Chapter 73: Three Glyphs

Spoiler Warning: This summary and analysis contains unmarked spoilers for The Way of Kings and the Stormlight Archive. Read at your own risk.

Summary

Bridge Four is exhausted from a night of forced salvage work and only three hours of sleep. Kaladin wears a prayer on his arm bearing three glyphs—wind, protection, beloved—reminding him of his mother’s faith. He reveals to his men that he has a plan for today’s bridge run, one that could buy them time or see him dead.

When the assault begins, Kaladin dons a vest and helm made of Parshendi carapace and bones, then dashes ahead of the bridge crew. Drawing in Stormlight from infused spheres, he becomes a decoy, enraging the Parshendi archers who despise corpse desecration. Arrows rain on him in an uncoordinated fury while the bridge crews set their spans almost unopposed. Kaladin dodges and deflects scores of arrows, his Stormlight granting impossible speed and even pulling projectiles toward his shield—an effect he realizes he has unconsciously performed on every bridge run. All twenty bridges are set with minimal casualties. Matal, the bridge overseer, is forced to take credit and receives a reluctant promotion, but he seethes at Kaladin’s defiance.

Shen, the parshman in Bridge Four, sits apart, weeping at the defilement of his people. Kaladin feels a pang of guilt but focuses on treating the wounded and teaching his men field medicine. A squad of Parshendi archers later breaks through Sadeas’s line and targets Bridge Four, but Dalinar Kholin in Shardplate unexpectedly slaughters them and raises his Blade in salute. The gesture puzzles Kaladin; Moash dismisses it as opportunism. Kaladin orders his men to pull back farther after future crossings and agrees to train more decoys. The chapter ends with Moash half-joking about the prayer’s power, while Kaladin’s mind turns to the ultimate test: escaping Sadeas’s camp alive.

Key Events

Kaladin wears a three-glyph prayer for protection and resolves to act.
Using carapace armor and Stormlight, he runs ahead as a decoy to draw Parshendi arrow fire.
He dodges an incredible hail of arrows, allowing all twenty bridge crews to set with almost no casualties.
Matal is promoted and angered; Sadeas takes note of Kaladin’s “miracle.”
Kaladin discovers he has been unconsciously pulling arrows toward himself for months.
Shen is distraught over the desecration of Parshendi bones.
Kaladin teaches wound care to his men and deals with physical shock.
Parshendi archers target Bridge Four after the main assault; Dalinar Kholin’s Shardbearer rescues them and gives a respectful salute.
Kaladin resolves to train more decoys and improve their defensive position.

Character Development

Kaladin: His guilt transforms—no longer believing in a curse, he blames himself for past failures but also embraces his protective instincts. The decoy plan showcases his tactical brilliance and willingness to risk himself. His awareness of Stormlight’s full potential grows, as does his unease over Shen’s pain.

Moash: Cynical yet fiercely loyal, he suggests attacking Sadeas’s soldiers in desperation but follows Kaladin’s lead. His scorn for lighteyes remains, but Kaladin’s success chips at his hopelessness.

Teft: Steps into a protective older-brother role, insisting Kaladin not fight alone. He begins to reveal more of his spearman background and pushes for a sustainable decoy strategy.

Shen: The parshman’s silent weeping humanizes the Parshendi and forces Kaladin (and the reader) to confront the moral cost of the bone-armor tactic.

Dalinar: His sudden intervention and salute introduce an ambiguous lighteyes figure who may value bridgemen lives, challenging Moash’s blanket cynicism.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

The Three Glyphs: Wind, protection, beloved—a simple prayer that contrasts the gruesome carapace armor, symbolizing Kaladin’s search for meaning and his mother’s subtle influence.

Desecration as Protection: Using Parshendi bones embodies the brutal calculus of war: Kaladin saves his men by profaning the enemy’s dead, raising ethical questions he cannot fully answer.

Guilt and Responsibility: Kaladin’s internal struggle intensifies; without a curse to blame, he must reconcile his failures with his growing power, walking a “precarious ledge” between self-blame and self-forgiveness.

Invisibility and Recognition: Bridgemen are normally ignored, but Kaladin’s actions force Sadeas, Matal, and even Dalinar to see him. This visibility is dangerous but also a step toward agency.

Unconscious Abilities: The revelation that Kaladin has been pulling arrows toward himself highlights how the Nahel bond operates beneath conscious thought, hinting at deeper Radiant powers.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter is a turning point for Bridge Four. Kaladin’s decoy tactic transforms the crew from doomed victims into a functional, proactive unit. It introduces a repeatable strategy that could reshape bridge runs, while also exposing them to increased danger from enraged Parshendi. The moral complexity of wearing enemy bones challenges both Kaladin and the reader, and Shen’s reaction foreshadows future divides. Dalinar’s salute plants a seed of hope—that not all lighteyes are the same—even as Sadeas’s opportunism reminds us of the system’s cruelty. Finally, Kaladin’s acknowledgment of his unconscious arrow-attraction powers marks a crucial step in his Radiant development.

Study Questions

Why does the Parshendi response to the bone armor confirm Kaladin’s theory, and what does it tell us about their culture?
The Parshendi’s single-minded rage proves that touching the dead is a profound taboo. This reveals a spiritual society that honors its fallen, making Alethi disregard for bridgemen lives even starker by comparison.
How does Kaladin’s discovery about pulling arrows reshape his understanding of his powers?
He realizes his survival wasn’t luck—it was an instinctive expression of his Nahel bond. This suggests his abilities are more expansive and intuitive than he knew, and that Stormlight responds to his deep desire to protect.
What does Dalinar’s salute to Bridge Four imply about his character, and why does Moash remain skeptical?
The salute hints at genuine respect for darkeyes, something no other lighteye has shown. Moash’s skepticism is rooted in a lifetime of abuse, making it hard to trust a single gesture, especially when framed as an opportune attack.