Split (1)

train · 9.05k rows

text stringlengths 1.73k 3.83k
pity that your original date this evening took sick. It appears you were left with few other options.” Milen flushed, Shan’s comment expertly placing him in a difficult position. Did he defend Vin, possibly earning the ire of a very powerful woman? Or, did he instead agree with Shan, thereby insulting his date? He took...
immediately gathering a collection of hangers-on from the surrounding nobility. Shan’s Soothing weakened, and Vin felt her frustration and anger rise. There had been a time when she would have simply scampered away, ego already too beaten down to be bothered by Shan’s insults. This night, however, she found herself wis...
eyes with Lestibournes’s handkerchief. You’ll ruin your makeup! “Valette, you’re shaking!” Elend said with concern. “Here, let’s go to the balcony and get you some fresh air.” She let him lead her away from the sounds of music and chattering people, and they stepped into the quiet, dark air. The balcony—one of many jut...
her handkerchief. “Who gave you that?” he asked curiously. “A suitor,” Vin said. “Is he the one who’s been telling you these things about me?” “No, that was another,” Vin said. “He . . . said that all noblemen—or, rather, all Luthadel noblemen—were terrible people. He said that court women don’t even consider it cheati...
a fool and a twit. It runs in the family.” Vin sighed, sitting back and feeling the cool whisper of the mists on her tear-wetted cheeks. Elend wasn’t a monster; she believed him on that count. Perhaps she was a fool, but Kelsier was having an effect on her. She was beginning to trust those around her, and there was no ...
complain about their lives. I know they’re intelligent because of the things they keep hidden from the nobility.” “Like what?” “Like, the underground movement network,” Vin said. “Skaa help runaways travel the canals from plantation to plantation. The noblemen don’t notice because they never pay attention to skaa faces...
I need your permission for that.” Sazed paused. “I see. How is your side?” “It’s been healed for ages,” Vin said. “I don’t even notice it anymore.” Sazed sighed. “Very well. Master Kelsier intended to begin your training in earnest again when he returned, anyway. Just . . . be careful. This is a ridiculous thing to say...
happens to be far more attractive than you are, Telden.” A masculine voice laughed. “The mighty Elend Venture, finally captured by a pretty face.” “She’s more than that, Jastes,” Elend said. “She’s kindhearted—she helped skaa runaways on her plantation. I think we should bring her in to talk with us.” “Not a chance,” s...
room as Kelsier dropped through the mists beside her. Finally, she pushed herself off and followed Kelsier down, using her same coin to slow her descent. “You’re back!” she said eagerly as she landed. “Got back this afternoon.” “What are you doing here?” “Checking up on our friend in there,” Kelsier said. “Doesn’t seem...
enjoying a late-night drink. “Ham!” Vin said eagerly as she came in the back door. “You’re back!” “Yup,” he said happily, raising his cup. “It seems like you’ve been gone forever!” “You’re telling me,” Ham said, his voice earnest. Kelsier chuckled, rising to refill his drink. “Ham’s a bit tired of playing general.” “I ...
to rent a small warehouse to conduct some of my informant meetings.” “That can probably be arranged,” Dockson said. “Assuming we keep Vin’s wardrobe budget under control, I—” He broke off, glancing at Vin. “What did you do to that gown, young lady!” Vin flushed, scrunching down in her chair. Perhaps it’s a bit more not...
Clubs sat quietly by the side wall, looking as curmudgeonly as ever, but Vin caught sight of a slight smile on his lips. Kelsier rose and opened another bottle of wine, refilling cups as he told the crew about the skaa army’s preparations. Vin felt . . . contented. As she sipped at her wine, she caught sight of the ope...
promise anything, but I should be able to reestablish some connections. Give me a bit of time, and I’ll find out what the military is up to.” “Good,” Kelsier said. “I’d like to go with him,” Vin said. Kelsier paused. “With Ham?” Vin nodded. “I haven’t trained with a Thug yet. Ham could probably show me a few things.” “...
dirty walls or floors. Yet, the mundane clothing still felt natural to her. She wore a simple pair of brown trousers and a loose white shirt, tucked in at the waist, then overlaid by a leather vest. Her still lengthening hair was pulled up under a cap. Casual passersby might think her a boy, though Ham didn’t seem to t...
money,” Ham said frankly. “Thugs—or, Pewterarms, as the nobility prefer to call them—are the most sought-after Mistings. A competent Thug can stand against a half-dozen regular men, and he can lift more, endure more, and move faster than any other hired muscle. Those things mean a lot when you have to keep your crews s...
