Dragonsteel Prime page from the New Years live stream

[LewsTherinTelescope]

I've gone through and attempted to transcribe the page from Dragonsteel Prime that Brandon held up during the New Years live stream. The first half-page has some really hard-to-make-out parts due to lighting, which are highlighted in various colors to indicate my confidence (or lack thereof) in my transcription, but the rest isn't too bad to figure out.

Color key:

Spoiler

Black text = reasonably certain I’m correct
Pink text = partly covered by hand, but pretty confident, because there’s not many possibilities for what that could say
Red text = hard to make out, but I think I have it
Orange text = can’t read, but can make out approximate shape of the letters, and use context to aid
Blue text = pretty much just spitballing from context & vague word length, can’t make out letters

TL;DR: Orange text should probably not be trusted as accurate, and blue text definitely shouldn't be trusted, because it's not even really properly visible in the video. Red and pink are probably fine, though.

The attached DOCX file additionally tries to replicate the layout and formatting of the original in the image best I can, but I'm not going to even attempt that in the post itself

Spoiler

Dragonsteel
Chapter Fourteen

Jerick huddled just inside the stable doorway, one hand grasping the doorway's wooden frame. He felt the cool darkness on his face, knowing that no one outside could see him lurking within. Just as no one had seen the Sho Del. It must have been hiding in this exact place—this was where they had found the body of the boy it had killed. Had it known what was going to happen to it, death on the palace steps, just as Jerick now realized what was going to happen to him?

For the second time in one day, the Melerand nobility stood around the King's chamber for an announcement. For the second time they mumbled amongst themselves, speculating at what would follow. This time, however, most of them knew exactly what the announcement would be.

Jerick shrank back as King Redis appeared. He sought the darkness, the stink of horses' fur. The darkness of a building cleaned too infrequently, left to mold. To rot. To die.
Martis stood next to the King. So did Courteth. Standing atop the steps where white blood had been spilt not two hours before.

"The blessed day has finally come," Redis declared. "I have reached an agreement with Martis Yoralium, acting leader of his Ka. Let it be known that he and my daughter, Courteth, are formally betrothed to be married."

The words hurt, even though Jerick was expecting them. Just two hours earlier he had stood next to Courteth, receiving her smiles. Two hours earlier he had been given his chance, a chance from the Lords themselves, and he had failed. He still didn't know why he had paused—Martis had yelled something, something Jerick didn't remember. After that, Jerick's memory seemed to have a few second gap. In those few seconds, he had failed.

Jerick reached into the darkness beside him, retrieving a leather traveling bag. The bag was thick, prepared with everything he needed, or, at least, that which he thought worth owning. He slung the bag over his shoulder and walked into the musty stables.

Nearly three years in the palace had taught him that a peasant could think as well as a [noble?]. Unfortunately, when it came down to the real test, that didn't matter. In the end, it had been the fighting that won the princess's hand. Jerick would prove himself. He would prove himself in the way that mattered.

"Jerick, what do you think you're doing?" a voice demanded.

Jerick spun, the bag slapping him in the side as he turned toward the sound. "Ryalla?" he said simply, picking the girl's dark-haired frame in the shadowy room.

"Well?" she demanded. When had she learned to demand?

"I'm going." he said simply, turning again.

"Going?" she asked incredulously. "Going where?"

He didn't answer.

"Jerick, she's gone. You can't have her now, she belongs to another. Accept that and move on— running away won't help."

"I'm not running away," Jerick lied. He knew he couldn't face the court, not after what had happened. He had heard them talking, heard them muttering of what they had seen, muttering about what he couldn't remember. They said he had dropped his weapon in fear, that he had let the assassin run past him, offering no resistance. They called him a coward, some called him a traitor. All claimed it was expected, however. They had known he wasn't capable of action all along. They had known him for what he was, they said, they had realized he was just a lumberman. Nothing could be expected of lumbermen.

He was shamed before the court. More importantly, he was shamed before his own eyes. He hadn't measured up to his father. He still didn't remember much about that day years ago, when Rin had fought with the Sho Del, but he remembered enough. His father had saved the King. Jerick had failed.

"If you're not leaving," Ryalla said, folding her arms, "what is the travel bag for?"

"I'm going to go to a place where I can show that I am as strong as Martis, and as capable of bravery," he explained, opening up one of the stable doors. Inside sat Grey, his favorite of the palace horses.

"A place where you can…" Ryalla trailed off as she tried to figure out the comment.

"The Eternal War," a new voice explained. "Lumberling, I know I've called you a fool before, but there’s no need to go about proving me right."

Jerick looked up. Topaz sat aside Grey, his weight on the beast's hindquarters as to not injure its back. The Jesk leaned forward, his elbow resting on the horse's side.

Jerick closed the stable door. He would take his second favorite horse.

"The Eternal War?" Ryalla asked with amazement. "Jerick, you'll be slaughtered!"

Jerick paused, looking back at her small form silhouetted against the bright doorway. She didn’t believe in him either.

"Jerick, you're a scholar," Ryalla pled. "That's far better than being a warrior. No one expects you to defeat trained enemies in combat. Your mind is your asset, not your sword."

Jerick groaned, pulling open the door to Galliant's stable. Behind him he heard Topaz drop lightly to the floor.

