PoV Vin
A distinctly uncomfortable silence descended on the room as Kelsier left, a part of Vin wanted to go after Kelsier, she is his apprentice after all, but she is a part of the crew too, and her instincts told her witnessing whatever happens next is important.
All of the rooms occupants exchanged looks, except for Vin, these men have so much history with each other, from what Vin gathered, only Clubs and Yeden are relative newcomers to this group, excluding the two actual newcomers like Vin and the gangly boy.
But even then, Yeden had apparently been right hand man to Marsh for more than a decade, when Marsh had led the Skaa Rebellion of Central Dominance. And Clubs is well known to others by reputation, worked with Ham a few times and an acquaintance of Dockson.
It was Breeze who broke the silence when he said with obvious frustration, "What more does he want?! We are doing everything he asks! This is his maddest scheme yet! Still, we are here, aren't we?! What more does he want?!"
Marsh vacated his chair and strode towards the blackboard and ran his fingers lightly over the struck out Lord Ruler, careful not to smudge the chalk, and said softly, "Conviction", as that word rippled out into the room, Marsh continued, "He does not just want our Cooperation, he wants our Conviction. Ham, Breeze, Dockson, and even Master Clubs, you know of my history with Rebellion, and you know my not so veiled disdain for thieving crews, I admit, I considered you selfish and greedy, but not now, not anymore. You are, all of you, good people, you proved that when you took on this 'job'. When you took up this fight", Marsh turned to Ham and asked, "Hammond, as the warrior, the fighter of this crew, what do you think the most important thing a fighter needs, beyond training, weapons, skill and luck?"
Ham seems to understand what Marsh was getting at as he answered, "The confidence in your victory, if you cannot imagine winning, you lost the fight already."
Marsh nodded at that answer and said, "If we can not imagine winning, we lost the fight already. And that is the thing about us that seems to frustrate Kelsier. I know my brother, he is not one to say he can do something when he can not. Kelsier says he can kill the Lord Ruler, it is time we believed it."
And Marsh returned to his seat. Another silence descended on the room, but this one was thoughtful. One by one they seem to straighten in their seats, their obvious resolve shone through their postures.
Vin did not share their conviction but their resolve and their faith, pulled at her, to join in, to become truly a part of them.
Vin thought the group will break up then, go on with their tasks, but Dockson strode to the blackboard with a sheaf of papers in hand. And started talking about expenditures and logistics. And Vin quietly slipped out of the room, in search of Kelsier.
-xxxxxx-
Vin found Kelsier on the workshop's roof, staring at Kredik Shaw.
As Vin drew near him, Kelsier spoke, "So, what do you think? Were Marsh's words compelling?"
Surprised and feeling a little bit betrayed, Vin asked, "Did you two plan that?"
Kelsier chuckled as he answered, "No, Vin. Planning it would have defeated the purpose. It had to be genuine. I just know my people well. That is the first lesson in leadership, Vin. Know the people you want to lead, their wants, their needs, their strengths, their weaknesses, their hopes and their dreams. Meet their needs, reinforce their strengths, cover their weaknesses, help them achieve their dreams and harness their hopes and wants toward the shared purpose of the crew. That is how a good leader operates."
Vin thought that over, she is still not convinced this was not a con, and asked, "How did you know it was Marsh that spoke up?"
Kelsier shrugged and answered, "Ham, Breeze and Clubs only one of these would have expressed some opinion after I left, Yeden would not have, he still defers to Marsh too much to speak before he has better idea of what Marsh is thinking. While Docks has no problem in opposing me when he feels like I need it, this is about the fundamental feasibility of the plan, everybody there knows Docks is with me on that, Docks does not really believe I can kill Lord Ruler, but he would back me anyway, he trusts me that much, that is same reason why Docks could not speak up in my defence either, Docks speaking for me does not have the required impact. And that leaves Marsh, my brother might not like me and the things I do all that much, but he knows me, he knows when I am bluffing and he knows when I am not. Of all the people in that room, it is only Marsh that actually believes me when I say I can kill the Lord Ruler. So he felt compelled to speak on my behalf."
