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 5:

Lex couldn't help but anticipate his day at the waterfront, and the jingle of bracer keys at his belt only heightened his mood. Mandila had thought to escape him, but he had shown her otherwise, and today would be the completion of her lesson. There was something supremely satisfying about gaining one up on the woman, for the look on her face last night had been priceless. For once, she had been the one thrown off balance by the unforeseen—the one left to wonder about the meaning of his cryptic comments. It was Lex's firm opinion that troublemakers should enjoy a taste of their own medicine, and hopefully Mandila would pursue him with less tenacity after swallowing hers.

The captain finished fastening his armor, and climbed down the ladder that led from his quarters. He usually stopped in the common room for a glass of water and some rolls, but given his expectations, he almost decided to skip breakfast. It was only as he reached the tower's front door that he realized how foolish it was to rush his routine for a trickster of an elf. Mandila would need to wait for him to unlock her bracers no matter what time he made his appearance, and even if her hands were no longer bound, she'd find him anyway. So why change his morning habits for her? It wasn't like she was the Grey Fox or someone who he had a vested interest in catching. She was just a nosy Bosmer who might be a thief, and that wasn't something for which he'd go hungry.

"Leaving without breakfast, sir?" a guard asked, the man sitting beside the front door for security purposes. Lex suddenly realized that he was standing and staring at that door, probably looking very much like a statue. So he turned around, sat, and ate, letting the inevitable wait on him, and taking his prior indecision as a sign that the elf was getting to him--something that would not be tolerated.

After breakfast, Lex continued toward the harbor at his usual pace and in the usual manner, which meant perfectly straight posture and ever sweeping eyes. His mind periodically returned to Mandila, and although thoughts of her faded in favor of more important matters, she disrupted his focus more and more as his feet drew closer to the harbor. He could imagine her sitting on the harbor's stone wall, her hands cuffed, and her face fixed in a frustrated pout. The thought almost made him smile, but what if she had gotten out of the bracers? Lex was actually very interested in seeing whether or not she had, despite the fact that he'd given her bracers with incredibly complicated locks. Unless she possessed the utmost lockpicking skills, she would still be trapped, and if she had miraculously unlocked them, then he had to assume that she was a thief. No one with that much lockpicking skill was innocent, and so his suspicions would be confirmed. It was a winning situation for him either way, although he really did hope that she needed his assistance.

Lex was now on the familiar stone walkway that arched around the docks, but he didn't see Mandila. That was unusual, but maybe she was hiding at home out of embarrassment. That would suit him just fine, although he had given her more credit for backbone. Still...

"Good morning, captain!" Lex turned around, and to his chagrin, the woman before him looked anything but chastised.

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

Mandila had seen Lex going about his normal patrol--seen how his head kept turning, as if he were looking for someone, and she had a strong inkling that she knew who that someone was. The keys to the bracers were still at his waist, so she had correctly assumed that he was expecting her to still be chained. Wouldn't he be surprised? And with that in mind, Mandila began approaching him from behind, imagining him as he had looked in the moonlight with polished armor that had seemingly glowed with the dull, pale light from above. His face had been cast in shadow, and his voice had spoken against a backdrop of crickets. Yes, the night had suited him, but so too did the daylight. In fact, Mandila couldn't think of a single occasion when the captain didn't look in top form.

She held the bracers in her hands, and hastened her steps, wondering if all prison restraints had such difficult locks. She had almost given up, and it had taken all night to successfully free herself, which explained her tired appearance. But it was worth it, she reminded herself. Lex had provided her with a challenge, and she'd risen to it, even if she'd briefly considered letting him win. After all, it would not make her look good to be so skilled with a lockpick. She already had one mark against her since he'd found a lockpick on her, and this would do nothing to ease his concerns.

Maybe it will lead to more attention, and the thought was both worrisome and exciting. As Lex's head swiveled to the side, giving her a clear view of his profile, she called out.

"Good morning, captain!" And he turned and fixed her with those icy eyes, and she smiled quite naturally at seeing him. He looked less thrilled than she did, but it might have something to do with the bracers in her hands. She walked until only several feet separated her from Lex, and then she held out her offering.

