Difference between revisions of "Kaladin"

Despite Amaram's promise to Lirin, because recruitment was slower than desired, the older messenger boys, including Tien, were soon organized into several squads of reserve units. According to [[Dalar]], these squads would not see combat unless the army was in serious danger. Less than four months after his enlistment, Kaladin took part in his third real battle. The enemy force tried to take over a hilltop Amaram's army was trying to hold onto. As the battle went worse for the Amaram's side, messenger boys were assigned to Brightlord [[Sheler]]'s company. Kaladin ran recklessly through the battlefield to reach his brother as the lines of Amaram's army buckled. On the southeast side of the hill, he saw Tien and two other boys placed in front of the enemy army as bait by Squadleader [[Varth]]. While running towards his younger brother, he killed a man for the first time, although he didn't get much chance to reflect on it in the battle chaos. The enemy soldiers took Varth's bait and killed the three boy, while Kaladin could do nothing but watch. Weeping and bleeding from wounds taken during his run, he hugged Tien's dead body until long past the end of the battle.{{ref|b|sa1|c|67}}

 

[[File:Kaladin.jpg|200px|thumb|right|Kaladin concept art by [[Ben McSweeney]]]]

In his depression, Kaladin started obsessively training with the spear.{{ref|b|twok|c|68}} His drill sergeant was surprised with how fast Kaladin mastered the spear and soon he was known as one of the best spearman in Amaram's army.{{ref|b|twok|c|27}} He was promoted to the rank of squadleader, earning the nickname Kaladin Stormblessed for the first time. Kaladin's squad always lost fewest men of any squad in the army, which was credited to Kaladin's luck and his bribing the army's surgeons.{{ref|b|twok|c|1}}

=== Bridge Four ===

{{quote|Shen is one of us now. I don’t care what he was before. I don’t care what any of you were. We’re Bridge Four. So is he.|Kaladin to the men of Bridge Four{{ref|b|twok|c|46}}}}

During his time in [[Bridge Four]], Kaladin grew more and more depressed. He eventually stopped caring about anything and Syl left Kaladin saying she would try to get back because she couldn't bear seeing Kaladin as he was.{{ref|b|twok|c|9}} The last man from Kaladin's first bridge run died, and between that and Syl leaving, Kaladin came to the point of suicide. He went to the [[Honor Chasm]] at night. Before he jumped down, Syl came back with a leaf of [[blackbane]], a deadly poison, hoping to make Kaladin feel better without understanding what she was bringing. Kaladin found this oddly sweet. She convinced Kaladin to try to protect the men of Bridge Four, saying there was nothing Kaladin could do to make their situation worse. Kaladin went back to the bridge sergeant [[Gaz]], bullied and bribed him to become the bridgeleader and so Gaz would stay out of his way. That night, he learned the name of every men in Bridge Four.{{ref|b|twok|c|11}} Next morning, Kaladin started training for bridge runs. He tried to get others to practice as well, but was ridiculed for the effort,{{ref|b|twok|c|14}} though soon [[Teft]] and [[Rock]] started training with him. Kaladin started bringing back the wounded back at this point.{{ref|b|twok|c|17}} Kaladin, Teft and Rock started collecting [[knobweed]] sap to use on the injured and to sell it so they could have money for supplies.{{ref|b|twok|c|21}} Kaladin told Rock to cook meals every night and soon every man in Bridge Four accepted Kaladin as their leader and started training with him.{{ref|b|twok|c|27}}

 

[[File:Kaladin_fullbody.jpg|150px|thumb|left|Kaladin as a bridgeman by [http://exmakina.tumblr.com/ Exmakina]]]

The training cut down their losses in bridge runs but Kaladin didn't feel it was enough. They started practicing carrying the bridge sideways so they could use it as a shield from the arrows.{{ref|b|twok|c|30}} This, however, undermined the strategy of the army in the [[Tower]] and caused the army to lose the battle.{{ref|b|twok|c|32}} As punishment, Kaladin was strung up on the side of a building facing east during a [[highstorm]] to be judged by the [[Stormfather]].{{ref|b|twok|c|34}} During the highstorm he had a vision of an inhuman, smiling face of darkness that was as large as he could see.{{ref|b|twok|c|35}} His [[Surgebinding]] abilities allowed Kaladin to survive the highstorm but he was still severely injured.{{ref|b|twok|c|38}} It took him ten days to recover, which was found to be miraculous and people started calling him Stormblessed again.{{ref|b|twok|c|40}} Lamaril was executed and his replacement Brightlord [[Matal]]'s wife, Brightness Hashal, informed Kaladin that Bridge Four would always work in chasm duty from then on. Kaladin realized that the bridgemen were bait to the [[Parshendi]] and knowing no matter how much they cut their losses it would never be enough, he proposed that they escape and started training the Bridge Four as spearmen.{{ref|b|twok|c|43}}

