70. Highmarshal Azure

Kaladin visits the Wall Guard barracks and meets Highmarshal Azure, a skilled female commander defending Kholinar from an approaching Voidbringer army. Azure recruits him by showing him the enemy forces camped beyond the walls and explaining that fighting there offers redemption regardless of past deeds.

Kaladin arrives at the Wall Guard barracks and is immediately struck by its well-maintained state and camaraderie among the soldiers. Lieutenant Noro welcomes him despite his deserter status and shash brand, and the squad members freely share food and conversation. Kaladin realizes all the soldiers are lighteyes, which surprises him—they seem like normal people rather than the privileged class he expected. The men hint at their commander's exceptional qualities and mention she will visit during evening rounds. When Highmarshal Azure arrives, Kaladin discovers the commander is a woman, which shocks him given Vorin society's strict gender roles. The soldiers visibly avoid discussing her gender as a "secret." Azure takes Kaladin to the top of the city wall at night and shows him the glow of a Voidbringer army camped in the distance beyond the city. She explains they are not Alethi forces but actual monsters who pose an existential threat to Kholinar and all of Alethkar. Azure pitches joining the Wall Guard as an opportunity for redemption—fighting there matters because failure means the city and nation fall. She tells him to consider the choice, promising him no judgment for his past if he returns to fight. After descending the wall, Kaladin returns to the mansion where he finds Adolin and Elhokar with their illusions intact. Kaladin realizes something may be wrong with his own illusory sphere and tells them he believes he may have found another Radiant.