"I believe that these are yours, sir," she happily chirped, and Lex eyed the bracers like he wanted to grab and chuck them into the water.

"How very thoughtful," he allowed, reaching out and accepting them. Mandila watched him hook the restraints to his belt, and then she returned her eyes to his. He was studying her in the same manner that she might have eyed a locked door—thinking about how it worked and the easiest way to open it. An involuntary thrill shot through her, for he'd never looked at her quite like that before, even if his stern expression remained a harbinger of difficulties. She stared back, saying the most immediate thing that came to mind.

"How much would you have charged me for them?"

"Fifty gold," Lex answered, and Mandila nodded her head appreciatively.

"I figured as much. You didn't make it easy."

"I never do," and this was the point where she expected him to try and walk away. He'd clearly lost this round, and he was still on duty. When he didn't move, Mandila actually became suspicious. "So where is my twenty gold?" he asked her. "And I haven't all day, citizen."

"Mandila," she corrected him. "And I have it right here." She passed him a small bag of coins, and if Lex was annoyed, he didn't show it. He was impassive as ever, and he wordlessly eyed the money for several seconds before he leaned in closer to her face.

"And where, Mandila, did you get twenty gold when you had none last night?" he questioned. Mandila knew that she had to be careful this time around, for Lex had that fanatic officer edge to him, and that was never good.

"That's none of your concern, sir," she told him, proud of herself for not getting lost in his features. As was though, he was leaning so close that she almost did, and so her voice came out more weakly than intended.

"It might be my concern," Lex corrected her before stepping back to give her some space.

"No, it's not," Mandila stressed. "But if you really must know, I dug up a grave last night." Lex's eyes narrowed, and Mandila grinned. "Just joking. I borrowed money from a friend, so stop looking at me like I have thief written on my forehead. Are you always this suspicious?"

"Only when it comes to people who warrant it." Mandila's eyebrows shot upward in mock surprise.

"And I warrant it? What have I done to make you suspicious other than trying to be friendly? Maybe I like to cause mischief every once and while, but really, captain, you act like you're not used to female attention." Lex was about to respond when Methredhel came bounding over to Mandila and squeezed the other elf's hand in a friendly gesture.

"No time to talk, sister," Methredhel interrupted. "I need your help with something." She then tugged the younger Bosmer along with her as she moved toward the waterfront, and Mandila was left giving Lex a hasty wave. She even sent a wink in his direction.

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

Lockpicks, hanging about with a suspected thief, breaking the law—Lex knew that he should never have overlooked Mandila as a possible link to the guild.

"Until later, captain!" the Bosmer called. He watched her go, and then moved to check how another guard's patrol was going, for he needed to get that elf—his elf—out of his mind. The guard that he approached wiped sweat from a wrinkled brow and grumbled about the weather, and Lex could sympathize given how hot armor could feel on warm days like this. Even he got sick of armor when the sun was high.

"I see that she hasn't laid off of you, sir," the guard finally joked in reference to Mandila. "I thought for sure that after the swimming incident, she'd leave you be. Guess she's as stubborn as you are, huh, sir?" Lex snorted as he looked to where Mandila had disappeared.

"I do not appreciate being compared to that elf," he stated, and the guard chuckled.

"Say what you want, sir, but there are several guards, including myself, who wouldn't mind trading places with you. She's easy on the eyes with those long lashes...sir, perhaps you ought to relax your standards a little." Lex sighed and waved the guard off.

"You're married," he reminded the man. "I doubt that your wife would appreciate those comments, and I don't want to hear another word about it. She's up to no good."

"Yes, sir." The guard left, and Lex was left wondering why everyone else looked at how the elf interacted with him and saw an infatuated girl. She was an absolute she-daedra, even if she was pretty, and she was years younger than him. He also suspected her for what others did not, and he could just imagine how a guild member would love to irritate and taunt him, acting as if she was unafraid in order to sidetrack his scrutiny. Besides that, he found it hard to believe that the elf could be as interested as other people seemed to think, and the guards loved to make smart comments about him as much as the waterfront residents did, so it was bound to be an exaggeration to target the lack of romance in his life.

