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"I'er than some," Human said "Smaller than some--but not very n of intelligence, she thought, raising an eyebrow Froic was impressive

"I hate you," Hu "I want to kill you But I can't kill you"

"No," Vin said "I won't let you"

"You're big inside Very big"

"Yes," Vin said "Huirl koloss?"

The creature walked several moments "Girl?"

"Like me," Vin said

"We're not like you," he said "We're big on the outside only"

"No," Vin said "Not ender? Short of stripping, she couldn't think of any methods So, she decided to try a different tactic "Are there baby koloss?"

"Baby?"

"Small ones," Vin said

The koloss pointed toward theto some of the five-foot-tall koloss

"Smaller," Vin said

"None smaller"

Koloss reproduction was a e, nobody had ever cracked Even after a year spent fighting with the beasts, she'd never found out where new ones carew too small, she and he stole new ones from the Inquisitors

Yet, it was ridiculous to assume that the koloss didn't reproduce She'd seen koloss camps that weren't controlled by an Alloularity At that rate, they would have killed themselves off after a few years Yet, they had lasted for ten centuries

That implied a very quic1k rise from child to adult, or so Sazed and Elend seemed to think They hadn't been able to confirnorance frustrated Elend greatly--especially since his duties as emperor left him little time for the studies he'd once enjoyed so much

"If there are none smaller," Vin asked, "then where do new koloss come from?"

"New koloss come from us," Hu as she walked "That doesn't tellfurther His talkative ht They bud off of each other, perhaps? She'd heard of soht way, each half would grow into a new animal But, that couldn't be the case with koloss--she'd seen battlefields filled with their dead, and no pieces rose to forh most of the beasts wore crude loincloths, they were--as far as she knew--all male

Further speculation was cut off as she noticed the line ahead bunching up; the croas slowing Curious, she dropped a coin and left Hu herself over the people The ain approaching, for the ht and h the falling ash, she easily picked out the canal up ahead It cut unnaturally through the ground, far straighter than any river Elend speculated that the constant ashfall would soon put an end to e theular basis, they would fill up with ashen sedi to uselessness

Vin soared through the air, coe mass of tents stationed beside the canal Thousands of fires spit s, working, or preparing Nearly fifty thousand soldiers bivouacked here, using the canal route as a supply line back to Luthadel

Vin dropped another coin, bounding through the air again She quickly caught up to the sroup of horses that had broken off fro a coin and Pushing against it slightly to slow her descent, throwing up a spray of ash as she hit

Elend reined in his horse, sh on his lips these days that Vin found herself sroup ofsince noticed the townspeople's approach

"Lord Elend!" said a ent "You're ahead of schedule!"

"I assu

"Well, you know eneral ell-used ar a scar on one cheek, the left side of his scalp e patch of hair where a koloss blade had nearly taken his head Ever forrizzled man bowed to Elend, who just slapped hiered I remember when that htened in a tunnel Deh his tanned face and callused hands gave that impression

"We've held position, my lord," Demoux said as 1Fatren and his brother disroup "Not that there was ood fora camp"

Indeed, the army's camp beside the canal was surrounded by heaped earth and spikes--a considerable feat, considering the army's size