Kaladin returns at evening with forty exhausted patrol soldiers and welcomes them into Bridge Four’s barrack, where they are cheered and fed. Pitt from Bridge Seventeen apologizes for past bitterness as a bridgeman; Kaladin absolves him and charges him to help reform other crews with Teft’s guidance. Kaladin notes old carapace armor hung on the walls and reflects that Teft’s training has quickly readied these men to become sergeants.

Outside, Kaladin senses an unnatural stillness as stars appear. Rock shoos away a lanky ardent trying to sketch bridgemen. Sigzil reminds Kaladin a highstorm is due, and Kaladin plans to join the guard for Dalinar and King Elhokar during it, though Teft is conspicuously absent.

On the caravan, Shallan practices silently palming spheres while Tyn, amused and mentoring, pushes her to use accents and challenges her Vorin modesty about uncovering her safehand. Tyn hints that harder tasks lie ahead and that she has incoming intelligence via spanreed.

They sight the glow and smoke of the warcamps on the horizon. Tyn advises stopping to avoid arriving after dark and being refused entry, especially with a storm imminent. Shallan deftly leads by asking Trademaster Macob’s opinion through a caravan youth; he concurs, and they choose to camp.

Tyn then shares dire news: reports say the Assassin in White killed Veden King Hanavanar and his heir, and six highprinces—certainly Jal Mala and Evinor, likely Abrial—are dead. With Valam contesting the succession and information unreliable, Shallan fears for her family, lacking a spanreed to contact them. Tyn promises to share any updates that night as they make camp short of the warcamps.