Fixated

Fridrika watched with interest as Sol made her own tool. She held up what looked like two large fishing hooks with a big smile before attaching them to more hooks. "What's it for?" she asked her mentor.

"Well, this beauty is gonna get me to the second floor of that house."

"You'll go through a window?"

"You got it. This isn't exactly professionally made, so it might be tricky; these things need to be able to hold your weight."

"And be able to get a good hold on whatever you're climbing?"

"That's right. Good girl! Here's a treat." Sol took a slip of paper out of her pocket and handed it off to Fridrika.

"What's this?" she asked as she unfolded it. "A job?"

"Yup! Should be easy, an in-and-out job. Sawbones is going with you."

"The healer?"

"If that's what you wanna call him. If you ask me… Hey, do you know what sound a duck makes?" Sol grinned. "Anyway, the details are all there. Sawbones will make sure you don't end up in too much trouble."

"And what about you?"

"I think you already know the answer to that." When Fridrika suddenly looked anxious, Sol questioned, "You still don't think I can do it?"

With a shake of her head, she answered truthfully, "No. I've heard the others talk to you about it; it'll be really dangerous." Sol hummed, barely listening. "Are you ignoring me?"

"No."

"But you're still going to do this thing…"

"You know it! I'm a master thief; there's no reason to worry. Besides, the danger factor is what excites me. Haven't you ever done anything just for that rush, that thrill?"

Fridrika stared at her for a long moment, at the ridiculous smile that was spreading across her face. "No," she said simply.

Sol blinked. "Risk and reward, Gem!"

"You're obsessed," Fridrika said on a sigh. Sol shrugged carelessly.

"If that gets me what I want, I don't really care."

"That sounds like something a child would say. Maybe you're not as great as I thought you were." With that, Fridrika turned on her heel and headed off.

"Hey!" Sol called after her. Fridrika paused and looked back. "Have a safe trip! Have fun in Windhelm!" She waved, unaffected by Fridrika's fierce glare. With an indignant sniff, Fridrika continued walking away. "What a silly girl," Sol murmured to herself. "'Maybe you're not as great as I thought you were.' Hmph! That's preposterous! I mean, I'm the best…"

If she said it often enough, she'd start to believe it. Maybe everyone else would, too? With a sad smile, she turned back to her work. When she finished, she said, "You're gonna have to work. You're the only thing that I can think of that'll get me close enough."

She stored the tool in her pack and left her home, locking the door behind her. When she looked up, she nearly jumped out of her skin. "Uh… Hey." It wasn't often that she saw him outside of The Ragged Flagon and it was even more of a rare occurrence to have him right outside her door.

Delvin Mallory stood in common clothes, his arms crossed over his chest as he eyed Sol. "So, you were just gonna slink off without tellin' any of us."

"I figured you'd find out sooner or later." Sol shrugged.

"You know that's not how things work, boss."

"Maybe I'm changing things up," she said, tilting her head this way and that – pop! Pop! "What'd you need, Mallory?" She sounded unbearably tired. She was already kicking herself for drinking like she had the night before. She didn't need Delvin here to make things worse; as much as he made her happy, he also made her feel stupid and only good for one thing – thieving.

Delvin shrugged and reached into his pocket. "I figured there'd be no stoppin' ya' from doing this. I brought you a little somethin'. A good luck charm." Delvin was a superstitious man, believing in things such as 'curses' and the like. Sol…not so much. She figured skill would always save the day. And, for the most part, that helped her along just fine.

"What is it?" she decided to ask, anyway. She held out her hand and he placed a small wooden figurine in the center of her palm. "A deer?"

"That's right. Now, don't go losin' it."

Sol stared at the thing for a second longer, deciding that she'd accept the gift graciously. She didn't care why he was giving it to her; she only cared that it was from him.

"Thank you, Delvin. I like it." She couldn't help the soft caress in her voice.

Delvin only nodded. "I'll let you get to it, then. Come back with some real goodies."

"Will do." Sol watched as the man sauntered away. She let out a breath that she hadn't realized she'd been holding. "Damn that man!" She put a hand on her chest, knew that her heart was racing. Stop messing with me… She pleaded silently.

Fridrika had never been to Windhelm before. It was a lot colder here than it was in Riften. Her breath came out as thick fog as she and Sawbones trudged through the freshly fallen snow. "If you're worried about Sol, don't be," Sawbones said, looking back at her through his narrowed eyes. Snow clung to his lashes and he looked more than miserable. "She's one clever broad."

But that would mean nothing if the woman went and got herself killed for a piece to put over her fireplace. "Yeah," Fridrika decided to agree almost a full minute later. She took a breath, regretted it when it burned her lungs. She sighed. "Why does she call you 'Sawbones'?" she asked, trying to find a distraction. The more she thought, the more she wanted to turn back and kill Sol herself.

"Because even though she's as smart as a whip, she's still a child. We met while she was out on the job. She'd misjudged a jump, got caught on a wrought iron gate and cut herself up real good. When we crossed paths, she asked if I knew anything about 'ughs and ouchies'. I was trained traditionally, so I don't know anything about the hand-waving healing spells or whatever it is those mages do."

"So, what happened?"

"I sat her down and prepared my equipment. The moment I touched her and she got a look at my tools, she started screaming and hollering, saying that I was trying to kill her. I think she was drunk."

I'm positive she was, Fridrika thought with a frown. "And what'd you do?"