"That isn't a very useful argument to try against a teenage boy, little one," the Jesk observed.

"Jerick, you're smarter than this," Ryalla continued, her voice pleading, yet at the same time firm. When had she learned to be firm?

Jerick took Galliant's chariot harness from its nail. "A formal betrothal in Melerand lasts two years," he mumbled. "I have that long to prove myself."

Ryalla raised a hand to her lips. "Oh, Lords. You still…?"

Several footsteps came from outside, and soon a large, hulking form joined Topaz outside Galliant's stable. "I brought heem," the Ke'Chan informed.

Jerick looked up. Frost stood next to Ryalla, a look of disappointment on his face. "So, everyone's here," Jerick noted, strapping Galliant to one of the palace chariots. "All determined to make me complacent with my fate."

"Jerick," Frost said softly. "The Eternal War isn't what you think. You won't find glory there—at least, not the type you think."

"I have to try, Frost," Jerick said stubbornly. "It's the only thing I can think to do right now."

"Wait a few days," the elderly scholar urged. "Think about this."

"I might lose my nerve," Jerick said with a shake of his head. He threw the bag into the back of the chariot.

"Then, I suppose we will see you if you return," Frost said solemnly.

Jerick nodded, stepping up into the chariot. Gripping the reins, he moved the horse forward, rolling past the group of people. "Tell the King I'll return his chariot and horse in two years," he said. Then, without turning to look back at his friends lest they sway he from his purpose, Jerick whipped Galliant into a gallop and sped out of the stables.

#

Ryalla watched him go, trying to fight the tears. He was the only one, the only one in the palace she had been able to talk to. After all those years of being alone, she had finally found someone willing to accept her, and now he left without even looking back. He left because of her. Courteth.

"M'Horric!" Behind her, Topaz cursed quite vocally.

"Cephandrious," Bat'Chor said sternly. "There ees a lady een the room."

Topaz didn't stop his string of curses. "I search all this time, Bat'Chor, and I finally discover another human who can do microkinesis, and he runs off like a Lords-cursed idiot!"

"You are certain?" Bat'Chor asked. "He ees like you?"

"Yes."

"No," Frost corrected, watching Jerick ride away with discerning eyes. "He's not like you, Topaz. You have the power of life—this one has the power of destruction. He worries me."

Topaz frowned at the observation. "How do you—"

Ryalla interrupted him, spinning to face the three. "Isn't anyone going to follow him?" she demanded.

"And do what?" Topaz asked, hands on his hips. "Let him spout more idiocy about wars and glory?

(Man, Jerick's an idiot... he didn't feel this dumb in the Bridge Four samples, but I guess that's what character growth does for you.)

Dragonsteel Pages, maybe?.docx

[Weltall]

Nice job on the transcription!

Based on the chapter numbers given in the published excerpts, this would be some ten chapters before the start of the Bridge Four sequence. Looking at the gaps between the excerpts, I'm guessing there's three or four more Jerick chapters in between the two?

[LewsTherinTelescope]

54 minutes ago, Weltall said:

Nice job on the transcription!

Based on the chapter numbers given in the published excerpts, this would be some ten chapters before the start of the Bridge Four sequence. Looking at the gaps between the excerpts, I'm guessing there's three or four more Jerick chapters in between the two?

That would make sense with how Jerick's first PoV in the samples starts, as well.

Quote

Except for that first week, his trek across Yolen had gone remarkably, if uneventfully, well. Under Frost’s council he had kept a low profile, offering his services only in smaller towns, where suspicious nobles or jealous rivals would be less likely to demand his castemark as proof of his station.

So maybe 14 continues with Frost ending up going after him, then either in 14 or in the next chapter with a Jerick PoV, they meet up. Next probably comes a chapter where things start well but it gets screwed up (possibly by chance, but probably by Jerick drawing too much attention to himself, based on that line about keeping a low profile). Chapter or two of that, before a chapter of resolution. If Frost didn't meet up prior, he might instead come in here and save Jerick's skin. Then Ch. 25 starts as we see it, with a "smooth sailing besides that" summary. 

Edited February 12, 2021 by LewsTherinTelescope

[Honorless he/him]

I still can't believe you actually went ahead, paused and did it. What a madlad, absolute legend!

[LewsTherinTelescope]

Just now, Honorless said:

I still can't believe you actually went ahead, paused and did it. What a madlad, absolute legend!

I saw "Topaz" and "Frost" and reaaally wanted to know what they said to one another, lol.

[+C_rockets he/him]

Thanks for doing this! 
 

Spoiler

From what Frost says to Topaz, plus your theory in the Dawnshards/microkinesis thread, two of the Dawnshard commands being “Create” (or maybe “Live”) and “Destroy” seem to be supported.

 

[LewsTherinTelescope]

1 minute ago, C_rockets said:

Thanks for doing this! 
 

  Hide contents

From what Frost says to Topaz, plus your theory in the Dawnshards/microkinesis thread, two of the Dawnshard commands being “Create” (or maybe “Live”) and “Destroy” seem to be supported.

"Live" and "Destroy" would fit, yeah. Which... well, the latter is not one I have tended to like the idea of, but oh well xD