PoV Vin
Vin flew. Kelsier calls it controlled falling, but it is hard to be objective when shooting through the air.
It has been a week of training and travel. And they flew most of the way to their destination.
Soaring through the air gave Vin a sense of freedom she never thought she would experience. It is a sensation Vin craved her whole life, but did not know what she was longing for.
After explaining the basics of Steel Pushing and Iron Pulling, Kelsier had her practising continuously. Most of what she did is Steel Pushing, of course, with not enough stationary metal around to Iron Pull on, but Vin did get some practice in Iron Pulling. Kelsier might be willing to waste boxings to Steel Push himself off, but Vin has been too poor for too long to ever dismiss the value of money, so Vin gathered every coin they dropped behind them with Iron Pulling, as she can.
Vin had thought she mastered Pushing and Pulling by the second day, but Kelsier quickly disabused her of that notion, he simply Pulled against the coin Vin was using as the anchor, for a moment Vin thought she was going to crash in to ash laden earth, but Kelsier Pulled on the metal belt he insisted she wear and stopped her, it took her a moment to remember to drop a coin to gain a new anchor, he reiterated that what Vin is learning is the very basics of Iron Pulling and Steel Pushing.
As the sun began to rise, Kelsier and Vin dropped back down to the ground. And Kelsier quickly had a small fire going, they would be eating trail rations but taking ten minutes would let them boil some water, and they would have hot tea to go with unappetizing rations.
Less than ten days ago you would have thanked the Lord Ruler for having something to eat, Reen's sneering voice cut in, how quickly you change, little sister.
Am I changing too fast? Am I trusting too much?
As Vin was about to get bogged down in an internal debate.
Kelsier started speaking, "Intent is important", by his serious tone, it was going to be another small lecture.
Kelsier gave those, interspersed between practical lessons. They are always fascinating.
Vin focused as Kelsier repeated, "Intent is important. Take Copper, when you Burn Copper, the size of the coppercloud does not just depend on with what intensity you are Burning Copper. Yes, you can not cross your maximum volume, but you have some measure of control over the shape and size of your coppercloud. This phenomenon is more blatant in Emotional allomancy, how does a Soother or Rioter, Sooth or Riot a specific emotion? It is not like we can know with accuracy what our target is feeling, so how does Emotional Allomancy precisely target specific emotions? Because the Allomancer wills it. Even Burning Metals is us willing it to happen. Do you understand what I mean?"
Vin nodded. Kelsier repeated his flipping coin trick again and asked, "How many lines connecting to the coin?"
Vin knew there is some trick to the answer, but said anyway, "One."
"But how am I a flipping the coin with Push and Pull if there is only one line I can Push or Pull upon?", Kelsier asked with a smile.
Vin focused on the coin, Intent is important, willing to see more connecting lines. And after a few moments of concentration Vin could see two more lines connecting to the coin, alongside the one connecting to the centre of it.
Kelsier seemed to read her discovery in her posture and clapped in praise and said, "You got it! Seeing more connecting lines is going to be useful in doing some advanced manoeuvres. But it takes concentration, it is not that useful when you still learning basics, but we will practice this more as you advance in your training."
"Does this apply to Burning all other metals?", Vin asked.
Kelsier shrugged, "Probably", he stared at Vin for a moment, and continued, "I have been an allomancer for two years Vin, I knew of how allomantic powers work for far longer, having a precise understanding of how to best utilize my crew's talents is how I have been successful, that knowledge helped me when I became an allomancer myself, but I am not so prideful to say I know all there is to know about allomancy. Breeze, Ham, Clubs and my brother Marsh are masters of their metals. But I can confidently say I am one of the best in Steel Pushing and Iron Pulling, especially in how to use those both together."
Kelsier's easy admittance of weakness, even if it just a small weakness surprised Vin, in the Underworld, showing weakness always invites attack or exploitation.
He really does live up to his promise, he trusts his crew, Vin thought.
Immediately Reen's voice cut in, trust, hah, don't stupid, he has his secrets.
Secrets he feels he has to keep, secrets he promised to reveal when time is right!, Vin argued back.
