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This page contains a chapter by chapter summary of '''''[[The Way of Kings]].''''' We hope this summary will make it easier to find specific areas of the book, as well as providing a quick plot refresher for anyone who doesn't want to take the time to reread the entire book
<div style="float:right; padding-left:1em">__TOC__</div>
== Prelude to the Stormlight Archive ==
{{/icon|shield}}
'''
[[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
Kalak shows horror and disgust that both Jezrien and himself have been broken by the cycle of Desolations and that they are too weak to face their suffering. They plan to lie and tell the people that they finally won against the "enemy", saying it might even turn out to be true. Their abandonment of mankind is somewhat diluted by the fact that Ishar, another Herald, believes that "...so long as there is one of us still bound to the Oathpact (Talenel), it may be enough. There is a chance we might end the cycle of Desolations." Jezrien points out that mankind also has the [[Knights Radiant|Radiants]].
Finally, both Jezrien and Kalak summon their Blades and slam them into the ground, along with the other seven. They depart
*[[bws: annotation-the-way-of-kings-prelude/|Prelude Annotation]]
{{/icon|Szeth}}
{{epigraph|The love of men is a frigid thing, a mountain stream only three steps from the ice. We are his. Oh Stormfather...we are his. It is but a thousand days, and the Everstorm comes.}}
When he reaches the area just outside the King's quarters, Szeth uses his abilities as a [[Surgebinder]] to fight his way past the guards. As he reaches the king's quarters, he is confronted by a [[Shardbearer]] as the King flees.
Szeth fights his way past the Shardbearer
Gavilar then gives Szeth a strange [[black sphere]] and tells him, "You must take this. They must not get it." He then instructs Szeth to tell Gavilar's brother [[Dalinar]] that he must "find the most important words a man can say."
*[[bws: annotation-the-way-of-kings-prologue/|Prologue Annotation]]
{{/icon|Kaladin}}
{{epigraph|You've killed me. Bastards, you've killed me! While the sun is still hot, I die!}}
'''Cenn'''
[[Cenn]], a new recruit in Brightlord [[Meridas Amaram]]'s army, is terrified. He is about to face his first battle and has no real idea of what to expect. Cenn is pulled into a new squad, that of [[Kaladin|Kaladin Stormblessed]], at the last minute for reasons he doesn't understand.
[[Dallet]], a sergeant, picks Cenn up and returns him to the squad. They are soon joined by Kaladin, who asks Dallet to take care of Cenn during the battle as he won't know the group's signals. They then fall to discussing tactics.
The opposing force arrives and the battle begins. Kaladin's squad does not lose a single man. At one point, Kaladin singlehandedly fights off six enemy spearmen to save Cenn. When an enemy [[Brightlord]] appears, Kaladin and his squad attempt to defeat him. They are hindered, however, by the arrival of an enemy [[Helaran Davar|Shardbearer]]. Cenn
*[[bws: annotation-the-way-of-kings-chapter-1/|Chapter 1 Annotation]]
{{/icon|Kaladin}}
{{epigraph|Ten orders. We were loved, once. Why have you forsaken us, Almighty! Shard of my soul, where have you gone?}}
Kaladin is now a slave in a caravan, waiting to be sold
When approached by another slave about escaping, Kaladin gruffly tells him that he has no plans to escape because it will never work. A second slave approaches Kaladin and asks how he came to be a slave. When Kaladin doesn't respond, the other men tell their stories. It eventually comes out that Kaladin killed a man, but the one he did not kill is the reason he's a slave.
Kaladin idly toys with a leaf of [[blackbane]], contemplating using it to poison [[Tvlakv]], his slave trader. A [[windspren]] in the form of a slender young woman
Kaladin sees Tvlakv going to inspect a sick slave. Kaladin tells him that the man has the grinding coughs and will survive if given extra water. Tvlakv removes the man from the rest of the slaves, and Kaladin thinks he is going to give him water. Instead, [[Bluth]] brutally murders the man. Kaladin is upset over his failure to save him.
{{epigraph|A man stood on a cliffside and watched his homeland fall into dust. The waters surged beneath, so far beneath. And he heard a child crying. They were his own tears.}}
[[Shallan Davar]] has just arrived in [[Kharbranth]], the City of Bells. She experiences a culture-shock
After a short conversation with Captain [[Tozbek]] of the [[Wind's Pleasure]], the boat she
Shallan and one of Captain Tozbek's sailors, [[Yalb]], make the trip up to the palace so Shallan can speak to Jasnah. When they arrive, she asks Yalb to wait for her outside the palace. It is revealed that Shallan had requested to be Jasnah's ward, and that Jasnah told her to meet her in [[Dumadari]]. Shallan has been chasing her from city to city ever since.
Shallan is very nervous
The chapter ends with Shallan turning a corner and seeing Jasnah.
{{epigraph|I'm dying, aren't I? Healer, why do you take my blood? Who is that beside you, with his head of lines? I can see a distant sun, dark and cold, shining in a black sky.}}
Kaladin is sitting in the slave wagon, waiting for the caravan to stop for lunch
In the conversation that follows, Tvlakv says that he is only comfortable with the idea of Kaladin escaping because he knows that he wants revenge on Brightlord [[Amaram]] more than he does on Tvlakv. Kaladin realizes that if Tvlakv knows about Amaram, then he also knows that Kaladin isn't actually a deserter,
A short time later, the windspren comes back. She had apparently left during the recent highstorm, but now tells Kaladin that there is a large group of people not far away. A few minutes later, Kaladin realizes that it's an Alethi war camp, and that their destination is the [[Shattered Plains]].
