Chapter 7

The first thing that came to Brie's mind when she woke up was that she was terribly unsure of where she was. Her second thought was even more confusing as she slowly opened her eyes and was greeted by the ceiling of her bedroom.

What... is that smell?

Whatever it was, the smell beginning to make her mouth water. Brie couldn't even remember the last time she had ate and her head throbbed as she attempted to sit up. A small groan escaped her lips and she reached up to gingerly feel the side of her head.

Yikes, Brie winced as her fingers brushed along a large and tender bump. That thief was a mean bitch.

Somehow, she was able to slide her body out from under the warm covers and placed her bare feet down on the floor.

Wait... wasn't I wearing boots?

Brie gasped as pain shot through her skull and she nearly doubled over, feeling nauseas. After the moment had passed she noticed the red vial sitting on the table close by. She quickly knocked it back and sighed as relief washed over her.

There was a small noise downstairs and Brie tensed. She knew that somebody was there and fear trickled down her spine as her thoughts flashed back towards the previous night's activities.

Oh gods... I hope that crazy woman didn't find me.

Armed with only a small dagger that Brie wasn't even sure was sharp enough, she slowly shuffled down the stairs with great hesitation. The delicious smells hit her nose the moment she had opened her bedroom door and she was more confused as to who was in her apartment.

She slowly edged towards the side of the staircase and peered out, unable to bring herself all the way down to confront the intruder. Brie silently cursed her cluttered house as she struggled to see around a crowded shelf.

Suddenly the person moved into view as they stepped away from the roaring fireplace and walked over to where a cutting board rested on the table. Brie's eyes widened in surprise.

"Lex?"

Lex jumped at her voice and spun around, searching for Brie. He spotted her just in time as the Elf slipped on the smooth stone stair and went crashing forward. It was a small drop but it hurt enough and the Captain rushed forward as Brie tumbled down on the cold stone floor with a loud yelp. The dagger slipped out from her hand and skittered across the floor.

"Brie! What in the world were you doing?"

"Ouch... I uh..." Brie huffed as she rolled onto her back and squinted up at him. "I thought you were an intruder."

She couldn't help but notice that Lex had ditched his shiny armour and was once again dressed in casual attire. The way he was gazing down at her, and how he laughed softly as he helped the clumsy girl to her feet, made Brie's heart race.

"What exactly... are you doing here, Captain?"

"Oh," Lex responded quietly, and he rubbed his neck with a meek smile. "I'm not the best cook but I know a basic beef stew recipe so..."

Brie's eyes glanced towards the hearth where her only cooking cauldron happily bubbled away over the fire. The cutting board held what remained of some vegetables Lex had chopped up to add to the stew and she stared at the table for a long moment, completely taken aback by Lex's gesture.

"Wow. That's nice of you."

"Well, you are hurt, and you live alone. Somebody has to take care of you."

Brie's cheeks burned bright pink as she allowed herself to be steered towards the dining table. Lex pulled the small wooden chair back and sat Brie down. He lightly squeezed her shoulder and then he snatched up a wooden spoon and wandered back towards his post, content to stand by the pot and make sure nothing burned.

"It should be ready soon."

"Yum," Brie responded softly, and she tucked a strand of her hair behind her pointed ear. "I'm hungrier than I thought."

"How are you feeling?"

Brie could tell that it was evening by the darkness of the sky outside. Lex's figure cast long shadows across the table but when he turned to Brie his bright blue eyes almost seemed to glow in the dim light. She was touched by his caring nature, but it also made her feel something else, and she struggled to put it into words. She was used to taking care of herself, and from a very young age. She didn't quite know how to handle being taken care of for once, and especially by Lex.

"Better than before. Head still hurts."

"I'm hoping you'll tell me what happened over dinner."

"I will," Brie sighed, and her shoulders sagged. "I'm sorry I let you down."

"You didn't let me down," Lex replied firmly, and he swirled the wooden spoon around the contents of the pot.

"It wasn't you who stole the statuette."

"No, but I... well, I'll tell you when you're sitting."

"Where do you keep your bowls?"

Brie moved to stand up but Lex quickly waved her off. She directed him to the cupboard and within a few minutes two steaming bowls of stew and a loaf of fresh bread was placed on the table. Lex took a seat across from Brie and he smiled at her when she leaned down and took a big sniff of her dinner.

