Navani storms Sadeas’s warcamp after rumors that Dalinar has fallen. Sadeas declares Dalinar dead, prompting Navani to paint and burn a massive glyph of justice as a prayer. A messenger’s news angers Sadeas just as a battered column appears: Dalinar returns leading 2,653 survivors. Dalinar reunites with Navani and his sons, embracing a new resolve to stop being manipulated.

Dalinar marches to confront Sadeas with his remaining troops and Bridge Four. In a private exchange, Sadeas admits he abandoned Dalinar to remove a rival and “protect” Elhokar from Dalinar’s influence, claiming Elhokar knows who tried to kill him. Dalinar recognizes Sadeas’s calculated treachery but keeps the peace to protect his weakened force.

When Dalinar demands the bridgemen, Sadeas refuses—even after an extraordinary price. Dalinar then offers his Shardblade for all of Sadeas’s bridgemen and drives the weapon into Navani’s scorched justice glyph. Sadeas accepts, stunned. Dalinar promises Kaladin that his men will be free and safe in Kholin camp, asserting that a life is priceless and the trade preserves his honor.

Dalinar next confronts Elhokar in private, overpowering him in Shardplate and preventing any help from entering. He forces Elhokar to admit he cut his own saddle girth to fabricate an assassination attempt. Dalinar affirms he could have killed Elhokar but won’t; he is not the enemy and loves him like a son.

Dalinar demands to be named Highprince of War, intending to enforce the Codes across all camps, centralize gemheart spoils under the Throne, and transform rivalry into a coordinated war effort. He resolves to give his Plate to Renarin, reframes Nohadon’s lessons as requiring enforced discipline before ideals can take root, vows to find Elhokar’s real enemies, and declares he is courting Navani. He departs determined to unite Alethkar.