{{epigraph|I have seen the end, and have heard it named. The Night of Sorrows, the True Desolation. The Everstorm.}}
As Shallan meets Jasnah Kholin for the first time, she admires Jasnah as the ideal beauty – tall, Alethi tan skin, long dark hair. She is talking to a man who Shallan later identifies as [[Taravangian|King Taravangian]] of Kharbranth.
{{epigraph|I'm cold. Mother, I'm cold. Mother? Why can I still hear the rain? Will it stop?}}
Kaladin and the rest of the slave caravan have arrived at the Shattered Plains, specifically at the warcamp of [[Highprince]] [[Torol Sadeas|Sadeas]]. They are taken to a woman who is to decide whether she can use any of the slaves or not. When Kaladin tries to convince her to let him fight, Tvlakv tells her that Kaladin is a deserter, dashing his hopes.
{{epigraph|They are aflame. They burn. They bring the darkness when they come, and so all you can see is that their skin is aflame. Burn, burn, burn...}}
Shallan is en route to the Palanaeum, hoping to convince Jasnah that she is worthy to be her ward. She believes that it is critical that she find a way to do so, as without her father, her family can no longer Soulcast its way into wealth or manipulate others into doing as they want.
She is allowed to wait for Jasnah in her reading alcove, though she is denied access to the Palanaeum itself. While she waits, she sketches several Memories from the past few hours, then writes a letter to Jasnah containing arguments for her reconsideration. She is interrupted by an [[ardent]] introducing himself as [[Kabsal]]. He asks to wait for Jasnah with Shallan and praises her sketches highly.
Kabsal tells Shallan that he is trying to convert Jasnah, an avowed
*[[bws: annotation-the-way-of-kings-chapter-7/|Chapter 7 Annotation]]
{{epigraph|Victory! We stand atop the mount! We scatter them before us! Their homes become our dens, their lands are now our farms! And they shall burn, as we once did, in a place that is hollow and forlorn.}}
Jasnah scolds Shallan, telling her that she had already made her decision. Shallan is embarrassed that she disturbed Jasnah again and leaves. After only a few moments, however, Jasnah calls her back and apologizes to her and gives her Shallan's money pouch that she had left behind.
{{epigraph|Ten people, with Shardblades alight, standing before a wall of black and white and red.}}
Kaladin has now been a member of the bridge crews for somewhere between two to four weeks. Of the twenty five who survived his first bridge run, only one other man is still alive.
=== Chapter 10: Stories of Surgeons ===
{{/icon|Kaladin}}
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.
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.
*[[bws: annotation-the-way-of-kings-chapter-10/|Chapter 10 Annotation]]
{{anchor|Chapter 11}}
{{epigraph|Three of sixteen ruled, but now the Broken One reigns.}}
Kaladin is outside just after a [[highstorm]], going to the [[Honor Chasm]] to commit suicide. Gaz stops him, accusing him of trying to steal spheres left out in the Highstorm from others, but Kaladin simply ignores him and goes.
Kaladin then goes inside the barracks and begins asking the other bridgemen's names, noticing for the first time how pathetic they all are.
*[[bws: annotation-the-way-of-kings-chapter-11/|Chapter 11 Annotation]]
== Interludes ==
=== Interlude I-1: Ishikk ===
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[[Ishikk]], a fisherman in the [[Purelake]], is just returning home after a long day of fishing. After pausing to talk to [[Thaspic]] he meets with [[Maib]], a local woman who has been attempting to get him to marry her for years by trying to keep him in her debt, mostly by giving him food. Ishikk tries to counterbalance her efforts by bringing her fish that cure her aches in her joints.
Following a brief conversation with Maib, Ishikk goes to meet with a group of foreigners. They ask him about whether he has any new information for them, and Ishikk tells them that he has been to many villages in the area and none of them know anything about the man the foreigners are looking for, revealed to be [[Hoid]]. The foreigners (
{{Anchor|Interlude 2}}
=== Interlude I-2: Nan Balat ===
{{/icon|shield}}
[[Balat Davar]], Shallan's brother, is torturing various small animals in the gardens of their family's estate. He reflects on how Shallan is doing most of the work to save their family and tries to convince himself that he isn't a coward for remaining at home to manage the estate. He admits to some resentment of Shallan because of all of their siblings, she was the only one their father never truly got angry at, but is shortly interrupted in his thoughts by [[Wikim Davar|Wikim]], another brother, coming to find him with the announcement that they have a big problem.
=== Interlude I-3: The Glory of Ignorance ===
{{/icon|Szeth}}
▲;Szeth
Szeth is now serving a man named Took, who uses him to gain the admiration of mine workers (and free drinks) in the small towns they pass through. As a demonstration of Szeth's total obedience, he has him do various things, such as jump up and down and cut his own arm. When he orders Szeth to kill himself, Szeth informs him that he cannot be ordered to kill himself, and returns to his own thoughts. The others are shocked at how refined his speech is and are slightly discomfited, associating him with the lighteyes. Szeth reflects that his speech and mannerisms may well be part of the reason that his masters never keep him for long, since his masters know that he is capable of so much more than they are using him for, and that in many ways, he is much more refined and intelligent than they are. Szeth revels in his common labor, though, as it means that he is not being used to spill more blood.