Vin did not know what to think of Kelsier's relationship with Marsh, it was so very different from anything she has ever known.
As Vin joined Kelsier's side, he nodded at Kredik Shaw. And said softly, "I can slaughter my way in there to him, Vin, I can kill him", Vin knew what him, Kelsier meant, "I would be done in an hour. But killing him will not achieve what I actually want, that creature crafted this empire well, it can continue to run for decades more on sheer momentum, it would eventually die without an 'immortal' 'god' at its head, but it will take too many years and too many dead Skaa."
Vin still felt a little dizzy whenever Kelsier talked about killing Lord Ruler. So she asked about the House War.
"What happens now that Straff Venture is dead?", Vin asked.
Kelsier had a little smile as he said, "For a few days, confusion, a great deal of confusion."
-xxxxxx-
PoV Elend
Confused, disbelieving and a touch panicked, that is how Elend, now, Lord Venutre felt after learning what happened last night.
It was night like any other, Elend read some questionably seditious writings of philosophers past, drank wine and discussed said writings with his friends. Returned home and went to sleep.
Only to wake at the early hours of dawn due to pounding of his door by the Steward of their House, Elend had opened the door, with an uncharacteristically vehement curse on his lips to find their panicked Terrisman Steward and a dozen of their allomancer house guards and the Captain of the House Guard, with unsheathed weapons, incredibly on edge.
A touch frightened and a lot confused Elend asked what the matter was.
That question directly led to here, Elend sitting in his father's solar, waiting for the healer of the House Venture to tell Elend how exactly Straff Venture was killed.
Their Terrisman Steward, my Terrisman Steward, I suppose, Kwenik, stood beside Elend, apparently he regained his calm after the earlier panic, Elend envied Kwenik his composure. The Steward had tried to offer some documents for his review, since Elend was, as of the minute of his father's death, Lord Venture, Head of House Venture, but Elend is too distracted to contemplate doing anything remotely like work.
His father had threatened to to disinherit Elend as heir plenty of times, but apparently he never got around to actually doing it. As of his father's last will Elend inherited everything.
Elend continued to feel overwhelmed by the position he was thrust in, Elend hated his father, and he is sure the sentiment is, was, returned, but he did not want his father dead. Elend thought he would have decades before he needed to lead his House.
As Elend was about to descend into a proper panic, there was a knock at the door, Kwenik immediately went to the door, opened it a fraction, spoke with whoever was at the door, returned to Elend's side and said with a bow, "It is the House healer Watham, my Lord. Do you want me to send him in?"
Elend was nearly about to snap at Kwenik for wasting time, instead of just ushering Watham in, but he followed Kwenik's eyes to the mirror set up discreetly in the solars right wall, something for the sitting lord to check up on their appearance before entertaining guests.
Elend took a quick look and even for him, he looked something of a mess. A quick hand through his curly hair to make sure it looked just un-styled instead of what it actually is, his bed-hair. And a moment of straightening his clothes, Elend nodded to Kwenik.
Kwenik ushering in Watham. And Elend quickly came to the point, "Please, report your findings."
Watham bowed deep and said, "Lord Straff was restrained before his killing, we can see that from the bruises on his wrists, ankles and mouth. The actual killing wounds are the two puncture wounds to his chest, one directly over his heart, and another in his right lung, Lord Straff died with in less than a minute after his killer delivered the wounds. I have found small, very small, chips of glass in Lord Straff's wounds, they match the glass daggers often employed by Mistborn. Lord Straff was beheaded after he was dead, from my examination, his body was turned over and his head was adjusted, then severed from his body in a single stroke, from behind. That sort of arm strength indicates someone Burning Pewter. I believe we found the short-sword used to behead Lord Straff's body, it was discarded under his bed."
Bile and gorge rose in Elend's throat at the healer's monotone explanation and threatened to spew everything he ever ate or drank on his father's desk, but Elend suppressed it.
