Inquisitor Troubles

The night after her encounter with the Inquisitor, Lena was determined to look into what Broulliar had told her about the spikes they had extracted from the two slaves. Elliot's had been taken, so she sought out Sind at their usual meeting place to see if she still had hers. At the warehouse, the Mistborn located the strange girl and began chattering frantically.

"Sind, we need to get help. That Inquisitor is ridiculously powerful. He moves faster than any human should be able to move. He is able to get around in the mists as easily as I can. He is extremely strong and worst of all he can heal himself immediately. I mean, I broke his nose and watched it regrow!"

It took several moments before Lena received a response.

"Yes, and yes. Agreed."

A pale, sweat limned hand reached up out of the darkness as the small girl hauled herself out of her hideyhole. A glint of metal caught Lena's eye. The steel spike appeared to be lodged in Sind's lower back, at a sharp descending angle, and even now it was half-visible, its shape distorting the old work robes the child wore. Sind took several shallow breaths and turned her gaze on Lena. With those eerie rectangular pupils dilated and unfocused, her nostrils flaring to take in more air, the urchin looked decidedly feverish.

"Where to look for help? Outward, or inward?"

Lena's eyes grew wide at the sight of the spike. The young Mistborn was visibly troubled by Sind's decision to impale herself with the spike again.

"Sind! What have you done? You don't know how that thing works or what it could do to you? Take it out! That is, if you can without seriously hurting yourself. How long have you had it inside of you anyway? Why would you do that?"

"Replaced spike. True, do not know how it works. Yet. Trying to learn since last night."

Warped, troubled eyes slid shut as Sind began her strange, hurried breathing again. When she resumed speaking, there was a halting tone to the girl's voice.

"Blessings present impulses. Impressions, not voices. This spike, different. Special. Want to learn."

Sind opened her eyes; twin black orbs brimming with tears of pain and frustration.

"But it hurts."

Taking a few steps forward, Lena gingerly placed a hand on Sind's shoulder, on the verge of weeping with her pain-laden friend. Her voice grew softer and less frantic.

"Sind, I know someone who can help."

The Mistborn opened her other hand, revealing a slip of paper.

"The man at this address can tell us how to use the spike correctly."

Lena paused a moment.

"I got this information from my teacher, Broulliar. He is not the Mistborn we fought at the Venture docks, but he does work for Venture."

Sind's grimace grew taut. She did not look at the paper. "Venture wants blessings back. Little reason to trust agent of noble house."

The small creature sat quietly for a moment, immobile save for the occasional twitch or spasm. When she spoke again the quavering notes underlying her voice were gone.

"Can see you trying to help. Thank you. Self-experimentation hurts. Ministrations of Inquisitors hurts more."

Lena placed the slip of paper back in her Mistcloak and nodded slowly.

"You're right. It was a foolish suggestion. House Venture can't be trusted. I'll leave you to your experimentation then."

The Mistborn took a few determined steps toward the door before pausing for a moment. Her back faces the young girl and her voice contains a pleading quality.

"Just be careful, okay? This group really needs you."