MeloDet

Not at all actually, that sounds great! What I find to be potentially fanficy is her explicitly being the better fighter of the two. Not that I actually have any issue with her being the better fighter either, it's just that there really isn't a good way to make that explicit without it coming across fanficy. Does Kaladin see her fighting and think to himself "She's even better than me!"? Or do they spar or something with her winning handily? Cause those are both pretty much hallmark fanfic moments, particularly in fanfics with author self-inserts (I won't use the dreaded M-word, but I expect most people have seen this sort of thing.)

While I agree that Kal needs a "strong" love interest I have to say that having her be a better fighter than him (particularly without buildup) as some have suggested has a lot of potential to come across as rather fanficy. I get the appeal and all, but that's the sort of thing that could easily be done poorly. As for the topic in general, I actually think the 4th Windrunner oath is going to be something about saving oneself/living ones live rather than admitting that they can't save everyone as some have hypothesized. It would fit with the windrunner recording about wanting to save people and would fit with Tarah's comment about being there for the living. I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of Windrunner's had Kaladin's same saviour complex. Anyway, with that in mind I figure he kind of has to get a love interest at some point. It wouldn't make much sense in his general story arc of trying to find happiness etc., if he just committed himself to a lonely life of sainthood/martyrdom. That sort of behaviour is exactly what Syl has trying to cure him of the whole time.