An epigraph notes something is happening to the Sibling, asserting Radiant division is not the cause and that worthiness is separate.

Kaladin enters the Wall Guard barracks and is welcomed—despite his shash brand—by Lieutenant Noro’s squad, including the boastful “Beard.” He notes the unit’s warmth, subtle losses, and that all present are lighteyes. Noro gently recruits him, praising their commander, Highmarshal Azure, who rallied them during riots.

Azure arrives, revealing the “secret” the men refuse to discuss: she is a woman leading the Guard and wears a foreign side sword that might be a Shardblade. She questions Kaladin but does not pry into his past. Instead, she invites him to see why service matters.

On the wall, Azure points to the glow of a Voidbringer force camping beyond Kholinar, explaining their tactics and the stakes. She presents the Wall Guard as redemption: fight here and past crimes won’t matter. She refuses to press him, urging him to think and return if he chooses.

Kaladin considers the singers he befriended and hopes they are not among the attackers. He leaves, returns to the mansion, and notes Adolin and Elhokar’s disguises remain intact while his falters. He tells the king he may have found another Radiant—suspecting Highmarshal Azure.