Chapter 14:
"Citizen, open up!" Mandila nearly fell from her bed as she was rudely awakened. Someone was pounding on her door, the poor wooden barrier shaking on its hinges with the force, and her immediate reaction was to fear arrest. She couldn't remember having done anything illegal in the last few days, but there was no telling if evidence of an older theft had surfaced. By the Nine, she hoped not, but if she was in trouble, there was no avoiding it with a guard barely five feet away. Slipping out the back door wouldn't save her in the long run either, and so she moved to the door while rubbing sleep from her eyes. What a way to start the day.
"What?" she demanded as she flung the door open. A guard stood before her, his hulking frame taking up most of the entrance, but she could still see a flurry of activity behind him. What in the name of Oblivion had happened? The waterfront was swarming with guards, and people were being turned out of their houses for questioning as several beggars tried to scurry into obscure corners.
"Have you seen Armand Christophe?" the guard bellowed.
"There's no need to yell," Mandila yawned. "He lives next door."
"Did you see him leave during the night?" Mandila knew for certain that her leader was in terrible danger, but he'd apparently had advanced warning and left, meaning that she could guess where the elder thief had vanished to. Thieves had a ready escape in the sewers, and he'd either gone into that darkness or was hidden behind a thin wall in Methredhel's house. Either way, the water was hot right now, and she hoped that Armand would keep himself well hidden until this mess blew over.
"If he's not home, I don't know where he is," she told the guard. "So go bother someone else." The guard muttered something about rude fetchers as he stalked off, heading for another unsuspecting victim. Gods, but Armand had really done it this time. Lex was likely snooping around here somewhere, planning to string up the thief, but despite his ill intent, Mandila was tempted to locate him rather than Armand. It was an impulse that she would have acted on except that she noticed Methredhel peeking at her from around another house. Her sister thief beckoned her with a wave of her hand, and Mandila obliged as subtly as she could, heading away from the waterfront and toward the harbor. For once, she was glad that Lex was nowhere in sight as the seriousness of the waterfront situation dawned on her sleepy mind.
"What is going on?" she urgently asked as Methredhel pulled her behind the harbor's stone walls. The elder Bosmer was frowning with anxious worry as she held her sister's hands, eyes constantly darting around the corner to scan for eavesdropping guards. "Sister, what...?"
"There's a traitor in the guild," Methredhel lowly intoned in a rare show of seriousness.
"What? Who?" Mandila was shocked to hear that someone had infiltrated and betrayed them, for she couldn't think of a single guild member whom she didn't trust. She'd conducted fencing or joint thefts with most of them at one point or another, so by implication, she could also be singled out and informed against.
"Armand sent me to do a job early yesterday. I was to steal a bust from the Indarys family, but it was a trap. We both thought so, and this proves it. Someone in the guild told the guards that the bust was being brought to the waterfront, and they were waiting for me when I got back. Now Armand's on the run, and Lex can prove the guild's existence if he gets the bust plus the mole's testimony. Your captain has us in a real tight spot, Mandila." The elf shrunk back against the wall, but still crossed arms across her chest.
"Stop with the jokes and tell me what we're going to do about this," she retaliated. The guild needed their help, so Methredhel had no time to be chiding her about a relationship with the watch captain. For her part, the elder elf giggled with a wink at her sister, clearly having already thought of a solution to their problem.
"No need to get defensive. Lex thinks that the bust is being delivered to Armand, but let's turn the tables on the mole. I'm going to plant the bust in Myvryna's bedside cabinet and watch her get her comeuppance. You tell the captain that it's there. He'll take it much better if it comes from you rather than me, because let's face it: you two are friendly, and he hates me. Okay?"
"Let's do it!" Mandila grinned. "No one betrays the guild and gets away with it."
