74. Striding the Storm

Kaladin and Shallan take shelter in a rocky alcove during a devastating highstorm while floodwaters rage in the chasm below. As they huddle together for warmth, they share deeply personal stories—Kaladin recounting his enslavement by Amaram and his journey with Bridge Four, while Shallan reveals she killed her own father. The Stormfather appears to Kaladin in a vision, accusingly telling him he has killed Syl and forbidding him from riding the storms again.

Kaladin and Shallan struggle against a violent highstorm that has caused the chasm to flood dramatically. They climb into a shallow alcove barely large enough to shelter them as water rises to dangerous levels, carrying debris and corpses of men and Parshendi. Once they achieve temporary safety, Kaladin begins sharing his story in the darkness—his betrayal by Amaram, his enslavement under Tvlakv, his suicidal despair, and his redemption through Bridge Four. He speaks of bridge runs, rescuing Dalinar, and facing the Parshendi Shardbearer, though notably omits details about killing the Shardbearer himself. Shallan listens without interruption, then reciprocates by confessing she murdered her own father—a violent, abusive man—by strangling him as he lay paralyzed. She explains how this led her to seek out Jasnah, intending to steal her Soulcaster to save her family's finances, but Jasnah discovered her and instead took her as a ward. Kaladin then experiences a vision where Shallan vanishes and he stands before the Stormfather—a vast, infinite face of a god or powerful spren. The Stormfather reveals that Kaladin has killed Syl, his spren companion, and withdraws his blessing, declaring Kaladin will no longer be able to ride the storms. When the vision ends and Shallan reappears, they find a sphere glowing with renewed Stormlight. As the floodwaters gradually recede, Kaladin notices the chasmfiend's corpse emerging from the river and realizes Shallan must be a Surgebinder—a Knight Radiant—but says nothing. He falls asleep holding Shallan, who has drifted off against him despite the ongoing storm.