Istari

The exact words of the deal are: “Final terms are these: A contest of champions to the death. On the tenth day of the month Palah, tenth hour. We each send a willing champion, allowed to meet at the top of Urithiru, otherwise unharmed by either side’s forces. If I win that contest, you will remain bound to the system—but you will return Alethkar and Herdaz to me, with all of their occupants intact. You will vow to cease hostilities and maintain the peace, not working against my allies or our kingdoms in any way.” “Agreed,” Odium said. “But if I win, I keep everything I’ve won—including your homeland. I still remain bound to this system, and will still cease hostilities as you said above. But I will have your soul. To serve me, immortal. Will you do this? Because I agree to these terms.” “And I,” Dalinar whispered. “I agree to these terms.” “It is done.” What if Urithuru is destroyed? The deal cannot be fulfilled.

This is my first post - but I’ve been thinking that the fourth oath is: ”I will let fall the ones I cannot save, so that others may stand”. Building upon the excellent analysis earlier in the this thread, I agree that the oaths tend to be active statements. I then look back at the chapter titles in Oathbringer where Kaladin is first struggling to say the oath: when they are storming the palace in Kholinar. Chapter 84: The One You Can Save. Chapter 86: The Others May Stand. I may be reading too much into this, but its almost like Brandon is placing the words of the oath there, just beyond our perception - like they are for Kaladin. The formulation “I will let fall the ones I cannot save, so that others may stand” uses the words of these chapter headings, and, like earlier oaths, addresses the block that is preventing Kaladin from functioning: he wants to have everyone, so he can save no-one. It also feels like it has a nice poetic symmetry.