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 7:

Knock. Knock. Knock.

"Make it stop," Mandila grumbled into her pillow. Her face was firmly planted in the soft ball of fabric beneath her, and even the feather that was poking her in the cheek couldn't make her stir. Her head was killing her, and whoever was knocking at her door had better stop before she gave them a piece of her mind. "I am trying to sleep!" she yelled when the noise persisted, and then Mandila heard the soft click of someone tinkering with the door's lock. The nerve of some people!

"Mandila, come on!" she heard Methredhel complain. "It's already mid-morning." With a groan, Mandila sat up just as her front door swung open. Of course the lock was no match for her friend, but still, was breaking and entering really necessary? She sighed as she watched Methredhel flounce into the room with a wide grin, and the older thief's delighted expression just begged for an update.

"You look terrible." Thanks. Light falling through the roof's shoddily fitted planks, Mandila winced as she shifted into a shadier spot on the bed, her head still pounding.

"I drank a little too much last night," she explained. Then she grabbed a brush from beneath her bed and began the process of untangling her hair as Methredhel made herself at home. The older thief plopped down on the only chair in the small abode, and it was a rather rickety one at that. One day someone was going to sit down and break the flimsy construct.

"Someone got dressed up for the evening," Methredhel noted, and Mandila looked down to see that she had slept in her skirt, blouse, and sash, all of which were now wrinkled. At least she hadn't thrown up on them. In fact, she was quite proud of herself on that account. "So how did it go?"

"Good right up until the last drink that I forced down," Mandila managed to smile. "I like Tamika's, but I shouldn't have had a full glass after the ale--if you can call what I drank ale."

"Tamika's?" Methredhel questioned. "You usually don't spend so much on drinking."

"I didn't," Mandila replied with a teasing grin.

"Oh, you had a man last night then."

"Lex bought me some." The sudden lapse of silence that followed Mandila's statement could only be attributed to shock, for there sat Methredhel, her eyes as large as iron shields, and her mouth hanging open. The expression was as priceless as Mandila had hoped, and so she decided to bask in the glory of her comment while waiting for the older thief to recompose herself.

"You drank with Lex?" Methredhel gasped. "And he treated you to a drink? How did that happen?" Mandila crossed arms over her chest and gave her friend a devious smile.

"When my company didn't arrive, I joined him, and we had a nice little time sitting by our lonesome selves. I think that we both enjoyed it." There was no need to bring up her slip about the Grey Fox, for some things were going to remain private for her own wellbeing.

"Ooooh," Methredhel cooed, her eyes eager for juicy tidbits. "I don't suppose that you got the kiss that I proposed, did you?" The comment was meant as a joke, and Mandila knew as much, for Methredhel probably didn't believe that she'd actually shared an evening with the captain, but here came the truth. Mandila smirked. "You did! You actually got Lex to pucker up?!"

"Not so loud! And, well, he didn't kiss back," Mandila clarified. "But he didn't stop me right away either. How's that for getting the captain to loosen up?"

"I can't believe this," Methredhel marveled, rubbing her temples. "I need some proof before I believe this. No lockpicks until you have proof."

"Under one condition," Mandila added. "Armand hears nothing about this, okay? He's already unhappy with me talking to Lex. If he finds out that I kissed him, he won't understand that it was just a joke between the two of us."

"And it was just a joke, right?" Methredhel challenged. Mandila frowned and stood up much faster than she should have, for the sudden movement made her reach for the bed post to steady herself.

"Of course it was only a joke." Sort of. Not really. Gods, I'd love to kiss him again. "Come on," she continued. "I'll get you your proof." She led the way to the harbor with Methredhel at her side, both looking for Captain Lex. He was as easy to find as ever, and as Mandila approached him, Methredhel lagged behind. For his part, Lex was eyeing Mandila like he wanted to speak with her but was not particularly pleased about it. He even looked ready to ignore her, but Mandila would have none of that.

"Good morning," she greeted him, determined to prevent him from acting as if last night had never happened. And he did seem rather intent on that as he turned his blank face on her. Then again, perhaps it wasn't acting. Perhaps it had meant nothing to him. "I had a good time last night," Mandila beamed.

