11. An Illusion of Perception

Shallan awakens on a rock after the santhid rescues her from the shipwreck that killed Jasnah and the crew. She struggles alone on the Frostlands coast, discovers Jasnah's trunk of books and research, and attempts to use her newfound abilities in Shadesmar to create fire before nearly falling into that realm. Exhausted and injured, she stumbles into a slaver's camp and uses an air of authority to convince the merchant Tvlakv to transport her to the Shattered Plains.

Shallan wakes on a rock in the ocean, rescued by the santhid. Pattern appears and confirms the ship is destroyed and the crew's fate uncertain. Shallan grieves Jasnah's death briefly before focusing on survival needs. The tide recedes, allowing her to wade to shore, where she searches for survivors but finds none. Desperate and unable to build a fire, she discovers a waterproof trunk containing Jasnah's books and research—her life's work preserved. That night, attempting to use Stormlight to manipulate reality, Shallan enters Shadesmar with a glowing sphere and tries to convince a stick to become fire. The stick stubbornly refuses to change, insisting only that it is a stick. Exhausted, Shallan drains her Stormlight and nearly falls into the sea of beads before forcing herself back to the physical realm. Desperate to escape the cold, she walks through the night following a light and collapses into a camp of Thaylen merchants and slavers. She wakes to find herself among Tvlakv, a slaver, and his two guards, who are surprised to find her among them. Shallan sizes up the dangerous situation—the men are eyeing her with hunger, and her safepouch has been opened. Realizing she needs their help to reach the Shattered Plains and that they're unlikely to enslave a high-dahn lighteyes, she adopts an air of authority reminiscent of Jasnah. She commands them to retrieve her trunk and transport her north. Against her expectations, they obey. The wagons are loaded and they begin heading toward the Shattered Plains. Shallan notices parshmen in the camp but cannot afford to worry about them now.