Lex and the Thief, Might as well post this one as well... Options

[Ornamental Nonsense]

I wrote this because, quite frankly, Lex is a great character from the game, but I don't see many stories about him. I usually write darker stuff, but I was in the mood for something light and funny when this idea popped into my head. Hence, here is a piece that veers into traditional territory that I normally wouldn't even consider writing. I'm not totally satisfied with the results either, but I can't decide how to fix that. *sigh*
Well, anyway, so long as someone enjoys reading this, I consider my time well spent. Please leave some feedback as I muddle through editing this.


Chapter 1: She Doesn't Like Him

The thief watched the captain of the guard with interest. It wasn't that she liked him. No, that would be a slight against everything that she stood for. Members of the Thieves' Guild did not fall for guards, especially one that harassed the guild at every turn. Still, she was watching him, and maybe it was a bit of a fascination. The man looked capable and handsome in his armor, roaming the docks with a single-minded purpose as he did. His eyes were hard steel. They always were, like he never thought of anything besides work and his hunt for the Grey Fox. Little wonder that his own comrades sometimes mocked him, but Mandila found his determination curious. Most guards could be bought or avoided, but neither seemed likely with this man. She wasn't used to that.

“Hello, sir,” she greeted as he neared her. She was perched on the harbor wall, feet swinging out over the water, head half-turned to look at the captain. His Imperial features settled on her, and she inwardly cursed herself for drawing his attention. Then again, she liked playing with fire, and Hieronymus Lex was definitely fire. Just having him this close made her jittery—like the feeling that she got right before stealing something. He was legal danger personified, and even though she shouldn't, she couldn't help herself. She had to speak with him.

“I'm busy, Bosmer,” he stated, and she smiled at his clipped tone. The captain was far too easy to irritate. Don't do it, Mandila. Oh hell, when had she ever listened to reason?

“A little touchy today, Captain,” she told him, her brown eyes brimming with hidden pleasure as his narrowed. “Aren't soldiers supposed to be friendly to us good citizens?” She caught a glimpse of someone standing to the side, observing the exchange, and she immediately recognized Methredhel, her sister Bosmer in crime. The woman was shaking her head in disbelief.

“I am on duty, ma'am,” Lex said, the words polite but not his tone. “Idle chatter when there is work to be done is disgraceful.” Gosh, someone needed to take himself less seriously. He didn't even bid her goodbye as he walked away, the sunlight shining off of his armor. He's always so impeccable, Mandila noted. She wished that he would talk a little longer, but he never did; although she swore that she'd get a conversation out of him one day. Why she found him so fascinating, she couldn't say, but she followed her inclinations without much hesitancy. She knew that her thieving friend was watching her, but her eyes were only on the captain as he disappeared around a corner.

“Did you fall from a tree when you were younger?” Methredhel asked.

“Stop being a mother,” Mandila jokingly replied. “A little conversation never hurt anyone.”

“That is Lex that you're trying to talk to,” the other elf reminded. “He's our sworn enemy.”

“And if I get him to lighten up, maybe he'll stop chasing us so much.” Methredhel burst into laughter at the suggestion, and Mandila giggled along with her. The idea was rather ludicrous.

“I tell you what, sister,” the older elf whispered, stepping closer. “I'll make you an offer since you want to 'lighten up' the captain. If you can get a kiss from our dear nemesis, I'll give you twenty lockpicks for free.” Mandila's eyebrows shot upward. Twenty lockpicks? That was a good deal, but then again...

“He'd arrest me for assault,” she huffed with a pout, and Methredhel's eyes went wide.

“You...you really do like him, don't you?” she asked, amazed. “Bosmer, you listen to me: this is a bad idea.” And Mandila shook her head in instant denial. She did not like Lex. She couldn't like Lex. Hell, there was nothing to like about the man, except maybe how he looked in uniform, and that wasn't enough for a picky elf.

“I don't like him,” she protested. “He's just...oh...” She fought for the right words, and the longer she took, the more Methredhel's face contorted into a mixture of confusion and delight. “He's interesting!” Mandila finally spat. “And they say to keep your friends close and your enemies closer, right?” She had never tried to put her fixation into words before, and now that she was, it sounded ridiculous. Great, now Methredhel would be taunting her for eternity. “Besides,” Mandila pointedly said, “It's not like I spend that much time on him.”

“Really?” Oh that smile meant trouble. Methredhel knew something that she shouldn't. Mandila just knew it. “I've seen the way that you watch him, and I daresay that other guards have noticed too.” Mandila frowned and hoped that Armand hadn't heard any of the rumors that were circulating around the waterfront. There might be one or two about her mooning over the captain, but it wasn't mooning. They just couldn't understand that she found him curious.

