and Bridge Four fight to hold their bridgehead for what seems like hours to Kaladin. During this time Kaladin finds himself gaining respect for the Parshendi's battlefield ethics. He seems to find in the Parshendi what he had hoped to find in the warcamps of Alethi. The Kholin army finally breaks through the Parshendi lines and takes control of the bridge, defending both sides of the chasm. Kaladin stops to take a report from his men only to find that [[Malop]], [[Earless Jaks]], and [[Narm]] are dead. He orders his men back across the bridge to the staging chasm. With Moash, Kaladin looks to the lead of the retreat. Unable to find a suitable officer, Kaladin promotes a very young lighteyed soldier and gets him to
;Dalinar
;Navani
At Sadeas's staging area Navani forces her way through the crowd after hearing rumors that Sadeas came back from battle without Dalinar. Renarin follows her. Sadeas tells Navani that the Parshendi overwhelmed Dalinar's forces,
;Dalinar
Dalinar rides at the head of his remaining force. Seething with anger, he contemplates his confrontation with Sadeas. He knows he must first protect Alethkar despite his desire for revenge. As his force approach the warcamp, Dalinar dismisses his wounded to his camp and offers to send Kaladin's bridgemen with them
;Kaladin
;Dalinar
Dalinar finds Elhokar in the sitting room of the palace wearing his Shardplate. Dalinar initiates a quick brawl in which he kicks Elhokar several times, cracking his Shardplate and repeatedly keeping him from summoning his blade. 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
== Part Five: The Silence Above ==
Kaladin waits at Dalinar's warcamp's staging ground as requested by Dalinar himself. As he waits he wonders with Syl whether he can trust Dalinar. Syl seems to feel that Dalinar is indeed honorable. Kaladin feels conflicted about his actions that day. He wonders again whether he could truly protect by killing and whether the three lives lost from his bridge crew were worth the thousands of soldiers and lighteyes that they saved.
As the middle moon finishes rising, Dalinar joins Kaladin on the staging ground. They discuss the condition of the bridge crews and how many Kaladin
Kaladin returns to Bridge Four's barrack to find his men engaged in their nightly tradition of eating Rock's stew. They talk to him about his extraordinary abilities and they want him to teach them how to do it too. Kaladin is unsure if its teachable but agrees to try. They decide to create experiments to test his abilities, and Kaladin demands an oath of silence about his abilities. He then relaxes knowing that he has finally succeeded in saving someone.
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