Difference between revisions of "Kaladin"

 

==== Wistiow's Death ====

In mid-1166, Kaladin told Laral that Lirin wanted to send Kaladin to Kharbranth. At age twelve, he was becoming interested girls for the first time, and he was attracted to Laral. She was angry that he hadn't told her about his father's intentions for two years and made her think he would join the army to win a Shardblade and become lighteyes. She tried to convince him to join the army by saying the Alethi had a noble heritage of soldiery. Kaladin's answer wasn't very enthusiastic, which prompted Laral to say that she hated speaking with him when Kaladin was moping around. Tien joined the two and showed Kaladin a rock he had found, as was the younger brother's habit, to make Kaladin feel better and somehow succeeded in boosting Kaladin's morale. Once Tien left, Kaladin and Laral saw a group of older boys who usually worked at farms and, at Laral's prompting, went to meet them to see them. They found out the boys were talking about darkeyes becoming lighteyes by winning Shardblades. One of the boys, [[Jost]], claimed his father had won a Shardblade in the wastescum skirmishes in the north but it was stolen by someone else when his father was unconscious. Kaladin pointed out there weren't any Shardbearers in those battles. At Laral's provocations, Jost grew angrier and challenged Kaladin to a fight with quarterstaffs. At first, Jost easily overwhelmed Kaladin, but once he grew angry because he was in pain, Kaladin felt an [[Thrill|exhilaration]] and almost beat the older boy, but stopped at the last instant because he didn't want to hurt him. The other boy didn't have the same inclination, so he beat Kaladin to the ground. Laral left for her home without saying anything or helping Kaladin up. Kaladin asked Jost to teach him how to fight, but the older boy refused by saying that Kaladin should be what he is. Kaladin met with Tien, and he walked towards home thinking about what he wanted to be. When they got home, Lirin told Kaladin that Brightlord Wistiow was dead, and he had left them a goblet full of spheres so Kaladin would study to be a master surgeon in Kharbranth, then return home.{{ref|b|sa1|c|16}}

 

 

=== Amaram's Army (1168–1172) ===

==== Tien's Death ====

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}}

 

==== Side Carry ====

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}}