Thirty-four years earlier, Dalinar leads his handpicked elites through a burning field to flank an enemy retreating into a town. He smashes a hastily formed spear line with relentless momentum, cutting down soldiers—including a wailing youth—while driving the enemy toward his main force in a hammer-and-anvil maneuver.

Spotting a mounted brightlord in imitation Plate, Dalinar has Jenin shoot the horse, then closes for a brutal fight. When a shield strap snaps and he is battered and bloodied, the Thrill surges through him. With a poleaxe tossed by Dym, Dalinar kills the brightlord—later identified as the heir Yezriar—and the honor guard breaks.

Dalinar orders raids to seize civilians as hostages, but an archer on a distant ridge strikes him with black-shafted arrows from nearly four hundred yards. Dalinar charges up the switchbacks, takes another hit, kicks the archer down, and confirms the man was sent to kill him. Impressed, he has the archer prove his shot, then recruits him into the elites, bargaining to spare the town from pillage despite the archer’s demand for Yezriar’s life already being moot.

Returning, Dalinar halts looting while Sadeas displays executed leaders’ heads. Sadeas initially complains—anticipating plunder—but relents, framing mercy as symbolism, and jokes that Dalinar needs Shards. Dalinar reinforces orders to protect the city and rides back to camp, the Thrill fading, already longing for the next battle.