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him. Dockson looked up and smiled. Stocky without being fat, he had short dark hair and still wore his customary half beard. "Hello, Vin." "How was Terris?" she asked. "Cold," Dockson replied. "I'm glad to be back. Though I wish I hadn't arrived to find that army here." "Either way, we're glad you've returned, Dockson,... |
up at her, smiling wanly, his vest unbuttoned, his hair an absolute mess. "Hum. . ." he said idly, taking her hand. "I really like that shirt. Red looks good on you." Vin rolled her eyes, letting him gently pull her into the chair and kiss her. There was a passion to the kiss—a need, perhaps, for something stable. Vin ... |
in her life that she had felt protected. Kelsier was dead. She, like the rest of the world, had to live without him. "I know you were hurt when you fought those Allomancers the other night," Elend said. "It would be really nice for my psyche if I knew someone was with you." "A kandra's no bodyguard," Vin said. "I know,... |
"Really? And if Kelsier still lived, would I be king?" Vin paused. "You see? They accept me—the people, the merchants, even the noblemen. But in the back of their minds, they wish they had Kelsier instead." "I don't wish that." "Don't you?" Vin frowned. Then she sat up, turning so that she was kneeling over Elend in th... |
Inquisitor there, for the Lord Ruler's sake!" "I know," Elend said, smiling faintly. "See, that Inquisitor is the one who tried to kill me. It had its axe raised and everything. And then. . .Kelsier was there. He smashed into the Inquisitor, throwing it to the ground." "Probably just a coincidence," Vin said. "No," Ele... |
felt herself being persuaded. However. . . When that army attacks, Elend is going to die. The city's skaa might survive—no ruler would be foolish enough to slaughter the people of such a productive city. The king, however, would be killed. She couldn't fight off an entire army, and she could do little to help with prep... |
"You don't have to have two metals to make an alloy," Vin said absently. "Just one metal and something else. Look at steel—it's iron and carbon." "Forty. . ." Elend repeated. "And you would have tried them all?" Vin shrugged. "Seemed like a good place to start." Elend looked concerned at that thought, but didn't say an... |
nodded. It was the way they often sparred. Ham claimed that there was no substitute for training and practice, no matter how powerful an Allomancer one was. He let Vin use pewter, however, because he said the enhanced strength and dexterity was disorienting unless one was accustomed to it. The sparring field was like a... |
exchange," Clubs said. "They always do." Elend paused. "You're asking me to bet against Vin, you know," he noted. "That could be unhealthy." "So?" Elend smiled, pulling out a coin. Clubs still kind of intimidated him, and he didn't want to risk offending the man. "Where's that worthless nephew of mine?" Clubs asked as ... |
grow out of most of his clothing. Well over six feet tall, the sixteen-year-old young man hardly resembled the gangly boy Elend had met a year before. Spook leaned against the railing beside Elend, adopting a teenage boy's lounging posture and completely destroying his image as a soldier—which, indeed, he wasn't. "Why ... |
the surrounding hallways to watch. Elend leaned forward. There was something intense about a duel between two Allomancers. Vin tried an attack. Ham, however, swung simultaneously, his staff blurringly quick. Somehow, Vin got her own weapon up in time, but the power of Ham's blow threw her back in a tumble. She hit the ... |
that would have shattered Elend's legs. Ham joined them, nodding to Clubs and punching Spook lightly on the arm. Then he leaned against the railing and rubbed his left calf, cringing slightly. "I swear, Elend—sometimes sparring with that girl is like trying to fight with a gust of wind. She's never where I think she'll... |
El. Pay up." Elend lowered his cup. "I never agreed to the bet." "You paid Uncle Irritable. Why not me?" Elend paused, then sighed, pulling out a ten-boxing coin and setting it beside Spook's. The boy smiled, plucking both up in a smooth street-thief gesture. "Thanks for winning the bout, Vin," he said with a wink. Vin... |
come," Spook said. "No you won't," Clubs said, grabbing the boy by the back of the neck. "You're going to stay right here and explain exactly where you got one of my soldiers' uniforms." Elend chuckled, leading Vin away. Truth be told, even with the slightly sour end of conversation, he felt better for having come to w... |