{{Epigraph|Old friend, I hope this missive finds you well. Though, as you are now essentially immortal, I would guess that wellness on your part is something of a given.}}
[[Adolin Kholin|Adolin]] is on a [[chasmfiend]] hunt with [[Dalinar]], [[Renarin]], [[Elhokar]], and [[Torol Sadeas|Sadeas]]. He is troubled by Dalinar's increasingly strange behavior, especially his fits during the highstorms, and worries that his father is going mad. Sadeas also continually taunts Dalinar over his lack of recent success in capturing [[gemheart]]s, which frustrates Adolin.
Meanwhile, Dalinar, riding up by Elhokar and Sadeas, tells Elhokar that if they had a proper vantage point, they could observe the progress of the soldiers crossing the chasms. Elhokar charges off to a nearby rock formation, betting Dalinar five broams that he can beat him there. Dalinar races after him, at first thinking only of Elhokar's safety, but eventually getting into the thrill of the contest. Just as Dalinar is about to win, he remembers the strange voice in his dreams, who he presumes to be the [[Almighty]], telling him to "unite them." He hesitates, and Elhokar beats him to the top. When he sees how thrilled Elhokar is to have beaten him, Dalinar is glad to have waited. They watch the soldiers cross for a few minutes, then begin to return to the others. Adolin watches their return, all the while giving orders for his men to circle around to various plateaus, securing the area.
Dalinar and Elhokar return, and Adolin gives his report to them. Elhokar reluctantly agrees to wait for the rest of the soldiers to cross, setting up a small awning to wait under, and conversing with his courtiers. Adolin questions Dalinar about the purpose and the wisdom of their hunting expedition, particularly where it leaves Elhokar open to a potential Parshendi ambush. Dalinar replies that a victory such as a successful hunt, in a controlled, safe environment, will bolster the king's reputation and increase his self-confidence as well. Just as Adolin begins agreeing with him however, he voices a thought about how the Alethi should be in Alethkar, not on the Shattered Plains. This shocks and upsets Adolin.
{{Epigraph|I realize that you are probably still angry. That is pleasant to know. Much as your perpetual health, I have come to rely upon your dissatisfaction with me. It is one of the cosmere's great constants, I should think.}}
Dalinar, Adolin, and Elhokar all immediately begin to race for the chasmfiend, hoping to kill it before it can harm any bystanders. Sadeas uses his [[grandbow]], weakening it from a distance while Dalinar and Adolin go for its many legs and Elhokar distracts it. While doing so, however, the strap on Elhokar's saddle breaks, causing him to be thrown to the ground. Just as he is about to be crushed by the chasmfiend, Dalinar hurls himself beneath the descending claw and, with Shardplate-enhanced strength, catches it, giving Elhokar time to escape.
Adolin continues to cut off its legs, and the chasmfiend is eventually unable to support its own weight. Elhokar summons his Shardblade once again and uses it to kill the felled chasmfiend, then harvest its [[gemheart]].
{{Epigraph|Let me first assure you that the element is quite safe. I have found a good home for it. I protect its safety like I protect my own skin, you might say.}}
Kaladin gets up before any of the other bridgemen, resolved that he will fight for a better existence, even in his terrible circumstances. He attempts to rouse the rest of Bridge Four, but none come. After Kaladin physically carries [[Moash]] out of the barrack, however, the rest of the bridgemen reluctantly get up. Kaladin then informs the men of bridge four that instead of sleeping in each morning, they will be training, and that he intends to do everything he can to ensure that Bridge Four never loses another man.
{{Epigraph|You do not agree with my quest. I understand that, so much as it is possible to understand someone with whom I disagree so completely.}}
Adolin is overseeing the cleanup four hours after the chasmfiend attack while the group waits for a bridge crew to come, replacing the bridge the chasmfiend had destroyed in its rampage. He reflects that many of the other lighteyes are treating Dalinar slightly more respectfully and carefully after his earlier rescue of Elhokar, and thinks to himself that it can't last. Having finished his rounds, he approaches Elhokar's pavilion to give his final casualty report.
In the pavilion, Elhokar chides Dalinar for not making serious efforts to win gemhearts, comparing him to Sadeas. Eventually, the conversation deteriorates to taunting, until Adolin calls Sadeas a coward. Sadeas in turn calls Renarin useless, nearly sparking a duel and possibly a war then and there, until he retracts his statement. Wit appears and taunts Sadeas for a while before actually praising Renarin's intelligence.
Adolin and Dalinar then go to examine the strap of Elhokar's saddle to see if it could have been cut. Adolin wonders why they're bothering until he realizes that Elhokar believes that the strap was cut as an assassination attempt, at which point he remarks on Elhokar's increasing paranoia. Dalinar tells Adolin to take the strap to a leatherworker to examine, to talk to the grooms about the saddle, and to double the king's guard. Adolin wonders whether Sadeas is behind the cut strap. Dalinar then approaches Highprince [[Vamah]], manipulating him into making greater use of Elhokar's [[Soulcaster]]s, ensuring continued income for Elhokar.