"Wow, it smells amazing."

"It's my mother's recipe."

"Really? I've been meaning to ask... where does your family live?"

"Oh, they're still in Cheydinal, I was born and raised there."

"Do you see them often?"

"A few times a year. But Brie... you're killing me."

"Oh," Brie laughed. "Sorry. Well..."

Lex was silent as he listened to Brie's story. His brows furrowed together when she reached the part of her violent encounter. He didn't like the sound of it one bit but he remained quiet until she was finished.

"This woman... do you know her?"

"No," Brie shrugged, and she popped a spoonful of the stew into her mouth.

"This attack concerns me."

"Me too, honestly. I don't think it's characteristic of the guild. She seemed different. I don't like that she was so quick to escalate things."

"You need to be more careful. I'm not so sure you should continue-"

"Please," Brie cut in. "With all due respect, I am a grown woman. I'm not going to stop because of one rogue thief."

"Brie..."

"Really, Lex. It's fine."

"It's not fine," Lex argued quietly, and he clenched one of his hands into a fist. "You got away this time. You might not be so lucky if you run into her again."

"It's a risk I'm willing to take. I'll be more prepared this time."

A moment of tense silence passed between them. Brie wanted to get angry with Lex for treating her like a child who couldn't defend herself but, in the end, she knew he was just concerned about her safety. Lex also wanted to argue more, but he knew that the last thing Brie needed was a shouting match.

"I would argue with you more, but you need to rest."

Brie gave Lex a triumphant smile and the pair was silent for a while as they finished eating their dinner. She wanted to clean up after Lex had done all the hard work but he refused to let her get up.

"I'm not fragile," Brie persisted softly.

"Too bad."

Brie was content to watch Lex. She couldn't help but admire his muscular form as he began tidying up and more than once she found her gaze hungrily studying him. Without the bulky armour she could tell that he was a man dedicated to physical health. She rested her chin in her hand and watched as he began washing their dishes in the small basin located across from her. His back was turned, and so Brie allowed herself to stare freely. She noted the broadness of Lex's shoulders and thick arms. He had rolled the sleeves of his tunic up so he could wash and Brie realized for the first time how long yet thick his hands were as he placed one of the bowls down on the table to dry.

Her eyes glanced downwards and lingered on the outline of his round butt. She wondered quietly to herself what he looked like with no clothes on, and then it suddenly occurred to the Elf what she was doing. Lex turned around to see Brie's face bright red and she quickly looked away with a small cough.

"Is everything alright?"

"Mhm," Brie responded, trying not to let her nervousness show. "I am uh just fine."

"You should lay down again."

"What time is it?"

"I think it's close to midnight," Lex responded as he walked over to her.

"Really? How long was I sleeping for?"

"Almost two days."

"What?"

"I told you," Lex sighed, and he helped Brie to her feet. "You were quite hurt."

"I... I guess so."

Brie's hand burned where Lex touched her but the moment was brief. He walked close behind her as they ascended the stairs and returned to her bedroom. This time Brie tucked herself in, and she was surprised when Lex took a seat beside her. She peered up at him with a curious expression, feeling rather nervous.

"So, uh..." Brie stammered, and she ran her hands along the blanket. "I'll see you tomorrow? Seven o'clock sharp."

"You're not working tomorrow."

"I'm not?"

"No," Lex replied firmly, and he reached up to brush her hair back.

The welt on the side of Brie's head was still present, and she shivered when his fingers nearly grazed it.

"I need you to get better first. Work is not more important than your health."

"You sure about that?" Brie joked, and then she yawned. "I guess I won't try to fight you on it. I do still feel kind of crummy."

"You can have tomorrow off for sure. If you need another day after that that's fine too. I can more than manage by myself."

"You sure?" Brie whispered softly, feeling her eyelids grow heavy.

"I'm sure."

"Okay. Goodnight Lex."

"Goodnight Brie. I'll come by tomorrow."

Lex stared down at Brie for one long moment, and he almost opened his mouth to say something more but he refrained himself and stood up from the bed. Brie waited until he was almost at the door before she finally spoke up.

"Lex?"

"Yes Brie?"

"I wanted to say... thank you."

Lex stood with his back to her and his hand clenched the handle of her bedroom door. She couldn't see that he was smiling but his warm response made her smile as well.

"I'm just glad you're alright. Sweet dreams."