Keep telling yourself that, it is just another con, Reen declared with disgust at her naivety.
That internal debate did draw Vin's mind back to the things Kelsier said without saying a week before, Kelsier hinted about knowing some secret about 'higher metals', his evasiveness regarding the small metal cases he gave her, which do not have connecting allomantic lines when Burning Steel or Iron, is another mystery.
Vin had tried to broach their topic in a round about manner, but Kelsier always side-stepped her attempts.
A part of Vin still urged her to corner him about the secrets he is keeping, Vin's increasing trust in Kelsier only emboldened that part of her, the more Vin felt like Kelsier would not hurt her or kick her out of the crew for just asking questions, the more the distrustful part of Vin insisted that she corner Kelsier, force him to make a gesture to demonstrate his trustworthiness, to demonstrate the worth of his word.
But for some reason Vin felt doing that would damage something precious. Kelsier might answer or he might not, but putting him in that position would make Vin a person she did not want to be. Not anymore.
So Vin did not push.
-xxxxxxx-
After another two days of travel they neared their destination. And they had a surprise waiting for them.
Kelsier said they are to rendezvous with a few of Dockson's contacts with the Underground in the area and pick up supplies to gift the rebellion hiding in Arguois Caverns, but when they got to the meeting place they had Hammond and two others, probably Hammond's men, waiting for them.
Kelsier rushed towards Hammond with a happy exclamation of "Ham!"
And Vin hung back to observe as two men spoke.
"What are you doing here? How did you get here before us?", Kelsier asked with a grin.
Hammond gave Vin a wave in greeting and focused on Kelsier, and answered, "Docks told us where you were going and during the meeting we decided that I might as well come to caverns and see what I have to work with. If I can, I want to have at least a squad of fifty already learning by the time the first batch of recruits reach us here. As for how I got here before you, well, two of my men and I Pewterdragged our way here. They needed more practise in it."
Vin made note of this 'Pewterdragging' but kept her peace for now.
"Well, lead the way then", Kelsier commanded, without it feeling like a command.
Hammond gestured to his men. One took the point and one took the rear of their group.
Kelsier and Hammond continued to chat.
Hammond's men led them through a winding trail through a dense stand of birch, Kelsier told Vin that the round-about passage through the forest is so that they not wear a trail into the underbrush.
After a half an hour of trekking through the forest, Hammond's men came forward and cleared away some false underbrush and revealed a crack in the ground. It was dark within, the sides jutting with crystalline granite. It wasn't a regular hillside cavern, but instead a simple rend in the ground leading directly down.
Vin saw Kelsier subtly tense as soon as he saw the crack, apparently so did Hammond, just as Vin drew near Kelsier to ask what the matter was, Hammond drew near the other side of Kelsier and asked softly, "What is it, Kell?"
Kelsier shook his head, forced a grin on his face, and descended down into the crack.
Vin followed a moment behind Kelsier. The climb down was difficult, more difficult than she was expecting while Burning Pewter, but it ended soon enough. They came to a larger cave, where a young man in Skaa work clothes stood nervously, Ham gave the boy a signal and the boy rushed away.
"Hell of an entryway you've got there, Ham," Kelsier said, his grin looking a little less forced.
Ham quipped. "You should see the bathroom.", seeming a bit relieved to have Kelsier behave as jovial as always.
"Have you had the time to map out the caverns", Kelsier asked Ham.
"Mostly, I found another two entrances to this system of caves, and I mapped out most of this system, the Skaa hiding here are a huge help in that endeavour", Hammond answered as he led them to a huge cavern with a couple of hundred of Skaa, trying hard to pretend they are working but Vin could see their obvious attention on the their group as they came through the entrance.
As they entered the cavern Kelsier stopped, took a deep breath and rolled up his sleeves, making sure his scars are visible. Kelsier gestured for Vin, Hammond and his men to walk a step behind him and strode towards the gathering of few elderly Skaa.
As they drew closer, Kelsier hesitated a moment as the two groups drew near, but he did not miss a step as he exclaimed cheerfully, "Mennis, this is where you ended up?"
An old Skaa man puckered his face sourly and said, "Survivor, where else would we go, after you killed Lord Tresting."