Kelsier. Hopefully. Of course, his plans before also cost him the woman he loved. Is that why he hates the nobility so much? “Ham?” she asked. “Has Kelsier always hated the nobility?” Ham nodded. “It’s worse now, though.” “He frightens me sometimes. It seems like he wants to kill all of them, no matter who they are.” “...
they know I work in the underground. I’ve known many of these guys for years; they’ve consistently tried to recruit me. They generally have better luck getting people like me, who are already outside mainstream society, to join their ranks.” “But, you’re going to betray them,” Vin said quietly, pulling Ham to the side ...
I’m an Allomancer. You’ll be surprised at how often that’s important. Watch how I use pewter. I won’t just flare it for strength—if I stumble, I’ll burn it to give me an instant sense of balance. When I dodge, I might burn it to help me duck out of the way a little faster. There are dozens of little tricks you can do i...
“Real fighting, Ham. Real battle pay. We could really use a man of your skill—I’ll make you an officer right off, give you your own squad.” “I . . . I’ll have to think about it,” Ham said. He wasn’t good at hiding his emotions, and his surprise sounded suspicious to Vin. Sertes, however, didn’t appear to notice. “Don’t...
Vin,” he said. “You’ve never done anything like this before.” “That’s fine.” Kelsier nodded. He pulled his trunk out from beneath the table, then opened it and poured Vin a small pouch of pewter beads. She accepted it without comment. “Swallow five of those beads.” “Five?” “For now,” Kelsier said. “If you need to take ...
dead in a sickbed for a month. Kelsier wove between carriages, brushing past pedestrians, charging down the street as if it were meant only for him. Vin followed as best as she could, the ground a blur beneath her feet, people passing too quickly to see their faces. Some of them called out after her, their voices annoy...
caught up to Kelsier, falling into place beside him. “This is easier than I thought it would be.” “Pewter enhances your balance,” Kelsier said. “Otherwise you’d be tripping over yourself right now.” “What do you think we’ll find? At the caves, I mean.” Kelsier shook his head. “No use talking. Save your strength.” “But,...
sun began to rise, the mists vanishing. But Kelsier didn’t let the illumination stop them. How could he? They had to run. They had to just . . . had . . . to . . . keep . . . running. . . . I’m going to die. It wasn’t the first time the thought had occurred to Vin during the run. In fact, the idea kept circling in her ...
wind brought scents to her nose. Blood. The valley beyond was speckled with corpses. Men still fought on the far side of the valley—a small, ragged group in unmatched clothing was surrounded by a much larger, uniformed army. “We’re too late,” Kelsier said. “Our men must have finished off the Holstep Garrison, then trie...
voice echoing hollowly in the cavern. “You were wrong.” “No,” Vin whispered. “There.” Suddenly, she was off, scrambling across the floor with a catlike litheness. Kelsier called after her in the darkness, gritted his teeth, then followed her by sound down one of the corridors. “Vin, get back here! There’s nothing—” Kel...
were past or before their prime—men wise enough to see that Yeden’s plan had been insane, or men young enough to be frightened. Kelsier shook his head. So many dead. They’d gathered nearly seven thousand troops before this fiasco, but now most of them lay dead. Yeden had apparently decided to “test” the army by strikin...
to distance them as much as possible from the cave complex. “The men will sleep fitfully,” the old man said. “They aren’t accustomed to being out in the mists.” “They don’t have much choice,” Kelsier said. The old man shook his head. “I suppose they don’t.” He sat for a moment, aged eyes unreadable. “You don’t recogniz...
man. Those soldiers got themselves killed. You might have been their motivation, but you didn’t make the choice for them. “Regardless, this isn’t the first skaa rebellion to get slaughtered. Not by far. In a way, you’ve accomplished a lot—you gathered an army of considerable size, and then you armed and trained it beyo...
on that first horrible morning; the pain had been so strong she’d barely been able to think, let alone move. She didn’t know how Kelsier had kept going, leading the remnants of their army to a safe location. That had been over two weeks ago. Fifteen full days, and her head still hurt. Kelsier said it was good for her. ...
so much what I think? she thought, walking into the room and taking a chair. “You want something to eat?” Dockson said, rising. “Clubs’s housekeepers fixed some baywraps for us to—” “Ale,” Vin said. Dockson paused. “It’s not even noon.” “Ale. Now. Please.” She leaned forward, folding her arms on the table and resting h...
