44. One Form of Justice

Kaladin and his Bridge Four soldiers undergo sword training with Zahel and Ivis to prepare for combat against Shardblades. During training, Moash reveals that King Elhokar had his grandparents executed years ago and asks Kaladin to listen to conspirators plotting the king's assassination, extracting a promise of secrecy in exchange for delaying action.

Kaladin brings Moash, Teft, and Yake to Dalinar's training grounds for sword instruction with Zahel, an unconventional ardent. After initial testing, Zahel arranges for them to handle one of the king's Shardblades and teaches them the ten Shardblade stances. Ivis, a female ardent, continues their training with practice swords. During the session, Shallan Davar arrives to sketch Shardplate and Shardblades for the royal records, sparking banter with both Adolin and Kaladin. Adolin believes she is watching him spar but learns she has other purposes. While training, Moash confides in Kaladin that King Elhokar deliberately caused the deaths of his grandparents—silversmiths in Kholinar—by imprisoning them in the dungeons without trial. Moash reveals he has been recruited into a plot to assassinate the king and asks Kaladin to meet with the conspirators. Though shocked, Kaladin agrees not to report Moash and promises to listen to their plan in exchange for Moash's pledge to take no further action until they meet. Kaladin continues practicing sword forms afterward, wrestling internally with contradictions between Vorin teachings about self-improvement and societal restrictions on darkeyes. He presses Syl on questions of justice and honor, asking whether killing is justified in different contexts—Moash's potential revenge versus his own past kills against Parshendi. Zahel advises against attempting the dangerous lastclap maneuver Dalinar performed, and Kaladin accepts the practical reasoning.