94. A Small Bottle

A flashback to seven years prior shows a deeply broken Dalinar, consumed by alcoholism and grief, desperately searching for hidden wine at a fort during the journey home from the last hunt with Gavilar. When Renarin brings him a bottle of wine purchased with spheres the king gave him, the act of selfless compassion triggers an emotional collapse in Dalinar as he confronts his own self-hatred and despair.

The chapter opens seven years before the main narrative timeline at an eastern fort in Alethkar. Dalinar, intoxicated and manic, ransacks his quarters searching for hidden bottles of wine, unable to silence the voices of those he has lost—children dying, Evi begging for her life. He vaguely recalls that the last hunt with Gavilar ended weeks ago and that they discovered interesting parshmen during their wilderness travels. When Adolin and Renarin appear at his door concerned about the commotion, Dalinar violently dismisses them. Renarin returns alone moments later, offering Dalinar a small bottle of wine he purchased with spheres given to him by the king. Renarin attempts to comfort his father, claiming his mother told him Dalinar was the most honorable and noble man in Alethkar. Dalinar, recognizing this as false comfort born from his son's love, breaks down weeping, pulling Renarin close while internally begging for help to escape his suffering. The chapter reveals the depth of Dalinar's addiction and self-loathing during this period of his life.