Not trusting to risk opening his mouth, Elend nodded his understanding to the healer. And Kwenik ushered the man out.
As Elend continued to wrestle with his upset stomach and unsettled feelings, Kwenik returned to his side and deposited a full goblet of wine in front of him.
Once Elend is sure his stomach will not rebel, he downed the wine and slumped in to his father's chair.
"Should I make the arrangements for the funeral, my lord?", Kwenik asked softly.
"Have the Obligators recorded my father's death?", Elend asked, feeling incredibly weary.
"They did, my lord", Kwenik answered promptly.
"Then fine, make arrangements for a traditional cremation. And then send the ashes to family estates in Urteau. Is there something that can not wait?", Elend asked hoping the answer would be no, but he is not so fortunate.
"Several things, my lord. But three are rather more urgent. First, I expect a visit to from the High Prelan of Canton of Finance of the Steel Ministry, very soon", Kwenik answered.
Elend cursed aloud, and said, "To discuss the contract to administer the Pits. When was it renewed?"
"Only a month ago, my lord", Kwenik answered swiftly.
Elend cursed some more and asked, "Is there some provision to get out of it, with my father's death?"
"No, my lord. We have the contract for next two years. If my lord breaks the contract, the penalties will beggar the House, we will be in the danger of losing even our holdings in the Northern Dominance", Kwenik answered sombrely.
Elend muttered, "Fine, what else?"
"The Kandra, TenSoon is waiting for an audience with you, my lord. It's contract passed to you with your father's death. He awaits your instruction", Kwenik answered.
A shiver of discomfort travelled down Elend's spine at those words. He knew the creature, but he had tried his best to stay clear of it. The Kandra are the reason why the nobility cremated their dead, in fires hot enough to reduce bones to dust.
Elend drew himself up and said, "I will speak with the creature tonight. What else?"
"You need to deal with the Allomancers of the House, my lord. You need to establish your authority over them, and that starts with giving out punishments. They have failed in stopping your father's murder. And there is something your father kept from you, my lord. It is about the Mistborn of the House", Kwenik looked distinctly uncomfortable saying the last sentence.
Elend raised his eyebrow at the normally unflappable terrisman's discomfort and asked, "What is it?"
"The House's Mistborn is named Zane, and he is your late lord father's illegitimate son from a mistress", Kwenik answered in a rush.
A stunned Elend whispered softly, "I have a brother?!"
Kwenik who still looked uncomfortable said, "I would caution you to deal carefully with Zane, my lord, Lord Straff had not been kind to him growing up, since his Snapping, Zane has become even more unstable."
Elend has known his father was a monster for a long time, he had not been a good father to Elend, but it seems Straff had been an even worse father to this Zane.
"Where is this Zane then?", Elend asked.
"Your father has sent him on a mission, my lord, I do not know the details, but Zane was sent to deal with some problem in Urteau. However, he should return by the end of the week", Kwenik answered promptly.
Elend mulled that over and asked "Do we have any idea who actually killed my father?"
"House Venture, under your father's leadership, has been the greatest noble house in the Empire for two decades, my lord. That has made our House many enemies, powerful ones. Any one of the remaining nine Great Houses might have sent the assassin, my lord. And make no mistake, whoever did this is an assassin first and Mistborn second", Kwenik answered grimly.
A little disturbed, Elend asked, "What do you mean?"
"While every Mistborn have the same abilities, not all Mistborn are equal, my lord, who ever did this, they bypassed three hundred guardsmen, several Allomancers among them, got past multiple checkpoints, overcame many security measures, and somehow sneaked upon your father, a Tineye, who Burned Tin even when he was sleeping. Killed him, robbed him and carried his severed head from your father's room to the our Keep's very gates. This was not done by an ordinary Mistborn, my lord, everything did requires decades of training as an assassin. My lord, someone created a very dangerous weapon in your father's killer. This not a Mistborn who is used as an assassin. This an assassin who is a Mistborn", Kwenik said grimly.
And a shiver of terror crawled down Elend's spine.