“It's only talk,” Mandila claimed. “No meat to it at all.”

“But you don't deny that you watch him. You're lucky that he doesn't notice. He's too thickheaded to realize when a woman's interested. Poor man will be single for life.” Methredhel laughed, finding her own words hilarious, but she stopped herself when she noticed Mandila's contemplative face.

“You don't believe me at all,” she said.

“Not a bit, sister. Oh, I know it's harmless enough, and you really don't mean anything by it. Perhaps you really don't like him, but at this rate, you might find yourself liking what you don't want to. That's why we never watch a target for an extended period of time. It sometimes makes things complicated. Remember: the guild comes first.”

“Yes, sister. You haven't spoke to Armand, have you?”

“No, because I know how you are. You'll get over this fixation soon enough. I remember when that pirate was here. You spent hours secretly watching him, even looking for excuses to eat lunch near his ship. Thank goodness that's over.” Yes, it was. The man had been found dead in his cabin one day, and it was rumored that the Dark Brotherhood was responsible. Well, Mandila wasn't sad. Like she'd already said, it wasn't that she fell for these men. They just occupied her attention. Lex was like the others, or so she told herself. Besides, the man would never give her a second look. He was too...Lex.

“Still thinking about him,” Methredhel stated, jerking Mandila from her thoughts. “Ah honey, he's too old for anyway.”

“How old is he?”

“Stop. Just stop,” Methredhel said, face twisted into exaggerated disgust. “Lex is a pest. It doesn't matter how old he is.” Then she suddenly smiled and rolled her eyes. “I can't wait until you get over this one. See you later, sister. Don't waste too much time staring into space, and my offer still stands.”

“I would never wound my dignity by taking you seriously!” Mandila called after her. As if I would ever kiss Lex. She winced but then giggled. The man probably would arrest her, or else eye her warily for the rest of forever. There he was again, all justice and order, and speaking with another guard. Perhaps she could get closer and eavesdrop. That would be harmless enough, and she wanted to know if the man ever talked about anything other than business. She had yet to catch him in the act, but she was determined. Of course, she never made herself obvious. Besides staring and the occasional brush by, she didn't interact with or follow the man. In fact, she rarely saw him, and never outside of the harbor, for she refused to let her interest interfere with her normal routine.

This is unhealthy, girl, she told herself as she felt the familiar draw toward the man. As Lex glanced at her, her eyes moved to his lips, and she noticed how perfectly shaped they were. They looked soft and appealing, even if she'd never noticed that before. It was Methredhel's comment making her think these things, she decided. She smiled, but turned to go home, knowing that she had a job to do that night.

****************

“There goes your elf, sir,” the guard commented, and Lex frowned. What on earth was this man jabbering about? He turned to see that Bosmer girl walking by them. She frequented the harbor, for he saw her almost every single day, but he never paid attention to her. She seemed harmless enough, and therefore he had more important tasks to focus on.

“My elf?” he questioned, finally registering the guard's word choice.

“She has a habit of showing up when you're around,” the guard explained, trusting commonsense to elaborate the unspoken remainder of his thoughts to the captain, but he would be wrong on that account. Unlike a normal man who might recognize his appeal to a young woman, Lex was instead wondering if Mandila might be keeping an eye on him for the Grey Fox. All of these poorer folk were likely to have connections to their hidden 'hero', and suddenly Lex was paying closer attention to the woman strolling away from him. Of course, he understood what the guard was trying to imply, but this was a world where even the innocent might be dirty criminals beneath their smiles.

“Do you know anything about her?” Lex seriously asked.

“No, sir. She comes and goes—lives somewhere near Armand actually. She's pretty for a Bosmer.” Lex grunted in indifference. He would keep a closer eye on that girl for a few days. There was no telling from where his next lead might come.

This post has been edited by Ornamental Nonsense: Jul 29 2010, 02:49 PM

[Ornamental Nonsense]

Chapter 3:

Ah, another beautiful day on the waterfront. Mandila stood atop the central lighthouse that dominated the docks, and watched a ship with large, white sails approach while happily striking up a soft tune. Her voice wasn't exactly melodic, so she only ever sang when alone, which basically meant never. Here, in the lighthouse at least, she was safe from scornful critics, and oh, but did she have her share of them! Methredhel was one, the sister thief having once told Mandila that there were mudcrabs with better voices.