That name tugged at Vin, she remembered hearing some rebel Skaa killing their platation Lord, nearly two weeks ago now.
Kelsier laughed, and said, "And I plan to kill a lot more nobles, Mennis. Your people are well? Did all survive the journey?"
Mennis softened a little at the obvious care in Kelsier's voice as he asked about his people's wellbeing and answered, "Yes, they survived. We were running short on food, but Master Hammond came in time with supplies so that none of us had to starve, he tells me we have you to thank for getting us those supplies."
"No need for any thanks, Mennis. But I would like a chance to speak with everyone here after the evening meal", Kelsier said with a smile.
Mennis's expression hardened, but he nodded his assent.
Kelsier gave the group of elderly Skaa another cheerful grin and turned to Hammond and asked to be shown the caverns in full.
-xxxxxx-
After a brief tour they returned to the huge cavern. And Kelsier drew Ham aside and said quietly, "Have your men spar while Burning Pewter. Tell them to put on a show."
Ham nodded and went to talk to his men.
As Kelsier looked around, one of the Skaa youths, about Vin's age, that having been following around their group neared and asked Kelsier eagerly with a deep bow, "Need something, milord?"
Kelsier smiled wide and asked, "What is your name, young man?"
"Eettim, milord", the youth answered.
"Can you tell us where we can find some chairs, young Eettim?", Kelsier asked.
"I will fetch some, milord", Eettim, answered and zipped away, calling for some of the other Skaa youths to follow him.
Vin looked at Kelsier with a raised brow and wondered whether he used Emotional allomancy to influence the boy.
Kelsier seemed to read Vin's doubt, he chuckled and said, "There was no need to for that, and I do not have Breeze's subtle touch anyway. The boy is just eager, the stories Ham decided to spread about me probably helped."
Vin nodded and asked quietly, "Why did you hesitate? At the entrance."
Vin could see Kelsier suppress a wince, and he said, "Noticed that, did you", he sighed wearily and said with a wry smile on his lips, "That is how the Pits of Hathsin look. A rend on the ground, dark and cramped, while there are some open spaces in the Pits, nothing even a quarter the size of the cavern, the biggest open space in the Pits I have ever seen is the size of a modest room", Kelsier ran his fingers over the scars of his other hand and said, "there are holes in the walls, somehow grown with crystal. To find an Atium geode, one needs to put in their hand in the hole, and feel with their fingers for it, to reach through with torn, bleeding arms, stretching, seeking the atium geode hidden within. One geode, that bought one more week of life. Life beneath the taskmasters' lashes. Life beneath the rule of a sadistic god. Life beneath the sun gone red."
Kelsier fell silent, and his fingers continued to run on his scars, he looked so far away. Vin felt a bit ashamed for asking and reminding Kelsier of no doubt the worst year of his life.
Kelsier shook himself and took in the cavern around him, and said quietly, "That is why I do this Vin, I do not want another person to suffer as I did, beyond the starvation, the beatings and the lashings, it was Mare's death that haunts me most. You see, a year in the Pits, one week I did not find a geode, if you don't find a geode in a week, you are dead, the taskmasters kill you, not with some knife to the heart or noose to the neck, no, they beat you, they lash you, they kick you, until you are dead. Mare came to me and convinced me to take her geode, told me she had another, told me she found two that week", Kelsier slowly shook his head and chuckle, that chuckle sounded hollow, without any substance, Vin could feel the sadness weighing him down and said, "She lied so well. I took her geode, when the time came to give it to the taskmasters, I gave it to them, Mare was behind me in the line. When her time came, she did not have any to give. They beat her to death. And I watched, held down by other guards, who laughed at my efforts to go to her."
Vin cursed herself for asking the question, but before she could apologize, Kelsier continued with conviction in his voice and a smile on his lips, "My story is not unique, Vin. I am sure there are some Skaa out there who are suffering worse as we are speaking. That is why I am going to destroy the Final Empire."
Vin stared at Kelsier, marvelled at his strength of will, his conviction and confidence, and for the first time thought, perhaps he will do it, if anyone can, it is Kelsier.