Sadeas approaches Dalinar to tell him of the success of their manipulation of Vamah, and Adolin realizes that the two of them had planned the entire thing between them. After a brief argument, Adolin and Dalinar leave. Dalinar then tells Adolin that though he hates Sadeas, he's certain that he wouldn't hurt Elhokar. Dalinar reveals that Sadeas was the decoy the night of Gavilar's assassination, attempting to lead Szeth away so Gavilar could escape. He then tells Adolin that Sadeas has sworn to protect Elhokar at any cost, then further discusses Gavilar's assassination and his final words. Elhokar approaches, asking if they've learned anything about the saddle. He and Dalinar then begin arguing, Elhokar insisting that someone is trying to kill him and Dalinar insisting that Elhokar is simply overreacting.
Elhokar leaves, and Dalinar sends Adolin to prepare the soldiers to move. As he begins to make his way back to camp, Dalinar reflects on his failure to determine the meaning of Gavilar's last words and his desire to protect Elhokar.
=== Chapter 16: Cocoons ===
{{/icon|Kaladin}}
Kaladin is talking to his friend [[Laral]] about his father's plans for him to be a surgeon. Laral encourages him to become a soldier and win a Shardplate and blade for himself. Tien interrupts their conversation and gives Kaladin a rock, intended to make him feel better. Tien and Kaladin then go hunting for [[lurg]]s, a type of small, slimy
Kaladin and Laral go to talk to some of the other boys, questioning why they aren't working in the fields like usual. [[Jost]], another boy, claims that his father was cheated out of a Shardblade, but Kaladin insists that the area where his father fought wouldn't have had any Shardbearers, and Jost's father must be remembering wrong. Jost gets angry and challenges Kaladin to fight him.
Kaladin gets in a few good hits, and is surprised by how good the quarterstaff feels in his hands, but he is outmatched by Jost. Tien helps him up, and they return home. There, Kaladin is informed that Brightlord [[Wistiow]], the Citylord and Laral's father, is dead. He
{{Anchor|Chapter 17|}}
{{Epigraph|Might I be quite frank? Before, you asked why I was so concerned. It is for the following reason:}}
Kaladin visits an apothecary, hoping to get some antiseptic. He is charging considerably more than Kaladin can afford, so he only gets some bandages and sewing materials.
{{Epigraph|Ati was once a kind and generous man, and you saw what became of him. Rayse, on the other hand, was among the most loathsome, crafty, and dangerous individuals I had ever met.}}
Adolin is out walking with [[Janala]], the woman he has been courting. He visits the leatherworkers who were inspecting the strap from Elhokar's saddle, and they tell him that the strap was almost certainly cut, but it's possible it was a buckle from the saddle itself that sliced it. A horn is sounded, signalling that a chasmfiend has been spotted close enough for Dalinar's men to attempt to reach it first. Adolin is disappointed when Dalinar elects not to seek it.
Dalinar, meanwhile, is working with several of his scribes in attempting to manipulate the other highprinces into following Elhokar in truth. [[Teshav]], the wife of one of his officers, questions the number of troops Dalinar has set patrolling, and Dalinar instructs her to set more patrolling anyway to combat the increased banditry in the area. Renarin comes to talk to Dalinar, and Dalinar promises him that if he captures a new suit of Shardplate and a Shardblade, they will go to Renarin, to help compensate for his blood weakness and allow him to fight like any other man.
Adolin seeks out [[Kadash]], an ardent, to ask his opinion on Dalinar's dreams during highstorms. Janala leaves him, growing frustrated with his lack of attention. Kadash expresses the opinion that Dalinar is either going insane, or the visions are just particularly vivid products of his own mind.
Dalinar visits Elhokar, making his reports for the day. While there, he asks Elhokar how long he intends to continue the war, and suggests that he consider withdrawing. Elhokar is shocked that Dalinar would even consider an end to the Vengeance Pact. Dalinar eventually backs down, instead saying they need a new approach, a way to win the war instead of simply trying to outlast the Parshendi. Dalinar suggests that Elhokar appoint him Highprince of War, and Elhokar tells him he'll consider it.
{{Epigraph|He holds the most frightening and terrible of all the Shards. Ponder on that for a time, you old reptile, and tell me if your insistence on nonintervention holds firm. Because I assure you, Rayse will not be similarly inhibited.}}
The moment the storm hits, Dalinar finds that he is no longer in the barracks, but in an unfamiliar barn in the middle of a clear, cool night with only a small girl for company. The girl is terrified of something, and thinks that Dalinar is her father. After a few moments of hushed conversation, a strange creature bursts through one of the walls of the barn and attacks. Dalinar is able to avoid the creature long enough to grab the girl and escape to a nearby house where a woman who thinks he is her husband is waiting for him.
=== Chapter 20: Scarlet ===
{{/icon|Kaladin}}
Kaladin is performing an unexpected surgery on a girl from his village. He had fortunately been nearby when the girl was injured. He begins working to stop her bleeding. After a short time, he succeeds in stopping the bleeding, but realizes that his success was not due to his treatment but rather because the girl has died.
{{Epigraph|One need only look at the aftermath of his brief visit to Sel to see proof of what I say.}}
Kaladin lies in bed, debating whether or not to get up. Eventually, he forces himself up and realizes that the other bridgemen had all been watching to see if he would get up and continue his training routine from the previous day. Kaladin goes to check on the wounded from the previous day's bridge run. Two of them are, for the most part fine, but one of them badly needs antiseptic.
