I-1. Narak

Eshonai returns to Narak after a successful plateau run to harvest a gemheart, surveying her people's struggling settlement and visiting the Hall of Art where soldiers practice painting. She confronts her sister Venli, who reveals she has discovered the secret to stormform—an ancient, powerful form that could allow the listeners to control or summon highstorms and destroy the Alethi army.

Eshonai lands at Narak after leading fifteen hundred soldiers to victory on a plateau run, securing a gemheart with minimal casualties. She reflects on her desire to face Dalinar Kholin again and her growing weariness with warfare. Walking through the ruins of the ancient city that forms Narak's foundation, Eshonai observes her people's depression as they sing to the Rhythm of Mourning rather than Excitement. She visits the Hall of Art, where soldiers attempt to paint under her directive to stimulate discovery of new listener forms. Varanis, a lieutenant, expresses doubt about art's utility, but Eshonai explains her sister Venli believes understanding how to create artists might lead to discovering stronger forms than warform. Eshonai reflects on the five known listener forms—workform, warform, mateform, nimbleform, and dullform—noting their distinct advantages and drawbacks, and the lost slaveform that humans call parshmen. At the watering square, she reprimands idle mateforms and considers how listeners killed King Gavilar to prevent his plans from coming to fruition, though that desperate gambit has resulted in the humans' relentless pursuit of vengeance. Reaching her home, a small collapsed dome improved by her sister Venli, Eshonai finds Venli and her once-mate Demid reviewing research papers. Venli reveals she has discovered stormform—an ancient form of power that would allow listeners to control or summon highstorms and potentially destroy the Alethi army. Eshonai, who yearns for peace with the Alethi and exploration, initially resists, but Venli persuades her to consider bringing the discovery to the Five, appealing to Eshonai's desire to return to freedom and exploration once the human threat is eliminated.