After a morning of reflection, Adolin decides to stop second-guessing Dalinar’s visions and determines that Dalinar must not attend the risky parley. In council with Dalinar, Navani, General Khal, Teshav, and Kaladin, Adolin insists on taking Dalinar’s place, arguing Dalinar’s irreplaceable importance. Kaladin supports the caution, and Adolin secures Renarin’s Shardplate to preserve the deception.

Adolin rides Dalinar’s Ryshadium, Gallant, leading a small escort to the meeting plateau, which features a fossilized chasmfiend encased in crem. With Brightness Inadara to record via spanreed, Adolin meets the Parshendi Shardbearer, Eshonai. He speaks in Dalinar’s voice through his helm, proposing truce terms while Inadara relays responses to the warcamp.

Eshonai is cold and dismissive, claiming the war’s rules have changed and that gemstone skirmishes no longer matter. When Adolin pleads for peace, she asserts it will come only when one side is dead and reveals that Gavilar boasted of returning their gods on the treaty night. She ends the parley and departs, leaving Adolin with no leverage.

Back in camp, Dalinar judges peace impossible and finalizes a plan to take their entire army—and as many highprinces as will follow—onto the Plains after the last highstorm before the Weeping, supported by Soulcasters, to preempt the ominous countdown and Parshendi scheme. He orders Adolin to win Shards through high-profile duels targeting Sadeas’s faction, beginning with a duel against Elit, to secure unity and strength for the coming campaign.