Later that night, after she'd managed to throw Brynjolf out of her room and regain some of her composure. Alianna started preparing for her journey.
On her bed, she had a goat-skin bag open and ready to throw things into. Next to the bag, she had her steel armor layed out to air it out since she hadn't worn it since the day she had joined the Guild. For the last few months, it had been stored in the chest at the foot of her bed.
"I haven't seen that in a while," Brynjolf remarked as he entered her room, scaring the daylights out of her in the process.
"Dammit, don't you know how to knock?" A little on edge, Alianna was on alert as Brynjolf came farther into the room. "What are you doing back in here?" Hadn't she just kicked him out merely an hour ago?
With a satisfied smile, at her nervousness no doubt, Brynjolf held up the tray he'd been carrying, "I brought you're dinner, Lass. Thought you might want to eat while you pack."
Embarrassed that she'd snapped at him when he was being nice, Alianna crossed her arms, "Oh. Well, thanks."
He set the tray on the nightstand and came to stand beside her. She tried not to flinch as he placed his hand on her shoulder, "Do you need any help?"
She shook her head, avoiding looking at him, "No, but thanks. I got it."
In a hurry to get out from under his touch, Alianna pulled away and went back to the chest and proceeded to go through its contents.
Brynjolf ran a finger of the breast plate of the armor, "I remember when I first saw you. You were wearing this as you walked into the marketplace."
Alianna smiled at the memory, "And you asked me to help you perform a little task." She grinned up at him, "I was shaking. I'd never robbed anyone, well, not anybody living."
He chuckled, "You were shaky, very green. But you still performed the job well and I saw the raw potential you had."
"I've come a long way since then," she sighed. "Went from being a rookie thief, to becoming the leader of Riften's Thieves' Guild." Gathering a gown and some boots from the chest, Alianna rose and started towards the bed when her foot caught the corner of the chest and she fell to the ground. Luckily, she was able to catch herself before her face hit the ground, but her clothes were strewn across the floor.
"You all right, Lass?" Brynjolf asked as he came over to help her up.
She waved him off and started to pick up the gown. And watched as an amulet fell out from the folds of it onto the floor.
Alianna's face turned beet red as she watched Brynjolf's attention fixate on the Amulet of Mara that she'd dropped.
Her second in command was silent as he picked the amulet up off the floor and study it in his hand. "Why," he began, after moments of awkward silence, "do you have an Amulet of Mara?"
Her face still red, Alianna hurried to explain, "T-That fool priest, Marmal gave it to me when I ran into him at the Bee and the Barb one night. He said a pretty girl like me should find someone to settle down with and start a family."
The redhead's eyes rose to meet her's, "And you kept it?"
She looked away, unwilling to meet his eyes, "Well...I thought that it might come in handy one day. But I wasn't intending to take it with me," she said quickly. "It was probably just stuck in the dress."
Peeking over at Brynjolf, she narrowed her eyes when he just smiled at her. She reached out for the amulet and wasn't too surprised when he snatched it out of her reach.
Gritting her teeth she commanded, "Give it to me so I can put it back!"
Brynjolf shook his head, "No can do, Lass. I think I'll be hanging onto this little beauty." Alianna turned even redder, if that was possible, when he lifted the amulet to his mouth and pressed a kiss to it, all the while keeping his green eyes locked on her's. "Call it a love token, if you will."
Embarrassed out of her mind, she turned away with a huff, "Fine. Do what you want." She got to her feet and shoved the boots and the gown into her bag. She then went back to her chest and began removing potions and food to take on the trip. Ignoring Brynjolf the whole time.
With a small smile of triumph, Brynjolf got to his feet. Tucking the amulet into his pocket, he grinned at the back of Alianna's head, "Well, I'll let you get back to packing, Lass." He left the room, barely dodging the empty tankard she hurled at him.
"That cocky bastard," Alianna cursed as she shoved a coin purse and some lock-picks into her bag. It was said with the blush still staining her cheeks and her heart racing.
After she packed her Thieves' Guild armor into the bag (you never know when you might have to rob someone), she tied up the bag and set it in the corner near the door.
With her packing finished, Alianna could think of nothing better to do than sit down on her bed and ponder the puzzle that was beginning to be her second in command. Not to mention the attraction she felt for him.
Her thoughts were broken when Vex peeked around the corner of her room. "Hey, everyone wants you in the Ragged Flagon."
She frowned at that, "Why?"
Vex shook her head, as if the answer to that question should be obvious, "Since it's your last night. Everybody thinks you should come in and have a drink with your fellow thieves."
Alianna grinned at the idea, she could use a drink. Or two. "Sure. That sounds great. I'll be right there."
Several hours later, Brynjolf carried a very drunk Alianna back to her room.
With her arms entwined loosely around his neck and her head on his shoulder, he couldn't be happier.
"I don' feel sa good," Alianna muttered against his neck.
"You drank quite a bit, Lass. You shouldn't have challenged Dirge to a drinking contest," he smiled at the memory.
Alianna laughed, "I kicked his ass!"
He chuckled, "You sure did. No one thought you could do it, except me that is. You made me quite a bit of coin on that duel, Lass."
With a hiccup, Alianna said, "Glad I cou'd 'elp."
As he walked into her room, he glanced at the armor and the bag sitting by the door, ready to go and couldn't keep the tad but of sadness from creeping up on him.
Shaking off his emotions, Brynjolf made his way to the bed, "Let me get the furs back and you can go right to sleep, Lass." Balancing her in one arm, he used his free arm to pull back the covers.
"Hey, Brynjolf," Alianna mumbled.
"Hm?" The Nord turned his head and had his lips caught by Alianna's lush mouth. Her slack arms turned to steel around his neck and she brought him closer to her body, letting out a sigh through her lips.
Even stone drunk, Alianna knew exactly how to torture a man. And Brynjolf felt himself teetering on a ledge, about to fall head first and take her.
She pulled back and looked up at him, her bleary eyes heavy lidded, "Wanna' stay with me?"
Her dilated pupils and unsteady gaze made him make up his mind. He shook his head and layed her down on her bed, "Not tonight, Lass. When I have you, I want you to remember it."
She blinked slowly up at him, processing his words through her liquor mussed brain. Her lips parted, cheeks flushed, and her hair spread out around her she was every man's fantasy come to life.
Brynjolf closed his eyes and mentally reigned himself in. Planting a chaste kiss on her lips, he covered her with the fur and went to the door. He smiled when he looked back and found her already asleep.
"Goodnight, Lass."