Chapter 3

Brie woke up early the next day. Her waist ached something fierce so she quickly knocked back a potion before slowly getting up from her bed. She sighed and tried to tame her frizzy hair but it was no use. She had tossed and turned during the night and it was now a tangled mess around her face.

Frustrated, Brie walked over to her dresser and snatched up a small hand mirror to inspect the damage. Tired green eyes looked back at her and after staring at herself for a moment the Elf tried to fix her hair. After a few minutes spent brushing at the tangles she managed to get most of them free, but her scalp now hurt from having tugged on her hair so hard. She was fed up, and so Brie rifled through one of the cupboards until she found a small knife she mostly used for cooking. It was nice and sharp on only one side. Brie propped her mirror on the dresser against the wall and squinted her eyes as she began slicing away at her thick locks.

I really should get a bigger mirror, she mused quietly to herself.

A sense of relief washed over her as Brie cut her hair. She thought back with a small sigh of her mother, who was always hounding Brie when she was younger to look after her hair better. She remembered the first time she had snapped and, much to mother's horror, cut off the entirety of her waist long-hair nearly to the scalp. She had been punished for her wild behavior, but what Elaina didn't know was that was only the beginning of her eldest daughter's rebellion.

Now, Brie's butt was perched against a small wooden stool in her small apartment and she only cut her hair so the ends lightly brushed the top of her shoulders. She wasn't doing it out of rebellion, but rather convenience. When she was satisfied both sides were even, Brie quickly washed up and snatched an apple from the cupboard to munch on while she walked down the street towards the South Watch Tower where she knew Lex would be waiting for her.

It was a mild day and Brie found herself looking forward to work, despite how dull it had been the day before. She enjoyed getting to know the quiet Captain but she couldn't help but hope that something exciting would happen, if only once for the whole week.

With that hopeful thought, Brie strode into the building and glanced around, searching for Lex's kind face. She didn't see the man anywhere in the dining hall and so she took a seat at the same table they occupied just the day before and clasped her hands together, patiently waiting for him.

A few minutes later Lex strode into the dining hall. He had been caught by another Captain on the way down from his room and they had spoken about work related things for a few minutes. His stomach noisily grumbled from beneath his shiny metal armour and so he took his leave, quickly making his way towards the kitchens to get something to eat.

He did not notice Brie as he walked by the smiling Elf. She watched Lex as he completely ignored her and spun around in her seat to call out to him.

"Captain?"

Lex stopped moving. He slowly turned around and peered down at Brie with a look of surprise.

How did I... not see her?

Brie grinned as Lex quickly recovered from his shock and walked over to her.

"Brie, good morning. I see you cut your hair."

"Oh, yeah it was bothering me," Brie shrugged, and she nervously ran her hand through her hair. "Needed a change."

"It... looks good."

"Thanks, Captain."

Lex couldn't stare at her beaming face for much longer and so he excused himself and continued making his way towards the kitchen. When he returned he held a small wooden tray in his hands. He had opted for porridge this morning, which the cook found highly unusual.

"You want porridge?"

"Please," Lex laughed, and he shrugged. "I don't know, felt like something different."

Brie eyed Lex with a curious expression as he took a seat across from her with his bowl full of porridge, but said nothing. She lounged back in her seat for a few minutes and then decided to head to the barracks to get geared up for the day. Lex glanced up at the Elf when she began standing up, and he hastily swallowed his mouthful of food.

"Where are you going?"

"I don't have my armour on. Might as well try and figure it out while you're eating."

"Just wait for me, I'll be there in a minute."

"Aye aye, Captain," Brie responded as she strolled away.

Lex's brows furrowed together and he couldn't help but smile. He was glad to see Brie was in a good mood after yesterday's mishaps. He quickly finished up his breakfast and returned his dish to the kitchen before walking back up to his room. He retrieved the small leather cuirass and then wandered down to the barracks to find Brie.

Just as he walked around one of the weapon racks he spotted the Elf reaching for something high up on a shelf high above her head. It was a helmet, and she was interested in trying it on, but she was too short to reach it. He watched her for a moment, amused, as Brie reached up on her tippy toes, her fingers barely brushing along the round steel object.