Lack of romance. As Lex stood before the Bloated Float and watched two young Nords having a spitting contest from the ship's upper deck, he decided that 'lack' was a bit of an understatement.

The last woman with whom he'd been involved had disappeared from his life years ago, and the lovely, aristocratic lady had even wanted to marry him, but he'd kept postponing. Then, when he'd finally felt that he was financially prepared to please her, he'd proposed, but she was no longer interested, saying that he'd distanced himself from her to the point where she couldn't stand the thought of living with him. Absentee husband—that's what she'd claimed he would become, and so he'd watched her leave, wondering when this supposed drifting apart had happened since he'd been too preoccupied to notice.

Great. Now the two Nords were singing, and Lex didn't find sea shanties charming in the least. Maybe he would move to the other side of the harbor's horseshoe, but then again, the pirates docked on that side, and he was standing in a shady spot at the moment, where he remained as he continued to reflect on his ill-favor among women.

He hadn't bothered looking for another woman since his former lady had left, for she'd poisoned many social circles against him, and no one wanted to link themselves to someone with a reputation for being a fanatic over an imaginary criminal. He wouldn't have a wife that secretly scorned his work either, for that would be the height of unbearable. Yes, female rejection had initially stung, but he was beyond that now. He found comfort in his career, and he had no need of a woman hanging about, so that settled the matter. He'd wait until his reputation was cleared to start the family that part of him thought necessary for an upstanding man such as himself. He was a minor aristocrat, and so he was expected to bear heirs, which he'd get to in good time, but not now. He watched a man pickpocketing another, and angrily stormed toward the scene, the thought of women all but gone.

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

"What is it?" Mandila asked as Methredhel pulled her along. They were heading straight for Armand's shack, which was highly unusual. The man did not like discussing guild business in daylight, and he often refused to even acknowledge the other thieves unless it was midnight or later. They had a regular meeting place in a small yard near Methredhel's house, and only then would business be presented. Apparently something important and unexpected had occurred to break that routine.

"Armand's called an emergency meeting," Methredhel whispered. "Something big has come up, and if we don't move, we'll never finish the job."

"Oh," Mandila said, stunned by how massive the operation must be. She felt excitement racing through her veins as they entered Armand's house and found the man sitting on his bed, all windows bolted shut, and his dark features illuminated by a lantern.

"Lock the door," he instructed, and Mandila hurriedly did as told. Then it was the three of them in a tiny, shadowy room, and Mandila glanced at Armand with a confused expression.

"Where are the others?" she asked.

"They know what's to be done," he explained, "And I don't want to risk too large a gathering. Lex is on duty, as I'm sure you know." He fixed her with a knowing stare that made Mandila shift uncomfortably. This was her superior, after all, and his disapproval carried weight. She sat beside Methredhel at the small table near the bed, and focused on keeping a confident demeanor.

"So what's this job?" Methredhel blurted. "And why is it so sudden?"

"Remember the engraved mirror that we're supposed to steal from Handlor?" Mandila and Methredhel both nodded. "The man has decided to take an unexpected trip to see a relative, and that means that his house will be empty tonight. The problem is that it may be a trap. I've no evidence, but there might be a traitor among us, and the danger is doubled by the fact that the man lives near the northwest tower."

"That's where Lex goes at night," Mandila stated, knowing what kind of difficulties that would present.

"Yes," Armand nodded. "So we need someone to distract him—make sure that he isn't there tonight. That's why I've called both of you here. Someone needs to be a street lookout, and someone needs to keep Lex away. Take your pick." No sooner had he finished than a huge grin spread across Methredhel's face, and Mandila could guess what her sister was thinking.

"Oh, I think that Mandila will be a perfect distraction for our captain," the elder Bosmer smoothly teased. "She has more experience at it than I do." Mandila glared at her sister, and without looking, she knew that Armand was staring at her with those displeased eyes of his. She heard him sigh again as the staring match between the two Bosmer continued, and only when he clapped his hands did the two disengage.

