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Sazed spun His tent in the camp had been empty just moments before Noever, someone stood behind him Sazed s an eyebrow She had always ood that it amazed even him She'd barely rustled the tent flap with her entrance She wore her standard shirt and trousers, after rown her raven hair to a feth There had been a time when Vin had see to hide, rarely looking others in the eye That had changed She was still easy to ure, and small stature She noays looked1 people in the eye, however

And thatdifference

"General De, Lady Vin," Sazed noted

"Deh your arrival"

Sazed sestured toward a chair so that she could sit

"You can keep shaving," she said "It's all right"

"Please," he said, gesturing again

Vin sighed, taking the seat "You never answeredthose steward's robes? Why do you keep your head shaved, after the fashion of a Terris servant? Why worry about showing disrespect by shaving while I'hed, carefully seating himself in the chair across from Vin "I'm not exactly sure what I am anyentle breeze, a bit of ash blowing in through the door, which Vin hadn't tied closed behind herself She frowned at his comment "You're Sazed"

"Emperor Venture's chief aht be what you do, but that's not what you are"

"And what am I, then?"

"Sazed," she repeated "Keeper of Terris"

"A Keeper who no longer wears his copperlanced toward the corner, toward the trunk where he kept thees that contained the religions, histories, stories, and legends of peoples long dead It all sat waiting to be taught, waiting to be added to "I fear that I have become a very selfish man, Lady Vin," Sazed said quietly

"That's silly," Vin said "You've spent your entire life serving others I know of nobody more selfless than you"

"I do appreciate that sentiree Lady Vin, we are not a people new to sorrow You know better than anyone here, I think, the hardships of life in the Final Empire We have all lost people dear to us And yet, I seeet over my loss I feel childish Yes, Tindwyl is dead In all honesty, I did not have much time with her before she did pass I have no reason to feel as I do

"Still, I cannot wake up in theand not see darkness ahead of me When I place the metalminds upon my arms, my skin feels cold, and I remember time spent with her Life lacks all hope I should be able to move on, but I cannot I am weak of will, I think"

"That just isn't true, Sazed," Vin said

"I ree"

"Oh?" Vin asked "And if you really eak of will, would you be able to disagree with et so good at logic?"

"Living with Elend," Vin said with a sigh "If you prefer irrational arguments, don't ht came to Sazed unbidden, but it quieted his shtly

"Sorry," she said, looking away

"It is all right, Lady Vin," Sazed said "I justI feel so weak I cannot be the man my people wish me to be I am, perhaps, the very last of the Keepers It has been a year since the Inquisitors attackedeven the child Feruchemists, and we have seen no evidence that others of my sect survived Others were out of the city, certainly and inevitably, but either Inquisitors found theh of that lately, I think"

Vin sat with her hands in her lap, looking uncharacteristically weak in the diht Sazed frowned at the pained expression on her face "Lady Vin?"

"I'm sorry," she said "It's just thatyou've always been the one who gives advice, Sazed But, nohat I need advice about is you"

"There is no advice to give, I fear"

They sat in silence for a few moments

"We found the stockpile," Vin said "The next-to-last cavern I made a copy for you of the words we found, etched in a thin sheet of steel so they'll be safe"

"Thank you"

Vin sat, looking uncertain "You're not going to look at it, are you?"

Sazed paused, then shook his head "I do not know"

"I can't do this alone, Sazed," Vin whispered "I can't fight it by rew quiet "Ia what I can, Lady Vin," Sazed finally said "In my oay I must find answers for myself before I can provide the delivered to my tent I promise that I will at least look at it"

She nodded, then stood "Elend's having a ht To plan our next moves He wants you there" She trailed a faint perfume as she moved to leave She paused beside his chair "There was a time," she said, "after I'd taken the power at the Well of Ascension, when I thought Elend would die"

"But he did not," Sazed said "He lives still"