Aleksiel

I think reward would be more fitting than a punishment Well, there's no trial by combat since shardbearers are either executed or let free. So no prison either. I don't think Adolin will be executed, so he'll suffer no legal punishment imo. I don't see Adolin running away, nor Dalinar exiling him... Honestly, I don't know. I'm gonna have to think about it some more. Or may be I'm wrong and Elhokar will sentence Adolin to death? But Renarin will bust him out Radiant style. That would be cool.

Although you are right, Adolin either cleaned his hands or there wasn't blood on them (that would be odd actually). He cut his cuffs because of the blood and I doubt he'll miss how important it is to no go around with blood on your hands. The last we hear from him is that he pretends he was in the area of the patrol all along, which implies there was nothing suspicious in Adolin's appearance. I really think he passed the first test.

I guess we read Dalinar differently then, because I don't see him disowning Adolin and stripping him of his title. As for the crime - I might agree killing your own highprince could be the worst possible crime to lighteyes, but killing a rival highprince is politics. Preferably done in secret and by professionals, but so long as Adolin doesn't officially admit, it's acceptable. If Adolin refrains from making a public confession, he should be fine even if everybody knows he did it.

Here's the quote: Whether or not there was blood on his hands isn't said, however it's relatively easy to clean your hands anyway. Adolin wasn't casually walking around with blood on his hands, of that much it's safe to be sure since noone asked him anything later on. About the time he was missing - you are right, I forgot he had been wandering around randomly for a while. Though I expect Adolin's men to be too loyal to even think of accusing him and there are all those bridgemen and Tower survivals, who are more likely to be suspected before Adolin. So, I suppose the murder will be rather easy blamed on Kholin's men and we'll see if anyone in particular will take the blame before Adolin confesses.

Dear diary, Today I wore my new shoes, but now I have a callus. I shall have revenge upon that storming shoemaker! Dear diary, Today a wicked spawn of Odium ate my dinner. I shall not rest until I cast the little Voidbringer back to Damnation! Dear diary, Today was a good day. I recruited a new member for my Order. He met all requirements – crazy eyes and blind obedience, with the small case of being dead, but I resurrected him. I’m awesome. Not that little stormcursed-dinner-eating spawn of Odium. I am awesome.

Is that really the worst possible crime a lighteyes of his rank can do? I don't remember anyone saying so. Hmm, I haven't thought about it that way. Adolin could play the Balat/Lin card, but he'd have to very careful of his wording. He doesn't know enough about Shallan and might miss the opportunity. However, I wonder if he and Balat would get along, that could soften Shallan's reaction. So long as Balat doesn't burn any of Adolin's clothes, otherwise Adolin will kill him too, and that'll be how his relationship with Shallan ends and he gets exiled.

It was just a suggestion, to make it even more believable someone actually stole his knife. It can work even without the chain, I really don't think the side knife is going to be the big clue. Adolin's hands wasn't bloodied, only his cuffs, which he got rid of before anyone could see and once he changes clothes, his damaged uniform can be easily repaired or disposed of without questions. Lack of alibi also isn't the big deal, because the murder happened for a few minutes. He wasn't missing for an hour or any suspicious amount of time. There are so many people with motives around, it would be faster to name those without. What's incriminating about the removed mark is because it would be fairly obvious that's what was removed and Kholin men were those wandering around exploring and marking.

Ok, let's say he left it. Kaladin, Dalinar and Adolin never remarked side knives as something special, having ornaments or whatever. I think the knife is so standard it can't be traced to Adolin and even if it was, he can claim it was stolen along with his mother's chain. The cuffs and the Blade's scratch on the wall are far more incriminating.

Disown him, because he killed Sadeas? Now, that's some over-reaction. I don't agree Dalinar will react that bad. It's not like Adolin went on a killing spree, murdering civilians and torturing puppies. I want Jasnah to be back when this resolves. She'll be like 'Adolin, I am disappointed. Don't you know there are professionals for those kind of things?'

I think you misunderstood me a bit. Adolin is the only character we know to wear expensive cuffs, that's why I said leaving them on the scene might incriminate him.

So, Adolin had the wits to get rid of his cuffs (no mention where he put them), but he left his knife? It seems silly. Though side knives are probably standard, whereas his cuffs are recognizably expensive. As for removing the mark, it would definitely be easy to guess that was did with a Blade and Kholin men were those going around exploring and marking. And that'd what makes it easy to trace the whole thing to Adolin.

