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We had the wrong gender all along

PART SIX

WORDS IN STEEL

If Rashek fails to lead Alendi astray, then I have instructed the lad to kill Alendi

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HOW CAN VIN STAND THIS? Elend wondered He could barely see twenty feet in the mists Trees appeared as apparitions around hi around the road The mist almost seeht air It snatched up his puffs of breath, as if drawing a piece of hi The snow hadheaps in shadowed areas The canal road, thankfully, was mostly clear

He walked with a pack over his shoulder, carrying only the necessities At Spook's suggestion, they'd traded their horses at a village several days back They'd rode the creatures hard the last few days, and it was Spook's esti to keep the of their trip to Luthadel wouldn't be worth the effort

Besides, whatever was going to happen at the city had likely already occurred So Elend walked, alone, in the darkness Despite the eeriness, he kept his word and traveled only at night Not only was it Vin's will, but Spook claiht was safer Few travelers braved theroadways at night

Spook prowled ahead, his keen senses allowing hier before Elend blundered into it How does that work, anyway? Elend wondered as he walked Tin is supposed to make you see better But what does it matter how far you can see, if the ?

Writers claimed that Allomancy could help a person pierce the mists, somehow Elend had alondered what that was like Of course, he had also wondered what it felt like to feel the strength of pewter, or to fight with atiu Great Houses Yet, because of the way Straff had treated hiuilty that he hadn't been one

But, I ended up as king eventually, even without Allo to himself He'd lost the throne, true But, while they could take his crown, they could not take away his accomplishments He'd proved that an Assehts, and a taste of freedoet He'd done more than anyone would have expected of hi rustled in theout into the darkness Sounds like leaves, he thought nervously So them?

He decided at thatinto thesilhouettes A part of him would rather face down a koloss arht, in an unknown forest

"Elend," someone whispered

Elend spun He put a hand to his chest as he saw Spook approaching He thought about chastising the boy for sneaking up on him--but, well, there wasn't really any other way to approach in the ?" Spook asked quietly

Elend shook his head "But I think I heard so"

Spook nodded, then darted off into the ain Elend stood, uncertain whether he should continue on, or just wait He didn't have to debate for very long Spook returned a fewto worry about," Spook said "Just a mistwraith"

"What?" Elend asked

"Mistwraith," Spook said "You know Big goopy things? Related to kandra? Don't tell me you haven't read about the the darkness "But, I never thought I'd be out in the ed "It's probably just following our scent, hoping that we'll leave sos are harmless, mostly"

"Mostly?" Elend asked

"You probably know more about them than I do Look, I didn't coht up ahead"

"A village?" Elend asked, thinking back to when they'd come this way before

Spook shook his head "Looks like watchfires"

"An ar you should wait behind for a bit It could be aard if you wander into a scout post"

"Agreed," Elend said

Spook nodded, then took off into the ain He shivered, pulling his cloak close, and eyed the mists in the direction from which he'd heard the mistwraith Yes, he'd read about theht of so out there--its skeletonhim

Don't focus on that, Elend told himself

He turned his attention, instead, to the ering longer and longer despite the sunrise Sos, they reine the disaster that would befall the land should the mists persist all day Crops would fail, animals would starve, and civilization would collapse

Could the Deepness really be so so simple? Elend's own impressions of the Deepness were seated in scholarly tradition Soend--a ruod's aura of divinity The majority accepted the historical definition of the Deepness--a dark monster that had been slain by the Lord Ruler

And yet, thinking of it as the le beast, no erous, threaten an entire land? The hthey could be destructive Kill plants Perhaps evenkill people, as Sazed had suggested?

He eyed it shifting around him, playful, deceptive Yes, he could see it as the Deepness Its reputation--erous than an ar it as he was, he could see it trying to play tricks on his mind For instance, theshapes Elend ses in thethere, in front of him

The person stepped forward