“Exactly!” Breeze said. “Move on from this insane ‘job’ of yours. It’s time to quit. I know you don’t like that, but it’s the simple truth!” Kelsier set his plate on the counter. “Don’t Soothe me, Breeze. Never Soothe me.” Breeze paused, mouth open slightly. “Fine,” he finally said. “I won’t use Allomancy; I’ll just us...
Ham began to shove the crew a path through the onlookers. Some of the skaa gave the crew looks of resentment, though many were just dull-eyed and compliant. Some appeared surprised, even excited, when they saw Kelsier, though his scars were not showing. These people moved aside eagerly. Eventually, the crew reached the...
people began to pull back, making a large corridor leading to the central platform. What could make them— Then she felt it. The oppressive numbness, like a massive blanket pressing down, choking away her air, stealing her will. She immediately burned copper. Yet, like before, she swore that she could feel the Lord Rule...
anyway—that plaza is enormous.” Spook nodded, then obviously began burning tin. A moment later, he shook his head. “Notting of the recognizing anyone.” “You weren’t there for a lot of the recruiting, though, Spook,” Ham said, squinting. “True,” Spook replied. Though his accent remained, he was obviously making an effor...
tense, his eyes ablaze. Four more deaths, one of them a child. “This,” Kelsier said, angrily waving his hand toward the central square. “This is our enemy. There is no quarter here, no walking away. This is no simple job, to be thrown aside when we encounter a few unexpected twists.” Four more deaths. “Look at them!” K...
half as much a struggle for Kelsier anymore, though Vin had let her zinc lapse. Maybe . . . maybe he can do it, Vin thought, despite herself. If there was ever a man who could defeat the Lord Ruler, it would be Kelsier. “I didn’t choose you men because of your competence,” Kelsier said, “though you are certainly skille...
right,” Kelsier said, “the Lord Ruler will let them chase stragglers from our army for several months, giving the nobility a chance to blow off a little steam. Except, he’s going to get a lot more than he expected. When that house war starts, we’re going to use the chaos to seize the palace.” “With what army, my dear m...
house war, therefore, becomes of paramount importance.” Kelsier nodded. “My thoughts exactly.” “But, what happens when the house war is over?” Vin said. “Some houses will come out on top, and then we’ll have to deal with them.” Kelsier shook his head. “I don’t intend for the house war to ever end, Vin—or, at least, not...
stopped. Besides—even Elend said he didn’t like his father, or his house, very much. Maybe . . . maybe she could find something. “I’ll see what I can do,” she said. A knock came at the front door, answered by one of the apprentices. A few moments later, Sazed—clad in a skaa cloak to hide his features—entered the kitche...
Vin?” She nodded, standing. “The rest of you keep working on the plan,” Kelsier said. “In two months’ time, I want this city to be so tense that when it finally breaks, even the Lord Ruler won’t be able to hold it together.” “There’s something you’re not telling us, isn’t there?” Vin said, looking away from the window,...
different. Today, when he was in the square, I could feel his touch on my emotions even when I was burning copper.” “That’s not possible, Vin,” Kelsier said with a shake of his head. “If it were, Inquisitors would be able to sense Allomancy even when there was a Smoker nearby. If that were the case, don’t you think the...
any external powers—it can’t Push and Pull emotions, nor can it Steelpush or Ironpull. And, the biggest limitation to Feruchemy is that you have to store up all of its abilities by drawing them from your own body. “Want to be twice as strong for a time? Well, you have to spend several hours being weak to store up the s...
