Rhythm of War (The Stormlight Archive, #4)

by Brandon Sanderson

And … there was Dalinar. Standing tall. Somehow taller than any man in the room. He wasn’t drunk yet, and people orbited him like they might a fire on a cold night—needing to be close, but fearing the true heat of his presence. Those haunted eyes of his, simmering with passion.

Navani stepped forward and let her voice grow as cold as his. “You realize that girl still loves you, Gavilar. They all do. Elhokar, Dalinar, the boys … they worship you. Are you sure you want to reveal to them what you truly are? They are your legacy. Treat them with care. They will define how you are remembered.”

She loved that chull. Loved his stubbornness, the concern he took for every decision. The way he thought with intense passion. You never got half of Dalinar Kholin. When he put his mind to something, you got the whole man—and had to simply pray to the Almighty that you could handle him.

“Ha,” Adolin said, tugging him by the arm. “Come on, Brightlord Master Highmarshal Stormface.

“I go to the gods,” Rock said. He held up his finger. “There is one who lives here. One afah’liki. He is powerful god, but tricky. You should not have lost his flute.” “I … don’t think Wit is a god, Rock.” He tapped Kaladin’s head. “Airsick as always.” He grinned, bowing in a sweeping, deferential way Kaladin had never seen from him before.

“If you forget why you are fighting, then victory itself becomes the goal. The longer we fight, the more detached we become. Both from our own minds, and from our original Passions.”

“I…” Kaladin swallowed. “I don’t know what any of that meant, but thanks for replying. Wit never gives me answers. At least not straight ones.” “That’s because Wit is an asshole,”

and Lift was likely somewhere, judging from the state of the snack table—though a few other Edgedancers were sitting at the rear as well.

“Different, yes,” Dalinar said, leaning on the railing next to her. “But who is to say what is worse or better? We each have our own Voidbringers to slay, Brightness Sylphrena. No man can judge another man’s heart or trials, for no man can truly know them.”

You Connect things, Dalinar. Realms. Ideas. People.”

“Son,” Dalinar said, “I’m not disappointed in you.” “Aren’t you? Can you say that truthfully, with an oath?” Dalinar fell silent. “I merely want you to be the best man you can be,” he finally said. “A better man than I was at your age. I know that’s the person you really are. And I want you to represent me well. Is that such a terrible thing?”

your actions define you more than your intentions. That your goals and the journey used to attain them must align.

“I’m still learning. We all are. The Book of Endless Pages cannot be filled …

“Relaxing isn’t relaxing,” he said. “Sit around too much, and you start sitting around even more.”

You’re always willing to give others more charity than you extend yourself.

Never underestimate the strength of a soldier trained to stand fast.

“I’ve taken oaths too, Father,” he said. “I’m sorry I’m not the man you wanted me to be.

She had two distinct advantages though. She was Radiant. And Ruthar was an idiot.

“If you spend your life knocking people down, you eventually find they won’t stand up for you.

When good men disobeyed, it was time to look at your orders.

He lowered his hand. He was so tired. But today, he couldn’t afford to be tired. He had to be Kaladin Stormblessed. Kaladin Stormblessed fought anyway.

couldn’t bring down a Fused in a fair fight.” “There are no fair fights, Jasnah,” Wit said. “There’s never been such a thing. The term is a lie used to impose imaginary order on something chaotic.

A good man must strive to accomplish the things he’s committed to do.”

path of Radiance.

until he found something remarkable. A single figure, almost invisible in the darkness, clinging to the outside of the tower on the eighth level. Kaladin Stormblessed.

“I have been given a duty,” Szeth said. “I will do it well.”

“This Shin man bears Jezrien’s Blade. And he is expertly trained in its employ.

“That sounds great,” Adolin said, relaxing. If he had to listen to one more lecture including terms like “exculpatory evidence” and “compensatory restitution,” he would ask them to execute him and be done with it.

“And if all of this is too much for me?” Kaladin asked. “If I can’t keep fighting? If I just … stop? Give up?” “Are you close to that?” “Yes,” Kaladin whispered. “Then best eat your stew,” Wit said, pointing with his spoon. “A man shouldn’t lie down and die on an empty stomach.”

“It will,” Wit said, “but then it will get better. Then it will get worse again. Then better. This is life, and I will not lie by saying every day will be sunshine. But there will be sunshine again, and that is a very different thing to say. That is truth. I promise you, Kaladin: You will be warm again.”

Dabbid stepped back as Teft said something, causing Kaladin to sit up—then laugh in joy. It had worked. Dabbid wasn’t Radiant. He wasn’t brave. He wasn’t smart. But today he hadn’t been stupid either. Once, Kaladin had pulled Dabbid out of Damnation itself. It felt good to return that act of heroism with a small one of his own.

“Honor is not dead so long as he lives in the hearts of men!”

Our weakness doesn’t make us weak. Our weakness makes us strong. For we had to carry it all these years.”

“Your son is a soldier, Lirin.

We’re limiting our losses—making certain that at the boundaries of this planet, hell and hate must halt.”

“We are revealing a new world, Jasnah, and the way before us is dark until we bring it light. We will be forgiven if we stumble on unseen ground now and then.”

Yes, she thought, continuing to paint. I’m afraid. And I have to hope that someone, somewhere, is listening. That someone has a plan. That it all matters somehow.

“We’re not fighting. You run like a coward.” “Every good sergeant is a coward! And proud of it! Someone needs to talk sense to the officers!”

“Since we all go to the same place in the end, the moments we spent with each other are the only things that do matter. The times we helped each other.”

“I’m not strong enough,” Kaladin whispered. “You’re strong enough for me.” “I’m not good enough.” “You’re good enough for me.”

“Radiants break too,” Kaladin whispered. “But then, fortunately, we fill the cracks with something stronger.

Storms. Dalinar wasn’t certain who was more insane: Szeth or the sword. The combination was particularly unnerving.

All of Bridge Four came, except for Rock. Skar and Drehy had relayed the news after returning to the Shattered Plains—it seemed Kaladin wouldn’t be seeing Rock again.

Thank you for this seon, by the way.