Page 23 (1/2)

As she passed, some of the men saluted Others bowed their heads in reverence Still others glanced away, looking uncertain Vin didn't blame them Even she wasn't sure what her place was in the arh she wore no royal garb To ure, the Heir of the Survivor She didn't really want that title either

She found Elend and Ha outside of the ie of disasseh they stood out in the open, their mannerisms completely nonchalant, Vin was i from the workers, as if Elend and Ha tin, she couldbefore she reached theht We can't keep doing this The further we penetrate into the Western Doht we'll lose to the mists"

Ham shook his head "You'd really stand by and watch your own soldiers die, El?"

Elend's face grew hard, and he met Vin's eyes as she joined the"

"Even if it saves lives?" Ha down costs lives," Elend said "Each hour we spend out here brings theto be at siege for soet to Fadrex as soon as possible"

Ha for support She shook her head "I'ht We can't have our entire army dependent upon the whims of the , our et struck down by the mists, or hide in their tents and wait"

Hah the fallen ash to help a group of soldiers pack away their tents Vin stepped up beside Elend, watching the large soldier go

"Kelsier rong about him," she finally said

"Who?" Elend asked "Ham?"

Vin nodded "At the end--after Kelsier died--we found a last note from him He said that he'd chosen the overnment Breeze t1o be an aeneral The other two fit their roles perfectly, but Haets too involved," Elend said "He has to know each man he commands personally or it makes hirows attached"

Vin nodded quietly, watching Hah and ith the soldiers

"Listen to us," Elend said, "callously talking about the lives of those who follow us Perhaps it would be better to grow attached, like Ham Maybe then I wouldn't be so quick to order people to their deaths"

Vin glanced at Elend, concerned at the bitterness in his voice He slanced away "You need to do so around the ca the ht of the creature, she becae of the camp It was always under her command, but she could only take direct, full control of it when she concentrated Otherwise, it would follow her general orders--staying in the area, not killing anything

"I should go lanced at her, and when she didn't indicate that she'd go with hiave her a quick kiss, then departed

Vin ain Most of the tents were down and stowed, and the soldiers werequick work of their food She passed out of the perihtly against his legs He watched the camp with red eyes, his face broken by the ripped skin which hung froht eye down to the corner of hisher ar froure Even with the nu she controlled this one completely, Vin had a moment of reflexive fear as she stood before therips

"Why did you co off her panic

"I am human," he said with his slow, deliberate tone

"You're koloss," she said "You know that"

"I should have a house," Human said "Like those"

"Those are tents, not houses," Vin said "You can't come to camp like this You have to stay with the other koloss"

Hu toward the south, where the koloss army waited, separate from the humans They remained under Elend's control, twenty thousand in number, now that they'd picked up the ten thousand that had been waiting with the main bulk of the army It made more sense to leave them under Elend's control, since--in terer Allomancer than Vin

Human looked back at Vin "Why?"

"Why do you have to stay with the others?" Vin asked "Because you make the people in the camp uncomfortable"

"Then they should attack me," Human said

"That's why you're not a human," Vin said "We don't attack people just because they make us uncomfortable"

"No," Human said "Youher head Huain His beady red eyes ing in his expression

"You're one of us," Human said

Vin looked up "Me?"

"You're like us," he said "Not like them"