"That's right," Methredhel laughed. "Give me ten minutes to get the job done." The two thieves moved back to the waterfront, Mandila sitting on the ground beside her house to watch the ruckus of guards patrolling every inch of earth. She had never seen so many guards here before, and there was Lex himself, striding among his men and eagerly waiting for signs of Armand. In a way, it was bittersweet to see him so hopeful and determined, for this would not swing his way, although perhaps he didn't need to view it that way. Mandila might be able to give him his victory and protect the guild at the same time since he'd still arrest someone. Wouldn't that be something? She smiled at the thought but then sobered as she saw Methredhel popping out of Myvryna's back window. Her sister gave her a wave and a smile before dashing off to avoid connection to the framing, and so it was time for Mandila to aid her friends.
"Here I go," she told herself as she stood and walked toward Lex. He had been glancing toward her before, but only to note her location since he was preoccupied—not that she objected since it had given her time to watch him command a tense situation. She didn't smile as she approached, for she wanted to appear serious and a bit concerned about this unrest, which was fairly easy since her nerves were on edge, but whether it was for the guild's safety or because she had to deceive Lex, she no longer knew. There was also always the chance that he'd brush her aside in his busy state, and no matter how unintentional the slight was, it still hurt when he ignored her. Mandila, think about guild right now, not Lex! Or I could think about those beautiful eyes, she decided as he turned to stare at her.
"Mandila, have you seen Armand?" he automatically asked, his skin slightly tanned from constant outdoor patrolling. She stopped before him with a slight frown, and her hands were clasped together before her, making a worried but serious impression on the captain.
"No, but I know where the bust is," she told him, and his eyes lit up like an excited child's.
"Where?" he fervently demanded.
"Myvryna has it. I saw her taking it out of a bag and setting it in the cupboard beside her bed." Lex eyed her suspiciously, stern face growing darker as a hand moved toward his sword.
"That's not possible. She's...this way, elf," he decided, speaking as if they were no more than strangers. "If it isn't exactly where you said, you'll have some explaining to do. Follow me." So he wants to be formal, Mandila inwardly scoffed, hating when he was so involved with his job that he morphed into a different man. No, it wasn't that he was different, or so she decided as she trailed behind him. It was simply that she'd seen him behaving more relaxed as of late, and the personal touch that such exposure had brought to their relationship had clouded her vision. He had always treated her like this before, and he still performed his job in the exact same manner—the same veracity making him go after any and all criminals with disregard to individual plights. He hadn't changed; she had, and he was bearing down on the guild as strongly as he always did.
"Open the door," Lex ordered the guard beside him, resulting in Myvryna's front entrance being yanked outward. Mandila couldn't see inside as Lex and the guard entered ahead of her, but indignant, feminine shouts were enough to tell her how smoothly this was going to progress. Difficulties would only make matters worse for the dark elf who'd turned traitor, but the woman apparently didn't know Lex well enough to keep her trap closed.
"What are you doing in my home?!" Mandila had to bite back her laughter as she lingered on the edge of the scene, hands behind her back as she smugly watched the traitor's world shatter. The woman deserved every ounce of this discomfort for stabbing her family in the back, and so it was with no small satisfaction that Mandila beamed at her distress. The dark elf looked helpless and small next to the captain as she glared upward at him, but the man didn't even blink twice at her tone.
"You've been accused of stealing an expensive bust from the Indarys family," Lex stated in his best professional tone. "I'll give you the opportunity to speak before we toss this place, so I suggest that you take advantage of my generosity. Where is it?" Oh, this was going to spectacular. Mandila's mirth snuck onto her face through a grin as she leaned against the doorframe and watched Myvryna's mouth open and close in disbelief. The woman was completely floored by the two men shoved into her small, dark living space, both of whom resembled angry, armored gods.
"You know very well that I don't have it!" she finally spat, hands on her hips. "What is the meaning of this? I help you, and in turn you accuse me?" Lex looked like he wanted to roll his hardened eyes as he motioned to his fellow guard.