Adolin probably cut the cuffs with his sword - Kaladin noted Adolin tends to wear one despite being a Shardbearer. I'm curious what Adolin did with the cuffs, somehow I don't think he left them there when he clearly had the wits to get rid of them in the first place. While I think the 'he picked up the weapon' refers to his side knife, Adolin used his Blade to clear his marks and it will be noticed that someone damaged the wall with a Blade, though it might be concluded Sadeas did that while trying to defend himself. It depends how good a job Adolin did. edit: spelling

There's that weird bond between the rider and the Ryshadium. Dalinar's horse knew where he was and that he needed help (the Tower); Ryshadiums seem smarter than normal horses and have some moral code - Dalinar said his wouldn't eat a treat unless he thought he deserved it and so on. We don't know what Ryshadiums get from the bond yet. Perhaps it's different when a Radiant rides a Ryshadium. Think how different the Blades and Plates are than then were. Since Ryshadium answer only to their riders (that they chose nonetheless, thus a Ryshadium is as personal as spren to surgebinders) and there's investiture involved, I think a Radiant's Ryshadium can do more than normal Ryshadium.

Did Adolin really did a poor job hiding his tracks? The way I read it, he got his knife and ditched the Blade outside; he didn't leave his knife with the body. The only suspicious thing he did was scrapping the mark with his Blade, so that might look like an obvious work of Shardblade. Adolin's clothes weren't stained and he was missing for only a few minutes. I think he did a fine job and is more likely to confess than have his crime revealed. Though it depends on what he did with the cuffs. If he ditched them there, then that's bad. If he took them with him, noone is going to look through his clothes anytime soon and he has enough uniforms to hide the fact one of them was suspiciously damaged. Or he could make a story about it. At any rate, most people wouldn't be asking about his cuffs unless they are on the crime scene. That's a very good argument, however that's still a better reaction than I expect Shallan to have, which was technically my main point. Guess we'll see. I just want things to be ok between Adolin and Dalinar and prefer to overlook a thing or two... or three I don't see disowning Adolin as an option because it's against his Oath. I expect Elhokar to step in here. See, Dalinar can't prosecute Adolin, that's the king's job. So, regardless of any personal issues between son and father, Adolin's crime will have the legal consequences Elhokar decides, despite Dalinar's wishes. So, our dear Bondsmiths won't make a choice between Alethkar and his son, because it's not for him to decide how Adolin will be punished.

We definitely read her character differently, because I don't see how Shallan is devoted to Adolin. She's devoted to the idea of marring him, which is something entirely else. She has a crush on him and nothing more. Shallan is devoted to her family, but Adolin isn't part of it. Of course she'll forgive her brothers more than she'd forgive others. Your example with Nan Balat isn't suitable, because Shallan doesn't love Adolin nearly as much and I frankly don't think she loves Adolin at all.

I'm not saying Shallan will identify Adolin as a whole with her father. But he did kill on a whim and out of anger, much like her father did and this is what I expect to remind her of her father. I think a loving parent will be more forgiving and understanding than a new crush. I don't expect Dalinar to react generally well, only better than Shallan. Why would she be understanding? And understanding of what? Her father claimed all he did was for the family, what Adolin did was also for his family. After Kabsal, she's extra careful not to fall easily for someone or misjudge the next guy. While Adolin is indeed a generally great guy, she has no reason to overlook the darkness that possessed him when he killed Sadeas. To Shallan, Adolin is only crush, just guy she likes. She's not smitten by him or madly inlove with him. Shallan doesn't have a strong and deep bond with Adolin, she basically just met him. What Adolin did will be a red flag to her and I see no reason for her to accept and understand that a nice guy can just snap and kill another person while blinded by anger, no matter how justified the said anger is. Her father claimed his anger was other's fault and Adolin saying Sadeas provoked him won't help. Adolin is nothing like her father, but what he did has some parallels with the angry man of Shallan's nightmares. She is very sensitive to anything that reminds her of her father even in the slightest, it's a mental scar that hasn't healed. She can't be objective when something even remotely reminds her of her father and Adolin already did that once. Shallan has many emotional issues, don't disregard them so easily.

