Mistborn #02 The Well of Ascension

someone else's turn to try."
    She smiled wanly. He doesn't know. He must never know how much this hurts. He's a good man—he'd try to force himself to keep loving me .
    "But," he said, "you should get some more rest."
    "I feel fine," Vin said, stretching slightly. Her side hurt, and her neck ached, but pewter burned within her, and none of her wounds were debilitating. "I need to—"
    She cut herself off as a realization hit her. She sat upright, the sudden motion making her rigid with pain. The day before was a blur, but. . .
    " OreSeur !" she said, pushing aside the blanket.
    "He's fine, Vin," Elend said. "He's a kandra. Broken bones mean nothing to him."
    She paused, half out of bed, suddenly feeling foolish. "Where is he?"
    "Digesting a new body," Elend said, smiling.
    "Why the smile?" she asked.
    "I've just never heard someone express that much concern for a kandra before."
    "Well, I don't see why not," Vin said, climbing back in bed. "OreSeur risked his life for me."
    "He's a kandra, Vin," Elend repeated. "I don't think those men could have killed him; I doubt even a Mistborn could."
    Vin paused. Not even a Mistborn could . . .. What bothered her about that statement? "Regardless," she said. "He feels pain. He took two serious blows on my behalf."
    "Just fulfilling his Contract."
    His Contract . . .. OreSeur had attacked a human. He had broken his Contract. For her.
    "What?" Elend asked.
    "Nothing," Vin said quickly. "Tell me about the armies."
    Elend eyed her, but allowed the conversation to change directions. "Cett is still holed up in Keep Hasting. We're not sure what his reaction will be. The Assembly didn't choose him, which can't be good. And yet, he hasn't protested—he has to realize that he's trapped in here now."
    "He must have really believed that we'd choose him," Vin said, frowning. "Why else would he come into the city?"
    Elend shook his head. "It was an odd move in the first place. Anyway, I have advised the Assembly to try and make a deal with him. I think he believes that the atium isn't in the city, so there's really no reason for him to want Luthadel."
    "Except for the prestige."
    "Which wouldn't be worth losing his army," Elend's said. "Or his life."
    Vin nodded. "And your father?"
    "Silent," Elend said. "It's strange, Vin. This isn't like him—those assassins were so blatant. I'm not sure what to make of them."
    "The assassins," Vin said, sitting back in the bed. "You've identified them?"
    Elend shook his head. "Nobody recognizes them."
    Vin frowned.
    "Maybe we aren't as familiar with the noblemen out in the Northern Dominance as we thought we were."
    No , Vin thought. No, if they were from a city as close as Urteau—Straff's home—some of them would be known, wouldn't they ? "I thought I recognized one of them," Vin finally said.
    "Which one?"
    "The. . .last one."
    Elend paused. "Ah. Well, I guess we won't be able to identify him now."
    "Elend, I'm sorry you had to see that."
    "What?" Elend asked. "Vin, I've seen death before. I was forced to attend the Lord Ruler's executions, remember?" He paused. "Not that what you did was like that, of course."
    Of course .
    "You were amazing," Elend said. "I'd be dead right now if you hadn't stopped those Allomancers—and it's likely that Penrod and the other Assemblymen would have fared the same. You saved the Central Dominance."
    We always have to be the knives . . ..
    Elend smiled, standing. "Here," he said, walking to the side of the room. "This is cold, but Sazed said you should eat it when you awoke." He returned with a bowl of broth.
    "Sazed sent it?" Vin asked skeptically. "Drugged, then?"
    Elend smiled. "He warned me not to taste it myself—he said it was filled with enough sedatives to knock me out for a month. It takes a lot to affect you pewter burners."
    He set the bowl on the bedstand. Vin eyed it through narrowed eyes. Sazed was probably worried that, despite her wounds, she'd go out and prowl the city if she were left on her own. He was probably right. With a sigh, Vin accepted the bowl and began to sip at it.
    Elend smiled. "I'll send someone to bring you more coal for the stove," he said. "There are some things I need to do."
    Vin nodded, and he left, pulling the door shut behind him.

    When Vin next awoke, she saw that Elend was still there. He stood in the shadows, watching her. It was still dark outside. The shutters to her window were open, and mist coated the floor of the room.
    The shutters were open .
    Vin sat upright