AFTERWORD

Chapter 81

68. Bridges

Overview

On an expedition across the Shattered Plains to observe a chasmfiend chrysalis, Kaladin struggles with his connection to the Stormlight after agreeing to help Moash assassinate the king, while a carpenter sabotages Dalinar's bridge, causing it to collapse with Dalinar, Adolin, and Shallan on it.

Summary

Kaladin marches with Bridge Four and the army across the Shattered Plains, unable to access Stormlight except when Syl is near, realizing his spren disapproves of his promise to help Moash kill the king. He confronts the impossible choice between two vows: to Moash and to Dalinar. Moash, now equipped with Shards, reveals the assassination plan—an arrow from archer Graves—and needs only Kaladin to position the king. As the army progresses toward the chrysalis site, Kaladin interacts with Adolin and Shallan, helping plan defense against the Assassin in White and observing Shallan's scholarly interest in old structures. Near the target plateau, Kaladin recognizes a carpenter from Sadeas's lumberyards operating one of Dalinar's mechanical bridges. As Dalinar crosses the bridge with Adolin and Shallan, the carpenter pulls a lever and the bridge collapses, with all three falling.

Characters

  • KaladinSoldier and Bridge Four captain struggling with conflicting promises to Moash and Dalinar; realizes his Stormlight access is tied to Syl's approval of his choices
  • SylKaladin's honorspren, playful but increasingly distant, withholding Stormlight to discourage his agreement to assassinate the king
  • DalinarHighprince leading an expedition across the Shattered Plains; discusses his visions and strategy for a potential assault on the Plains' center; falls when the bridge is sabotaged
  • MoashKaladin's former bridgeman turned Shardbearer; pressures Kaladin to help assassinate the king using archer Graves, claiming only a simple lure is needed
  • AdolinPrince who flirts with Shallan, seeks Kaladin's tactical advice against the Assassin in White, and runs to help his father when the bridge collapses
  • ShallanScholar and Adolin's betrothed; sketches the bridge mechanism and investigates old stone structures on the Plains; falls with the bridge
  • The CarpenterFormer bridge builder from Sadeas's lumberyards who sabotages Dalinar's mechanical bridge by pulling a lever
  • RockBridge Four member who jokes that the bridge feels lighter because they defeated Sadeas
  • LopenBridge Four member who distributes waterskins to the crew
  • RenarinDalinar's son wearing Bridge Four uniform, learning to fit in with the bridgemen
  • LeytenBridge Four member who gives Renarin pointers on carrying the bridge
  • TeftBridge Four member who protests Kaladin taking a turn hauling the bridge
  • The Vaulter ScoutShort, compact scout who reports seeing the Assassin in White flying over the Plains
  • GravesArcher and conspirator in the assassination plot; supposedly will shoot the king with an arrow
  • GazMentioned but absent; previously Shallan's guard