"I didn't have to do anything," Sawbones said with a stiff shrug. "She started running, looking back at me, and because she wasn't paying attention, she ran straight into a low tree branch and knocked herself out. Strangely enough, she looked quite happy lying there in the dirt."

Fridrika couldn't help herself. She laughed. She covered her face with both of her hands, wiping away tears before they froze to her cheeks. Sawbones looked back at her again, grinning.

"By the time she came to, she'd sobered up. She apologized to me in a wee voice as if I were her pa scolding her, said that she owed me and promised herself that she'd never drink while working again. So, in short, since she remembered that first encounter, that memory gave birth to the name Sawbones."

"And what's your real name? Why'd you start working with thieves with your kind of training?"

The man's eyes darkened. "I landed in some trouble, and we'll just say that Sol repaid her debt to me and then some… Sawbones is the only name I really need anymore."

Fridrika didn't question any further. She was sorry for having asked those very personal questions. They were silent for a long time. When she looked up, she could see the city of Windhelm through the thick fall of snow.

When night fell, Sol was already on Goldblood property. She'd stayed close and scouted until now. Since arriving, she'd been perfectly fine, but now she could feel the shakes running up and down her body. Her heart pounded so quickly that she feared it'd jump out of her chest. She placed a hand over the spot as if she thought that could actually happen.

Sol took a breath and let it out slowly through her mouth. She smiled, fought down the fear as she always did, and pushed off. Her hand dove into her pack, dragging out her make-shift grappling hook. She moved quickly and silently, swinging the hooks to build momentum. She threw the thing up; it hit a ledge with a chink and fought for purchase.

Glancing around warily, Sol tugged on the rope to make sure it could hold her. She began her ascent. When she reached the window, she got it open using her paper method. She eased the window open and stepped down from the ledge, into the room.

Moonlight spilled into the room, showing an office – not a bedroom. I must be blessed. She regretted that thought instantly when the door started to creak open. She ducked low behind the desk. A dog's claws clicked on the wooden floor as he came into the room.

He stopped and Sol dared to take a peek. The beast stood in the middle of the room, hackles standing up as if he sensed her presence. He scented the air and a growl rumbled deep in his throat. His intense gaze fell on Sol and his teeth gleamed in the soft moon glow.

"Shit…! Nice doggie," she whispered. "Go away now. Be a good boy."

The dog lowered his head, snarling angrily. His body tensed up and he acted as though he'd lunge at her. "Tyko," a male voice murmured into the darkness. Immediately, the dog's ears perked up and he turned to the man in the doorway. "I know you're in here now. You should reveal yourself. It'll make things easier for you."

Sol hesitated. She was caught like a rabbit in a snare. Her shoulders drooped and she forced herself to stand. She looked up to see Birger, the youngest Goldblood.

Birger nodded at her, saying, "You made the right choice. I can—"

"Nice work, my son!" Even Birger jerked at the sound of his father's voice. His eyes widened a little as he looked at Sol. "You caught us a thief..." Claude clapped the boy on the shoulder and all at once, Birger's face was one carved from stone. "You know what happens now, yes?"

Birger didn't respond immediately. His eyes settled on Sol once more before he spoke, "She pays dearly."

Why wasn't she back yet? That was the question that plagued Fridrika's mind when she and Sawbones returned to the Cistern. They entered The Ragged Flagon and Sawbones went to get them a couple of drinks to celebrate a job well done. Sol had left the same day as Fridrika, which would make this the third day she'd been gone.

"Here." Sawbones placed a bottle of Black-Briar mead in front of her. When she didn't acknowledge him, he popped the thing open for her. "Take a drink," he urged.

Fridrika sighed and took a sip. "She should be back," she found herself saying.

"Maybe she got caught and is serving her time to jail?" Sawbones shrugged.

"It's what she would deserve," Brynjolf grumbled from his seat very close them. "We all warned her."

"And you're just going to let her sit there? Alone?"

Brynjolf looked over at Fridrika, his eyes tired, but still heated. When Fridrika shrunk back and away from him, he knew that he wasn't himself. He hadn't been for a long time. He didn't like this. He sighed irritably and stood, leaving without another word.

"Bryn needs a break," Delvin said with a small smile. "He's worried; don't let him fool you."

"And what about you?" Fridrika questioned, suddenly very cold.

Delvin looked at her with his dark eyes. "I take it she's told you things she shouldn't have?"

"Why shouldn't she have? She needs someone to listen to her." In fact, they needed each other. Sol wasn't a chore to be dealt with as these people seemed to think she was.

"Listen," Delvin started, "Sol wants more of me than I'm willin' to give. I'm flattered. Really, I am. But it just wouldn't work. She's not my type. She's too…"

Fridrika scowled. "Happy? Childish?" Delvin shrugged, but didn't offer a real answer. "If that's what you think, then you've no idea who she is. I don't know what she sees in you." With that, Fridrika left. She valued loyalty, so Sol would always be taken care of if she could help it.

Delvin sighed heavily. He touched a bottle of mead to his lips, tilted it back. Empty. Another sigh as he put it back on the table.

'I don't know what she sees in you.'

Neither do I, he thought. With a shake of his head, Delvin stood, tucking his hands into his pockets. In one of those pockets, he fingered a tiny wooden object – a deer, a near copy of the one he'd given to their Guild Master. Its counterpart. An almost perfect match. Just like...

He found that she was stuck on his mind. His heart felt as if it were in a vice. This pain would never relent. Damn you, Sol...

Chapter end! Thanks for reading!