Bridge Four
One of Highprince Sadeas's many bridge crews — the slave-staffed teams that haul wooden assault bridges across the Shattered Plains under arrow fire, so that the army can charge the Parshendi. The crew Kaladin is assigned to has the highest casualty rate. SA:WoK:Ch 6
Known facts
- highest-casualtiesThree weeks into Kaladin's time as a bridgeman, twenty-three of the twenty-five first-deployment survivors are dead. The crew is shunned by other crews as if bad luck were contagious.SA:WoK:Ch 9
- always-targetedOn bad runs the Parshendi often focus arrows on individual crews — and for reasons no bridgeman can name, the chosen crew is almost always Bridge Four.SA:WoK:Ch 9
- kaladin-bridgeleaderAcquires Kaladin as its new bridgeleader at the end of the highstorm. He starts asking each man his name — Teft is the first to give it.SA:WoK:Ch 11
- starts-training-with-rock-teftRock and Teft now run the plank with Kaladin in the mornings. The rest of the crew has not joined, but the three of them are visibly improving and Gaz is watching.SA:WoK:Ch 27
- first-promise-to-remember-kaladinRock, Teft, and Moash sneak up to the wall during the lull before the storm to promise Kaladin that the crew will not go back to what they were. Fires at night. Laughter. Living. A tradition for him. The first marker of Bridge Four as a brotherhood rather than a death-roster.SA:WoK:Ch 34
- agrees-to-arm-and-attempt-escapeTeft straightens up first. Moash is eager. Sigzil says he would rather die on an Alethi blade than remain a slave. Rock declares cooking for the killers is beneath an Unkalaki but he will feed them well. Dunny enlists — *I'm your man, Captain.* Others chime in. Frightened but willing. Kaladin begins to outline a plan.SA:WoK:Ch 43
- becomes-a-trained-spear-squadBridge Four starts to coalesce into a secret spear-squad in the chasms. Three out of four spears are dropped — the men have only the bones of training — but the will to learn is undeniable. The crew is becoming a brotherhood with weapons.SA:WoK:Ch 49
- saves-dalinar-instead-of-fleeingLagging behind Sadeas's retreat with the bridge and two wounded, the crew faces a choice: keep going west to relative safety, or turn east and put the bridge down for Dalinar's stranded army. They choose the rescue. The crew that was bred to die instead saves the Blackthorn.SA:WoK:Ch 66
- refuses-cobalt-guard-identityIssued the uniforms of the dead Cobalt Guard to take over Dalinar Kholin's personal protection, the men of Bridge Four cut the Cobalt Guard patches off their shoulders. "Bridge Four was your prison," Kaladin protests; Skar tells him it doesn't matter, they are Bridge Four, and they will commission their own glyphpair patch.SA:WoR:Ch 2
- freedom-glyph-tattooThe men of Bridge Four cover their slave brands with a tattoo of the freedom glyph, dated and signed by Dalinar; Hobber insists "Bridge Four" be added beneath it — he was not freed from Bridge Four but by it. Even the men who were never branded slaves take the freedom glyph on their foreheads alongside the rest.SA:WoR:Ch 2
- mythological-status-in-alethi-militaryEvery member of Bridge Four — including those who died on the Shattered Plains before joining Dalinar's army — has reached near-mythological status in the Alethi military, with Bridge Thirteen only a step behind. A wounded soldier joking about *a future on a bridge crew* is a punchline a continent wide.SA:WaT:Ch 50
- shattered-plains-losses-include-sigzil-leyten-and-detiDrehy and Skar arrive in the saferoom under cloaks and confirm the cost on the Shattered Plains: Sigzil is alive but without his spren, Leyten and Deti are dead, and they do not feel they ever had a chance. Drehy judges the entire defense — the Mink's aborted attempt to reach Herdaz included — was *of the ten fools.*SA:WaT:Ch 127
Events
- SA:WoK:Ch 9 Hauling logs in the rain; running and dying through three weeks of plateau assaults
- SA:WoK:Ch 35 Gathers around the cut-down Kaladin in the riddens
- SA:WoK:Ch 40 Gathered around the fire with stew and the shared razor; their first night of laughter as a brotherhood
- SA:WoK:Ch 43 Frightened but willing — the first plot to break out
- SA:WoK:Ch 53 Tends the wounded together after the run; treats it as their loss, not his
- SA:WoK:Ch 66 Turns from retreat to rescue, lays the bridge for Dalinar's army
- SA:WoK:Ch 67 Lays the bridge across; carries the Kholin army's wounded back
- SA:WoK:Ch 75 Freed; folded into the Kholin household guard
- SA:WoR:Ch 66 Twenty-odd men packed into the jailers' room to salute and cheer Kaladin on his release, then escort him out to Rock's long-simmered stew.