“As if she can sing,” Mandila smiled to herself. She was supposed to be clearing her head by coming up here, but she found that the exact opposite was happening, for her favorite captain wouldn't depart from her mind. She could see him from here, marching toward one of the Legion offices, and she smiled as she thought about what she could do to engage him today. Then again, her thoughts weren't exactly all fun and games. She kept returning to the question of kissing, and she found herself more attracted to the idea than she cared to admit. It was unbecoming of her to like the man, even if she admired him.

Admired? Mandila's face crinkled in consternation, and she reprimanded herself for dwelling on this situation for such an extended period of time. Her other fascinations had each lasted about a month, but this...she counted and wanted to slap herself in the forehead. Four months! Four whole months, and now she was talking about admiring him. Well, there was something to be admired in his ironclad figure. Lex knew what he wanted, pursued it no matter what anyone else thought, and he was smart. He alone knew that the Thieves' Guild existed when most everyone else couldn't see it. So there he was, talented and determined, and he pulled it off so well. There was something to be admired in that, especially when Mandila compared him to herself, for she had no idea where her life was going.

Sure, Mandila was a thief, and she stole for the guild. That was her calling, and she had friends that looked out for her, as well as a small hut beside Armand's, but beyond that...Well, she confessed that she didn't know what she wanted beyond that, or if she should want something more, because hoping for more than the little that she had seemed pointless. She was optimistic, but not delusional, and she knew that her life would forever be on this waterfront. It was all she had since she was too poor to travel, too poor to be accepted for a decent paying job, and too curious to settle for a normal life. She couldn't imagine being a dock worker and performing the same task day after day. The monotony would kill her, and yet, no one would hire her for anything more interesting if it didn't involve stealing.

What would she do when she grew too old to do the exciting jobs? Would the guild even allow her to be an active member? She didn't want to be a beggar, and she prided herself on supporting herself, but theft would not always be easy, and she would not always be young and welcome the challenge of running from guards. Prison: was that where her life would end? She watched Lex working, and for a moment she looked on him with envy. He never had to hide, and he never had to worry about where he'd be fifteen years from now, because captains tended to retire well, and he could do his job well into old age.

But I'm freer than him, Mandila reminded herself. She'd decided weeks ago that his lifestyle wouldn't work for her, and she supposed that there were worse things than being a thief with an unknown future. She hopped down the steps of the lighthouse and out the front door, pausing on the stone walkway beyond when she noticed two guards standing nearby. They were looking at one of Lex's Grey Fox posters--those funny wanted ads that peppered the city. From what Mandila understood, Lex was solely responsible for their appearance and placement, for his superiors didn't believe in the man's infamous nemesis.

“He's been putting more of these up,” one of the guards commented, and his companion snorted.

“He's wasting his time. Look at him. He walks around like he's on a mission from the emperor,” and the man shook his helmeted head. “Can you believe it? You'd think that he'd lay off the work a little instead of chasing shadows.”

“Don't count on it,” the other stated. “I've invited him to drink with us several times, and he's always too busy. I don't think that he knows the meaning of the word 'fun'. And have you ever seen him with a woman?” They laughed, and Mandila found herself frowning. She wondered if all the guards talked about their superior this way. It'd be like her badmouthing Armand or the Grey Fox, which she never did. Okay, maybe she made a few jabs at Armand's penchant for taking speaking about guild business in public so seriously, but he was her friend, and she wasn't malicious with her comments. Perhaps Lex didn't have friends among his comrades, but that seemed an awfully lonely way to live. She'd never thought about whether or not he was lonely before, only how magnificent he looked, and how easy he was to irritate.

“Between you and me,” one of the guards was saying. “The man would run out on the most beautiful woman in the world if someone told him that the Grey Fox had been spotted, even if she was stark naked and in his bed.”

“Damn straight,” the other chuckled. “Let's get back to patrol before he shows up.”

“Yeah, but what about this poster? They're an eyesore.”

“Take it down. No one's watching,” and the guard ripped the wanted poster off of the wall, crumpled it, and tossed it onto the ground. Mandila waited until they were gone and grabbed the ball of paper, pretending not to have heard their conversation, and then strolling down the stone bridge at the harbor's center. She didn't know why it had never occurred to her that Lex was a loner because of his personality and work. She'd always pictured him hanging out in the guard tower, downing brandy with some of the other guards, and talking about any progress he'd made that day. Apparently she'd been wrong, but even she had to smile when she thought about the captain running out on a naked woman. She could easily see that happening.

The Grey Fox? Where?

