Adolin had been unable to find a sparring partner this late in the afternoon, including a conveniently missing Zahel. The man had a sixth sense for trouble, Adolin could swear. Instead he took to running through Shardblade stances in a quiet corner of the yard.

While practicing stonestance, he noticed a faint sense of displeasure seeming to come from his sword. He dismissed the sensation as a trick of exhaustion. Halfway through, he noted Kelsier's absence, due to the lack of friendly jibes from the sidelines. Come to think of it, Kelsier had been missing since the bridge collapse. The spren was prone to wandering off, but rarely this long–and especially not when there was an upheaval. Was Kelsier avoiding him for some perceived slight, or scheming? Adolin didn't know him well enough to tell either way.

As he practiced his mind wandered back to the bridge collapse, flashes of the terrible scene playing over and over again. Adolin slowly realized that the event had been strange. Someone had been standing by the safety release, but he couldn't put the face to a name. Had the stranger pulled the level, or only been at the wrong place? He ran over the events of the day again, and everyone started to look suspicious. Had one of the darkeyed soldiers shot him a scathing look? Had one of Sadeas's people been in the group? Was it nothing at all?

Adolin was just sitting down for a break when Kelsier decided to appear. He strolled across the practice yard like he owned it and came to rest leaning against the wall, not far from Adolin's seat. The prince ignored him, as Kelsier was clearly waiting to be asked where he had been. Adolin knew the only way to get answers was to play along, but he was far too tired to deal with the spren's antics.

Finally Kelsier said with a dramatic flourish,"I have proof that the bridge collapse wasn't an accident." He paused. When Adolin remained silent, he scowled and continued,"I followed the man who pulled the safety level back to Sadeas's camp."

"I guess that explains the feast incident."

That was clearly not the reaction Kelsier had been expecting. "Did you already suspect that it was Sadeas?"

"I knew the collapse wasn't an accident. Sadeas would have been the logical candidate but I didn't have any actual evidence, not until you returned."

"You know, you are a Mistborn. It would be easy to sneak into his house and take care of him. No more petty revenge, no more threat to your family."

"Not today, Kelsier. I lost two friends." He was not going to endure another round of assassination plans. Elhokar was bad enough. With Sadeas, Adolin knew that the right idea would convince him. He was starting to grow alarmed, actually, since Kelsier's solution to any problem always involved lying, thievery, murder, or all three. It made Adolin wonder where his spren actually came from. Weren't such beings supposed to stand for higher ideals than man, act with order and control?

"Then I have something else to share."

Adolin didn't want to hear it. But as much as he hated the way Kelsier seemed to know secrets about everyone in the war camps, he was always right too.

Kelsier said, "They're both Radiants. I've seen their spren, Kaladin's is a little blue woman and Shallan's is some sort of moving pattern. They're likely alive in the canyon."

Adolin ran a hand to his hair, the other reaching out to steady him. "That would be wonderful news, but are you sure?"

"I haven't confirmed they're breathing, since I was too busy trying not to lose the assassin. However, they both had Stormlight, and so could have healed from their fall."

Adolin's pounding heart slowed. "And you didn't tell me this when we were two feet away from the cliffside? We could've saved them hours ago."

"Bridgeboy is already flying back. They're Radiants, they don't need a rescue."

"They fell several hundred feet and were left for the dead. If they don't have enough Stormlight, one or both may be injured. You don't know they're okay."

"You don't know they aren't. I know what you're thinking, Adolin. You've been marching for hours, and haven't even bathed. You want to fly into the canyons now?"

"This is about our bond, isn't it? You don't want me to reveal it. But what is it, Kelsier? What are you so afraid will happen?"

Kelsier shrugged. "Your powers are a need to know thing. If you fly back with two formerly presumed dead people, everyone in the war camps will know what you are. Mistborns can't be effective working in the light."

Adolin felt uneasy. Kelsier had a strange approach to honesty, as if it was a mere suggestion. He didn't like the way his spren was always afraid to work in the open. However, he had a point. As soon as Adolin's powers were revealed, he would stop being effective. Worse, he would lose his freedom.

"Fine, I'll give Shallan and Kaladin a few more hours."

Adolin decided to end training, as nothing productive was likely to happen while Kelsier was around, and started back towards the palace. He looked to the plateaus, searching the skies, as he walked. There was no distant speck of a flying Radiant. It was pretty cloudy though. Unusual, since…

Adolin spun. "Kelsier, there's a highstorm tomorrow. The canyons will flood. Change of plans. I don't care who sees us, but we've got to rescue the Radiants tonight." Adolin hated the thought of revealing his powers, but he had no choice. He couldn't leave his friends to die.

Adolin dismissed his Blade with a puff of smoke, and something like a sigh coming from the Blade. That was definitely new. He shook the thought off. He had friends to save, no matter what Kelsier thought he should do.

Part of him was still worried he was making the wrong choice. Revealing his powers would forever change people's perception of him. Yet, he would throw away his steady world order for the sake of lives to be saved. He still believed in honor.