I-10. Hesina

Hesina reviews reconnaissance maps of Alethkar and finds information about her hometown of Tomat, then confronts her husband Lirin about his ongoing resentment toward their son Kaladin and his refusal to accept the positive impact Kaladin's example has on the people of Urithiru.

Hesina kneels over maps provided by scout reports, including detailed observations of Tomat from Kara the Windrunner. She notes that the city surrendered without extensive destruction, suggesting good survival rates for its inhabitants. Lirin enters the surgery chamber, and they discuss her father, who still lives in Tomat; Lirin jokes that the old man is too stubborn to die. Hesina expresses concern that her father would have resisted the invasion and fought, possibly getting himself killed. Their conversation shifts to tension between them regarding Kaladin. Hesina accuses Lirin of not forgiving himself for Tien's death or appreciating Kaladin's qualities, while Lirin insists he would have brought Kaladin to Urithiru for extended care if given the chance. The argument escalates, with Hesina asserting that she left everything to be with Lirin because she loved him, and that his refusal to see Kaladin as his son is causing further harm. She forces him to look at the infirmary, where people of various backgrounds wear the shash glyph on their foreheads in honor of Stormblessed (Kaladin). She introduces him to Noril, a one-armed refugee from Hearthstone whom Lirin had once placed on suicide watch. Noril explains that seeing Kaladin continue to fight despite his own emptiness and suffering gives him the strength to get up each day. Hesina asks Lirin to listen to these people and truly see them, then returns to her work, trusting in the man she knows he is.