Dalinar Quotes

Dalinar took a deep breath, then forced himself to open his arms and pull back. "If you had hoped to
soothe my worries for the day, then this didn't help."
She folded her arms. He could still feel where her safehand had touched him on the back. A tender
touch, reserved for a family member. "I'm not here to soothe you, Dalinar. Quite the opposite."
"Please. I do need time to think."
"I won't let you put me away. I won't ignore that this happened. I won't - "
"Navani," he gently cut her off, "I will not abandon you. I promise."
She eyed him, then a wry smile crept onto her face. "Very well. But you began something today."
"I began it?" he asked, amused, elated, confused, worried, and ashamed at the same time.
"The kiss was yours, Dalinar," she said idly, pulling open the door and entering his antechamber.
"You seduced me to it."
"What? Seduced?" She glanced back at him. "Dalinar, I've never been more open and honest in my
life."
"I know," Dalinar said, smiling. "That was the seductive part." He closed the door softly, then let out
a sigh. Blood of my fathers, he thought, why can't these things ever be simple?
And yet, in direct contrast with his thoughts, he felt as if the entire world had somehow become
more right for having gone wrong. ~ Brandon Sanderson

Dalinar Kholin was a connoisseur of death.
Even since his youth, the sight of dead men had been a familiar thing to him. You stay on the battlefield long enough, and you become familiar with its master. ~ Brandon Sanderson

Adolin was there in a heartbeat, attacking with more skill than any other man Dalinar had known. The lad was a genius with the Blade, an artist with paint of only one shade. ~ Brandon Sanderson

He fought as he wished he had all those years ago, for the chance he had missed. In that moment between storms
when the rain stilled and the winds drew in their breaths to blow
he danced with the slayer of kings, and somehow held his own. ~ Brandon Sanderson

How . . ." Dalinar said. "You fell into a chasm!"
"I fell face-first, sir," Kaladin said, "and fortunately, I'm particularly hard-headed. ~ Brandon Sanderson

Sometimes the prize is not worth the costs. The means by which we achieve victory are as important as the victory itself. ~ Brandon Sanderson

He holds the most frightening and terrible of all of the Shards. Ponder on that for a time, you old reptile, and tell me if your insistence on nonintervention holds firm. Because I assure you, Rayse will not be similarly inhibited. ~ Brandon Sanderson

The most important step a man can take. It's not the first one, is it?
It's the next one. Always the next step, Dalinar. ~ Brandon Sanderson

Dalinar took one step forward, then drove his Blade point-first into the middle of the blackened glyph on the stone. He took a step back. "For the bridgemen," he said.
Sadeas blinked. Muttering voices fell silent, and the people on the field seemed too stunned, even, to breathe.
"What?"Sadeas asked.
"The Blade,"Dalinar said, firm voice carrying in the air. "In exchange for your bridgemen. All of them. Every one you have in camp. They become mine, to do with as I please, never to be touched by you again. In exchange, you get the sword."
Sadeas looked down at the Blade, incredulous. "This weapon is worth fortunes. Cities, palaces, kingdoms."
"Do we have a deal?"Dalinar asked.
"Father, no!"Adolin Kholin said, his own Blade appearing in his hand. "You - "
Dalinar raised a hand, silencing the younger man. He kept his eyes on Sadeas. "Do we have a deal?" he asked, each word sharp.
Kaladin stared, unable to move, unable to think.
Sadeas looked at the Shardblade, eyes full of lust. He glanced at Kaladin, hesitated just briefly, then reached and grabbed the Blade by the hilt. "Take the storming creatures."
Dalinar nodded curtly, turning away from Sadeas. "Let's go,"he said to his entourage.
"They're worthless, you know,"Sadeas said. "You're of the ten fools, Dalinar Kholin! Don't you see how mad you are? This will be remembered as the most ridiculous decision ever made by an Alethi highprince!"
Dalinar didn't look back. ~ Brandon Sanderson

Navani!" Dalinar shouted, pulling his horse to a slippery stop across the tarp from her. "I need a miracle!"
"Working on it," she shouted back. ~ Brandon Sanderson

Yes, we saw from above," Elhokar said. "Perhaps a few of us could ride ahead. ... " "Your Majesty," Dalinar said. "The point of bringing my troops along would be somewhat undermined if you left them behind." Elhokar rolled his eyes. Dalinar did not yield, his expression as immobile as the rocks around them. ~ Brandon Sanderson

The cosmere, unfortunately, takes precedence over free food. Watch yourself, Dalinar. Life becomes dangerous, and you're at the center of it. ~ Brandon Sanderson