"Search the house. Start with the cabinet. You," he indicated the dark elf, "are going to stand right there and not utter a single word." Mandila was glad that the captain wasn't directing his glare at her this time as the cabinet was thrown open and rummaged through. She was actually flattered that he had taken her at her word concerning the bust, which was saying something given his skeptical nature, but then again, he had to trust her if he wanted her to work for him. Now that was a sticky subject, for his offer stood as a shining opportunity to be a close, permanent fixture in his life, which would undoubtedly include ample private time with him as they worked together; however, he was motivated by an interested in her information, and she by the promise of spending time with him, which was a disparity that would not justify her betrayal of the guild. Here she was, condemning this woman as a turncoat while she herself was wistfully imagining siding with the same man that had fostered the current betrayal. Shame enveloped her as she realized how closely her desires teetered on the line of accepting a new job, but she was different than Myvryna! She meant no harm to the guild, and her actions wouldn't be for money...
"Captain!" the guard excitedly proclaimed, holding aloft a small bust of a noblewoman. Lex's eyes darkened as he scornfully spun on Myvryna, voice filled with venom as he removed cuffs from his belt.
"To think that I trusted you," he growled. "What angle were you trying to work? Did you actually think to frame someone to get money from the watch? You're a despicable creature, woman. Hold out your hands." Instead, the dark elf stepped away from his towering frame, voice quivering.
"No, it wasn't me, I swear!" she protested. "They must have figured out what I was doing. I've been frame, Captain Lex, framed!"
"You'll have your chance to plead your case from behind bars," he indifferently stated. "You're coming with us to pay for your crimes."
"No!" This woman clearly didn't have a brain in her head if she thought that begging and obstinately yelling would change the captain's intent. Mandila was already thinking about how she would have remained calm and confident in the traitor's stead, using logic and humor to persuade Lex—not groveling.
"Stop struggling!" the other guard ordered as he tried to grab the dark elf's arms so that Lex could fetter her, but Myvryna would have none of it. She pulled and fought with the two men as her head swung to the side, causing her to catch sight of Mandila standing in the doorway. The look of pure hatred that she shot the Bosmer would have stopped a troll in its tracks, and she proceeded to sneer at the surprised young woman.
"You!" she hissed. "She's one of them, captain. She's a thief. I've seen her with Armand. She's nothing but a dirty, helpless bitch that runs to him for jobs. You should be arresting her!"
"Do not call her a bitch," Lex rumbled with such force that even his comrade glanced at him in surprise. "She's no thief." Mandila's heart began aching in regret and longing at his defensive words, his vehement support of her nearly causing her to accept his job offer right then and there. If he ever found out that she was a thief...gods, she would disappoint him, and she didn't think that she could handle that.
Lex, please don't trust me...
"You're defending her?" Myvryna angrily snorted. "I suppose that she is your elf!" With a wild wave of her arms, she tore free of the guards after one manacle clamped around a wrist. Its other end dangled in the air as the woman charged Mandila, hands outstretched to attack the Bosmer. Gods above, but the dark elf had lost it, and with a shocked face, Mandila felt the woman's hand collide with her face, making a resounding slap crack through the air.
Damn, but that hurt.
"This is all your fault!" the woman yelled in her ear while launching into a full assault, and Mandila did what came to mind first: wrapping a leg behind Myvyrna's own, and knocking her to the ground. Unfortunately, the dark elf pulled Mandila down with her, for either the Bosmer consented to falling or lost hair resisting the grip on her head. So now both women were on the wooden floor, poorly fitted planks creaking beneath them as Myvryna clawed at Mandila's face and the Bosmer held the woman's wrist in an attempt to keep them at bay. Today was certainly going to go down in the books as a memorable one.
"Get off of her!" The voice was Lex's, but transformed by his wrath to such an extent that Mandila only belatedly realized that it was indeed the captain who was coming to her rescue. One moment she was faced with vengeful red eyes, and the next she was watching as her knight grabbed the back of Myvryna's tunic and yanked the woman from the floor, leaving a speechless Mandila to recover. Lex had the woman in a firm grip as he ripped her hands loose from her opponent and threw her into the wall. In seconds, the other guard had the woman fettered and secured while Lex held her steady, the dark elf continuing to curse everything from the Nine to her torn shirt and even the cup on the floor beside her, but most off all, she cursed Mandila for having 'framed' her. The Bosmer would have made a crude and offensive gesture toward the woman in response, except that her face was throbbing in pain, making her sit on the floor and wonder what the damage was.
