Deimos
Hello! I'm a long term reader of The Coppermind, but a newb contributer. I've been wanting to start contributing for a while and finally made the plunge (in a very small way so far :))
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Chapter 45: Middlefest
- Characters
- Shallan Davar (Point of view)
- Lin Davar
- Malise Gevelmar
- Balat Davar
- Wikim Davar
- Jix
- Brightlord Revilar
- Eylita Tavinar
- Wit
- Mentioned only
- Plot Sumary
- Three and a half years ago
Shallan and her family are attending the Middlefest Fair on her father's estates, which draws people from hamlets and villages all around. A Shin merchant has a colorful show chicken on display, and Shallan thinks it bizarre. She follows her father to their box at the dueling arena, where they are soon approached by Brightlord Revilar. Revilar tries to force her father into an unfavorable business deal, noting his popularity with Highprince Valam and House Davar's declining status. Eventually her father bows his head and they send Shallan away.
She is excited to see the fair unchaperoned but forces herself to do work first. After finding Eylita Tavinar, who gives her a note, she sets off to find brother Balat. While searching she thinks of her mother and her mind goes blank. Jix, one of her house's guards, eventually finds her and agrees to accompany her. Balat is at the Axehound fights in the gambling pavilion, watching intensely, fixated on the animals killing each other. Shallan gives him the note, and he's surprised and excited by the meeting she's arranged. After he leaves, shallan sits on a rock, relieved to be out of the pavilion and happy she was able to help Balat, even in a small way.
When she returns to her father's box, he's in a meeting with a man she doesn't recognize. The man, dressed in black, seems startled when he sees Shallan and almost drops his glass. Malise tells her that the man claims to have brought word from her brother Helaran. When asked what news the man brought, her father commands her not to speak her Helaran's name and declares him disinherited.
Shallan leaves and seeks out their carriage. Wikim is within, depressed and despondent. He asks whether their father sent her, or whether she came on "one of her new little missions of mercy". He tells her that she can't fix their family, and that he won't be around to see their collapse because he'll be dead by then. Feeling like a fool, she gives him the gift she had prepared, a set of math problems, then hastens away from the carriage fighting back tears.
Sitting on a rock and trying to compose herself, the messenger in black starts talking with her. The man, unbeknownst to Shallan, is Wit. He tells her that the message sent by Helaran to her father is that he "has eyes nearby, and is watching." Wit then asks her if spren talk to her, which causes her to think about "twisted symbols the eye should not see" and "her mother's soul in a box". She tells him that of course they don't and that she should be returning to her father. Wit tells Shallan that Helaran was right, her father is destroying their family, but wrong about everything else. He points out that Wikim is engrossed in the math problems that she had given him. He asks her to tell her the most beautiful thing she can imagine, and she describes a scene with her family happily living in together. As she talks, Wit pulls out some spheres and wisps of Stormlight hang in the air before between them. When she notices, she draws back and the light fades. Wit tells her that she will need to understand the nature of lies and see truth before she can expand upon it.
- Notable
- At the meeting with Lin Davar, Wit dumps a pouch of powder into his own cup and drinks it. It's possible that this are Allomantic metals.
- Shallan is able to vividly see what she is describing to Wit, which is similar to Kaladin's experience speaking with Wit. This is likely one of Wit's abilities.
- Wit mentions that the "Shards here are very strict," refering to the Shards on Roshar. This is one of few instances when they have been mentioned directly in the books.
Chapter 48: No More Weakness
- Characters
- Shallan Davar (Point of view)
- Balat Davar
- Wikim Davar
- Lin Davar
- Jushu Davar
- Mentioned only
- Plot Summary
- Three years ago
Shallan, Balat and Wikim are relaxing in the gardens when they hear a carriage arriving at their house. Balat goes to see who it is, and Wikim tells Shallan that what she's been doing has been helping their family. He gives her a bag of dried blackbane that he's been carrying for over a year, indicating that he no longer wants to kill himself, then jogs off to the house. Though unsettled by the blackbane, she returns to her drawing.
A short time later she is interrupted by shouting. When she reaches the house, she finds three men standing before her father and Jushu kneeling on the floor with his hands tied behind his back. Lin says he won't pay Jushu's gambling debts, despite his son's pleas, and tells the men that they can have him. Shallan begs Ballat to do something as Jushu is dragged away, but he doesn't know what he can do.
Shallan follows her father into his study. The house's ledgers are open and she can see that they are in staggering debt. Her father tells her that he doesn't have the spheres to pay the men, and commands her confined to her rooms.
Crying, she runs back into the feast hall, asks Balat and Wikim for the daggers their father had given them, then chases after Jushu and the men. She manages to convince the men to take the daggers and her necklace in payment of Jushu's debt, though they are only worth about of it. She tells Jushu, who's been beaten and can't hear well, that Balat and Wikim saved him.
She returns to her rooms and waits, hearing the inevitable shouts. Eventually her father opens the door to her room. She can see the crumpled form of Minara, their serving maid, in the hall. Her arm is broken and she leaves a streak of blood on the wall as she tries to crawl away. Her father tells Shallan that he's found a way to control himself, he just needs to let his anger out, and that his anger is created when people disobey him. He tells her that he would never hurt her, and so he wouldn't want to have to punish others because she defied him again.
Chapter 61: Obedience
- Characters
- Shallan Davar (Point of view)
- Balat Davar
- Wikim Davar
- Lin Davar
- Jushu Davar
- Mentioned only
- Plot Summary
- One and a half years ago
Shardblades
Oathbringer: "It was long and slightly curved, a handspan wide, with wavelike serrations near the hilt. It curved at the tip like a fisherman's hook."[1]
Adolin's Shardblade: "As long as a man is tall... long and sinuous, its single edge rippled like an eel and curved up into a point. The back bore delicate ridges, like crystal formations."[2] When he summons his Shardblade, "The white fog appeared-manifesting as little vines sprouting in the air-before snapping into the form of a sharblade."[3] Maybe this means his blade was once held by one of the Radiants that used the Progresion Surge?
Helaran's Shardbale: "A line of mist coalesced into silvery steel. A Blade some six feet long, curved and thick, with the side that wasnt sharp rising into a shape like burning flames or perhaps ripples of water. It had a gemstone set at the pommel, and as light reflected of the metal, the ridges seemed to move."[4] Later described as "A Blade with the back edge ridged like flowing waves. Or perhaps tonues of fire. Etchings all along its surface. Curved, sinuous."[5]
Shallan's blade: "it glowed softly the color of garnet along several faint lines down its length."[6] Living blades (and plate) seem to glow with the color associated with their order of Randiants. Touching Shallan's blade doesnt cause Kaladin to hear screams (though this is when Syl isnt with him anymore.
Syl on Szeth's Honoblade: "It's something special. It was created to give abilities to men, much as our bond does."[5] Syl+Kal on Shardblades: -Syl "they're evil." -Kal "Because they're symbols of the knights' broken oaths. But where did they come from in the first place? how were they forged?" Syl didnt answer. "Can a new one be forged? One that doesnt bear the stain of broken promises?" -Syl "Yes."[5]