Page 115 (1/2)

"I've never seen a Terrisht," Penrod said

"It is not a common occurrence,out over the city "It's falling, Terriso, my lord," Sazed said

Penrod shook his head He still wore Elend's thin crown "This is my city, Terrisesture, my lord," Sazed said "But these with ht northward?"

Penrod paused Then he just shook his head again "There will be no flight northward, Terris the tallest structures in the city--fro They will not let you escape"

"They et by them and escape"

"No," Penrod said, his voice echoing hauntingly across the snowy streets "My Tineye claims the creatures have already attacked the people you sent to escape through the northern gate Now the koloss have turned this way They're coh the distant streets, co closer, Sazed knew that Penrod's words ates, Penrod!" Sazed yelled "Let the refugees in!" Save their lives for a few more pitiful moments

"There is no room," Penrod said "And there is no time We are doomed"

"You must let us in!" Sazed screa softer "By taking this throne from the Venture boy, I saved his life--and I ended my own I could not save the city, Terrisman My only consolation is that I doubt Elend could have done so either"

He turned to go, walking down somewhere beyond the wall

"Penrod!" Sazed yelled

He did not reappear The sun was setting, the

Vin cut down another koloss, then ju herself off of a fallen sword She shot away fro fro numb; one of the creatures had punched her there She could kill--kill better than anyone she kneever, she couldn't fight forever

She landed on a rooftop, then stu to kneel in a pile of snow The koloss called and howled behind her, and she knew they would co her She'd killed hundreds of them, but as a few hundred when compared with an army of over twenty thousand?

What did you expect? she thought to herself Why keep fighting once you knew Sazed was free? Did you think to stop them all? Kill every koloss in the ar an arreat man, but still just one person He couldn't have stopped an entire army--no more than she could

I have to find the Well, she thought with deternoring during the battle--beco loud to her ears

And yet, that left her with the same problem as before She kneas in the city now; she could feel the thus all around her Yet, they were so powerful, so omnipresent, that she couldn't sense a direction from the the Well would even help? If Sazed had lied about the location--had gone so far as to draw up a fake ht stop theand dying?

She knelt in frustration, pounding the top of the roof with her fists She had proven too weak What good was it to return--what good was it to decide to protect--if she couldn't do anything to help?

She knelt for a few asps Finally, she forced herself to her feet and ju down a coin Her h steel to carry her through a few ju near Kredik Shaw, the Hill of a Thousand Spires She caught one of the spikes at the top of the palace, spinning in the night, looking out over the darkening city

It was burning

Kredik Shaw itself was silent, quiet, left alone by looters of both races Yet, all around her, Vin saw light in the darkness The ht

It's likelike that day two years ago, she thought The night of the skaa rebellion Except, on that day, the firelight had come from the torches of the rebels as they ht, a revolution of a different type was occurring She could hear it She had her tin burning, and she forced herself to flare it, opening her ears She heard the screa work by destroying the arun

The koloss are killing the as the fires burned before her Elend's people, the ones he left behind because of

I am his knife Their knife Kelsier trusted

She dropped toward the ground, skidding off an angled rooftop, landing in the palace courtyard Mists gathered around her The air was thick And not just with ash and snow; she could smell death in its breezes, hear screams in its whispers

Her pewter ran out

She slu her so hard that everything else seemed inconsequential She suddenly knew she shouldn't have relied on the pewter so much Shouldn't have pushed herself so hard But, it had seein to slip into unconsciousness

But people were screa She could hear them--had heard the Her friends were out there somewhere Friends that Kelsier had trusted her to protect