to happen anyway. How well can you move about in that body?" "Well enough, Mistress." "Come on," she said, "let's see if you can keep up." I am also afraid, however, that all I have known—that my story—will be forgotten. I am afraid for the world that is to come. Afraid that my plans will fail. Afraid of a doom worse, ... |
how dim the sky was; he had probably kept his students too late. He shook his head as he strolled between the hill-like hovels. He again wore his steward's robes, with their colorful V-shaped patterns, and he had put in several of his earrings. He kept to the old ways because they were familiar, even though they were a... |
pewtermind for strength, of course, and a very small steel ring for speed. Suddenly, he wished he'd chosen to wear just a few more bracelets this day. "Master Terrisman!" the woman said, out of breath. "Oh, he's come back! He's come for us!" "Who?" Sazed asked. "The man who died in the mists?" "No, Master Terrisman. Th... |
had authority over the Steel Ministry, and many of the obligators had listened to him despite his involvement with the rebellion. He had been an invaluable resource for Elend Venture's fledgling government. "Go get your things," Marsh said. My place is here, Sazed thought. Teaching the people, not gallivanting across t... |
burned steel with her eyes closed; the lines appeared anyway, visible as a spray of threadlike blue lines set against the blackness of her eyelids. She picked two, pointing downward behind her, and Pushed, throwing herself into an other arc. What did I ever do without this? Vin thought, opening her eyes, whipping her m... |
the loam before Vin. He came to a stop, resting on his haunches, waiting quietly, panting. There was a look of defiance in his eyes. All right, Vin thought, pulling out a handful of coins. Follow this. She dropped a coin and threw herself backward up into the air. She spun in the mists, twisting, then Pushed herself si... |
pause to see if OreSeur followed. As she fell, she reached for another coin, but decided not to use it. She Pushed against a passing window bracket instead. Like most Mistborn, she often used clips—the smallest denomination of coin—to jump. It was very convenient that the economy supplied a prepackaged bit of metal of ... |
she'd needed to defeat the Lord Ruler. Somehow Kelsier had found out about malatium. Sazed still hadn't been able to trace the "legends" that Kelsier had supposedly uncovered teaching of the Eleventh Metal and its power to defeat the Lord Ruler. Vin rubbed her finger on the slick surface of the duralumin bar. When Vin ... |
squares. Vin fell as well, hitting the slick cobblestones with a flare of pewter, then dodging to the side as he threw out a handful of coins. Metal rang against stone in the quiet night, coins plinging against statues and cobblestones. Vin smiled as she landed on all fours; then she bounded forward, jumping with pewte... |
even better? The thought thrilled her. She'd always considered Kelsier a paradigm of Allomantic ability, and it was easy to forget that he'd had his powers for only a couple of years before the Collapse. That's the same amount of time that I've been training, Vin realized as she landed in a small, cramped street. She f... |
reserve. And, looking, she could see that her bronze and her pewter—the other metals she'd been burning at the time—were gone as well. The onrush of sensory information had been so vast that she hadn't noticed the effects of the other two. Think about it later, Vin told herself, shaking her head. She felt like she shou... |
she had met in the night. And yet, it had been over a year since she'd spoken with another Mistborn. There were conflicts within her that she couldn't explain to the others. Even Mistings, like Ham and Breeze, couldn't understand the strange dual life of a Mistborn. Part assassin, part bodyguard, part noblewoman. . .pa... |
a kandra. "I will deliver this to you in an emergency," OreSeur said. "Thank you," Vin said. "The Contract, Mistress. Do not give me thanks. I do only what I am required." Vin nodded slowly. "Let's go back to the palace, then," she said. "I want to check on Elend." But, let me begin at the beginning. I met Alendi first... |
modes of protection that didn't relate to fighting. These things—support, counsel, kindness—were vital to every person, and most especially to Vin. So much rested on that poor girl's shoulders. "I have. . .sent help," Sazed said. "What help I can." "Not good enough," Marsh said. "The things happening in Luthadel are to... |
for good gossip. Others were interested in the politics; they wondered how much influence Vin had over Elend, and whether they could use her to get the king's ear. Still others were curious about the growing legends; they wondered if a girl like Vin could really have slain the Lord Ruler. Vin hurried her pace. She pass... |