"You remember everything?" Lex asked, and she nodded. "Then let's get several things straight." He stepped closer with a stern face that was anything but comforting, but Mandila didn't budge at this unexpected, harsh tone. "We have a conversation to finish, and if you don't visit my office, I will find a convenient time to visit you at home." Mandila was fixated by the possibility of him seeking her out, but then she scolded herself. Why did these ridiculous thoughts need to plague her anyway? If she was honest with herself, she understood very well that she was falling for this man, but she didn't want that to happen. There were unseen rules defining their lives, and what was the point of falling for someone who wouldn't fall back?

"I wouldn't mind discussing it over another drink," Mandila offered. "I won't drink too much this time. I usually stop at two glasses, you know. Last night I wasn't thinking straight." You seem to have that effect on me. She remembered the kiss and fought the blush that she felt rising in her cheeks. She wondered what Lex thought about her bold actions.

"I wasn't in uniform last night," Lex stated, his face as cold as his tone. "But I am on duty now, and I can arrest you for making unwanted advances. You will not make a public display." Unwanted. The word slapped Mandila across the face, and her expression fell. Oh, the hurt that her face was probably broadcasting could not be good. She didn't want this man to know the extent of the hold that he had over her, but she couldn't help it. The gleam vanished from her eyes, and she felt her dancing spirit retracting in upon itself.

"I won't bother you with displays again then, sir," she apologized, and her mind whispered that a handsome captain like Lex probably had access to very beautiful and wealthy women. She was just a poor, possible thief in his eyes anyway, so she couldn't expect more than dismissal.

"Citizen," Lex began, his tone softer than before, but still distant. "I have work to do, but if you ever need assistance, you know where to find me. Do you know where my office is?"

"Yes, sir."

"I'll expect you within the next several days then." He walked off, and Methredhel bounced over to give her sister a hug and concede that Mandila had won the bet. Twenty lockpicks landed in her hand, and Mandila accepted them, but all she could think about was how she was just a bit of mud on the captain's boots. That's how he had just treated her, and after she'd thought that maybe their friendly streak had meant...it meant nothing. She could keep teasing him, but that's all it would ever be: two people who baited one another. And how stupid she'd been to create tension between herself and Armand for that man! To stretch her boundaries for a delusion!

Mandila selected a lockpick and moved toward the tunnel that led into the Imperial City from the harbor. She had a job tonight, and she wanted to scope out the neighborhood ahead of time. This was the kind of thing that should have been occupying her time and energy, not some guard! She would reaffirm her loyalty to the guild tonight, before Armand had another chance to question her.

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

He was following her. She could tell by the way that his back always seemed turned toward her—how he always seemed to be going in the opposite direction but was there every time that she scanned her surroundings. Mandila frowned from where she stood by a cart in the market district, the cart's fruits stacked in tempting piles, and her body hidden by the ever-shouting merchant who was selling them. The guard several stalls down was talking to someone, but she knew that he was after her, and she also knew that Lex had probably set him on her. Standing amid the loud chatter and bright awnings of the weekly farmer's market, she watched him from the corner of her eyes, her view constantly obstructed by shoppers of all shapes and sizes.

What had suddenly made Lex suspicious enough to have her followed? Last night's slip about the Grey Fox might have done it, but then again, he'd know about the massive theft that had occurred while he'd been with her by now. Of course that would make her look bad, but she had played her part well, and he hadn't accused her of anything today. Gods, but she wanted to see him smile again, and at her, no one else. She shook her head and pocketed an apple when no one was looking. Not only was she forced to admit that she liked Lex, but that she would feel jealous if she saw him with another woman as well. She had no idea when her fascination had progressed this far, but she blamed it on him for having started to talk back to her, and for playing that trick on her after the swimming incident. If he had just ignored her attentions like he always had, everything would be fine right now.

It was early afternoon now, and Lex would soon arrive for lunch. She didn't want to see him, but she couldn't bring herself to move fast enough to avoid him either. She didn't leave until she saw him marching down the street in her direction, and she didn't miss the quick nod that passed between him and the guard that was following her. Well, if Lex wanted to give her a hard time, she'd show him how difficult it was to catch a thief of her caliber.

