Lin Davar vs. a Skybreaker Acolyte

[Yolenlightweaver]

I have been thinking about Shallan’s flashback with her mother and her associate. This associate, who is posited to be a skybreaker acolyte gets cut while fighting Lin. 
I know the different orders have different relationships with squires, but we have seen Nale send squires to handle possible radiants themselves, using himself as backup if they fail. 
If the associate is a skybreaker acolyte high enough to track a radiant, I have a hard time believing that Nale wouldn’t finish the job, much less he would lose to a normal human (as we have seen their squires along with Szeth use Stormlight). I know he gets cut but squires can heal. 
I would appreciate any thoughts on this as I am a little stuck. 

[The Sovereign]

There are a couple things to consider; First and most importantly, Shallan is not a reliable narrator. Whatever specifically happened the night her mother died beyond Shallan killing her with Testament, Lin taking the blame for it, and possibly that her mother tried to kill her it isn't exactly what Shallan has said/alluded to. Second, regarding why Nale wouldn't get directly involved; I suspect this has to do with the theory that Shallan's mother is Chanarach. If this was indeed the case (which seems very likely to me), that could be why Nale didn't involve himself directly. 

[Treamayne]

10 hours ago, Yolenlightweaver said:

I have been thinking about Shallan’s flashback with her mother and her associate. This associate, who is posited to be a skybreaker acolyte gets cut while fighting Lin. 
I know the different orders have different relationships with squires, but we have seen Nale send squires to handle possible radiants themselves, using himself as backup if they fail. 
If the associate is a skybreaker acolyte high enough to track a radiant, I have a hard time believing that Nale wouldn’t finish the job, much less he would lose to a normal human (as we have seen their squires along with Szeth use Stormlight). I know he gets cut but squires can heal. 
I would appreciate any thoughts on this as I am a little stuck. 

Also keep in mind that Skybreaker Acolytes are not Squires. With the first Oath they still cannot draw Stormlight. With the Second Oath, they become actual Squires, and as Bridge Four showed in Oathbringer - a Squire without their Radiant nearby also cannot use Stormlight.

[Green Hoodie Mistborn he/him]

Shallan’s brother was associated enough with Skybreakers to get Shards, but couldn’t use stormlight to heal either

I think the distinction is acolyte vs squire and level of oaths as stated

[alder24]

21 hours ago, Yolenlightweaver said:

If the associate is a skybreaker acolyte high enough to track a radiant, I have a hard time believing that Nale wouldn’t finish the job

Did Nale finish the job started by Helaran, who was a Shybreaker Acolyte? No, he didn't, he didn't even avenge him. Nale did nothing. In Helaran's case, he either was sent by Nale or acted on his own accord to prove himself to Nale, it's possible that Dreder also acted on his own to prove himself worthy of becoming a squire and Nale had no idea about his actions at all. We don't know that, but we know that Nale wasn't aware of every Radiant (he was unaware of Kaladin, but he knew of Tien) and he didn't always follow up their acolyte task after they failed. 

Also Mraize's letter suggested that Nale didn't know Shallan was developing a bond, he suspected Helaran was the one who was close bonding a spren and that's why Nale made him join Skybreakers - he thought the case was closed and there were no Radiants at house Davar anymore. He would be thinking that Dreder's death was just because he was caught with Shallan's mother by Lin, like everyone else. 

Lastly. if Shallan's mother was Chana, then Nale would certainly never raise his hand against her kids.

OB ch 40:

Quote

Your mother had intimate contact with a Skybreaker acolyte, and you know the result of that relationship. Your brother was recruited because Nale was impressed with him. Nale may also have learned, through means we do not understand, that a member of your house was close to bonding a spren. If this is true, they came to believe that Helaran was the one they wanted. They recruited him with displays of great power and Shards.
Helaran had not yet proved himself worthy of a spren bond. Nale is exacting with his recruits. Likely, Helaran was sent to kill Amaram as a test—either that or he took it upon himself as a way of proving his worthiness for knighthood.
It is also possible that the Skybreakers knew someone in Amaram’s army was close to bonding a spren, but I believe it likelier that the attack on Amaram was simply a strike against the Sons of Honor. From our spying upon the Skybreakers, we have records showing the only member of Amaram’s army to have bonded a spren was long since eliminated.
The bridgeman was not, so far as we understand, known to them. If he had been, he would certainly have been killed during his months as a slave.