"Just make sure that the job's done right," he said. "We can't screw this up or our asses are fried. The guild's entire reputation rests on pulling this job off, and I expect both of you to give a hundred percent. No fooling around." Mandila inwardly winced at his harsh undertone, and she stood to excuse herself from the tense atmosphere.

"Well, I better go think of a way to keep Lex busy all night." Methredhel snorted on a laugh that threatened to choke her with tears of mirth, and Mandila pinched the bridge of her nose in annoyance. "I didn't mean—oh, Methredhel, that's enough. You've got a twisted mind, Bosmer!"

"I think that we should go our separate ways before someone notices that you're both here," Armand intervened.

"Whatever you say, handsome," Methredhel said, calming herself. "Let's go, sis." Mandila made to follow her elder outside, but she didn't even reach the door.

"Mandila," Armand called. "A word." Methredhel shook her head and shut the door behind her, leaving Mandila and Armand alone to discuss what Mandila was sure she didn't want to hear.

"Yes?" she asked, rejoining Armand near the bed.

"I know about your odd behavior around the captain," he admonished. "And I don't like what I'm hearing. Ancus even said that you've been having conversations with him now."

"It's nothing bad," Mandila countered. "You know how I get sometimes, and he's fun to annoy."

"I wouldn't be worried if you were just annoying him," came the terse response. "Look, I'm in no position to tell you how to live, but these walls have ears, and when they tell me that one of my best thieves is expressing gratitude to our enemy, I get concerned. You don't want to give me gray hair, Mandila." The Bosmer tapped her toes against the floor and thought about the previous night. Armand did live next door to her.

"I guess you heard about what happened yesterday," she commented.

"Yes," and Armand smiled despite himself. "I hear that you nearly made Lex explode in frustration, but it backfired on you, didn't it? He found you, and now you've brought attention to yourself. Mandila," he stared into her eyes and passed her a new lockpick. "Remember that you can play with him, but don't do more than necessary. It's too risky for the guild, and I don't want to see him hurt you."

"He wouldn't," Mandila protested. "Come on. He's Mr. Rigid-for-rules."

"Have you ever been to prison?" Armand asked, and Mandila nodded.

"Once, when I was just learning how to pickpocket."

"And do you know what can happen to pretty girls who get sent to prison?" Mandila nodded, but more slowly this time. "It happens, and if he's the one that puts you there, he's responsible for knowing what could happen to you. He's obsessive, but he's not ignorant, and he sure as hell isn't someone who would protect you. So be careful."

"I know," Mandila weakly smiled. "I just can't believe that he'd catch me doing anything that he'd lock me away for."

"This is the same man that's planning to tax the waterfront," Armand pointed out. "He doesn't believe in leniency, and you should know that." But Mandila had seen Lex help Ancus, and he reprimanded fellow guards for abusing their power. He'd even helped a girl find her way home once. He wasn't totally heartless, and she knew it, but she couldn't tell Armand that. He'd probably flip the table in disbelief at her kind words.

"Is he really going to tax us?" she questioned. It seemed like Lex, but she hadn't heard a word of such a plan.

"It's a rumor, but I wouldn't put it past the fetcher. Keep your head down, and make sure that he's not near the target tonight." Mandila nodded and was finally given permission to leave. Great, but now Armand was upset with her, maybe even questioning if she was against Lex like the rest of them, but that was idiotic. Of course she was anti-Lex, for the man would hate her if he knew what she was. Ouch, but that stung a little. She didn't want him to hate her, even if they were opposed forces.

She checked the sun and realized that she had better get cracking on her plan. She had to keep the captain busy for an entire night, and that was a challenge if ever she'd faced one. The easiest way would be to dress as the Grey Fox and let him chase her around the city, but that would be suicide—and tiring, she quickly added. No, she needed something else, but the promise of an arrest or evidence was likely the only way to keep him distracted.

Mandila smiled as she noticed Methredhel talking to another woman. With a little help from her friend, she was going to hook the captain's interest.