Mistborn: The Final Empire (Mistborn #1)(96)

Children of a Bleeding Sun

Many think that my journey started in Khlennium, that great city of wonder. They forget that I was no king when my quest began. Far from it.

I think it would do men well to remember that this task was not begun by emperors, priests, prophets, or generals. It didn’t start in Khlennium or Kordel, nor did it come from the great nations to the east or the ?ery empire of the West.

It began in a small, unimportant town whose name would mean nothing to you. It began with a youth, the son of a blacksmith, who was unremarkable in every way—except, perhaps, in his ability to get into trouble.

It began with me.

16

WHEN VIN AWOKE, THE PAIN told her that Reen had beaten her again. What had she done? Had she been too friendly to one of the other crewmembers? Had she made a foolish comment, drawing the crewleader’s ire? She was to remain quiet, always quiet, staying away from the others, never calling attention to herself. Otherwise he would beat her. She had to learn, he said. She had to learn….

But, her pain seemed too strong for that. It had been a long time since she could remember hurting this much.

She coughed slightly, opening her eyes. She lay in a bed that was far too comfortable, and a lanky teenage boy sat in a chair beside her bed.

Lestibournes, she thought. That’s his name. I’m in Clubs’s shop.

Lestibournes jumped to his feet. “You’re awaking!”

She tried to speak, but just coughed again, and the boy hurriedly gave her a cup of water. Vin sipped it thankfully, grimacing at the pain in her side. In fact, her entire body felt like it had been pummeled soundly.

“Lestibournes,” she ?nally croaked.

“Notting as the now,” he said. “Kelsier wasing the hit with my name; changed it to Spook.”

“Spook?” Vin asked. “It ?ts. How long have I been asleep?”

“Two weeks,” the boy said. “Wait here.” He scrambled away, and she could hear him calling out in the distance.

Two weeks? She sipped at the cup, trying to organize her muddled memories. Reddish afternoon sunlight shone through the window, lighting the room. She set the cup aside, checking her side, where she found a large white bandage.

That’s where the Inquisitor hit me, she thought. I should be dead.

Her side was bruised and discolored from where she’d hit the roof after falling, and her body bore a dozen other nicks, bruises, and scrapes. All in all, she felt absolutely terrible.

“Vin!” Dockson said, stepping into the room. “You’re awake!”

“Barely,” Vin said with a groan, lying back against her pillow.

Dockson chuckled, walking over and sitting on Lestibournes’s stool. “How much do you remember?”

“Most everything, I think,” she said. “We fought our way into the palace, but there were Inquisitors. They chased us, and Kelsier fought—” She stopped, looking at Dockson. “Kelsier? Is he—”

“Kell’s ?ne,” Breeze said. “He came out of the incident in far better shape than you did. He knows the palace fairly well, from the plans we made three years ago, and he…”

Vin frowned as Dockson trailed off. “What?”

“He said the Inquisitors didn’t seem very focused on killing him. They left one to chase him, and sent two after you.”

Why? Vin thought. Did they simply want to concentrate their energy on the weakest enemy ?rst? Or, is there another reason? She sat back thoughtfully, working through the events of that night.

“Sazed,” Vin she ?nally said. “He saved me. The Inquisitor was about to kill me, but. . Dox, what is he?”

“Sazed?” Dockson asked. “That’s probably a question I should let him answer.”

“Is he here?”

Dockson shook his head. “He had to return to Fellise. Breeze and Kell are out recruiting, and Ham left last week to inspect our army. He won’t be back for another month at least.”

Vin nodded, feeling drowsy.

“Drink the rest of your water,” Dockson suggested. “There’s something in it to help with the pain.”

Vin downed the rest of the drink, then rolled over and let sleep take her again.

Kelsier was there when she awoke. He sat on the stool by her bed, hands clasped with his elbows on his knees, watching her by the faint light of a lantern. He smiled when she opened her eyes. “Welcome back.”

She immediately reached for the cup of water on the bed-stand. “How’s the job going?”

He shrugged. “The army is growing, and Renoux has begun to purchase weapons and supplies. Your suggestion regarding the Ministry turned out to be a good one—we found Theron’s contact, and we’ve nearly negotiated a deal that will let us place someone as a Ministry acolyte.”

“Marsh?” Vin asked. “Will he do it himself?”

Kelsier nodded. “He’s always had a…certain fascination with the Ministry. If any skaa can pull off imitating an obligator, it will be Marsh.”

Vin nodded, sipping her drink. There was something different about Kelsier. It was subtle—a slight alteration in his air and attitude. Things had changed during her sickness.

“Vin,” Kelsier said hesitantly. “I owe you an apology. I nearly got you killed.”

Vin snorted quietly. “It’s not your fault. I made you take me.”