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Elend's face grew grim, but he did not forbid her He had learned better than that Instead, he stood "Haood idea?"

Haamble would make sense She'd asked him to stay because she'd need so

"All right," Elend said, turning back to Vin, looking resigned

Vin climbed into the chair, sat back, then took a pinch of the duralumin dust and sed it She closed her eyes, and felt at her Alloht were all there, well stocked She didn't have any atiuold, nor did she have either of their alloys Even if she'd had atiuency--and the other three had only inal usefulness

A new reserve appeared Just as one had the four times before Each time she'd burned an alu headache You'd think I'd have learnedshe thought Gritting her teeth, she reached inside and burned the new alloy

Nothing happened

"Have you tried it yet?" Elend asked apprehensively

Vin nodded slowly "No headache ButI' or not"

"But it's burning?" Ham asked

Vin nodded She felt the familiar warmth fro She tried e to her physical self Finally she just looked up and shrugged

Ham frowned "If it didn't ht alloy Each metal only has one valid alloy"

"Or," Vin said, "that's e've always been told"

Ham nodded "What alloy was this?"

"Alu," Ha at all?"

Vin shook her head

"You'll have to practice souishing the duraluht we could try, once we had enough aluminum This was only the fifth"

"Forty?" Elend asked incredulously "I wasn't aware that there were so many metals you could make an alloy from!"

"You don't have to have two metals to make an alloy," Vin said absently "Just oneelse Look at steel--it's iron and carbon"

"Forty" Elend repeated "And you would have tried theood place to start"

Elend looked concerned at that thought, but didn't say anything further Instead, he turned to Ha you wanted to see us about?"

"Nothing important," Ha That arure Vin could still use soed "Sure Why not?"

"You want to come, El?" Hahed "And face one of you two? I've got htly, looking up at him "You really should practice more, Elend You barely kno to hold a sword, and you're terrible with a dueling cane"

"Now, see, ould I worry about that when I have you to protect me?"

Vin's concern deepened "We can't always be around you, Elend I'd worry a lot less if you were better at defending yourself"

He just set to it eventually, I proht no about if I just co by observation--which is, by the way, the preferable etting beaten up by a girl"

Vin sighed, but didn't press the point further

I write this record now, pounding it into a metal slab, because I a human If Alendi does return from the Well of Ascension, I am certain that my death will be one of his first objectives He is not an evil man, but he is a ruthless one That is, I think, a product of what he has been through

6

ELEND LEANED DOWN AGAINST THE railing, looking in at the sparring yard Part of hio out and practice with Vin and Haer part of him just didn't see the point