Wit was insulting each person as they stepped onto the island. "Brightness Marakal! What a
disaster that hairstyle is; how brave of you to show it to the world. Brightlord Marakal, I wish you'd
warned us you were going to attend; I'd have forgone supper. I do so hate being sick after a full meal.
Brightlord Cadilar! How good it is to see you. Your face reminds me of someone dear to me."
"Really?" wizened Cadilar said, hesitating.
"Yes," Wit said, waving him on, "my horse. Ah, Brightlord Neteb, you smell unique today - did you
attack a wet whitespine, or did one just sneeze on you? Lady Alami! No, please, don't speak - it's much
easier to maintain my illusions regarding your intelligence that way. And Brightlord Dalinar." Wit nodded
to Dalinar as he passed. "Ah, my dear Brightlord Taselin. Still engaged in your experiment to prove a
maximum threshold of human idiocy? Good for you! Very empirical of you. ~ Brandon Sanderson

How are your accommodations?" Dalinar asked.
"Sir? I'm in storming prison." A smile cracked Dalinar's face.
"So I see. Calm yourself, soldier. If I'd ordered you to guard a room for a week, would you have done it?"
"Yes."
"Then consider this your duty. Guard this room."
"I'll make sure nobody unauthorized runs off with the chamber pot, sir. ~ Brandon Sanderson

The kiss was yours, Dalinar,' she said idly, pulling open the door and entering his antechamber.
'You seduced me to it.'
'What? Seduced?' She glanced back at him. 'Dalinar, I've never been more open and honest in my life.'
'I know,' Dalinar said, smiling. 'That was the seductive part. ~ Brandon Sanderson

This was life. This was control. Gavilar had been the leader, the momentum, and the essence of their conquest. But Dalinar had been the warrior. Their opponents had surrendered to Gavilar's rule, but the Blackthorn - he was the man who had scattered them, the one who had dueled their leaders and slain their best Shardbearers. ~ Brandon Sanderson

Exhaustion," Dalinar said, "pain, suffering. This is what victory usually feels ~ Brandon Sanderson

When has any man ever been content with what he has? When has any tyrant said to himself, 'This is enough'? ~ Brandon Sanderson

Dalinar forced himself to be calm. "Roion, we cannot continue to treat this war as a game."
"All wars are games. The greatest kind, with the pieces lost real lives, the prizes captured making for real wealth! This is the life for which men exist. To fight, to kill, to win. ~ Brandon Sanderson

She wandered through the crowded feast hall, listening as wine greased tongues and dimmed minds. Her uncle Dalinar was in the full swing of it, rising from the high table to shout for the Parshendi to bring out their drummers. Jasnah's brother, Elhokar, hurried to shush their uncle - though the Alethi politely ignored Dalinar's outburst. All save Elhokar's wife, Aesudan, who snickered primly behind a handkerchief. Jasnah ~ Brandon Sanderson

A leader did not slump. A leader was in control. Even when he least felt like he controlled anything. Especially then. ~ Brandon Sanderson

Kaladin stared outward at the blue sky. "I have to know," he whispered.
"Know?"
"You asked why I protect Dalinar. I have to know if he really is what he seems, Syl. I have to know if one of them lives up to his reputation. That will tell me-"
"Tell you? Tell you what?"
"If honor is dead, Kaladin whispered.
"He is," Syl said. "But he lives on in men. And in me. ~ Brandon Sanderson

Yes, from now on, Adolin would lead the battles. Dalinar would change the world. ~ Brandon Sanderson

I am but a man, Dalinar, so much as I wish it were not true at times. I am no Radiant. And while I am your friend, please understand that our goals do not completely align. You must not trust yourself with me. If I have to watch this world crumble and burn to get what I want, I will do so. With tears, yes, but I would let it happen. ~ Brandon Sanderson

The most important step a person can take is always the next one. ~ Brandon Sanderson

If I should die," Dalinar said, "then I would do so having lived my life right. It is not the destination that matters, but how one arrives there."
"The Codes?"
"No. The Way of Kings."
"That storming book. ~ Brandon Sanderson

Sometimes a hypocrite is nothing more than a man in the process of changing. ~ Brandon Sanderson

Can't you just relax," she asked him, "just for a little while?"
"The rules - "
"Everyone else - "
"I cannot be everyone else!" Dalinar said, more sharply than he intended. "If I ignore our code and ethics, what am I, Navani? The other highprinces and lighteyes deserve recrimination for what they do, and I have let them know it. If I abandon my principles, then I become something far worse than they. A hypocrite! ~ Brandon Sanderson