It was then that he noticed her injury. Brie's tunic had lifted up during her struggle and he spotted the dark purple bruise that dashed along her pale skin. A lump rose in his throat as guilt washed over him. He shouldn't have let the new recruit work in a set of armour that was too big for her.

Her injury is my responsibility.

Lex's eyes snapped back up to Brie's face as she gave a frustrated sigh and admitted defeat and turned towards him. When she spotted Lex, a grin spread across her face and he felt his pulse race.

"I hate being so short," Brie whined quietly, and she tucked a strand of her hair behind one pointed ear. "What's that?"

"Oh uh," Lex blinked and he held out the armour for her. "This is yours."

"What?"

"It's lighter, since it's made of leather. It should fit you pretty well. I didn't have all of your measurements when I went to the smith but I think it'll be alright."

Brie was stunned. She wordlessly took the armour from Lex's outstretched hands and stared at it for a moment, completely at a loss for words. It was a small gesture, and probably one that Lex was obligated to do since he was her Captain, but it had a profound effect on her.

"Thanks," Brie mumbled softly, and she clutched the leather to her chest.

"Will you be alright getting it on? I noticed the bruise."

Of course, sir," Brie smiled. "I'll be fine."

"Okay," Lex responded, and he coughed. "I'll um, wait for you by the door."

When Lex had left her alone Brie hastily began shoving each piece on, grinning to herself as it hugged her form flawlessly. She was impressed by the craftmanship of the material and she surprised herself by how excited she was over something like a set of armour. Her hip still ached slightly as the leather pressed against her sides but it wasn't uncomfortable and she felt infinitely more confident in her gear than the day before. When she was finished getting ready she snatched up one of the silver shortswords hanging on a rack nearby and buckled it around her waist.

Lex was waiting for her near the entrance and he glanced down at her body when she approached.

"It fits?"

"Yeah, like a glove."

"I'm glad."

"Thanks again, Captain."

"It was nothing," Lex responded hastily, and he held the door open for her. "It was my fault you got hurt yesterday."

"A bruise is hardly an injury," Brie argued as she walked outside.

The guards began making their way to Lex's usual route in comfortable silence. Brie gazed up at the beautiful morning sky, feeling for the first time in a long time that she was okay with being up so early. It had been years since she'd last seen a sunrise and it had filled her with a great sense of peace.

She was extremely pleased with her new armour, which fit Brie perfectly. She was able to breathe and walk way better than the day before, and it wasn't nearly as stifling under the soft leather material. She followed Lex around the Arboretum effortlessly, matching his long strides as best she could with her short legs. Lex glanced down at her every once in a while. Sometimes he'd make a comment or a suggestion about how to best patrol the area and how to spot the signs of law breaking.

"You have to be able to read body language," Lex explained, his expression thoughtful. "Although I have a feeling you're pretty good at that already."

"Perhaps," Brie laughed, and she shrugged. "I'm not the pickpocketing type so I don't spend a whole of time watching people."

She noticed Lex's slight frown, but he quickly smoothed his face into a neutral expression. After a while spent patrolling the beautiful city gardens they once again ended up near the gates leading into the Green Emperor Way.

"How long have you been living in the city?"

Brie glanced up at Lex and then fixed her gaze back on the small crowd of people milling around.

"Around a month at the most."

"Where did you live before?"

"Cheydinhal."

"What made you decide to move?"

"I don't know if I want to say, Captain."

Brie laughed and nervously rubbed her neck, sighing quietly.

"I um... I exhausted my resources there. People were starting to get too suspicious. So, I did what I always do. I move onto the next place and repeat the habit until it happens again."

"How long have you had this...habit?"

"Well, I suppose it started when I was seventeen."

"That's quite a while," Lex responded in a serious tone.

"Yeah. It feels weird talking to you about it. You, the one who's after a mystical thief guild leader."

"Do you think I'm insane?"

