Shallan and Kaladin, newly allowed on deck of the honorspren ship Honor’s Path, chart their position and debate escape toward Thaylen City’s Oathgate. Shallan requests beads from Captain Notum to practice sensing souls, learning she can carry them anywhere in Shadesmar. Notum, stern but fair, insists they are not prisoners yet refuses to free Syl.

Days pass in tense routine: Shallan practices with beads and sketches, while Kaladin paces and plans. Azure negotiates with the honorspren for her Blade and future freedom at Lasting Integrity, revealing she hunts a weapon that bleeds black smoke. She rejects Kaladin’s proposed escape, prioritizing her mission.

Shallan’s identity fractures surface; Adolin comforts her. He confesses he killed Sadeas in Urithiru’s corridors to stop future harm. Shallan, though a Radiant, tells him the world is better without Sadeas, and Adolin finds relief in her acceptance.

Kaladin confronts Notum on the high deck about Syl’s imprisonment. Notum explains honorspren lineage, Syl’s status as the rediscovered “Ancient Daughter,” and fears of Radiant bonds without Honor’s checks. As Kaladin wrestles with his Ideals, windspren appear around him—rare in Shadesmar—prompting Notum to reconsider when Kaladin declares a duty to protect the Stormfather’s Bondsmith, Dalinar.

As the crew watches the spectacle, a lookout spots distant shapes. Notum confirms eight Fused approaching on the horizon, vindicating Kaladin’s fears and setting the stage for an imminent confrontation.