Chapter 27

Szeth and Kaladin approach Shinovar from the north, flying through the Misted Mountains. Upon crossing into soil for the first time in years, Szeth experiences overwhelming emotion before his spren reprimands him. The pair encounters unusual plants and discuss their strange resilience before reaching a vista overlooking the verdant lowlands of Shinovar.

Szeth continues to maintain his white clothing and daily head-shaving despite no longer being mandated to do so, uncertain whether these are genuine preferences or ingrained habits. He and Kaladin fly toward Shinovar, avoiding the northern border where Shin archers attack. Szeth notes that his spren has forbidden him from using Division despite his reaching the Third Ideal. As they descend through a mountain pass, Szeth's emotional state becomes unstable when his feet finally touch soil rather than stone—something he hasn't experienced in years. He falls to his knees at the sight of a dandelion weed, overwhelmed by its beauty. His highspren rebukes him for this sentimentality, reminding him to maintain composure and serve the law. Kaladin and his spren Syl examine the plant, speculating whether it might be Soulcast or simply unusually resilient. Szeth insults Kaladin's courage, and though Kaladin objects, Szeth presses the point, claiming to speak truth. As they continue into Shinovar proper, the landscape transforms from rocky terrain to lush vegetation—vines, grass, trees, and prairies covering the land. Szeth is troubled by the voices of those he has killed, which have resumed whispering to him from the shadows.