Gaz approaches and tells Kaladin that Sadeas has ordered that his wounded men not receive food or pay for the duration of the time they can't run bridges. Kaladin is furious, as this means that he'll have to find another way to care for them.
Kaladin goes to the men of Bridge Four and asks them to split their food with the wounded and to contribute their pay for medical supplies. Most laugh at him and leave, but Rock agrees to share some of his food with Hobber, the man who he feels has the best chance of recovering, because he feels he owes
Kaladin then goes to Gaz and gets his bridge crew assigned to stone-gathering duty for the day. He convinces Rock and [[Teft]] to help him gather [[knobweed]] reeds over the course of the afternoon.
{{epigraph|In case you have turned a blind eye to that disaster, know that Aona and Skai are both dead, and that which they held has been Splintered. Presumably to prevent anyone from rising up to challenge Rayse.}}
Dalinar goes with his sons to the king's feast. Adolin reports that according to the leatherworkers he consulted, the strap was cut, though it could've been an accident. They discuss the king's paranoia and Dalinar refuses to talk about his episode in the highstorm, saying that perhaps it was good for the men in the barracks to witness it, as the rumors about his condition were perhaps worse than the truth.
{{epigraph|You have accused me of arrogance in my quest. You have accused me of perpetuating my grudge against Rayse and Bavadin. Both accusations are true.}}
Bridge Four is on rock duty, finding stones to soulcast into food. Kaladin has Rock and Teft searching for knobweed to extract the antiseptic sap from. Rock, who can inexplicably see Syl, finds knobweed quickly guided by her. Kaladin ties bundles of the reed to the bottom of the cart to conceal them. Syl comes to him excitedly, telling him that she led Rock to a pile of dung as a joke. He makes small talk with the bridgecrew, trying to soften their attitude towards him, with little success. Kaladin realizes that even though he has saved lives in Bridge 4, no one will follow his leadership unless he finds a way to make their lives worth living.
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
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.
{{epigraph|Neither point makes the things I have written to you untrue.}}
Dalinar stands in the king's [[Gallery of Maps]], waiting for Highprince [[Roion]] to come and meet him. Dalinar's ultimate goal is to follow his visions by uniting the highprinces, and he thinks he can start by working with another prince on a joint plateau assault. Since Roion has won the fewest gemhearts of all the princes, Dalinar tries to convince him that working together would be more effective. Roion is suspicious of this because he is afraid Dalinar will take any gemhearts and shards for himself. Dalinar compromises, saying that they will split gemhearts and that the first set of plate can go to Roion. Roion rebuffs this offer, instead insinuating that Dalinar is growing weak and deluded by his lapses from sanity during highstorms. Roion says he'll think about a joint assault and leaves.
A few minutes later, as Dalinar is thinking about how to discover what Gavilar's last words really meant, Adolin meets Dalinar. He asks him how the meeting went and when Dalinar tells him that it went poorly, Adolin tells him that Sadeas is asking for permission to enter their warcamp to investigate the threat to the king. Adolin is worried that he may create false evidence framing Dalinar, but Dalinar tells Adolin to allow him to because his vision said to trust Sadeas. At this, Adolin becomes irate, telling Dalinar that to stake the future of their house on hallucinations is folly. Adolin shouts at Dalinar that his visions are just figments of his imagination. Dalinar tells Adolin to leave.
=== Chapter 25: The Butcher ===
{{/icon|Kaladin}}
Kal overhears some villagers speaking poorly of his father's work, accusing him of stealing the spheres and suspicious of how Lirin can write. Kal meets with his mother, [[Hesina]], who tells him not to hate the villagers for repeating what they have heard. They respect Lirin but are intimidated by his status as second nahn. Kal realizes his parents had hoped to marry him off to Laral. He can't decide if he wants to be a soldier or a surgeon.
{{epigraph|I am being chased. Your friends of the Seventeenth Shard, I suspect. I believe they're still lost, following a false trail I left for them. They'll be happier that way. I doubt they have any inkling what to do with me should they actually catch me.}}
Brightness [[Litima]] reads the [[The Way of Kings (in-world)|''The Way of Kings'']] to Dalinar. Renarin is with him. Listening usually comforts Dalinar, but not this time. It reminds him of Adolin's arguments. Dalinar is disturbed by the nature of his visions. Dalinar tells Renarin that Highprince [[Aladar]] refused his offer of an alliance, just as Roion did. Horns sounds outside. Dalinar enters the war room and gives [[Teleb]] an order to march. Teleb presses Dalinar on the idea of using faster bridges carried by men, and he finally relents and gives Teleb permission to recruit and train one crew. Sadeas comes to interview Dalinar's
Dalinar summons [[Oathbringer (Shardblade)|Oathbringer]] and together with Adolin they attack the Parshendi. The Thrill gives him strength, focus, and power until he feels a sudden stab of powerful revulsion to the scene of death around him. He forces himself to continue to fight but feels sick. Dalinar hears a voice saying "Life before death," but nobody is near enough. He starts to fight for his men.