Speak of a daedric prince, there he was, exiting the office with a rolled scroll in his hands. Part of Mandila warned her that even an innocent fascination should not go beyond a superficial stage, and so she should not be thinking about his personal life. It was taboo to do so, for that was not how she had ever handled these situations. Still, it was interesting, and she found that she liked seeing Lex with multiple layers. Somehow it made him more tangible, like he was flesh and bone beneath that shining armor, and not just a symbol of his station. And she had better not tell Methredhel that, or the older thief would jump all over her, and rightly so. Mandila wondered if something was wrong with her own brain since she recognized danger and ran toward it anyway.

Lex caught sight of Mandila, and she could tell by the slight hitch in his sweeping gaze. He was walking away though, and she smiled as she pursued him. After so many encounters, the man should have known better than to try and avoid her. She did not give up so easily.

"Captain?" she called. Now he couldn't ignore her without looking like a total jerk, and she forced herself to contain an outright, wicked smile as he stopped and turned to face her.

"Citizen," he acknowledged.

"I do have a name, you know," Mandila asserted. "Not all of us like to be addressed by a title."

"And how would you prefer me to address you?" Lex asked. What? He didn't know her name by now? Mandila was slightly offended by that. After all, she only talked to him every single blessed day.

"Mandila," she told him. "You can call me that, and stop this 'citizen' nonsense."

"As you wish...Mandila," he relented, and then he was walking away. She was being dismissed, but she wasn't about to give up, and so she fell in step beside the man. He glanced over at her with those baby blue eyes of his, and seemed to be assessing the situation. "Can I do something for you, ma'am? I'm very busy at the moment."

"You're always busy," Mandila pointedly replied. "You're always on the waterfront, and always going to and fro, looking for something. People might even say that you're a bit obsessed." That made Lex stop and give her his full attention. "It's obvious to everyone here that you're hellbent on completing your mission, and not everyone sees that as a good thing." She handed him the crumpled poster, and his eyes narrowed. "It wasn't me, sir," she promised. "It was someone with a sword."

"The guards should spend less time gossiping and more time working," came Lex's stiff reply. She'd obviously hit a nerve, and he brushed her aside as his walk became fiercer. That anger made Mandila lag behind a moment before she jogged back to his side, struggling to keep up with his longer strides.

"Citiz—Mandila," he corrected himself. Maybe he hoped that using her real name might placate and send her away. "Surely you have somewhere to be."

"I do," she told him, "But I want to speak with you." He cast her a doubtful expression, and she smiled with all the Bosmer charm that she could muster. "Is it so hard to believe that someone might wish to have a conversation with the infamous Captain Lex?" He ran his eyes over her, again seemingly lost in thought, and now he was forced to stop walking, for they'd reached the edge of the harbor.

"Sir," Mandila continued, her smile slipping. "I wanted to thank you for yesterday. You helped Ancus when no one else would, and I know that it would have been easier to ignore him." She met Lex's eyes, and she had the strangest urge to touch his face. No, that couldn't be right, but it didn't seem like such a terrible idea either. She found herself wanting to see him smile or least go back to his normal, solemn expression, rather than display such an irritated face. It was her fault, because she'd brought up the issue of other guards' disrespect toward him, and he didn't deserve that. It might be fun to wind him up, but right now she felt the need to tell him that someone took him seriously. She owed him thanks for what he'd done, and no one else was going to give it to him, not even other guards it seemed.

"I appreciate what you did," she said, realizing that her mouth was still moving, and wondering what nonsense she had spouted while lost in thought. Lex regarded her, and then tossed the destroyed poster onto the street. As for Mandila, she just wanted him to know that someone appreciated how different he was from other officials. Maybe he could see it in her earnest words and expression...

**********************

"I was only doing my duty," Lex told her, his face softening by a fraction. She was staring into his eyes with a searching expression again, as if nothing in the world was as important as him, and for his part, Lex wasn't entirely sure what to do about it. No one had ever looked at him with such positive intensity. And now the Bosmer was again smiling, and she coyly placed her hands behind her back as she leaned forward.

"Maybe so, but are you the only guard that has that duty? You're not like the others."

"The Imperial Legion holds high standards for all of its members," he stressed, understanding her implication, and slightly annoyed that a young, jobless girl would blatantly speak against the Legion's honor. Then again, she wasn't completely off the mark with her comment either, and it seemed that at least one person recognized that he strove to do his job better than the others. If only his superiors would see his efforts in the same light as this Bosmer. Should he be flattered by her words? He might have been if he wasn't distracted by her random jump to another topic.

"So can I hold your sword?" Mandila asked, her eyes fixed on the weapon at his waist. He inwardly sighed, but she, on the other hand, looked downright elated at having had a real conversation with him.