Brie was silent for a moment. Her answer was already on the tip of her tongue but her breath hitched in her throat and she found herself staring up at Lex. The Captain stared back. His eyes glanced back and forth between her round orbs, piercing into Brie with an intensity that both confused and amazed her. It was as though he was begging her to say no without even saying a word.

"Of course I don't-"

Their small moment was abruptly interrupted by a shrill scream from close by. Lex immediately bolted forward, his armour clunking noisily as he began to run towards the source of the scream. Brie followed quickly behind him, feeling both anxious and excited.

A woman stood nearby. Her head was buried in her hands and she cried loudly, the sound echoing around them as the two guards approached. A sack of what looked like various vegetables and fruits lay in a crumpled heap on the ground and several items had rolled out from it, now spoiled and bruised. The scene was honestly quite comedic but they both knew the citizen was in despair.

Brie watched as Lex calmly approached the sobbing woman and he tried to console her so he could understand what had happened.

"I-It happened s-s-so fast," the woman cried dramatically, and she pushed back strands of her long blond hair away from her face. "M-My money..."

"A thief?"

"Yes!"

"Which way did he go?" Brie cut in, and the woman looked at her.

"That... t-that way," she responded slowly, pointing towards the opposite direction.

Brie somehow managed to get the hysterical woman to describe her assailant and then she glanced over at Lex for a brief moment.

"I'm going to see if I can't catch him."

"Brie, if he has a knife like she said-"

"Please Captain, I'll be fine."

If there was something Brie was good at, it was running. She knew how a thief would act. In an instant she took off at a brisk run, quickly making her way towards the Waterfront District. She didn't know for sure if that's where the thief was headed, but Brie had a pretty good gut feeling that was where she'd find him.

She was fast. Faster than any of the Imperial Guards that eyed her curiously as Brie dashed past them. Her armour was lightweight and greatly helped her speed. Imperial armour was far too heavy and bulky and Brie had a feeling this was why the crime rate was so high in the city.

Nobody fears somebody going after them if they can run outrun the guards.

Brie had used this to her advantage for almost a month when Lex had somehow caught up to her that fateful night. She still didn't understand how he had found Brie when she was several blocks away from the house she'd raided but it didn't matter anymore. She was able to continue her double life so long as Lex continued to uphold his end of the bargain.

Brie slowed down the closer she got to the run down homes dotted along the edge of Lake Rumare. She quietly huffed for air as she took a quick breather and slowly shuffled around the wall, her eyes peeled for somebody in a rush. She spotted the tall form of an Argonian as he swiftly walked towards one of the houses. Brie quickly darted forward and she opened her mouth to confront him before he could enter into the home.

"Are you really that desperate that you had to steal from a young noblewoman?"

The Argonian's body stiffened and he quickly spun around. He eyed Brie with narrow yellow eyes and she glared up at him, refusing to be intimidated even though he was several feet taller than her.

"How... did you find me?"

"Firstly, hand over the purse."

Brie knew that she was no match for the lizard in a physical fight, but she was hoping to avoid an altercation if she could entice him with her words. She had no idea if Lex was anywhere close by and other guards were probably too far away to hear her cries for help.

"Why should I?"

"Do you want Lex to deal with you instead?" Brie sneered.

Playing the Lex card seemed to work. She watched, a smirk on her lips as the thief instantly began to rethink his decision to defy her.

"You've got two options. Give me the coin purse and we pretend this never happened or Lex arrests you. Then you can regret your decision to not take my offer while rotting away in jail over a petty crime."

"Who are you?" The lizard hissed angrily.

He swiftly shoved his clawed hand into one pocket and tossed the coin purse towards Brie, who snatched it from mid-air.

"I'm Lex's new partner," Brie replied smugly as she began strolling away. "I'm not your typical guard. You better watch your back next time."

Brie knew she was walking on thin ice by threatening the Argonian, but something inside her thrived off of the power she held over him. She knew that the Thieves Guild could be ruthless when it came to heists and raids but as far as she knew they were not murderers.

The Elf couldn't help but grin as she triumphantly clutched the woman's coin purse. She quickly made her way back towards the Green Emperor Way, hoping that Lex would be impressed with her for recovering the stolen goods all by herself.

