I-2. Ellista

Interlude I-2. At the Jokasha Monastery in the Horneater Peaks, scholar Ellista attempts to find peace and solitude to read, only to be repeatedly interrupted by arguing ardents, bustling library activity, and finally Ardent Urv. She eventually settles in the forest to read a romance novel while Urv discovers her scholarly work on translating the Dawnchant.

Ellista, an ardent scholar at the Jokasha Monastery, seeks quiet to read but is frustrated by constant arguing among other ardents debating the Everstorm's behavior and travel patterns. She attempts several locations—her reading nook, the hallway, a lower building—all filled with noise and activity. Frustrated, she ventures into the forest to find solitude. While reading "An Accountability of Virtue," a romance novel featuring the character Wema choosing between suitors Brightlord Sterling and Brightlord Vadam, Ardent Urv appears and asks about her progress on translating ancient Dawnchant texts. Ellista shows him her scholarly work, which demonstrates that the Dawnchant was once a codified written language used across many regions of Roshar as a language of scholarship—similar to how Alethi is used now—before falling into disuse over millennia. She theorizes that later phonetic transcriptions using Dawnchant script led to the development of proto-Thaylen and other modern writing systems. Urv suggests her theory might explain why he struggled with the Covad Fragment. The two discuss the romance novel, with Urv teasing her about the character Wema's choice of lover, and he offers to lend her a sequel in exchange for her help translating a section of Dawnchant for a patron with a strict deadline.