- SA:WoR:Ch 68 Carries its old wooden bridge across the Plains in old padded vests over new uniforms; runs ahead of Dalinar's mechanical bridges to set position for the vanguard.
- SA:WoR:Ch 76 Crowds around Kaladin in the muster, fits in Renarin like a shade at the back, and (in Teft's briefing) leaves Moash behind in charge of guarding the king.
- SA:WoR:Ch 80 Pulls Shallan back from the forward ridge on Dalinar's order — relaying his promise to send Adolin to carry her bodily if she refuses.
- SA:WoR:Ch 85 Forms up around Dalinar spears in hand as the Assassin in White closes; held back at his command, they watch him fight alone, and after he falls they close ranks again around father and son for the mob attack.
- SA:WoR:Ch 86 Throw down their last lit blue lanterns at Kaladin's feet at Teft's barked command so he can drink the Stormlight as he passes; their dead — Pedin and Mart — lie burned-out among the lanterns, with Eth weeping over his brother.
Relations
- relatedSigzil — Nomad caps his fight on the Dawnchaser with a soundless Bridge Four salute, anchoring himself to the old comradeship even on a planet that cannot recognise the words. STD:TSM:Ch 37
- relatedKaladin — Assigned to Bridge Four by Hashal on arrival in Sadeas's camp SA:WoK:Ch 6
- relatedSadeas — One of Sadeas's bridge crews SA:WoK:Ch 6
- relatedSadeas — Used as expendable arrow-bait by Sadeas's tactics SA:WoK:Ch 9
- relatedKaladin — Takes the bridgeleadership and the responsibility for the men SA:WoK:Ch 11
- foreshadowsChasm duty — Gaz signs the crew up as punishment; Kaladin intends to make it pay SA:WoK:Ch 27
- foreshadowsSadeas — First armed escape plot — kill a guard post at night, hope Sadeas underestimates them SA:WoK:Ch 43
- fulfillsKaladin — Begins turning the crew into a trained spear-squad in the chasms SA:WoK:Ch 49
- fulfillsDalinar Kholin — Lays its bridge for the trapped Kholin army instead of escaping with Sadeas SA:WoK:Ch 66
Backreferences
- summarySA:DS:Ch 14
- summarySA:DS:Epilogue
- summarySA:OB:Ch 2
- factBridge Thirteen
- factSquires
- summarySA:OB:Ch 4
- summarySA:OB:Ch 9
- factColot
- summarySA:OB:Ch 14
- summarySA:OB:Ch 25
- summarySA:OB:Ch 27
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- summarySA:OB:Ch 32
- summarySA:OB:Ch 38
- factDru
- factKa
- summarySA:OB:Ch 40
- factTuaka
- factGift
- factStar
- factKuma'tiki
- factRock the younger
- summarySA:OB:Ch 44
- summarySA:OB:Ch 46
- factKoen
- summarySA:OB:Ch 53
- summarySA:OB:Ch 54
- summarySA:OB:Ch 55
- summarySA:OB:Ch 60
- summarySA:OB:Ch 61
- summarySA:OB:Ch 64
- summarySA:OB:Ch 83
- summarySA:OB:Ch 84
- summarySA:OB:Ch 96
- summarySA:OB:Ch 104
- summarySA:OB:Ch 111
- summarySA:OB:Ch 112
- summarySA:OB:Ch 113
- summarySA:OB:Ch 115
- summarySA:OB:Ch 118
- summarySA:OB:Ch 120
- summarySA:OB:Ch 121
- summarySA:OB:Ch 122
- factTarat Sea
- summarySA:RoW:Ch 3
- factFourth Bridge
- summarySA:RoW:Ch 6