white scratches, layered one over the other. “Anyway,” Kelsier said, “you’re right about the logbook—I had hoped that it would mention the Eleventh Metal. But, Allomancy isn’t even mentioned in reference to Feruchemy. The two powers are similar in many respects; you’d think that he would compare them.” “Maybe he worrie...
beginning to file away at the coin. “Remember that headache you had from pewter dragging?” “Yes?” “Bad metal is worse,” Kelsier said. “Far worse. Buy your metals when you can—in every city, you’ll find a small group of merchants who provide powdered metals to Allomancers. Those merchants have a vested interest in makin...
things been different in the past.” Vin shivered. The experience of being both people at once, of seeing herself twice over, had been disturbingly eerie. Her body still shook, and her mind didn’t feel . . . right anymore. Fortunately, the sensation seemed to be fading. “Remind me to listen to you in the future,” she sa...
met up with the caravan. I had to have them to play the part of an acolyte.” They weren’t extensive—he was playing a low-ranked obligator—but the pattern was unmistakable. Dark lines, rimming the eyes, running outward like crawling cracks of lightning. There was one, single line—much thicker, and in bright red, running...
They know that the skaa are beaten, but they want to make sure things stay that way.” “Bloody hell!” Kelsier said. “I always thought that the skaa inside Luthadel seemed more beaten down than others. No wonder we had so much trouble recruiting. The people’s emotions are under a constant Soothing!” Marsh nodded. “The Mi...
dark obligator’s robe. “Marsh,” Kelsier said as Marsh reached the doorway. Marsh turned. “Thank you,” Kelsier said. “I can only guess how dangerous this is.” “I’m not doing this for you, Kell,” Marsh said. “But . . . I appreciate the sentiment. I’ll try and send you another missive once I have more information.” “Be ca...
much more than the real nobility seemed to. She continued along the balcony, seeking her prey. Glittering colors shone from backlit windows, sparkling light across the floor. Most of the windows glowed inside small viewing alcoves along the balcony, and so the balcony before her was interspersed with pockets of dark an...
withdraw from the city. . . .” “Could you blame them?” Vin asked quietly. “I mean, who wants to risk what happened to House Tekiel?” “Who indeed . . .” Kliss said. She was practically shaking with eagerness to go share the news. “Anyway, please, this is obviously only hearsay,” Vin said. “You probably shouldn’t tell an...
band who would dare slaughter so many noblemen. Kelsier still hadn’t been able to discover which house was behind the murders, but the Luthadel nobility didn’t seem to care who the culprit was. House Tekiel had allowed itself to grow weak, and nothing was more embarrassing to the aristocracy than a Great House that cou...
past. “You know, this isn’t exactly the most private location. People are giving us odd looks.” “You’re the one who stepped in here with me,” Elend pointed out. “Yes, well, I wasn’t thinking about the gossip we might start.” “Let it start,” Elend said standing up straight. “Because it will make your father angry?” Elen...
like the others. It’s stable.” Elend shook his head. “We’re even more vulnerable than the rest, Valette.” “But, your fortune is large,” Vin said. “You don’t depend on contracts.” “They may not be visible,” Elend said quietly, “but they’re there, Valette. We put on a good show, and the others assume that we have more th...
is going to try something to strike against you.” “Shan?” Elend said with amusement. “She’s harmless.” “I don’t think she is, Elend. You need to be more careful.” He laughed. “Look at us . . . each one trying to convince the other how dreadfully dire the situation is, each one bullheadedly refusing to listen to the oth...
doesn’t take much observing,” Vin said. “Anytime we’re at Keeps Hasting, Venture, Lekal, or Elariel, you run off with the same people.” “My drinking friends,” Elend said with a smile. “An unlikely group in today’s political climate, but one that helps annoy my father.” “What do you do at these meetings?” Vin asked. “We...
dancing and dining below. So he’s not a revolutionary, she thought. Kelsier was right again. I wonder if he ever gets tired of that. But still, she couldn’t feel too disappointed with Elend. Not everyone was so insane that they’d think to overthrow their god-emperor. The mere fact that Elend was willing to think for hi...
those old philosophers were eventually executed for treason. Not exactly the most successful role models. His evening political conversation with his group was finished, and he had retired with several friends to Keep Lekal’s gentlemen’s lounge, a small chamber adjacent to the ballroom. It was furnished in deep green c...
normal nervous self, his pipe sitting unnoticed in its holder on the table. Telden nodded. “She got too close to you too quickly, Elend. She wants something.” “Like what?” Elend asked, growing annoyed. “Elend, Elend,” Jastes said. “You can’t just avoid the game by saying you don’t want to play. It’ll find you. Renoux m...