"Oh the games we play," she murmured to herself as she gave him one last glance. Perhaps she couldn't be angry with him for speaking with or challenging her. No, that would be unfair, and she wouldn't want to lose what little she had shared with him either. Did she sound like a bleeding heart? She hoped not, but she couldn't help but feel that her life would be a little more boring without the captain, as if the obstacles that he presented added to her routine and had even become incorporated into it. He helped make her day, but she'd rather dunk her head in sewer water than say such a sappy comment aloud.

Now it was time to lose her friend back there.

Mandila took a sharp turn around the row of houses leading toward the Arena. Once out of sight, she sprinted, rounded the next corner, and jogged toward Green Emperor Way where she could access any part of the city. She knew that the guard would be close behind her by now, and so she located a large tombstone and crouched behind it, waiting for him to pass her. It didn't take long for him to show, the man panting from running in armor on such a warm afternoon, and Mandila bit back a chuckle as he started to curse. With a little precaution, she would give him the slip for the rest of the day, and that's exactly what she did.

The day disappeared, and night was well underway as Mandila perched on a stonewall not far from her destination. The poor guard had given up after several fruitless hours of searching for her, and she loved how she'd only ever been a matter of feet from him. It gave her great satisfaction to know that he was no match for her, but she supposed that sneaking around in armor was difficult. Now she was posed to strike, for in a few minutes, the owner of a nearby house would leave for her evening stroll. That left Mandila about an hour long window to plunder, and plunder she would, but there was only one object that she was interested in: a dagger.

According to rumor, it would look ordinary enough, but it was enchanted to kill with a single stroke. Now that would be worth money, and Mandila needed the gold to buy herself some clothing. Her current shoes were cracking, and besides one or two decent outfits, she was beginning to look as poor as she felt, and she didn't want to look like a beggar. That was the last thing that she wanted to be, for the homeless were treated with disdain for the most part, and to feel like a beggar meant degradation, which Mandila would never allow herself to wallow in. Even a lowly thief had her pride, and after witnessing her mother's decline, she never wanted to return to such a lifestyle. She had finally found a way to support herself in the Thieves' Guild, and for that she would be forever grateful.

Here we go. The lady, who was a Dunmer, had just locked the door behind her and was walking toward the gardens. Now it was time to act.

Mandila checked her surroundings and saw that, as expected, no guards were afoot. They'd be changing the watch right about now, and most patrols had been stopped for the night. With a smile, she crept toward her target's home and began fiddling with the lock. It was a complicated one, but the click of success had never been sweeter to her ears or more timely, for she could hear the guards approaching as the last pin was pushed into place. By the time that the armored men were within eyesight, Mandila was safely inside of the house, the door shut behind her.

The building was blanketed in pure darkness, and Mandila had to pause and give her eyes time to adjust as she crouched by what she assumed to be a table. The room began to take shape as her elfin eyes dilated to a degree that a human's couldn't, and objects obtained dim outlines, making it clear enough that the house's floor plan matched the generic spread of a lower-class, Imperial home. The main floor had one large room designed for entertaining and food preparation, which was divided by furniture placement. At the rear sat a staircase that led down into the cellar, and running parallel above that were the steps that led upward toward the bedroom.

Mandila imagined that the knife was upstairs in the lady's room, and so she tiptoed in that direction. She climbed the steps with her back against the cool, stone wall, and soon a second lock was picked, which allowed her to enter the master bedroom. Like downstairs, the place was devoid of light and sound, but she paused and took her time anyway. One foot entered the room, and she could have sworn that a cool rush of air swept across the nape of her neck, but her mind was probably just playing tricks on her. After all, sometimes she got a bit jittery during thefts.

The chest. And she proceeded to sneak toward a large, wooden trunk and test the lock. To her disappointment, it only held clothing, as did the closet, and the box beside the bed was filled with worthless trinkets. Getting annoyed, and running out of time, Mandila was about to settle for taking a few necklaces when a glint of purple from a nearby shelf caught her eye. She wanted to hit herself for having not looked in such an obvious place before, for there lay the dagger, slender and elegant in its Elven design, and its surface pulsing with magic. Any thief would have been elated at such a find, but for a fleeting second, cold breath blew down the neck of Mandila's shirt.

What in the name of Nocturne...?

