Chapter 93

A flashback to sixteen years before the present timeline. Young Szeth, now a swordmaster acolyte at Pozen's monastery in Mokdown, is approached by the Honorbearer Sivi and encouraged to undertake a pilgrimage to challenge the Windrunner Tuko for his Honorblade. Through conversation, Szeth begins to question his black-and-white thinking and accepts the challenge, seeking answers about the mysterious Voice that guides the Honorbearers.

Szeth defeats the monastery's swordmaster Gonda in training, earning the rank of swordmaster himself. Pozen, the Honorbearer, sends him on a hunt to retrieve clues by visiting the crystalline shingles atop a church. Sivi, a visiting Honorbearer from another monastery, intercepts him and reveals she already knows Pozen's plan: Szeth is being cultivated to eventually challenge the Windrunner Tuko for his Honorblade. Over tea, Sivi probes Szeth's unquestioning obedience and begins to teach him that moral truth is more nuanced than the simple right-and-wrong framework he was raised with. She hints at her own relationship with Szeth's father Neturo, now mayor of Mokdown. When Szeth resists the idea of trusting her advice due to its complexity, Sivi challenges his desire for simplicity and helps him recognize that he actually wants answers and understanding. Szeth agrees to undertake the pilgrimage, starting with training at Sivi's monastery. Sivi warns him that Pozen is using him as a servant rather than a colleague, but leaves with mysterious purpose. Szeth reflects on his acceptance of the mission, committed to discovering the truth about the Voice.