117. One Final Gift

After Teft's funeral, Kaladin meets with Dalinar to discuss his future role. Dalinar reveals that he has negotiated a contest of champions with Odium to occur in ten days, and asks Kaladin to help recover the Herald Ishar, who has gone insane. Kaladin also recovers his wooden horse, a gift from his brother Tien. Meanwhile, the Pursuer is resurrected and immediately killed again by El as an experiment, and Dalinar reflects on his agreement with unease while spending time with Navani.

Four hours after Teft's funeral, Kaladin seeks out Dalinar at the tower and finds him with Navani. Dalinar acknowledges that Kaladin was right to step down from command and pursue healing work with soldiers like Dabbid, granting his request to continue in this role. Dalinar then reveals that he and Odium have set a contest of champions for ten days hence, which will determine the war's outcome and enforce a treaty. Rather than asking Kaladin to be his champion, Dalinar requests that Kaladin undertake a different mission: to journey to Shinovar in "odd company" to recover the Herald Ishar, who is insane, and find a way to help him regain his sanity so he can aid Dalinar in preparing for the contest. Dalinar explains that Ishar's condition is supernatural and that Kaladin's experience with mental anguish makes him suitable for this task.

Dalinar also returns to Kaladin a flute that belonged to him, which Lift discovered in a merchant's salvage bin in the Breakaway—items abandoned from the Shattered Plains. Kaladin goes to the merchant and finds not only the flute but also Rock's razor, Sigzil's brushpens, and a wooden horse carved in exacting detail that his brother Tien gave him before his military recruitment. Moved by the recovery of this cherished item, Kaladin goes to meet Dabbid and the other soldiers he rescued, honoring his promise to Teft to engage in self-care and support.

In a parallel scene, the Pursuer awakens after being resurrected and finds himself with El, a Fused with no title. El reveals that they had him resurrected quickly using the old methods, and while the Pursuer begins demanding Voidlight to pursue vengeance against Kaladin, El kills him again using a knife attached to a Voidlight sphere, apparently conducting an experiment on whether the modified sphere works.

Later, Dalinar stands atop the tower with Navani, enjoying the fresh mountain air and the tower's transformation. He expresses relief at the peace the contest agreement will bring but feels unease about the terms he negotiated, particularly something he promised regarding the contest's outcome. He worries he may have left Odium too much room to continue fighting during the ten-day period. Navani reassures him that their victory is assured and that they can build a new world with singers and humans in separate lands. The Stormfather communicates with Dalinar, and Dalinar encourages the spren to learn mercy, noting that such learning will make him more human.