Mandila spun as the cold air left a trail of goosebumps down her back, and with a sick jump of her stomach, she scanned the room to confirm that she was alone. There was probably just a draft somewhere, for nothing in this place moved except for her, which meant that her imagination was getting the best of her. She stayed alert as her hand reached for the dagger, but her senses kept tripping with a concern that ate at her mind. Something didn't feel right, as if someone was spying on her shadowy movements. It was the same sensation that she felt whenever a guard passed behind her back.

Fingers wrapped around the dagger's handle, and she gently lifted it from its resting place. It was light in her hands, and cool to the touch, but she didn't feel the familiar sense of triumph as she held it. The air seemed to thicken around her, and now she definitely knew that something wasn't right. Gods, but her skin was prickling in fright, and something was moving in the shadows, coming closer, its breath disturbing the otherwise total silence of the bedroom.

Mandila did what her instincts dictated, and that was throwing the dagger at whatever was coming after her. When the weapon sailed through thin air to harmlessly glance off of the opposite wall, she really knew that she was in trouble.

It's a spirit. And she was horrified by the supernatural. Perhaps the dagger had been placed under a protective enchantment, and as she saw a blue ball of light forming before her, her feet ran for the door. There was a crackling sound, and a bright flash of light that chased her out of the room and onto the landing outside. She nearly fell down the stairs in her hurry to avoid whatever spell was being hurled at her, and as the wrath chased her, the faint light of is ethereal form cast taunting shadows across the main room.

Damned dark elves and their ancestral spirits!

Mandila skidded toward the front door, no longer caring if a guard saw her exiting the premises, and gripped the handle with shaking hands. Some things were worse than trespassing fees, and she could think of a few as another beam of light flared into being. She knew that a ball of energy was flying at her back as her hands began pulling on the door, for the spell's brightness cast her shadow against the wall with increasing sharpness, and heat began flowing over her.

Faster.

The door began swinging inward, but the thief wasn't fast enough. Searing pain fanned across her back, causing her to gasp as she stumbled outside. It was as though embers were being pounded into her skin, and she was sure that she was bleeding, even if her numbed mind didn't yet realize it. She slammed the door shut and never looked back as she ran on pure adrenaline, and even then, the pain begged her body to collapse. She was unaccustomed to heavy injuries, and as she ran, she realized that her head was growing lighter, which scared her with the possibility of passing out and bleeding to death on the street. Sure, she'd been lucky that no one had seen her attempted theft, but dying in a gutter didn't seem much better.

Her vision began to blacken, and in a desperate attempt to remain upright, she reached out a hand for the wall beside her. Her legs buckled, and she slid to the ground where she gasped and coughed up blood as she lost all sense of her bearings.

Footsteps.

Someone was coming, but at a slow pace. Metal boots. Torchlight. A guard then. Damn.

Mandila slowly rose to her feet and continued walking, all the while trying to stay ahead of the torchlight as she fumbled her away along the wall. She had to get back to the waterfront, and then Armand could patch her up. He would watch over her while she healed, and so she tried to move faster as the light behind her drew closer. Where was she now? Oh, the Temple District.

"Citizen," someone hailed her, and she almost died from panic when she realized that it was Lex. Of all the people to find her, why did it have to be him? The torchlight was getting closer by the second, drawing even with her as she paused from exhaustion. "Drunk again?" the captain began to mock. "You're lucky that..." His words trailed off, and although Mandila didn't look up, she assumed that he was examining her injured back. She hid behind her hair, the brown locks hanging about her pained face as she stood half-hunched, for she didn't want the captain to see the thin trickle of blood that was running down her chin and filling her mouth with copper.

"What happened?" Lex demanded. "These are serious wounds." His voice was stern, but no longer annoyed, and he was stepping closer.

"I had an accident," Mandila lied as she spat blood onto the street. "Got a little too close to a fire. You know me. I don't look before I leap." Oh, but talking through the pain and dizziness was difficult.

"Come with me," Lex ordered, his tone dropping to a gentler level. "I'll escort you to the Temple." Where you'll ask a million questions about my accident, Mandila thought. And then my injury will be reported, and the lady might connect me to the theft.