She was so fearless, so bold, so . . . interesting. She didn’t fit any of the courtly stereotypes he’d been taught to expect. Could Jastes be right? he wondered. She certainly is different from other women, and she did imply there were things about her I didn’t know. Elend pushed the thought out of his mind. Valette wa...
going to get over this childish temperament you have? Do you think I don’t realize that you act foolishly simply to spite me?” “Actually, I got over my ‘childish temperament’ some time ago, Father—it just seems that my natural inclinations work even better to annoy you. I wish I had known that earlier; I could have sav...
moment, then finally ducked out into the hallway, sighing quietly to himself. That’s the difference between you and them, Elend, he thought. Those philosophers you read—they were revolutionaries. They were willing to risk execution. You can’t even stand up to your father. He walked tiredly up to his rooms—where, oddly,...
he rose, sending for a servant. “Tell my father I want to make a trade,” Elend explained to the man. “I’ll go to his luncheon tomorrow, just as he wants.” Elend paused, standing in his evening robe by his bedroom door. “In exchange,” he finally said, “tell him I want to borrow a couple of spies so that they can follow ...
Vin asked, interrupting him. He turned. “Yes, Mistress Valette?” he asked, bowing slightly. “What are you doing?” “I am seeing to Lord Renoux’s food stores, Mistress. Though I have been assigned to assist you, I am still his steward, and have duties to attend to when I am not otherwise occupied.” “Are you going to get ...
will know to check—it would be a pity if this new knowledge were to die with me.” “It won’t,” Vin said. “Oh? Has my lady suddenly become an optimist?” “Has my Terrisman suddenly become a smart-mouth?” Vin retorted. “He always has been, I think,” Sazed said with a slight smile. “It is one of the things that made him a p...
her schemes. “That’s only the beginning, though. We face the Final Empire. We’ll probably fail—to be honest, I don’t see how things could possibly turn out otherwise. We’ll fight, we’ll do some good, but we won’t change much—and those of us who survive will spend the rest of our lives running from the Inquisitors. Ever...
you, Mistress. The truly unique power of Feruchemy—the ability to store and recover memories—you must surely have already guessed. The rest of the powers are not different, really, from the powers granted to you by pewter and tin. A few of them are a little more odd—making a Feruchemist heavier, or changing his age—but...
it would already be known. It was a clever thought, however.” He turned, pointing toward the mansion. “The carriage has already arrived. We are late for the meeting, I think.” Vin nodded, and they hurried their pace toward the mansion. Funny, Kelsier thought to himself as he slipped across the darkened courtyard before...
of a broken table leg that the Canton of Orthodoxy hired Clubs to repair.” “Interesting,” Kelsier said, scanning the map. “It’s a list of the Soothing stations, I assume?” “Indeed,” Breeze said. “It’s quite the discovery—I’ve never seen such a detailed, carefully drawn map of the city. Why, it not only shows every one ...
could have taught Vin things about pretending to be a noblewoman that even Sazed didn’t know. Of course, if Mare were still alive, I wouldn’t be doing any of this. I wouldn’t dare. “Look!” Vin said. “One of these Inquisitor dates is new—it’s marked as yesterday!” Dockson shot a glance at Kelsier. We would have had to t...
with them?” “Better than I expected, actually,” Ham said. “They went through training in the caves, and so they’re fairly competent. And, they consider themselves the more ‘faithful’ segment of the army, since they didn’t follow Yeden to battle against your will.” Breeze snorted. “That’s a convenient way of looking pas...
you have a new proposal for me?” Sazed smiled deeply, walking into the room. “Of course, Master Kelsier. Lately, I’ve been thinking that you should hear about the Truths of the Bennet. They fit you quite well, I think. The Bennet were a highly developed people who lived on the southern islands. They were brave seafarer...