Assembly. All they do is argue and try to take his power away. And he lets them." Ham let the discussion die, and Vin turned back to her study of the audience. It appeared that a large group of mill workers had arrived first and managed to get the best seats. Early in the Assembly's history—perhaps ten months before—th... |
choice and of our own design. Noblemen who don't have to cower before the Lord Ruler's obligators and Inquisitors. "Gentlemen, one year is not enough. We have tasted freedom, and we need time to savor it. During the last month, we have frequently discussed and argued regarding what to do should this day arrive. Obvious... |
pointing at the noble Elend had interrupted. "It's easy for you to talk about working with Straff, since you've got very little to lose!" "Very little to lose?" the nobleman said. "I and all of my house could be executed for supporting Elend against his father!" "Bah," said one of the merchants. "This is all pointless.... |
powerful noblemen who had remained in the city after the Collapse, and he was politically conservative. However, she had never heard him speak derogatively of the skaa, which was probably why he was so popular with the people. "I speak bluntly," Penrod said, "for it is the truth. We are not in a position to bargain." "... |
chuckled. "We really have to do something about your ambivalence toward civic duty, kid." "I already overthrew one government," Vin said. "I figure that takes care of my 'civic duty' for a while." Ham smiled, though he kept a wary eye on the crowd—as did Vin. Now, with everyone moving about, would be the perfect time f... |
believe, but it's true. Now, I happen to find it rather charming, but do you honestly think that a Terriswoman would try to kill me?" "Probably not," Vin admitted. "But, old habits. . ." Elend smiled. Then, he glanced back at the Assemblymen, most of whom were speaking quietly in groups. They didn't mix. Noblemen spoke... |
them." Elend nodded. "Straff is setting up a perimeter of soldiers, watching the enemy army," Vin said. "I doubt they're friendly to each other." She stood atop one of the sawtooth parapet crenels, feet positioned dangerously close to the wall's edge. "Maybe they'll attack each other," Elend said hopefully. Clubs snort... |
tower beside her had a reinforced iron bulwark on the top—that would work. She Pulled on the bulwark, yanking herself up to the top of the tower. She immediately jumped again, Pushing herself up and out, angling into the air away from the wall. She extinguished all of her metals except for steel and pewter. Then, still... |
in the air. Her body protested the sudden shift in momentum, but she ignored the twist of pain. The man she Pulled against managed to stay in his saddle—until Vin smashed into him feet-first, throwing him backward. She landed on the black earth, the rider tumbling to the ground beside her. A short distance away, the re... |
They were powdered with black ash from his hurried ride. "Ah, Vin, my dear," Breeze said, breathing almost as deeply as his horse. "I must say, that was a timely arrival on your part. Impressively flamboyant as well. I do hate to force a rescue—but, well, if one is necessary, then it might as well happen with style." V... |
good idea?" "It's basic negotiating strategy, my good man," Breeze explained as a packman handed him his dueling cane, taken off the horse. Breeze used it to gesture westward, toward Lord Cett's army. "When there are only two participants in a negotiation, one is generally stronger than the other. That makes things ver... |
up at the wall, "I was hoping we could go back up on the wall and study the armies some more. If you spent time with Lord Cett's force, then you could probably tell us a lot about it." "I can; I will; I am not going to climb those steps. Can't you see how tired I am, man?" Ham snorted, clapping Breeze on the shoulder—a... |
A poodle?" Ham chuckled. "No, I guess not. It fits, actually." "Though it's almost as big as she is," Clubs added, regarding her with a squinty-eyed look. Vin reached down, resting her hand on OreSeur's head. Clubs did have a point; she'd chosen a big animal, even for a wolfhound. He stood over three feet tall at the s... |
walked over. The soldier gave her a look, but continued speaking; the soldiers all knew that Vin was Elend's primary bodyguard and confidant. Still, the man looked oddly concerned when he saw her. "We. . .ah, don't want to be intrusive," the soldier said. "That's why we've kept this quiet. We were just wondering if. . ... |
