Chapter 67

Adolin trains the young emperor Yanagawn in Shardplate and the strategic card game towers, while across the camp Kaladin practices music with Syl and discovers peace before Szeth mysteriously disappears. Enemy forces arrive at the battlefield, ending the respite.

Adolin arrives at Yanagawn's tent to conduct armor training, dismissing Vizier Noura who had opposed it. He equips the emperor with Shardplate and teaches him basic movement and control, emphasizing that mastering Plate is about learning restraint rather than raw power. Once Yanagawn can walk safely, Adolin shifts to tactical instruction, teaching him the card game Flat Face (towers). Yanagawn proves an exceptionally quick learner, grasping strategic concepts like reserve forces and flanking maneuvers. The emperor requests to be called by his name rather than his title, and later asks Adolin why he isn't Radiant. Adolin reveals his resistance to oaths, citing how oath-keeping became justification for past atrocities. He reflects on his father's legacy before the enemy's arrival cuts the training short.

Meanwhile, Kaladin and Szeth camp near a corrupted town en route to another monastery. Kaladin struggles with his flute practice until Syl encourages him to seek personal happiness rather than defining himself solely through helping others. After reading and correspondence via spanreed, Kaladin decides to dance the Chasm Kata with Syl, initially as spear-work then transitioning into actual dancing. The Wind itself joins them, and through this joyful movement, Kaladin finds the emotional gateway to finally play the flute beautifully, discovering music as part of his identity. When he finishes, he finds Szeth has vanished from camp, leaving only his pack and weapons behind.