{{epigraph|If anything I have said makes a glimmer of sense to you, I trust that you'll call them off. Or maybe you could astound me and ask them to do something productive for once.}}
Kaladin visits the apothecary again to sell his knobweed sap. He pretends that "wild" knobweed isn't as effective and tries to swindle Kaladin. With the help of Syl, he
Down in the chasms they have to look for corpses to get their equipment and whatever else can be found. Kaladin, Teft and Rock walk ahead talking. They find [[Dunny]] listening, try to make him participate, and it works. As the tension eases, they discover that Dunny can sing. The other crew members still remain aloof.
Eventually they find a lot of corpses and begin their morbid work. Kaladin picks up a spear and gets overwhelmed by his memories. At first, most of the others jeer him for pretending to be their leader, but after he finishes his kata, they stare in amazement. Remembering that they have work to do or they'll get in trouble, he drops the spear and tells them to get to work. Teft is clearly impressed, but Kaladin down plays the issue.
{{epigraph|For I have never been dedicated to a more important purpose, and the very pillars of the sky will shake with the results of our war here. I ask again. Support me. Do not stand aside and let disaster consume more lives. I've never begged you for something before, old friend.<br />I do so now.}}
While on an inspection Adolin studies his father and worries about what he sees. Teleb demonstrates a prototype of a new portable bridge which fails. Adolin encourages him to continue working on the design. As they move off to start inspections, Dalinar wonders why there are no Shards for ordinary people and asks Adolin if he feels the Thrill. On their way to the fifth Battalion, Adolin praises his father's decision to allow the soldiers to bring their families to the Shattered Plains. Dalinar muses about the political and economic impact of the continual harvesting of gemstones and de facto colonization of the Shattered Plains. He tells Adolin that soon he will have to consider this.
After inspecting the 5th Battalion, [[Havrom]] leads them to the ten soldiers that were questioned by Sadeas. Dalinar pointedly delegates the interrogation to Adolin. It becomes clear that the grooms' loyalty to Dalinar probably made the situation worse -- they only offered blanket denials to Sedeas. Dalinar asks [[Tadet]] to interview the men separately and find out specifics.
Adolin then questions why Dalinar keeps giving him the lead. Dalinar tells him that he has a decision to make, but before he can elaborate, he notices a messenger in [[Thanadal]]'s colors. The messenger informs Dalinar that Thanadal has to cancel their meeting. Dalinar presses the messenger, and he says he is instructed to say that Thanadal does not wish to do a joint plateau assault with him. All eight highprinces have refused his offer, leaving only Sadeas. He tells Adolin to continue the inspection without him, making
Dalinar is confident that his son will do well as highprince as he tries to decide whether he should abdicate. He orders [[Niter]] to bring him his war hammer, then orders some workers out of the new latrine pit. He uses the hammer to work on the latrine himself so he can think through his decision. He worries about how he is losing his thirst for battle and how the book, the Codes, and the Visions have changed him and how the others are regarding him and by extension his sons. As he gets to the end of his work, he feels that he is close to a decision. He is interrupted by Navani. She reminds him that he had an appointment with her. He continues to work, and she eventually gets him to apologize. She tells him that Jasnah's [[Spanreed]] is flashing. He quits work on the latrine and they go to take the "call."
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[[Rysn]] and her [[babsk]] [[Vstim]] visit [[Shinovar]] to trade with the Shin. She's annoyed at the strange grass that doesn't retract. Vstim has her set up a [[fabrial]] that warns when people are approaching. When the Shin arrive, she thinks the guards are servants because they are dressed plainly, and Vstim explains that Shin farmers are highest in the social order and warriors are the lowest. Vstim offers [[Thresh]] scraps of soulcast metal in exchange for chickens and other valuable exotic goods. The metal is certified to be soulcast from organic materials and not mined. Vstim asks if Thresh has another servant like the one he gave him seven years ago that was so obedient. Thresh says that he was a worthless Truthless (Szeth) and that he hoped there wouldn't be another one like him.
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[[Axies the Collector]] wakes up in an alley in [[Kasitor]] lying in rotting garbage. He had gotten drunk the night before to see if he could spot [[Alespren]], and he's been deposited here, naked. He manages to grab a ratty blanket from an insane beggar and walks out into the streets, drawing stares. He heads to the docks, where many people are waiting. [[Cusicesh the Protector]] appears in the water, leaving him feeling drained. A street urchin grabs his blanket, leaving him naked again. He's hauled off to jail, content at having seen two new spren. Perhaps he will finally see the elusive captivityspren.