- summarySA:RoW:Ch 8
- summarySA:RoW:Ch 23
- summarySA:RoW:Ch 38
- summarySA:RoW:Ch 39
- summarySA:RoW:Ch 54
- summarySA:RoW:Ch 55
- summarySA:RoW:Ch 59
- summarySA:RoW:Ch 79
- summarySA:RoW:Ch 96
- summarySA:RoW:Ch 100
- summarySA:RoW:Ch 102
- summarySA:RoW:Ch 106
- summarySA:RoW:Ch 109
- summarySA:RoW:Ch 110
- summarySTD:TSM:Ch 37
- factSigzil
- summarySA:WoK:Ch 6
- summarySA:WoK:Ch 9
- factLaresh
- summarySA:WoK:Ch 11
- factTeft
- summarySA:WoK:Ch 14
- factMoash
- factSigzil
- factRock
- factLeyten
- factDunny
- factNarm
- summarySA:WoK:Ch 15
- factSadeas
- summarySA:WoK:Ch 20
- factHobber
- factDabbid
- summarySA:WoK:Ch 27
- factGaz
- factTeleb
- summarySA:WoK:Ch 30
- factGaz
- factBisig
- summarySA:WoK:Ch 32
- factLopen
- factSide carry
- summarySA:WoK:Ch 34
- factBridge Four
- summarySA:WoK:Ch 35
- factSadeas
- summarySA:WoK:Ch 38
- factKaladin
- summarySA:WoK:Ch 40
- factRock
- factHumaka'aban
- summarySA:WoK:Ch 43
- summarySA:WoK:Ch 49
- factBridge Four
- factDrehy
- factSkar
- summarySA:WoK:Ch 53
- factDunny
- summarySA:WoK:Ch 55
- summarySA:WoK:Ch 57
- summarySA:WoK:Ch 59
- summarySA:WoK:Ch 62
- summarySA:WoK:Ch 66
- factKaladin
- summarySA:WoK:Ch 67
- factDalinar Kholin
- summarySA:WoK:Epilogue
- summarySA:WaT:Ch 2
- summarySA:WaT:Ch 8
- factOrder of Bone
- summarySA:WaT:Ch 12
- factKaladin
- summarySA:WaT:Ch 13
- summarySA:WaT:Ch 19
- summarySA:WaT:Ch 21
- factVienta
- summarySA:WaT:Ch 30
- summarySA:WaT:Ch 33
- summarySA:WaT:Ch 35
- factSylphrena
- summarySA:WaT:Ch 37
- summarySA:WaT:Ch 47
- summarySA:WaT:Ch 50
- factBridge Four
- summarySA:WaT:Ch 52
- summarySA:WaT:Ch 56
- summarySA:WaT:Ch 66
- summarySA:WaT:Ch 67
- summarySA:WaT:Ch 79
- summarySA:WaT:Ch 86
- summarySA:WaT:Ch 118
- summarySA:WaT:Ch 123
- factAdolin Kholin
- summarySA:WoR:Ch 2
- factKaladin
- factBridge Four
- factBridge Four
- factBeld
- factRind
- factRlain
- summarySA:WoR:Ch 5
- factSadeas
- factMart
- factEth
- summarySA:WoR:Ch 9
- summarySA:WoR:Ch 12
- summarySA:WoR:Ch 16
- summarySA:WoR:Ch 22
- factIdrin
- factPunio
- factNatam
- summarySA:WoR:Ch 23
- factKaladin
- summarySA:WoR:Ch 25
- factKaladin
- summarySA:WoR:Ch 31
- factPitt
- factHobber
- summarySA:WoR:Ch 35
- summarySA:WoR:Ch 41
- factKaladin
- factRenarin Kholin
- factBridge Seventeen
- summarySA:WoR:Ch 44
- factMoash
- factYake
- summarySA:WoR:Ch 46
- factRock
- factRod
- factHuio
- factPeet
- factKa
- factThe Ornery Chull
- factRlain
- factRlain
- summarySA:WoR:Ch 55
- summarySA:WoR:Ch 58
- summarySA:WoR:Ch 70
- summarySA:WoR:Ch 71
- summarySA:WoR:Ch 74
- factKaladin
- summarySA:WoR:Ch 75
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- summarySA:WoR:Ch 78
- summarySA:WoR:Ch 79
- factDalinar Kholin
- factRlain
- summarySA:WoR:Ch 80
- summarySA:WoR:Ch 81
- summarySA:WoR:Ch 82
- factKaladin
- summarySA:WoR:Ch 85
- factKaladin
- summarySA:WoR:Ch 86
- summarySA:WoR:Ch 87
- factKaladin
- factBisig
- factLopen
- factRlain