I think Dalinar will have more compassion and understanding. Adolin is his beloved son and him being a bit like the Blackthorn isn't the worst thing that could happen. However, as I said, I expect Shallan to be completely horrified, because that 'little bit like the Blackthorne' is part of her childhood nightmares.

She was reminded of her childhood, she could't help it. The point isn't that someone will remind her directly of her father ('Almighty, he's just like my father!'), but something Kaladin or Adolin might do will remind her of unpleasant memories, just like it happened ('Storm it, my father would have done just that, I don't like it'). So, I think you misunderstood me because I meant what you said. I don't know if I agree here. She won't be depressed about it, I doubt we'll see Shallan depressed anytime soon. She doesn't want to be locked up for her own safety, which is different than being imprisoned for a crime. The way I read her character, she's more likely to serve her time without much complaining or Lightweave her way out, depending on the circumstances. Well, I think they'll break up in the next book. If you don't, that's fine. We'll wait and see. But anyone having problem with Dalinar automatically has a problem with Adolin as well, I don't see Shallan standing between father and son. Or may be you mean they'll have opposite reactions to Sadeas's murder? Well, I think Shallan will be the one who reacts worse. Dalinar loves Adolin too much, he'll forgive him almost everything. I expect Shallan to be repulsed by Adolin's action; I expect her to be reminded of her father and how he killed on a whim. I'm not saying she'll think Adolin is the same as her father, but that she'll think Adolin did what her father would have done. And their relationship will start to crumble.

Thanks for finding it! She doesn't mention Blade, true. Had she even summoned it in her own PoV? I need to re-read those chapters. Her own consciousness taking the form of a cometlike spren? I'm not sure if that's possible and minds look like flames in Shadesmar. Since she didn't recognize it, it's not the spren of any of her previous forms.

I meant the nahel-bond spren can leave before the surgebinder swear any oaths. Well, I think the screaming spren tried to escape without any success, but I can't find the exact quote, so I can't say whether you are right or not.

How do you explain the said spren didn't just run away then? The Nahel-bond goes both ways and unbonded KR spren could leave the proto-surgebinder, but Eshonai's couldn't.

She indeed hears screaming without holding the Blade and here kicks in the theory of the Parshendi mind being partly in Shadesmar, where her spren is a little alive and screams occasionally because it's trapped so close to voidspren and Patter or Syl said they can't coexist. Though I admit this part is very speculative. It's not canon if the screams and the said spren are connected at all. I haven't given it much thought about the running away spren being other then the bonded one. I'm pretty there are WoB if a proto-surgebinder doesn't swear any oaths, the bond doesn't form and the spren continues searching for someone else. Eshonai hasn't sworn any oaths, so there's no reason for any spren to stick around unable to escape.

The rhythms they speak to and the fact physical distance doesn't change them is one thing to support their minds being in Shadesmar. They bond with spren, but it's not a Nahel bond. We don't know much, but taking a different form (bonding a certain spren) does influence their way of thinking. Those two things make me think Parshendi minds are partly in the Cognitive realm. The Stormfather has indeed showed himself to surgebinders and he is in the Cognitive realm. The exact nature of the place the surgebinders and Eshonai has seen him remains unknown. The Parshendi speak of the spren betrayal, so they were somehow closer to them than humans were. The closeness of a voidspren could have awakened to some extent a dead Nahel-bond spren, making it scream in horror. As I said, I don't think it takes much of a consciousnesses to do that. A Voidbringer with a bonded Blade, who is to say what we can expect? Why wouldn't it scream and try to run away? Do only surgebinders hear dead spren screams? Not info to be certain about any of these. If you think this isn't the case, then I agree to disagree.

I'd hazard it doesn't take much of a consciousness to try to run away from voidspren. Unfortunately, I can't find the quote, so I can't support the part about her being somehow in the Cognitive realm when it happened. The Parshendi seem to have some connection to the Cognitive realm and she did meet the Stormfather before transforming. After that, she hears on several occasions a screaming voice. I might and it might not belong to the dead spren. If Parshedni minds are partly in Shadesmar, then I see no reason for her not to hear the dead spren screaming in fear/pain from the closeness of a voidspren. If Parshedni minds aren't in Shademar, then it's something else. I'm not going for a solid theory here, just speculating on the various possibilities.

Oh, I don't think Lirin shouldn't have done it. My point is he seemed to believe he committed a crime, not just an immoral (by his standards) action. Whether or not that's technically true is another story.