She found her Captain sitting on a nearby bench still consoling the woman. She had stopped crying but continued to sniffle quietly and she stared down at the orange in her hand. Beside her rested the sack of vegetables and fruits.

Lex said something to her, and Brie watched as the woman peered up at him with a bashful little smile. Brie didn't know why, but their interaction filled her with indescribable anger, and so she quickly strode forward and held up the coin purse.

"Is this it?"

Brie wore a smug grin on her face as the pair looked up at her. Lex's eyes widened as the woman cried out in surprise and relief and she quickly snatched it from Brie's hands.

"I c-can't... how did you... oh, mother won't be furious with me! She sent me on this stupid errand because she s-said I had to grow up and then I went and l-lost all of her money!"

"It was nothing," Brie responded smoothly, and she shrugged. "Easy fix."

Brie was aware of Lex's eyes on her but she continued to grin at the young noblewoman as she gushed over Brie, thanking her again and again. Eventually she had composed herself enough to return to her home and Lex offered to accompany her.

"Oh, I would appreciate it so much. Thank you," the woman replied, and she batted her eyelashes.

Brie sucked in a deep breath and looked away, feeling angry that Lex hadn't said one word to her about recovering the money. She silently pouted nearby, and picked at a spot on her armour, trying not to lose her cool.

Lex picked up the brown sack and slung it over his shoulder. He glanced over at Brie, noticing that she appeared to be in a foul mood.

"I'll meet you back at the watch tower, okay?"

"Fine," Brie snapped back, and she quickly walked away.

Brie was furious as she walked back to the watch tower. She didn't understand why Lex had been so concerned over the stupid woman's welfare. She could tell by the expensive dress and fancy slippers that the girl belonged to a noble family.

She probably had more money than brains, Brie thought angrily as she strode towards a table and plopped down. Making eyes at Lex like that so openly. Gods...

Eventually Lex entered into the dining hall. He glanced around for a moment and he smiled when his eyes landed on the small form of Brie. She sat with her back to him and he could tell she was still grumpy, although he wasn't entirely sure why.

Brie glared down at the table, not saying a word, even when Lex approached it and sat down.

"Brie?"

"Yeah?" Brie blurted back, and she frowned.

Lex sucked in a deep breath.

"Brie... I am so proud of you."

The Elf blinked. Her brows furrowed together and she finally met Lex's gaze with a confused expression.

"Pardon?"

"I am so proud of you," Lex continued warmly, and he smiled. "You went after the criminal without any help and recovered that woman's money."

"I..." Brie's shoulders sagged as she felt her anger dissipate in an instant. "But I didn't arrest him."

"I am more than pleased with the simple fact you got her purse back, Brie. It's your second day on the job and you were alone. I never would have expected you to try and arrest a thief all on your own."

"you're sure?"

"Of course, I am sure."

Lex's chest swelled with pride and he watched in amusement as Brie's face broke into a dazzlingly pretty smile. She let out a small laugh and leaned forward, resting her chin in her hands.

"You wanna know something?"

"Sure."

"That was the most exciting thing I've done since starting this job."

They both laughed. Brie liked the sound of Lex's laughter and she felt embarrassed that she had been so cross with him. She knew he was a caring man and had simply wanted to help the young woman as much as possible. Brie made up her mind as she sat across from her Captain, enjoying their mid-day meal. She was determined to make Lex laugh more often, and to make him proud again.

Something was changing inside of her, but Brie didn't know it at first. Lex was beginning to look at the world differently too, although the way Brie made him feel mostly terrified him. However, her silly grins and endless conversation kept him distracted. He had been truly impressed with his new partner and her ability to track down a thief without assistance.

Once lunch was consumed the pair continued making their rounds for the rest of the day. The air was light and warm between the two and Brie found that Lex was a bit more talkative. They ended the night with dinner at the Bloated Float Inn. Lex paid for Brie's meal and sent her home early.

"You don't have to do that Captain."

"You deserve it. Go home and rest that hip."

Brie sighed, but she smiled at him.

"Okay, thanks. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Goodnight Brie."

"Goodnight Sir."