it without the dogs—they picked up the scent pretty easily, though I can't see how. These corpses are completely clean of flesh." And there it was. Another skeleton, like the first, sitting piled beside a bureau. Elend glanced at Vin, then turned to Demoux. "Would you excuse us, Captain?" The young guard nodded, walkin... |
Spook had been the last to arrive. Vin looked down at the pile of bones, feeling a sickening sense of unease. There was a very good chance that someone in their core team—a member of Kelsier's former band—was now an impostor. It wasn't until years later that I became convinced that Alendi was the Hero of Ages. Hero of ... |
his shoulder. "North." "Toward Luthadel?" Sazed asked, frowning. "Among other things," Marsh said. "Come. I do not know if they will return, but we should exploit this opportunity." Sazed nodded. This was why they had come, after all. Still, a part of him hesitated. He was a man of books and genteel service. Traveling ... |
head, walking back over to the platform. Marsh was moving very quickly down toward the chasm floor; like all Inquisitors, he had the powers of a Mistborn. Though how he had gotten those powers—and how he managed to live despite the spikes that had been driven directly through his brain—was a mystery. Marsh had never an... |
and had never before felt uncomfortable in them. Yet, now he half expected the mists to begin choking him. To kill him, as they seemed to have done to old Jed, the unfortunate farmer whose death Sazed had investigated. Marsh dropped the last ten feet or so, landing with an Allomancer's increased agility. Even after spe... |
The Inquisitor turned. "I won't be able to see inside there." "Your Feruchemy. . ." Sazed shook his head. "It can let me see better in darkness, but only if there's some light to begin with. In addition, tapping that much sight would drain my tinmind in a matter of minutes. I'll need a lantern." Marsh paused, then nodd... |
felt the thoughts sucked from his mind, leaving behind a blank hollowness. He had difficulty remembering the specifics of what he had just been saying. However, once he was done filling his coppermind, he would be able to tap those memories later and know them with crisp clarity. "The room is tall," he said. "There are... |
lamp, turning its light away from the horrific scene. "Very well." Marsh turned, brushing past Sazed and disappearing into the dark hallway. And Sazed was alone. He tried not to think about that very much. He returned to the main hallway, describing the slaughter to his coppermind before giving a more detailed explanat... |
during their months sequestered in the Conventical. But that didn't seem right. They were a secretive, exclusive bunch. Where would they have found enough men worthy of joining their ranks? Why not make Inquisitors from the servants above, rather than just killing them? Sazed had always suspected that a man had to be a... |
has been a waste—my brethren took anything of use with them." "Not a waste, Marsh," Sazed said, turning back to the plate of text. He hadn't read all of it; he hadn't even gotten close. The script was written in a tight, cramped hand, its etchings coating the wall. The steel had preserved the words despite their obviou... |
"It is dark, Mistress." "But they're already here—they started to gather when the sun was barely beginning to set." "I don't see that it matters, Mistress. Perhaps the mists are simply like other weather patterns—they vary, sometimes." "Doesn't it even seem a little strange to you?" "I will think it strange if you wish... |
their place. "All right," she said. "So, how do I find the impostor? How can I tell him from other people?" OreSeur sat quietly in the mists. "There has to be a way," Vin said. "His imitation can't be perfect. Would cutting him work?" OreSeur shook his head. "Kandra replicate a body perfectly, Mistress—blood, flesh, sk... |
of triumph shone in OreSeur's eyes, as if he enjoyed forcing her into her role. "Kandra cannot be affected by mental Allomancy, Mistress." Vin frowned. "Not at all?" "No, Mistress," OreSeur said. "You can try to Riot or Soothe our emotions, if you wish, but it will have no effect. We won't even know that you are trying... |
palace, rather than moving into Kredik Shaw, the Lord Ruler's home. Not only was Kredik Shaw too big to be properly defended, but it also reminded her of him. The Lord Ruler. She thought of the Lord Ruler often, lately—or, rather, she thought of Rashek, the man who had become the Lord Ruler. A Terrisman by birth, Rashe... |
