Difference between revisions of "Summary:Oathbringer"

Dalinar talks to his wife Evi in front of a fire. She is pregnant. Evi delights in the playing flamespren, but to Dalinar, they are fighting. Evi wants Dalinar to enjoy living life instead of living to fight. Dalinar wonders if he can truly change, and Evi encourages him to find the Nightwatcher, the "One," if he believes he cannot do it himself. A messenger from Gavilar arrives summoning Dalinar. He tells Dalinar that Rathalas demands the Shardblade back for the heir of Tanalan. Dalinar had told Gavilar that he "dealt with the heir" (Tanalan's child), but he actually spared the child. The child is now grown and Rathalas is in rebellion. Dalinar is excited at the prospect of killing again, and the emotion shocks him. Evi is pleased to hear that he extended mercy, and Dalinar is proud to be a hero to her. Gavilar plans to use politics to resolve this instead of war so his son, ElohkarElhokar, won't have to deal with this in the future. Dalinar knows it won't work.

Lunamor (Rock) is cooking stew and surprised at how he finds the barren Shattered Plains beautiful. Kaladin is training crews on how to use Stormlight. He first has them swear the first oath, and Lunamor quietly recites it to himself as he cooks. He instructs Lopen, Sigzil, and Peet to start teaching. Dabbid takes over stirring. Lunamor goes to find Hobber and finds Kaladin kneeling beside him. He tenderly encourages Hobber to try breathing in Stormlight. Rock is skeptical he can do it, but Kaladin insists all of Bridge Four will, and maybe others. He cautions Kaladin that they are going to war and some may die. Several of the bridgemen are glowing; Lopen has stuck his face to the ground. ElohkarElhokar appears and asks Kaladin to come with him to Kholinar and reclaim their home. Kaladin agrees and is given twenty days to prepare the rest of the men. Renarin meanwhile comes straight from his daily duty at the Oathgate to be with Bridge Four. Rock invites him over to help cook and notes he can see all spren, but never Renarin's. Renarin wonders if he belongs to Bridge Four since he is not a Windrunner, but Rock insists that he does. He is conflicted over what is expected of him -- to be a warrior, or what he is good at, scholarly work. He feels the odd one out, but Rock points out [[Rlain]]; Renarin goes to sit by him. The men come over for a drink break. Skar is struggling at drawing in Stormlight, but he manages to teach Lunamor how to draw some in. Skar, instead of being jealous, is pleased, being a teacher at heart. Rock suddenly notices a large group of spren gathered to watch Bridge Four practicing. Sylphrena says they wouldn't talk to her because she sought out Kaladin and hate to admit they were wrong. Rock makes an offering of Stormlight-infused spheres. The human-sized spren draws it in before flying away. Hobber breathes in a bit of Stormlight and calls the brigdemen over. Kaladin tells them to give him all their spheres so his legs can heal. He tentatively stands up, and Lopen give him the ''two''-armed Bridge Four salute, which Hobber proudly returns. Rock looks to the west and sees a plume of smoke.

Teft wakes up in an alleyway after a night of indulging in [[firemoss]]. He stumbles to a well for water and contemplates suicide. He sees the reflection of a spren in the water and angrily tells it to find someone who cares. He wanders away from the well and realizes it's morning. He can't bring himself to return to the barracks. The spren appears again, but he just turns aside into the firemoss den from the night before, indulging in three more bowelsbowls. He no longer uses for euphoria -- just to be able to function. He wakes up with his head on the table in a puddle of drool. Kaladin and Rock have found him. Kaladin asks him where his coat is, and admits that he has sold it.

Dalinar is in Vedenar, a city devastated by their civil war and the Everstorm, to survey their martial capabilities and fortifications. He has now regained almost all his memories, except for his meeting with the Nightwatcher. He is startled to hear the sounds of Evi crying and the cries of dying children again, and he worries for Adolin, ElohkarElhokar, and the Radiants. As Dalinar overlooks the city's damage, Taravangian joins him with holding a giant kite shield containing a fabrial. The old king talks to him about choices and the paths they lead to, eventually concluding that morality and law are built on the bodies of the slain. He explains that fabrials are made by enslaving spren by luring them in with something they love, something familiar. The discussion overwhelms an already-shaken Dalinar and he excuses himself. He goes to the storm shelters, hopeful that the familiar company of soldiers will calm him. While meeting with a group of veterans, he asks an elderly one about the civil war. The man tells him it was a nightmare, marked by men shouting to keep fighting even when it was no longer necessary, to keep up the momentum. The soldiers recalled seeing a haze that day. Hearing the description of their bloodlust, Dalinar feels it stir - the Thrill awakening deep inside. He realizes he never learned to overcome it; rather, it had left him to come to Vedenar.

The ship is on its way to Celebrant. Adolin is in Captain Ico's cabin, refashioning clothes that the spren gave him. Ico enters and tells Adolin he can sense that he was a ruler in the Physical Realm, wondering why such a human would come to Shadesmar. Adolin doesn't answer and contemplates the thought of ruling, thinking that Dalinar will surely abdicate now that ElohkarElhokar is dead but worries he may have to take the throne. He grew up hoping he wouldn't, fearing that it would mean an end to dueling and enjoying life; plus, he feels inconsistent, unlike Dalinar.