"No," he shortly told her, and then spun on his heel. He wasn't supposed to go back to the barracks yet, but he would if it afforded him some peace and quiet. He heard someone moving beside him, and was puzzled by this woman's tenacity in bothering him. Gods, she was still there. "Citizen," he began, stopping and turning on her yet again. "You've expressed your thanks, so why must you continue to ask inane questions?" The Bosmer laughed, and it was a pleasant, soft sound that filled the area and drew attention to them.

"Captain Lex," she said. "I happen to like your company, but have it your way. You win. Good day." She grinned and sped by him, but not before giving his face another long look. He could not for the life of him understand what drew that carefree elf to him. My elf, he sarcastically corrected himself. From what he had seen of her so far, he gathered that she liked to play games, and he was sure that he made a tempting target for an energetic tree-hugger like her. Well, if she thought that he would lay down and accept such a well-meaning explanation as "I like your company", then she was wrong. Even if she wasn't with the Grey Fox, which he hadn't discounted, she was still trying to get to him.

And if she does just like your company? Lex couldn't bring himself to think so simply when he did nothing but brush her aside, but they had talked today. Perhaps it hadn't been as torturous as he'd anticipated, and then there was the fact that she had thanked him for his services, which had seemed sincere enough. He hated to admit it, but he had enjoyed the praise, and even the suggestion that he was better than the other guards. What he wanted to know was why she had suddenly felt the need to show appreciation rather than goading him like usual. It wasn't like her to be serious with him, and although he secretly liked what she had said, he couldn't help but wonder at her motivations.

****************************

"So he's making you laugh now, is he?" Methredhel asked. Mandila rolled her eyes as she and her friend moved toward the water's edge. They found a grassy patch on the banks that tapered off from the docks, and sat in anticipation of a quick lunch without interruption. What little food they could afford was quickly spread between them, Mandila picking a small worm off of an apple.

"I laughed because I managed to irritate him," she stated while taking a bite out of said apple.

"At the end," Methredhel corrected. "Come on, sister, don't try to lie to me. I was watching the entire thing. You were actually talking to him—not poking fun, but talking, as in having a conversation. And for a while, he looked rather interested in what you were saying." Mandila grinned and winked.

"I told you that I'd get him to talk to me one day," she proudly proclaimed.

"Yes, but have you gotten a kiss yet?" Mandila tossed the apple core aside and flopped backward onto the grass. Methredhel was closely watching her reaction, and she didn't appreciate it.

"I might be working on it," she teased, "But honestly, do you think that I'd destroy my reputation for a kiss? I don't think that I'm the one who fell from a tree." But she was secretly thinking about Lex's soft lips, and she couldn't help but wonder what they felt like. Admitting her true interest to her friend would be suicide though, so she kept her inner musings to herself.

"Still in denial, I see," Methredhel commented. "Be careful that you don't get too close to him. If you start talking to him, you might start to want more than what's acceptable..."

"Please," Mandila snorted. "You said it yourself: my fascinations never last long...even if this one's been a while." She wondered if she'd get to converse with the captain again tomorrow. She hoped that he'd be up for it, but her thought was cut short, for suddenly Methredhel was laughing. "What?" Mandila demanded.

"You have that dreamy look again," she said. "Thinking about him?" Mandila frowned, having been caught red-handed. "I thought so. Look, he's handsome, but you're taking this too far. If you kiss him to prove a point to me, it's fine, right? But if you kiss him because you want to, that's a huge problem. You should ask yourself which one it is."

"It won't get out of hand," Mandila promised.

"It better not, or we'll have to hit you with rocks until you come to your senses." Mandila jokingly shoved Methredhel, who shoved her back. Soon they were giggling and stumbling back to their shacks, spotting Armand in the process. His darker skin glistened with sweat from a recent run, and the two fellow thieves waved in greeting. He smiled and nodded back, but there was something different about him today. Mandila thought that his eyes might have rested on a her a moment longer than usual, and she was brilliant at picking up subtle communication.

Armand was displeased.

"Does he know?" Mandila asked once the man was gone.

"He's heard things," Methredhel replied. "But he knows not to take it seriously. You know how he is—taking things with more weight than he should. He'll get over it." Mandila nodded and journeyed into the city to scout for possible targets, even pickpocketing a merchant while she was there. Part of her wondered if Lex had been affected by her earlier words, because she wanted him to be, even if she shouldn't.

This post has been edited by Ornamental Nonsense: Jul 30 2010, 06:03 PM