before. She had never been brave enough to investigate it again. It's time to do something about that, she decided. "Do you know what I hate, kandra?" she whispered, falling to a crouch, checking her knives and metals. "No, Mistress." She turned, meeting OreSeur's eyes. "I hate being afraid." She knew that others thoug... |
forward. Vin tensed. And then the spirit was gone. Vin paused, frowning. That was it? She had— Something grabbed her arm. Something cold, something terrible, but something very real. A pain shot through her head, moving as if from her ear and into her mind. She yelled, but cut off as her voice failed. With a quiet groa... |
it was dark. That late already? Elend thought. "My dear man," Breeze noted. "When you told us you needed to 'go and gather a few important references,' you might have warned us that you were planning to be gone for two full hours." "Yes, well," Elend said, "I kind of lost track of time. . .." "For two hours?" Elend nod... |
supplies run out." Elend stood quietly. "By making a deal with one of those armies, we'll essentially be giving away our kingdom." "True," Breeze said, tapping the side of his cup. "However, what I gained us by bringing a second army is bargaining power. You see, at least we are in a position to demand something in exc... |
that we might talk about. . .." The others shared looks. As usual, Clubs and Spook remained quiet during proceedings; Clubs only spoke when he felt it absolutely necessary, and Spook tended to stay on the periphery of the conversations. Finally, Breeze, Ham, and Dockson looked back at Elend. "This is your country, Your... |
battle—our wall is too long to defend in detail, but if we had mobile bands of troops that could respond to—" "Your Majesty," Dockson interrupted. "Hum? Yes?" "We've got a troop of boys and men who have barely a year's training, and we're facing not one overwhelming force, but two. We can't win this battle by force." "... |
seems weaker at the moment, keep them snapping at each other. And there's no guarantee that the winner between the two would be weakened enough for us to defeat." "Not to mention our food problems," Dockson said. "What you propose would take time, Your Majesty. Time during which we'd be under siege, our supplies dwindl... |
opposition." "What about the Assembly?" Ham said. "That's the best part," Elend said. "They voted in my proposal at the meeting two days back. They can't open the city gates to any invader until I meet with my father in parlay." The crew sat quietly for a few moments. Finally, Ham turned to Elend, shaking his head. "I ... |
the woman's eyes. Older—perhaps fifty—she wasn't beautiful, but neither was she homely. She was sturdy, with a straightforward, rectangular face. Her stare was calm and firm, and it made Elend uncomfortable to hold it for long. "So, what did you expect to overhear, woman?" Elend asked. The Terriswoman ignored the comme... |
she commanded. "Excuse me?" "You're slouching," the woman said. "A king must maintain an air of dignity at all times, even when with his friends." Elend frowned. "Now, while I appreciate advice, I don't—" "No," the woman said. "Don't hedge. Command." "Excuse me?" Elend said again. The woman stepped forward, placing a h... |
studied the lives of generals, kings, and emperors whose names you have never heard. Understanding theories of politics and leadership, Elend Venture, is not the same as understanding the lives of men who lived such principles." "And. . .you can teach me to emulate those men?" "Perhaps," Tindwyl said. "I haven't yet de... |
she asked. "I didn't have much time to listen." Elend sighed. He turned, sitting down on the table, looking up at the massive rose window at the back of the room. It was dark, its colors only hinted as reflections in the black glass. "It went well, I suppose." "I told you they'd like your plan. It's the sort of thing t... |
thieving crews, and everyone was bigger, stronger, and meaner than you, what did you do? Did you stand up to the leaders?" Memories flashed in her mind. Memories of hiding, of keeping her eyes down, of weakness. "That was then," she said. "You can't let others beat on you forever. That's what Kelsier taught me—that's w... |
privileged because of what other people had done. Not really fair, eh?" Vin shrugged. "Fair as anything else, I guess." "But, didn't you get angry?" Elend said. "Didn't it frustrate you that the nobility had so much while you had so little?" "I didn't think about it," Vin said. "The nobility had a lot, so we could take... |
