Difference between revisions of "Kaladin"
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Half a year later, Roshone invited Lirin to the mansion for dinner. Although Lirin and Hesina tried to hide the meeting from Kaladin, he found out and attended the meeting with Lirin. At the mansion, Roshone treated the two with contempt. When Roshone offered a bargain to share the spheres nine-to-one, Kaladin spoke out in indignation, and Lirin dismissed him to the kitchens. [[Rillir Roshone]] walked in with Laral and ordered Kaladin to fetch them supper. When Kaladin protested he was not a servant, Rillir continued to humiliate him with his words. As Lirin and Kaladin left the mansion, Kaladin admitted to his father he had been considering joining the army; but he said he had decided to become a surgeon instead so he would have the education to stand up to the lighteyes. During the conversation, Kaladin realized Lirin had indeed stolen the spheres from Wistiow. Kaladin resolved to use the spheres for his training, but stated he would pay them back to Laral one day. He told his father he wanted to go by his full name, instead of "Kal," from then on.{{book ref|sa1|37}}
In the [[Weeping]] of 1168, Roshone assembled a gathering in the town square when Brightlord Meridas Amaram visited Hearthstone with his army for recruiting. There, Kaladin and his family discovered Laral was engaged to Roshone himself after Rillir's death. Only six men volunteered to join the army, below the army's quota, so Amaram asked Roshone to announce the list of conscripts. Lirin and Kaladin were exempt from conscription, because under [[Vorin]] law, professions who served vital functions in towns were protected from it. However, Tien was not under the protection of the same law; Roshone exacted revenge on Lirin by forcing his younger son into military. Kaladin tried to take Tien's place, but was denied because the law gave the choice to Roshone alone. Kaladin, then, enlisted in the army alongside his brother, and promised his devastated parents that he would bring Tien back in four years. Amaram promised Lirin that he would make Tien a messenger boy for a while. The two brothers were told to report to Sergeant [[Hav]] along with other recruits.{{book ref|sa1|47}}
=== Amaram's Army (1168–1172) ===
==== Tien's Death ====
Kaladin received his training under [[Tukks]]. His first instruction was to be passionate while fighting without losing control of his emotions, that the key to fighting was controlled passion.{{book ref|sa1|27}} Kaladin did not understand why Tukks wasted time by talking about emotions.{{book ref|sa1|49}} The first night in the army, he was taught gambling by the other soldiers, and played for spheres.{{book ref|sa1|34}} Kaladin demonstrated his natural talent and learned the spear faster than everyone else in his cohort, with barely even needing instruction which shocked Tukks.{{book ref|sa1|27}}
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.{{book ref|sa1|67}}
==== Stormblessed ====
Kaladin sent a letter to his parents informing them about Tien's death and he was not returning to Hearthstone.{{book ref|sa1|47}} He spent the next year driving himself to exhaustion every day on the practice yard, to get vengeance and never to let another person die because of his lack of skill. He became the best spearman in his company, and was rumored to be the best in the entire army. He eventually met [[Tarah]], who coaxed Kaladin out of his single-mindedness, claiming it would burn him out.{{book ref|sa1|63}} The two were romantically involved, but were separated after some time, for which Kaladin blamed himself.{{book ref|sa1|62}} He joined the [[Takers]] under Tukks' leadership.{{book ref|sa1|2}} He met [[Durk]], who became a mentor figure to Kaladin.{{book ref|sa1|46}} Eventually, all members of the Takers except Kaladin were killed.{{book ref|sa1|2}}
Kaladin was promoted to squadleader when he was eighteen years old, becoming the youngest one in the army.
==== Fighting the Shardbearer ====
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