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=== Chapter 30: Darkness Unseen ===
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{{epigraph|They were suddenly dangerous. Like a calm day that became a tempest.}}
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Kaladin and Bridge Four are practicing setting the bridge down from a raised position and Kaladin is wondering what it would take for them to practice on a real chasm. He is surprised how good they are considering they have only been training for two weeks. As he sends his team for a break he considers that the last two weeks were in part lucky since they had only two runs and on one they were late. On the other one they "only" lost two men, [[Amark]] and [[Koolf]], and only had two wounded, [[Narm]] and [[Peet]], but he worries that they only have twenty-five members who can carry since five are wounded in all. Syl joins him telling him that she saw Gaz and Lamaril talking and didn't like the look of them, though she didn't hear what was being said. Considering his men's protection, Kaladin is studying a half finished bridge thinking about using it as a shield. He tells Teft, Rock, [[Skar]] and [[Moash]] about using a "side carry." It's very awkward to carry that way, so they ask him why they should try it. He doesn't reveal his shield idea but instead tells them it's so they can use different muscles. Before leaving, Moash wants to know why Kaladin made him a squad leader. After
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=== Chapter 31: Beneath the Skin ===
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Shallan is thinking about how she sometimes gets distracted by the enormity of the Palanaeum. Along with a [[Parshmen|Parshman]] servant, she is on her way to get a copy of [[Dialogues]], though she now has an hour each day to do her own research. She has decided on natural science. She thinks about how she could fill gaps in her understanding and has to remind herself that her true goal is to steal Jasnah's Soulcaster. Hiding in one of the library rooms, she goes through some of the sketches she has of Jasnah soulcasting and hopes that with it she will be able to create the mineral deposits to save her family. Comparing her expectation of Jasnah the heretic and the real one, Shallan worries that she might not be able to actually do it. She speculates about talking to Jasnah about the use of a Soulcaster but is startled by a light and decides to get back to her task. She realizes that she's in the room where she can find [[Shadows Remembered]]. She was surprised to find that it contained children's stories.
When Shallan returns to the alcove, she finds that Jasnah has not yet returned, but to her surprise Kabsal is present. Apparently he wants to show something to Jasnah, but has some bread and [[simberry jam]] to share with Shallan. After a discussion about the meaning of the jam and Shallan's personality, they move on to Shallan's appearance and what she thinks of herself. They also discuss Jasnah's heresy. Shallan considers Kabsal in a romantic light for a short time before dismissing it. Kabsal tries to get Shallan to switch
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After the highstorm subsides, Rock leaves the barracks, followed by Teft. Though they had wanted to believe that Kaladin could survive the highstorm, they
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=== Chapter 37: Sides ===
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Shallan is sitting in her room restlessly drawing the deaths of the four robbers from three nights ago, even though she didn't deliberately take the memories. As she draws, she thinks about different concepts of logic and philosophy, considering Jasnah's actions and reasons in the context of the different schools of thought. She also worries about her own actions in stealing the Soulcaster in the same way. Her mind wanders for a while and she looks at what she's been drawing. She's shocked to see a completely different scene being sketched -- one of a richly-dressed man lying in a pool of blood. Panicked, she hurries from the room and runs into a servant who informs her that one of her spanreeds is flashing and hands it over to her. Going into the main room, she is glad to find her brother Balat talking to her. She tells him that she has managed to steal the Soulcaster but hasn't left yet so as not to draw suspicion onto herself. Balat informs her that the "friends" of their father visited again. Shallan frets even more about the theft and when a chambermaid comes to their quarters, she starts worrying about the Soulcaster's safety. She decides to put it into her safe-pouch and leaves the room with a basket full of bread and [[Bluebar|Bluebar jam]] left by Kabsal.
Two hours later sitting in the palace gardens, Shallan has calmed down and is drawing some snails and plants. She notes the symbiotic relationship between a snail she is drawing and the [[shalebark]] it is on, writing it down next to her drawing. After making sure she is alone, she gets the Soulcaster out to try to puzzle out how to use it since Luesh can no longer show them how. She has no luck and tries to think of other ways to get it to work or save her family.
=== Chapter 41: Of Alds and Milp ===
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Kaladin wakes up feeling dread and despair, as he realizes that all of the Bridgemen are simply bait, destined to die. He finds the rest of the men lined up and waiting for him to lead them in practice. Before he can tell them how useless it is, he sees Lamaril's replacement: Brightlord [[Matal]] and his wife [[Hashal]].
Hashal speaks for her husband and tells Kaladin that the Almighty has simply given Kaladin another chance to prove himself as a bridgeman, nothing more. She claims that her husband is a well respected and honored associate of Sadeas, and Kaladin wonders out loud how he ended up in this position. Hashal directs one of her men to beat him, but Kaladin catches the spear aimed at him. In his mind he sees how to beat not only the soldier attacking him but his three companions as well, but decides against it, letting go of the spear and letting the next hit land. She informs them that they'll only be doing chasm duty from now on.
Kaladin climbs down into the chasm. Syl wonders why he isn't happy from surviving the highstorm. Kaladin chafes from not fighting the soldiers, but it wouldn't have helped to protect the men. Syl vaguely remembers helping men kill, to Kaladin's shock. Sometimes it is right to kill. The rest of the men climb down and Kaladin starts walking. Rock asks what they are going to do next in order to fight, and Kaladin insists that the fight is over. They find a pile of bodies and get to work. Teft stops by and also asks what's next, and Kaladin angrily replies that there is no hope, leading some of the men to grumble. Teft argues that it's not about surviving, quoting part of the Radiant oath "journey before destination." Syl likes the saying and encourages Kaladin to not give up. Kaladin thinks for a while and finally decides to try again, announcing to the men that the only chance is to try to escape. He offers to train them as spearmen, hoping it will increase their poor odds of escaping. All but Rock eagerly agree. Fighting is beneath Rock; he will cook instead.
=== Chapter 44: The Weeping ===
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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 Shardblade, 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 the 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 walks around camp to think. He asks Syl about Odium, and she hisses and zips off without a word. Kaladin sees an officer beating a whore in the street and starts to intervene, but he sees a high-ranking officer in blue (Adolin) come onto the scene. The officer backs down and Adolin offers to escort the lady out of the camp. He flips an emerald chip at Kaladin and tells him to pass along a message for him. Kaladin takes the chip but doesn't pass along the message.
