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"All right," Vin said, sighing and walking forward

"I'll go with you," Allrianne said, grabbing Vin's arm as if they had been friends since childhood Vin resisted, but couldn't figure a way to pry her off withouta scene

They stepped out of the shop The croas already large, and the periphery was filling as ate Most were skaa in brown, ash-stained work coats or siray dresses The ones in the front backed away as Vin stepped out, giving her a little ring of eh the crowd

"Wow," Allrianne said quietly "There sure are a lot of them"

Vin nodded OreSeur sat where he had before, near the door, and he watched her with a curious canine expression

Allrianne s with a sudden hesitance "You can, you know, fight theht?"

"That won't be necessary," Vin said, finally slipping her ar the crowd a bit of a Soothing to cal to push down her sense of itching nervousness She'd grown to no longer feel she needed to hide when she went out in public, but standing before a crowd like thiswell, she almost turned and slinked back into the dressmaker's shop

A voice, however, stopped her The speaker was a ed man with an ash-stained beard and a dirty black cap held nervously in his hands He was a strong man, probably a mill worker His quiet voice seemed a contrast to his powerful build "Lady Heir What will become of us?"

The terror--the uncertainty--in the large arded her with hopeful eyes, as did ht the Church of the Survivor was s his cap She opened her mouth, but thencouldn't do it She couldn't tell him that she didn't knoould happen; she couldn't explain to those eyes that she wasn't the savior that he needed

"Everything will be all right," Vin heard herself say, increasing her Soothing, trying to take away some of their fear

"But the armies, Lady Heir!" one of the wo to inti won't let the, as are our soldiers We can outlast this siege"

The croas silent

"One of those armies is led by Elend's father, Straff Venture," Vin said "Elend and I are going to go meet with Straff tomorrow We will persuade hi to surrender!" a voice said "I heard it He's going to trade the city for his life"

"No," Vin said "He would never do that!!"

"He won't fight for us!" a voice called "He's not a soldier He's a politician!"

Other voices called out in agreean to yell out concerns, while others began to deainst Elend, yelling that there was no way he could protect the to ward off the crowd, the chaos "Stop!" she yelled, Pushing out with steel and brass Several people stumbled back away from her, and she could see a wave in the crowd as buttons, coins, and buckles suddenly pressed backward

The people grew suddenly quiet

"I will suffer no ill words spoken of our king!" Vin said, flaring her brass and increasing her Soothing "He is a good ood leader He has sacrificedhours spent drafting laws, and your livelihoods coreements with merchants"

Many members of the crowd looked down The beardedat Vin "They're just right frightened, Lady Heir Right frightened"

"We'll protect you," Vin said What a? "Elend and I, we'll find a way We stopped the Lord Ruler We can stop these ar foolish

Yet, the crowd responded Some were obviously still unsatisfied, but h so small children Vin paused nervously Kelsier had oftentheroup a hasty farewell and ducked back into the shop, pulling Allrianne after her

Tindaited inside, nodding with satisfaction

"I lied," Vin said, pushing the door closed

"No you didn't," Tindwyl said "You were optimistic The truth or fiction of what you said has yet to be proven"

"It won't happen," Vin said "Elend can't defeat three armies, not even with my help"

Tindwyl raised an eyebrow "Then you should leave Run away, leave the people to deal with the armies themselves"

"I didn't mean that," Vin said

"Well, ive up on the city or believe in it Honestly, the pair of you" She shook her head

"I thought you weren't going to be harsh with me," Vin noted

"I have trouble with that sometimes," Tindwyl said "Co"

They moved to do so However, at that moment--as if to belie Vin's assurances of safety--several warning drulancing through the , out over the anxious crowd

One of the ar the delay, she rushed into the back of the shop to change out of the bulky dress

Elend scra on his dueling cane in his haste He stuing the cane at his side with a curse

The wall top was in chaos Men scraotten their aret up after Elend that the stairwell got clogged, and he watched hopelessly as er jam of bodies in the courtyard