He sat musingly for a few moments. "Green plants? Why not purple or blue? So odd. . .." The Hero of Ages traveled north, to the Well of Ascension, Vin thought again. She turned slightly, her eyes drawn toward the Terris mountains so far away. Was it still up there? The Well of Ascension? "Did you have any luck getting ... |
the table and slipped out the window, back out to meet with OreSeur and do another check of the palace grounds. I had determined that Alendi was the Hero of Ages, and I intended to prove it. I should have bowed before the will of the others; I shouldn't have insisted on traveling with Alendi to witness his journeys. It... |
the skaa of Urbene were herdsmen. Sazed scribbled a note to himself, then redeposited the gazetteer's memories. Reading the note told him what he had just forgotten. Like the index, the gazetteer memories had inevitably decayed slightly during their stay in his head. Fortunately, he had a second set of copperminds hidd... |
up the valley. If it hadn't been for the smell—and the sense of haunted emptiness—Sazed might have agreed with his gazetteer's description of Urbene. For skaa residences, the hovels looked well maintained, and the village lay in a quiet hollow amid the rising landscape. It wasn't until he got a little closer that he fo... |
thought. The man didn't need to work hard to feign death. His hair had fallen out, and his eyes were sunken into his face. Though he didn't look particularly starved, Sazed must have missed seeing him because of his dirty, almost corpselike body. Sazed stepped toward the man. "I am a friend," he said quietly. The man r... |
"The mist let some survive, but it killed others?" The man didn't answer. He'd sat down, and now he lay back, staring unfocused at the ceiling. "Please," Sazed said. "You must answer me. Who did it kill and who did it let pass? What is the connection?" The man turned toward him. "Time for food," he said, then rose. He ... |
the Hero. I don't know if he himself believed it, but he made others think that he must be the one. VIN RARELY USED HER QUARTERS. Elend had assigned her spacious rooms—which was, perhaps, part of the problem. She'd spent her childhood sleeping in nooks, lairs, or alleys. Having three separate chambers was a bit dauntin... |
name—was some kind of prophesied hero. Or. . .everyone thought he was. Anyway, the man who became the Lord Ruler—Rashek—was this hero's packman. Don't you remember us talking about this, back when you were imitating Renoux?" OreSeur nodded. "I recall you briefly mentioning it." "Well, this is the book Kelsier and I fou... |
written for himself, to stay sane, to let him put his fears and hopes down on paper. Elend said he wrote for similar reasons, sometimes. To Vin, it seemed a silly method of dealing with problems. With a sigh, she turned to the last stack of papers—the one with pages she had yet to study. She lay down on the stone floor... |
following me must, therefore, be real. She sat up. She only vaguely remembered this section of the logbook. The book was organized like a diary, with sequential—but dateless—entries. It had a tendency to ramble, and the Hero had been fond of droning on about his insecurities. This section had been particularly dry. But... |
from Luthadel. In a remarkably short time, the city felt completely surrounded. Cut off from the world, and the rest of Elend's small kingdom. No more moving in or out. The armies were counting on disease, starvation, and other weakening factors to bring Elend to his knees. The siege of Luthadel had begun. That's a goo... |
at Elend. "It isn't often you meet someone who feels like they can order me around. And a Terriswoman at that. I thought those Terris were all docile and kindly." Elend smiled. "I guess Sazed spoiled us." Clubs snorted. "So much for a thousand years of breeding, eh?" Elend nodded. "You sure she's safe?" Clubs asked. "Y... |
All and all, it looked like. . . "A uniform," he said, frowning. "Indeed," Tindwyl said. "You want your people to believe that you can protect them? Well, a king isn't simply a lawmaker—he's a general. It is time you began to act like you deserve your title, Elend Venture." "I'm no warrior," Elend said. "This uniform i... |
was no dandy of the court. He was a serious man—a formal man. A man to be taken seriously. The uniform made him want to stand up straighter, to rest one hand on the dueling cane. His hair—slightly curled, long on the top and sides, and blown loose by the wind atop the city wall—didn't fit. Elend turned. "All right," he... |
bit for that sort of thing." "She's Mistborn." "That is no excuse for your slovenly lack of skill," Tindwyl said. "You cannot always rely on your woman to protect you. Not only is it embarrassing, but your people—your soldiers—will expect you to be able to fight with them. I doubt you will ever be the type of leader wh... |
