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Elend stood breathing heavily, his costuht he would, Vin ade to her side She needed to get a bandage on that shoulder The coin hadn't hit bone, but the bleeding would--
"Vin!" Elend cried out
Sorabbed her from behind Vin choked as she was jerked backward and thrown to the ground
The first Thug She'd broken his leg, then forgotten--
He got his hands around her neck, squeezing as he knelt above her, his legs pressing against her chest, his face ith rage His eyes bulged, adrenaline asped for breath She was taken back to years before, to beatings perfor above her Caht, flaring her pewter, struggling He had her pinned, however, and he was er Elend sla barely even flinched
Vin couldn't breathe She felt her throat being crushed She tried to pry the Thug's hands apart, but it was as Hae to her in th, she was noherself to the side, but the ht too sled in vain She had duralu it only made other metals vanish, not the duraluotten her killed If she didn't take the Thug down quickly, she'd be left without pewter once again
Elend pounded, yelling for help, but his voice sounded distant The Thug pressed his face alainst Vin's, and she could see his fury At that ht occurred to her
Where have I seen this man before?
Her vision darkened However, as the Thug constricted his grip, he leaned closer, closer, closer
She didn't have a choice Vin burned duralu her opponent's hands aside and smashed her head upward into his face
The man's head exploded as easily as the eyeball had earlier
Vin gasped for breath and pushed the headless corpse off her Elend stumbled back, his suit and face sprayed red Vin stumbled to her feet Her vision swah that, she could see an emotion on Elend's face, stark as the blood on his brilliant white uniforht, herPlease, Elend, not that
She fell forward, unable to maintain consciousness
Elend sat in his ruined suit, hands against forehead, the wreckage of the Assely empty around him
"She'll live," Ham said "She actually isn't hurt that badly Orwell, not that badly for Vin She just needs plenty of pewter and some of Sazed's care He says the ribs aren't even broken, just cracked"
Elend nodded absently So the the one at the end
Elend squeezed his eyes shut
"What?" Ha his hand into a fist to keep it fro "I know you've seen a lot of battles, Ham," he said "But, I'm not used to theed away the headless body
Hao
"I've only actually seen her fight once before, you know," Elend said quietly "In the palace, a year ago She only threw a fewlike this"
Ham took a seat beside Elend on the benches "She's Mistborn, El What did you expect? A single Thug can easily take down ten men--dozens, if he has a Coinshot to support him A Mistbornwell, they're like an army in one person"
Elend nodded "I know, Ham I know she killed the Lord Ruler--she's even told me how she faced several Steel Inquisitors ButI've just never seen"
He closed his eyes again The i toward hiore of a man she'd just killed with her forehead
She did it to protect
Maybe that even
He forced his eyes open He couldn't afford to be distracted; he had to be strong He was king
"You think Straff sent theeted you and Cett I guess your threat to kill Straff wasn't as binding as we assumed"
"How is Cett?"
"He barely escaped alive As it is, they slaughtered half of his soldiers In the fray, Dee with you and Vin"
Elend nodded By the time Ham had arrived, Vin had already dealt with the assassins It had taken her only a few minutes to wipe out all six of them
Ham was silent for a moment Finally, he turned to Elend "I'll admit, El," he said quietly "I'ht, but I saw the afterht six Allo to protect a regular person, and to keep any by-standers from harm And that last man"
"Do you remember when she saved Breeze?" Elend asked "It was so far away, but I swear I saw her throw horses into the air with her Allo like that?"
Ham shook his head
Elend sat quietly for aWhat with today's events, we can't"
Haer," Elend said, nodding toward the doorway Sure enough, the man presented hie Elend stood, walking over to meet the short man, ore Penrod's heraldry on his coat