Page 263 of The Well of Ascension

“Maybe they won’t,” Vin said. “They don’t have a leader—maybe they’ll attack Straff’s army instead.”

“No,” Spook’s voice said. Vin turned, seeing him approach through the forest, eyes squinting against the light.

That boy burns way too much tin,she thought.

“What do you mean?” Elend asked, turning.

Spook looked down. “They won’t attack Straff’s army, El. It won’t be there anymore.”

“What?” Vin asked.

“I…” Spook looked away, shame showing in his face.

I’m a coward.His words from earlier returned to her. “You knew,” Vin said. “You knew the koloss were going to attack!”

Spook nodded.

“That’s ridiculous,” Elend said. “You couldn’t have known that Jastes would follow us.”

“I didn’t,” Spook said, a lump of ash falling from a tree behind him, bursting before the wind, and fluttering in a hundred different flakes to the ground. “But my uncle figured that Straff would withdraw his army and let the koloss attack the city. That’s why Sazed decided to send us away.”

Vin felt a sudden chill.

I’ve found the location of the Well of Ascension,Sazed had said.To the north. In the Terris Mountains….

“Clubs told you this?” Elend was saying.

Spook nodded.

“And you didn’t tell me?” Elend demanded, standing.

Oh, no….

Spook paused, then shook his head. “You would have wanted to go back! I didn’t want to die, El! I’m sorry. I’m a coward.” He cringed, glancing at Elend’s sword, shying away.

Elend paused, as if realizing he’d been stepping toward the boy. “I’m not going to hurt you, Spook,” he said. “I’m just ashamed of you.” Spook lowered his eyes, then sank down to the ground, sitting with his back to an aspen.

The thumpings, getting softer….

“Elend,” Vin whispered.

He turned.

“Sazed lied. The Well isn’t to the north.”

“What?”

“It’s at Luthadel.”

“Vin, that’s ridiculous. We’d have found it.”

“We didn’t,” she said firmly, standing, looking south. Focusing, she could feel the thumpings, washing across her. Pulling her.

South.

“The Well can’t be to the south,” Elend said. “The legendsallplace it north, in the Terris Mountains.”

Vin shook her head, confused. “It’s there,” she said. “I know it is. I don’t know how, but itisthere.”

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