was something special about Keep Venture, however—something that the other keeps strived for, but never quite achieved. It was as if Venture were the parent, and the others were well-taught children. All of the keeps were beautiful, but there was no denying which one was the finest. The enormous Venture hall, lined by ...
is!” “Indeed,” said one of the ladies. “Excuse me—I’m going to go get something to drink.” “I’ll go with you,” one of the other ladies added, both of them leaving the group. Vin watched them go, frowning. “Ah,” Yestal said. “Our meal has arrived. Coming, Triss?” “Of course,” the final lady said, joining Yestal as they ...
the stairwell, breathing heavily. “Mistress,” he said in a low voice, joining her by the railing. “Tell me you discovered something, Sazed. This ball feels . . . creepy. Everyone’s so solemn and cold. It’s almost like we’re at a funeral, not a party.” “It is an apt metaphor, my lady,” Sazed said quietly. “We have misse...
ever attend balls like these again? What would happen to Valette the noblewoman? Would she have to put away her dresses and makeup, and return to simply being Vin the street thief? There probably wouldn’t be room for things like grand balls in Kelsier’s new kingdom, and that might not be a bad thing—what right did she ...
being a liability to my family.” “That’s fine,” Vin said. “That doesn’t mean—” “Valette,” Elend interrupted. “You are a liability too. A very big one. I won’t lie and claim that I never cared for you—I did, and I still do. However, I knew from the start—as you did—that this could never be anything more than a passing d...
such as himself—without house alliances—might have a difficult time gathering intelligence in the upcoming months. If he needs a good source of information, tell him to send for me. I know lots of interesting things.” “You’re an informant!” Vin said, pushing aside her pain for the moment. “But, you’re . . .” “A foolish...
“I’d never sell a secret like this if it had a chance of turning on me!” “Tell me!” “He’ll be assassinated by Elariel Allomancers this evening,” Kliss whispered. “He might be dead already—it was supposed to happen as soon as he withdrew from the lord’s table. But if you want revenge, you’ll have to look toward Lord Str...
in time. The roof, she thought. Elend’s rooms will have an outside balcony. I need a window! She dashed down a passage, kicking off her shoes and pulling off her stockings, then running as best she could in the dress. She searched frantically for a window big enough to fit through. She burst out into a larger corridor,...
One of the figures pointed toward the skylight, a weapon glittering in its hand. Vin cried out, Pushing herself off the bronze roof in an arcing jump. She landed in the very center of the surprised group of people, then thrust her coin pouch upward, ripping it in two. Coins sprayed into the air, reflecting light from t...
on obviously weak legs. With another flare of pewter, Vin slammed her shoulder into the man’s chest, shoving him to the side. The man stumbled maladroitly, still holding his bleeding side. Then he tripped and fell right into the skylight. The fine, tinted glass shattered as he fell, and Vin’s tin-enhanced ears could he...
jumped to the side, rolling off the gatehouse and landing on the walltop below. A pair of guards jumped back in alarm, surprised to see a half-naked girl fall into their midst. Shan dropped to the wall behind them, then Pushed, throwing one of the guards in Vin’s direction. The man cried out as Vin Pushed against his b...
other option: attack. Shan frowned in surprise as Vin dashed forward, phantom arrows snapping against the stones just before their real counterparts arrived. Vin dodged between two arrows—her atium enhanced mind knowing exactly how to move—passing so close that she could feel the missiles in the air to either side of h...
leaning back against the cupboard. One problem with working at night was that he missed the evening gatherings in Clubs’s kitchen. Breeze and Ham continued their general banter. Dox sat at the end of the table, going over ledgers and reports, while Spook sat by Ham eagerly, trying his best to take part in the conversat...
staying alive, Dox,” Vin said. “He’s just complaining because he’s worried about you,” Kelsier said as Ham returned with the bag. “That’s what he does.” “Both wounds will require immediate stitching, Mistress,” Sazed said. “The one on your arm hit the bone, I think.” Vin nodded, and Sazed rubbed her arm with a numbing ...
her. “Don’t talk to me about noblemen,” Vin said. “And don’t say things about people you don’t know. You’re no skaa—you’re just noblemen without titles.” She turned, stalking from the room. Kelsier watched her go, shocked, hearing her footsteps on the stairs. He stood, dumbfounded, feeling a surprising flush of ashamed...
