10. A Single Casualty

After the evacuation of Hearthstone, Kaladin struggles with depression and trauma while en route to the Shattered Plains, unable to process Moash's words about inevitable death and his own failure to kill him. Meanwhile, Navani studies mysterious fabrials in her mobile study chamber and receives a cryptic spanreed warning from an unknown person demanding she stop imprisoning spren. Shallan and Adolin travel by carriage to Narak, where Shallan grapples with her secret involvement with the Ghostbloods and considers confessing to Adolin.

Kaladin boards the Fourth Bridge as it lifts away from Hearthstone, feeling hollow despite his victory. He withdraws from the celebrating Windrunners, troubled by his failure to kill Moash and haunted by the nihilistic words Moash spoke about everyone dying. Syl expresses concern that Kaladin's mental state worsens when he depletes his Stormlight, manifesting as paralysis and fatigue. Teft confronts him about his condition and convinces him to congratulate Laran on achieving her Third Ideal, affirming his role as highmarshal. Kaladin then flies to the Shattered Plains with Dalinar's group.

Navani, traveling in her mobile study sphere, examines mysterious fabrials including a device that suppressed Radiants' powers and theorizes about connections to Urithiru's mechanisms and Soulcasters. During the flight, she discovers a hidden spanreed ruby beneath her table. A mysterious correspondent writes to her in cramped script, accusing her of being a monster who imprisons spren and demands she stop, threatening consequences. When Navani defends her use of fabrials by noting that captured spren are unintelligent like animals, the writer insists she is wrong and breaks off communication.

Shallan and Adolin travel by carriage to Narak after delivering prisoners. In an intimate moment, Shallan wrestles with keeping secrets from Adolin, fearing he would abandon her if he knew the truth about her identities and actions. When discussing Ialai's death, Veil emerges and discusses suspicions that Ialai was poisoned rather than killed in combat. Shallan reveals that Ialai mentioned the Ghostbloods as a separate group from the Sons of Honor and gave her a book containing Ialai's notes about their mysterious plans and leaders like Thaidakar. Shallan realizes she has been working for the Ghostbloods herself and must eventually confess this to Adolin, as the situation will soon force a confrontation.