=== Chapter 47: Stormblessings ===
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=== Chapter 51: Sas Nahn ===
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[[Baxil]] and his cousin [[Av]] walk down a corridor of the palace of [[Ashno of Sages]]. Their [[Shalash|mistress]] walks ahead and stops at an intersection. She asks for his bag of tools, and she proceeds into the Hallowed Hall where she begins to destroy works of art--slashing paintings with a knife and pounding on sculptures with a mallet. As she works, Baxil and Av talk about going to the Nightwatcher. Baxil claims he can avoid the curse by phrasing his request just right, but Av says it doesn't matter what your boon is, you get a curse no matter what. Baxil wishes he could get some courage using the Old Magic.
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[[Geranid]] and [[Ashir]] are two ardents in the twilight of life devoted to each other and their research. Geranid studies spren; Ashir uses cooking to experiment with chemistry. He wonders if he should change his [[Calling]] because food may not be needed in the [[Cognitive Realm|Cognitive]] and [[Spiritual Realm|Spiritual]] Realms. Geranid measures a flamespren and notes that it stays locked in its current state once it is measured.
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Szeth kills two guards and crashes through a door, entering the king's banquet, and starts to kill. King [[Hanavanar]] of Jah Keved yells for help. Szeth slaughters many of the people trying to flee and makes his way over to the king. Two Shardbearers come out from hiding and another squad wearing half-shards enter the room to attack. Szeth drops his sword and uses his [[Order of Windrunners|Windrunner]] abilities to fling the attackers about the room. He infuses a stone multiple times and lashes it toward one of the Shardbearers, crushing him to death. He kills the rest of the honor guard easily and slams himself down on the king, pinning him to the floor. He puts his Shardblade through his face.
== Part Four: Storm's Illumination ==
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Adolin is drinking at a wineshop in the outer Market, accompanied by his date Danlan, and fellow lighteyes Jakamav, Inkima, Toral and Eshava. They debate why Sadeas has not moved against Dalinar and whether Dalinar should step down due to his visions and unpopular restrictions on the army. Adolin leaves to prepare for a duel with Brightlord [[Resi]]. While walking through the market, he ponders what his father is doing. He notices that officers from other armies look less disciplined and
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Dalinar and Navani continue to see each other in secret. Dalinar tells Navani that he was interested in courting her, but he instead deferred to Gavilar when his brother also showed interest in her. That was the nature of the siblings' relationship. Navani thought that Dalinar hated her because he was cold towards her for the last two decades, out of trying to conceal his true feelings. Navani says that Dalinar and his wife were a perfect match in temperament. Dalinar also reveals that he keeps a tight
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Dalinar and Sadeas watch as the Parshendi army of roughly ten thousand lines up, while they still try to remove the gemheart. Sadeas suggests they attack together, but Dalinar knows that many of the bridgemen will be killed. He holds to the Code and won't order what he himself wouldn't do. Dalinar will follow Sadeas's army once a
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As Sadeas's forces withdraw, Bridge Four lags behind. Having wounded and already being low in number, they are unable to move ahead of the army and help with the crossing of the staging plateau. Instead of crossing with the army, Kaladin tells Matal that they will rest, use their bridge to follow and catch up later. Kaladin gives the pretense that he doesn't want to slow the rest of the army. The army continues westward without Bridge Four. Kaladin explains to the men that now they can simply escape without fighting. Everything is perfect except the wounded back at camp. Kaladin insists that he stay with the wounded and escape later. Kaladin feels unsettled, and not just because of the men he would have to leave behind. He sees Syl next to him as a regular-sized woman. She stands looking back at the battle with an expression of horror. Kaladin also looks back at the battle. He sees the thousands of dark eyed soldiers hopelessly surrounded. Syl says that she now remembers what kind of spren she is. She is an honorspren. The spirit of oaths, promises, and nobility. Kaladin thinks that trying to save Kholin's army would be suicide and that he and his men owe Dalinar nothing. He is determined not to be fooled again like the time he saved Amaram. Finally he remembers his father's words: "The lighteyes don't care about life, so I must. So we must." With the Ideals of the Radiants forming in his mind he tells the members of Bridge Four that they must go back. They agree and lift their bridge, heading back to the Tower.
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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
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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 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.
== Part Five: The Silence Above ==
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 thinks will stay in the army. Dalinar wants Kaladin and Bridge Four to replace his honor guard who had been nearly wiped out earlier that day. He wants the rest of the bridgemen to be trained as a company of spearmen. Kaladin agrees on condition that the men agree and Dalinar makes him a captain. Dalinar also gives Kaladin his cloak that he wore in battle that day as a token of appreciation.
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
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== Endnote ==
{{epigraph|Above silence, the illuminating storms--dying storms--illuminate the silence above.}}
The Endnote is about thoughts from [[Joshor]], Head of His Majesty's [[Silent Gatherer]]s, on a [[ketek]] told by a dying Herdazian who barely spoke the Alethi language, and unlikely had the education that he had heard of such a ketek before. They decided to leave this death quote to [[Taravangian]] to solve the puzzle that it tells.
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