"I'll be fine," Mandila said. "I just need to get home. I'm sure that you have other things to do..." A strong hand gripped her chin and turned her face upward so that Mandila found herself staring into the captain's face. Torchlight fell across her features, exposing a bloody trail along her mouth, and she was surprised when Lex ran his thumb across the rivulet to wipe it from her face. He looked as he always did, but there was a touch of concern there also.

"No smart comments. No attempts to annoy me," he mused. "You're not fine, and I have never let anyone die on my watch." Mandila tried to smile, but the action was cut short by a grimace of pain. She doubled over, but Lex caught her falling form, and supported her much lighter body. She leaned against his breastplate, unable to stand on her own, and felt his hands on her arms as he righted her. For a single moment she felt his forehead brush against hers, and it was strange how such a detail stood out when she felt like crumbling to the pavement to never rise again.

"I'm not going to the Temple," she reiterated. "Take me home."

"Citizen, I'm honor-bound to protect your well-being, and you are going to the Temple. Then we are going to file a report, because there is no way in Oblivion that these wounds were caused by a mere accident." Of course he was going to be stubborn, and Mandila really wasn't in the mood to argue with him right now. Perhaps...

"I have a healing potion at home," she lied. "I'd rather do that than the Temple." She wanted to stay leaning against Lex, but if she looked that weak, he'd never let her go directly home. He cares, she thought, the idea warming her, even if he was only doing his job. She straightened with his hands still gripping her shoulders, and wanted to think that perhaps there was more to this than just his job. Maybe he was fond of her, if nothing else.

"I'm ready to go," she said, and they started out, one of her hands gliding against the wall, and the other around Lex's broad shoulders. One of his arms was wrapped around her waist, and it felt so strange to have him this close that she didn't know what to say or do. For the most part, they walked in silence, and she was content to pretend that he was merely a kind man doing his best to help her.

"Why am I always running into you, elf?" Lex commented, and Mandila started to laugh before she realized how much pain it put her in.

"You're just lucky, I guess," she teased. Lex 'humphed' and tightened his grip on her when she began slipping downward, but the action made her to sharply inhale in pain as his arm grazed her wound. "My apologies," he said.

"It's not your fault."

"So if I am to believe that this was an accident, how did it happen?" he pressed. "If it was someone else's negligence, I'll see that he or she is dealt with properly." He sounded so official that Mandila wanted to poke him in the side and tell him to stop being so stingy, but he was apparently still on duty, and she was too weak to bother. Even when off duty, he didn't seem that different.

"This injury is my own fault, captain," Mandila stated. "And let's leave it at that. I don't think that I can handle any questions right now. I want to rest."

"I will not bother you until tomorrow then," Lex offered, and no doubt he thought that such a step was very sympathetic, but Mandila had other ideas.

"Sir, even if I was doing something wrong—which I'm not saying that I was—don't you think that I've learned my lesson?" Her head tilted sideways, and she found herself getting lost in his blue eyes. They were intense, as if he was trying to solve a riddle, and she could only offer him the sincere longing for compassion that marked her face. She believed him capable of being gentle when no one else did, and she prayed that he could decipher the implicit trust that accompanied her stare.

"Don't forget your lesson, citizen."

"Mandila," she smiled. "Stop calling me 'citizen'."

"Very well. Here we are at your home, Mandila," and she thought that she detected a smile in his tone. He held onto her as she unlocked her door and pushed it open.

"Thank you," she said, and moved to close the door, but it wouldn't shut the whole way. Lex's hand had shot out to keep it open, and his face looked sculpted from marble as he stared at her.

"Take the potion," he ordered.

"What? Are you going to stand there and make sure that I do?" Mandila asked at wit's end.

"Yes." He did care. She didn't know if she wanted to punch or hug him, so she settled for putting more pressure on the door.

"I would be crazy not to take the potion," she countered. "Now go away or I'll file a complaint against you for trespassing." Lex's eyebrows rose, and he leaned forward with a dark undercurrent to his voice.

"You wouldn't dare," he breathed. "Now take that potion." He turned and left her to her own healing, apparently sure that she'd do as ordered, and Mandila quietly indulged in the idea of him having saved her. It was a comforting feeling, like his arm around her waist, helping her stand, and for the first time in her life, Mandila was glad that he was so strict in doing his duty. No one had ever helped her like that before, and she'd never forget it.