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The horse fell into two pieces, front and back What reround with the equine corpse She looked at the rerimly, and bid Straff farewell

Elend had, after all, warned him ould happen if he attacked the city

Straff's generals and attendants stood around her in a stunned circle Behind her, the koloss ar the archer volleys ragged and less effective

Vin kept a tight hold on her sword, then Pushed outith a duralumin-enhanced Steelpush Riders were thrown, their beasts tripped by their shoes, and soldiers sprayed backward from her in a circle of several dozen yards Men screa both steel and pewter Then she juenerals and other officers to attack As she moved, her koloss troops hit the front ranks of Straff's aran

"What are they doing?" Cett asked, hurriedly throwing on his cloak as he was placed and tied into his saddle

"Attacking, apparently," said Bah with the koloss"

Cett frowned, doing up his cloak clasp "A treaty?"

"With koloss?" Bah to win?"

"No way to tell, my lord," the man said "Koloss are--"

"What is this!" Allrianne de up the snowy incline, accouards Cett had, of course, ordered them to keep her in the caet past them eventually

At least I can count on her to be slowed down by getting ready in the ht with aed, her hair done If a building were burning down, Allrianne would still pause to do her

"Looks like the battle has begun," Cett said, nodding toward the fighting

"Outside the city?" Allrianne asked, riding up next to hi Straff's position!"

"Yes," Cett said "And that leaves the city--"

"We have to help them, Father!"

Cett rolled his eyes "You knoe're going to do nothing of the sort We'll see ins If they're weak enough--which I hope they will be--we'll attack the all of my forces back with me, but maybe"

He trailed off as he noticed the look in Allrianne's eyes He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could do so, she kicked her horse intoforward--too late--to try and grab her reins Cett sat, stunned This was a little insane, even for her She wouldn't dare

She galloped down the hill toward the battle Then she paused, as he had expected She turned, looking back at him

"If you want to protect e!"

With that, she turned and started galloping again, her horse throwing up puffs of snow

Cett didn't move

"My lord," Bahmen said "Those forces look alainst a force of some twelve thousand koloss and about five thousand th to either side"

Daallop away

"My lord?" Bahmen asked

Why did I come to Luthadel in the first place? Was it because I really thought I could take the city? Without Allomancers, withfor so? A confirht, when the Heir alet the koloss to fight with them, anyway?

"Gather our forces!" Cett co to the defense of Luthadel And sohter ofslowly in the snow Ahead of hih behind it to be out of danger He'd left the city behind, where Luthadel's surviving women and elderly watched from the walls Vin had saved them from the koloss The real miracle would be to see if she could save them from the other two arht His metalminds were mostly empty, and his body was nearly as tired as his ht his horse to a halt, its breath puffing in the cold as he sat alone on the snowy plain

He didn't kno to deal with Tindwyl's death He felthollow He wished that he could just stop feeling He wished that he could go back and defend her gate, instead of his own Why hadn't he gone in search of her when he'd heard of the northern gate's fall? She'd still been alive then He ht have been able to protect her

Why did he even care anymore? Why bother?

But, the ones who had faith were right, he thought Vin came back to defend the city I lost hope, but they never did

He started his horse forward again The sounds of battle ca but Tindwyl, but his thoughts kept returning to things he had studied with her The facts and stories became more precious, for they were a link to her A painful link, but one he couldn't bear to discard

The Hero of Ages was not si slowly toward the battlefield He was a person who united others, who brought theht she was the Hero But Tindas right: it was too much of a coincidence And, he wasn't even certain what he believed anyes was re the koloss attack He was not royalty himself, but came to it eventually

Sazed pulled his horse up, pausing in the center of the open, eround was thoroughly tra as an army of men marched over a rise to the west They flew Cett's banner

He cos rode to his aid

Cett's forces joined the battle against Straff There was a crash of , as a new front came under attack Sazed sat on the field between the city and the armies Vin's forces were still outnuan to pull back It broke into pieces, itswithout direction Their enerals, he thought

Cett was a clever man He himself rode to battle, but he stayed near the back of his ranks--his infir it difficult for hi the battle, he ensured that Vin would not turn her koloss on him

For there was really no doubt in Sazed's mind ould win this conflict Indeed, before even an hour had passed, Straff's troops began to surrender in large groups The sounds of battle died down, and Sazed kicked his horse forward

Holy First Witness, he thought I don't know that I believe that But, either way, I should be there for what happens next