Point of Clarification

After their success at House Venture, Lena changed back into her normal grey attire and burned up her poop-smeared, sewer-soaked waitress uniform, kicking the ashes into the already ash-tainted canal near the warehouse. As she reflected on the evening, she grinned at the looks on the sickly noble's faces, surprised that such a small bit of fertilizer could wreak such havoc on the affair. One thing struck her as odd such that she could not understand the reasoning behind it, so she decided she would go straight to the source.

Slinking through the mist-covered streets of Urteau, the Mistborn made her way easily to House Elariel. A bit of Tin allowed her to slip past any guards unnoticed. As she stood beneath Voïra's still-lit balcony her Tin-enhanced senses allowed her to make out the sounds of uneven breathing and sniffling. She leapt up to the balcony, but remained hidden in the mists, using Tin to peer inside and determine if the noble lady was alone. She whispered from the balcony.

"Voïra? Are you okay? It's me, Lena."

Voïra, sprawled across her bed, her hair in a frizzy mess as she sobbed into her pillow, didn't hear Lena as she sneaked into the bedroom. Upon hearing the soft voice, she looked up, wiping the mascara streaks off her cheeks in an attempt to hide her shame. "Lena? What do you *sniffle* want? Why would a *sniffle* skaa care how a noble feels? It's *sniffle* none of your concern." She tried hard, but was unsuccessful in holding back another outburst of tears.

Lena looked at Voïra in confusion and seemed a bit uncomfortable with the lady's display of emotions.

"I didn't intend to come see how you were. I wanted to ask why the change in plans concerning poisoning one of Brallaugh's house. But it looks like something's bothering you. Did you get sick? I promise I sent you a clean plate!"

"It's not that. The food, what few bites I ate, were fine." She looked around, eyes darting from Lena to her hands, to her pillows. "Hellura was my closest friend! How could she do this to me?" Voïra flung herself on the pillow sobbing again. Her voice was muffled by the pillows and sobs, "She knew it would hurt me. Why didn't she warn me? Of course it's past time she were married, but why did it have to be him?"

Lena wrung her hands awkwardly as Voïra threw herself down again.

"Maybe it's because I'm not a noble, but I don't see what the big deal is. So she's marrying the Venture kid. Why's that matter? It certainly made our little mess of things all the more interesting. Did you see Abelond's face? Ha! He was so mad!"

Still crying, face red and blotchy, Lady Voïra sat up, indignant, "Lord Venture is probably unaware, but Hellura should have known better than to flaunt Timmond in front of me. The way he hurt me is unforgivable. She knows how horrible he can be. At least she was embarrassed a little bit in front of him. Perhaps he will think of her less favorably in the future. I hate to have to admit this to a ska, but thank you for helping me."

Slowly Lena began to realize why Voïra was so upset at the announcement of Timmond and Hellura tonight.

"Wait. You and Timmond were...intimate? And now this woman who you call your friend is planning to marry him?"

Lena nodded slowly. "I can see how that could be upsetting. The only man who was ever intimate with me is dead, so I can't say I know exactly what you're going through." She spoke the words completely devoid of any emotion.

At the noble's appreciation, Lena shrugged. "It's a Skaa's job to get her hands dirty so the nobles don't have to...or so you all tend to think."

"We were never intimate. That was his problem with me, it seems. It was many years ago, but seems like yesterday. Every time I am near him, it's like I just forget all the hurt." Eyes widening in realization, "I've only heard the other way - the skaa women end up dead. How is it that you survive? I'm terribly sorry for your loss, though." Suddenly curious, Voïra had never had occasion to consider what skaa might do with their time, she wondered aloud, "What happened?"

Lena's eyes grew confused again. "Sorry for my loss?" She laughed loudly. "I had no good feelings for this man. It began like the stories you're familiar with and I assume my death was imminent, but..." She grew quiet for a moment. "Something happened. The details are fuzzy. Maybe it was Allomancy. Maybe it was some freak accident." Lena's eyes grew distant as she remembered a painful memory.

"shh! The servants will hear you!!" Then, leaning closer out of curiosity, "what happened? Is that when you snapped? It's uncommon for skaa to have Allomancy, let alone be Mistborn, is it not?" Despite her best efforts to remain uninterested in this skaa woman, Voïra felt compelled to know more.

"I didn't say anything about being Mistborn. You did." Lena shrugged at all the questions. "I don't know. I guess that's the sort of thing that snaps a person. The person who told me that I was Mistborn said that I was a strange thing that shouldn't exist. So I guess skaa Allomancers are unusual. I mean, we are illegal aren't we?" Lena raised her eyebrows and smirked. She got no small thrill talking openly about being a Mistborn in the middle of a noble house.

"It seems my Steward picked up on your being Mistborn when we became acquainted at the warehouse. You are illegal, which puzzles me. I'll admit, this crew is the last place I expected to find myself. There is a thrill in associating with you skaa. Though, it is late." Voïra sighed deeply, as if composing herself after realizing how familiar she had been conversing with this dirty skaa woman, even letting her into her bedchamber and seeing her weak and crying. "I have had my cry, and now must retire. I trust you will keep this conversation to yourself?" She gave a slight glare and a sharper edge to her voice. "You may see yourself out. Do not let my guards see you leave."

Lena laughed and shook her head. "Voïra, we're on the same team now, and as such that makes us equals, so try to keep the noble bossiness to a minimum, okay?" She walked to the edge of the balcony, climbed up on the rail, and turned to face the noblelady once more.
"I always see myself out and no one ever sees me leave unless I want them to." She dropped a coin and backflipped off the balcony into the mists.