 

 

Later that day, Bridge Four got a new member, the parshman [[Shen]]. Kaladin made sure he was accepted by the rest of the men. While talking with Syl, he asked if she knew about Odium which made Syl run away without looking back. Strolling confused about what happened in the warcamp, Kaladin stumbled upon a prostitute being beaten by a lighteyes. [[Adolin Kholin]] and a few of his soldiers came and save her. Adolin told Kaladin to deliver a message and called him ''bridgeboy'' which made Kaladin indignant. Syl returned with no explanation about where she went.{{ref|b|twok|c|46}}

 

In one of the next bridge runs, [[Dunny]] died. Kaladin was frustrated, and started rescuing members of the other bridge crews. Teft talked about how when Kaladin ran point, Parshendi arrows always missed them. Kaladin remarked his behavior as strange.{{ref|b|twok|c|53}} One week later, Bridge Four found an emerald broam along with a number of smaller denominations. Kaladin decided they couldn't get the emerald broam out of the chasm but they would find a way to recover the other spheres. They attached the sphere pouch to an arrow and Rock shot it at under one of the permanent bridges to be recovered later.{{ref|b|twok|c|55}} Teft faked throwing a punch to Kaladin and Kaladin instinctively drew in Stormlight and used Full Lashing in front of Teft and Lopen. Kaladin confronted Syl about it and asked how he could get rid of it. They argued and Syl ran away, her feelings hurt. In the evening, Kaladin met [[Hoid]] while walking around the warcamp. Hoid gave Kaladin a [[Trailman's flute]] and asked him to look after his apprentice, Sigzil, and that he was graduated to a full [[Worldsinger]]. He also told Kaladin a story about [[Wandersail]] which made Kaladin think about responsibility. Kaladin decided to use Surgebinding to help Bridge Four and that he was not cursed.{{ref|b|twok|c|57}}

 

He went back to Teft and they started practicing how to use Surgebinding consciously. Teft also taught Kaladin about the [[Immortal Words]]. They ran into Brightness Hashal and his husband, Hashal informed them that Bridge Four would be on bridge duty every day from then on while doing chasm duty at nights. While doing chasm duty, Kaladin found a Parshendi corpse and cut his carapace armor. He used Full Lashing and tied the armor to the permanent bridge they had used before.{{ref|b|twok|c|59}} The next chasm run, Kaladin wore the armor and ran ahead of the bridge crews wearing the Parshendi armor. Parshendi were angry because Kaladin had disturbed the corpse of one of their kind and focused all their archers on Kaladin. He managed to dodge them with his abilities and bridge crews managed to set their bridges without casualty. Others volunteered to run with Kaladin and they decided that five men should run before the bridge crews every time. While they were resting, a group of Parshendi soldiers ambushed Bridge Four but [[Dalinar Kholin]] came to their rescue.{{ref|b|twok|c|62}} Kaladin told [[Leyten]] to make a set of armor for every man in Bridge Four, not just those running in front.{{ref|b|twok|c|63}}

 

 

== Attributes and Abilities ==

=== Surgery ===

Kaladin has been taught surgery by his father, Lirin, from an early age. As a youth, he helped his father save people in Hearthstone. Lirin thought Kaladin was very talented and wanted him to go to the [[Great Concourse of Kharbranth]]. After Kaladin joined the army, he used his skills as a surgeon to save his fellow soldiers and bridgemen.

 

Kaladin is naturally talented at fighting with spears and similar polearm weapons. He first demonstrated his talent by almost beating an older boy in a quarterstaff fight although Kaladin had never used a weapon before and Jost was being trained with a quarterstaff by his father for some time.{{ref|b|twok|c|16}} Once he joined Amaram's army, he learned the quickest among all the training men in his cohort. He almost did it without instructions, which surprised his drill sergeant [[Tukks]], although Tukks' advice helped refine and channel his ability.{{ref|b|twok|c|27}} After Tien's death, Kaladin spent a year training, driving himself to exhaustion each day. Over time, he grew to be reputed as the best spearman in Amaram's army.{{ref|b|twok|c|63}} In the army, he preferred a shortspear that is a hand longer than the spears other men used with two leather knife sheaths attached to it.{{ref|b|twok|c|1}} Teft claims he has never seen anyone fight like Kaladin,{{ref|b|twok|c|68}} a sentiment that has been shared by others in the past.{{ref|b|twok|c|27}} The rest of Bridge Four are amazed by his skill as well.{{ref|b|twok|c|68}}

 

== Quotes ==