a good king, Tindwyl of Terris?" "Trust," Tindwyl said, looking him in the eyes. "A good king is one who is trusted by his people—and one who deserves that trust." Elend paused, then nodded. Good answer, he acknowledged, then pulled open the door and rushed out to find Vin. If only the Terris religion, and belief in th... |
She looked up with a frown. Who was bothering her? "Come in," she called. She heard a door open in the other room, and Elend's voice called out. "Vin?" "In here," she said, turning back to her writing. "Why did you knock?" "Well, you might have been changing," he said, entering. "So?" Vin asked. Elend chuckled. "Two ye... |
was one nice thing about books and notes. They could always wait for another time. They found the messenger waiting in the third-floor Venture atrium. Vin and Elend walked in, and she stopped immediately. It was him. The Watcher. Elend stepped forward to meet the man, and Vin grabbed his arm. "Wait," she hissed quietly... |
have heard reports of the beautiful Mistborn who accompanies the Venture heir. She who slew the Lord Ruler, and was trained by the Survivor himself." There was silence in the room for a moment. Elend finally spoke. "Tell my father that I will consider his offer." Zane finally turned away from Vin. "His Majesty was hopi... |
Zane had last parted, the lonely abandoned street. He waited in the center, still wearing black. Vin dropped to the cobbles before him in a flurry of mistcloak tassels. She stood up straight. He never wears a cloak. Why is that? The two stood opposite one another for a few silent moments. Zane had to know of her questi... |
her proximity and turned, throwing a handful of coins at her. Vin Pushed against them tentatively. Sure enough, as soon as she touched them, Zane flared steel and Pushed harder. If she'd been Pushing hard, the force of his attack would have thrown her backward. As it was, she was able to deflect the coins to her sides.... |
Vin had slammed against the wall with her weight. She Pushed herself upward, trying to get out of the way, but he angled upward as well. Zane crashed into her, and they began to fall. As they spun together, Zane grabbed her by the upper arms, holding his face close to hers. He didn't seem angry, or even very forceful. ... |
passed. She noticed that he'd grabbed a few of her discarded coins. Time for a little attack myself, Vin thought. She slammed a Push against the coins in Zane's hand, and they shot her upward. However, Zane was still Pushing against the coin on the wall top below, and so he didn't fall. Instead he hung in the air betwe... |
twisting like a skilled acrobat on a pole. There was a look of intense concentration on his face, and his muscles—all of them, arms, face, chest—were taut. He turned in the air until he was facing her. Vin watched with awe. It was possible to Push just slightly against a coin, regulating the amount of force with which ... |
was a weakness in him, certainly. Perhaps she could turn him against Straff—his willingness to spar with her, his willingness to reveal himself, hinted at that much. She breathed in deeply of the cool, mist air, her heart still beating quickly from the exchange. She felt tired, yet alive, from fighting someone who migh... |
men. That was why Zane had Tineyes watching in the darkness as well. These regular soldiers were more a formality than anything else. "Kill them," God commanded as Zane walked up to the guard post. Zane ignored the voice, though it was growing more and more difficult to do so. "Halt!" one of the guards said, lowering a... |
room's large table. The officer scrambled to comply, grabbing a stack of sheets. Zane Pulled on the nib of a pen, flipping it across the room to his waiting hand. The officer brought the ink. "These are troop concentrations and night patrols," Zane said, scribbling down some numbers and diagrams on the paper. "I observ... |
all others. Especially since he had trouble displaying it himself. "Kill him!" God yelled. "You hate him! He kept you in squalor, forcing you to fight for your survival as a child." He made me strong, Zane thought. "Then use that strength to kill him!" Zane grabbed the carving knife off the table. Straff looked up from... |
smiled. As the tea arrived, Zane closed his eyes, then burned tin to enhance his senses. His wounds burst to life, minor pains becoming great, shocking him to wakefulness. There was a part of all this he wasn't telling Straff. She is coming to trust me, he thought. And there's something else about her. She's like me. P... |
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