60. Winds and Oaths

Kaladin leads a flying team including King Elhokar, Adolin, Shallan, and several soldiers toward Kholinar while riding above a highstorm. Upon scouting the city, he discovers that Alethi forces still hold the walls, but something dark and wrong looms over the palace complex. The group decides to land outside the city and approach cautiously using Shallan's illusions rather than descending openly.

Kaladin transports nine people—King Elhokar, Adolin, Shallan, two bridgemen (Skar and Drehy), two of Shallan's soldiers, and a maidservant—by flying them above the highstorm as it rages toward northern Alethkar. The journey requires Kaladin to maintain Stormlight for the group while staying within a hundred feet of the stormclouds. Shallan flies freely in her havah, delighting in the experience, while Elhokar and Adolin struggle with the ordeal. Syl communicates with Kaladin through mental impressions, noting their proximity to Kholinar and teasing him about Shallan. As the storm weakens near the Windrunner River, Kaladin scouts ahead by descending through the clouds. He finds Kholinar's walls still held by Alethi forces flying their flags, but the enemy has begun constructing bunkers on the killing field to besiege the city. The palace complex looms impressively over the northern side, but Kaladin notices a dark, wrongness hanging over it, particularly around the eastern section containing the monastery and Oathgate platform. When he returns to the group, his Stormlight can no longer be renewed by the fading storm. Elhokar initially wants to descend directly into the city to assert control and activate the Oathgate, but Kaladin and Adolin urge caution given the ominous darkness over the palace. Shallan suggests landing outside the city and using illusions to approach covertly and scout conditions. Elhokar agrees to this plan.