a fatherly arm around her. She pulled close, trying to use his warmth to push away the pain. “I loved him, Kelsier,” she whispered. “Elend? I know.” “No, not Elend,” Vin said. “Reen. He beat me over, and over, and over. He swore at me, he yelled at me, he told me he’d betray me. Every day, I thought about how much I ha...
she almost wished that she could just blow away like a wisp of mist. I need to tell him. It could mean the plan’s success or failure. She took a deep breath. “House Venture has a weakness, Kelsier.” He perked up. “It does?” Vin nodded. “Atium. They make certain the metal is harvested and delivered—it’s the source of th...
Ruler’s touch on my emotions, even when I’m burning copper. And I swear that when I was hiding from that Inquisitor who was hunting me, he found me when he shouldn’t have been able to. Kelsier, what if it’s possible? What if hiding yourself by Smoking isn’t just a simple matter of whether or not your copper is on? What...
you. I noticed it on that first day, when you shrugged off my attempts to Push and Pull your emotions.” She flushed. “It can’t be that, Kelsier. Maybe I’ve just practiced with bronze more than you. . . . I don’t know, I just . . .” “Vin,” Kelsier said, “you’re still too self-effacing. You’re good at this—that much is o...
notice that Elend himself was in the carriage with Jastes. It’s probably all died down by now, Elend told himself. People will realize that House Venture wasn’t trying to attack them, and that there wasn’t really any danger. Just some spies who got careless. He should have returned by now. However, his convenient absen...
. . need to think about this,” Elend said, reaching out and knocking for the carriage to start moving. He sat back as the coach began to roll back toward Keep Venture. Valette wasn’t the person that she’d said she was. However, he’d already prepared himself for that news. Not only had Jastes’s words about her made him ...
she fooled me—fooled us both. She acted the part of an aristocrat almost perfectly.” “An inexperienced aristocrat, perhaps.” “I had a real skaa thief with me!” Elend said. “Think of the questions I could have asked her.” “Questions? What kind of questions?” “Questions about being skaa,” Elend said. “That’s not the poin...
turned and walked the rest of the way to the keep, the surprised gate guards letting him pass with ease. The grounds were still ablaze with light. Guards were already waiting for him at the front of the keep, and a group of them rushed out into the mists to meet him. And surround him. “My lord, your father—” “Yes,” Ele...
for days. Elend sighed. “Did we capture any of the assassins alive, then?” Straff shook his head. “One fell to the courtyard as he was trying to flee. He got away—he might have been Mistborn too. We found one man dead on the roof, but we aren’t sure if there were others in the team or not.” He paused. “What?” Elend ask...
were the ones during the early evening. That was the time when conflict among the Great Houses was most likely to turn to outright fighting. “Are they still going at it?” Vin asked quietly, flaring her tin, scanning the city. A bright haze shone in the distance, giving the mists a strange luminescence. Spook nodded, po...
of it. Perhaps, in the future, she could help start a real rebellion—one in a place where the skaa weren’t quite so beaten down. If such a place exists . . . Vin was beginning to understand that it wasn’t just Luthadel and its Soothing stations that made skaa subservient. It was everything—the obligators, the constant ...
“We really have to find a better way of warning people that we’re coming up. Every time I visit a spynest, I worry that I’m going to startle someone off the rooftop.” Vin stood, dusting off her clothing. She wore mistcloak, shirt, and trousers; it had been days since she’d worn a dress. She only put in token appearance...
“Makes sense to me. Distrust is really the same thing—only on the other side. I can see how a person, given the choice between two assumptions, would choose to trust.” “But not you?” Kelsier asked. Vin shrugged again. “I don’t know anymore.” Kelsier hesitated. “This . . . Elend of yours. There’s a chance that he was ju...
Mists . . .” That’s a new one, Vin thought with a raised eyebrow. She stayed back as Kelsier smiled, stepping forward to meet the skaa. The people gathered around him with quiet excitement, reaching out to touch his arms and cloak. Others just stood and stared, watching him with reverence. “I come to spread hope,” Kels...

Subsets and Splits

No community queries yet

The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.