Difference between revisions of "Kaladin"

{{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}}

 

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}}

 

During a highstorm, Kaladin dreamed he was the storm. In the dream, he followed the path of the highstorms, travelling from east to west. He raged forward just ahead of the stormwall, soaring above Roshar. He saw many places including a city that [[Sigzil]] later confirms as [[Sesemalex Dar]]. He also saw a [[Shin]] [[Szeth-son-son-Vallano|man]] that appeared to see Kaladin as well. Once he reached the western ocean, he heard a voice calling Kaladin ''Child of [[Tanavast]]''. The face he saw when he was strung up in the highstorm appeared again and was revealed to be the source of the voice. The face informed Kaladin that the [[Oathpact]] was broken and [[Odium]] reigned. Kaladin woke up, finding himself surrounded by the men of Bridge Four trying to restrain him from walking out into the highstorm.{{ref|b|twok|c|46}}

 

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}}