"Now you'll be charged with theft and assault," Lex ground out, releasing his freshly arrested culprit. "Take her to the tower, and keep her in solitary." The other guard began leading Myvryna away as Mandila lifted a hand to her cheek to find blood there. Her fingers traced the thin lines running down the right side of her face, each touch stinging as she watched Lex turn his attention to her, his gaze softening in the process. Gods, but she couldn't handle how concerned he looked, for it made her want to sit and stare at him instead of treating her cuts. His face wasn't openly worried, for that would never be his style, but there was a sudden depth to his eyes and a relaxation in his posture that signaled his change in mood. Perhaps his excitement and anger over the day's events lingered right beneath the surface, but for this one moment, it seemed to her that he was solely focused on this silly Bosmer flopped on the floor before him.
She's no thief.
She had an urge to escape before Lex could talk to her (although she highly suspected that he'd go straight to the prison), for his confidence had hit her where it counted. She'd never known that he held such a high opinion of her, at least not to an extent that he'd angrily defend her from an attacker. In some ways, he was her knight, even if he never changed the way that he handled his job, and with that touching yet distressing thought, she waited for him to say something.
"I'm sorry for endangering you like that," he apologized, reaching a hand out to her. "I did not expect the situation to become violent." Mandila accepted his hand and was hoisted to her feet. They were now alone in the vacated and poorly lit house.
"I'm surprised that she was stupid enough to attack someone in front of you," Mandila smiled. "I'll be going ho..." She never finished as Lex's movements effectively silenced her. He was gently touching the side of her face, turning her right cheek into the light streaming through a gap in the ceiling so that he could examine her wounds. She swallowed as he studied her, and she prayed to the nine that no one was watching this.
"Three cuts," he clinically stated. "But they're not deep."
"I'm not in serious danger this time," Mandila weakly joked, Lex giving her a hard stare. "Yes, I'll clean them," she assured. "I've learned my lesson about infections." His hands rubbed against her skin as he tilted her head further to the left, looking over her throat and neckline. "I'll be okay, captain."
"Are you certain? Are these the only wounds?" As much as Mandila wanted to retain the warmth of his flesh against hers, she was grateful when he retracted his hands, satisfied that she had only suffered superficial wounds. It was hard to think like a thief when the captain was so close, and even harder to provoke him when he was being so genuine in his attentions toward her. It was almost like she meant something to him, and she rolled the idea around her head, completely ignoring how unhealthy it was to do so.
"You should stay away from suspects," he lectured her. "They can be unpredictable when cornered, just like the unlawful animals that they are."
"I've been in far more dangerous situations than this," Mandila dismissed to his annoyance. "And I might be reckless, but I can handle myself. I was this close to teaching that nasty woman a lesson," and she held up two closely spaced fingertips for emphasis.
"You'll end up seriously injured, again, if you aren't more careful," Lex continued to lecture, his tone leaving no room for argument, and Mandila wasn't in the mood to argue when he was standing this close to her. The sunlight barely touched their close bodies as they quietly talked inside the house, the open door giving them an open view of the street. No one was around. No one would see if she reached out and touched those lips one more time, and even though he hadn't agreed to a kiss that day in the park, he hadn't rejected her either. He'd merely ignored her implications, so maybe he did not find her interest in his body so objectionable. He was here, with her, in this almost private setting...
"Don't go out at night."
"Why not?" Mandila asked as her face angled upward toward his.
"You should stay inside where it's safer," he told her as if she were a child. "The streets are no place for you. I know that you're trying to ignore me, Mandila, but there are far worse things that can happen to a young woman than a few scratches." She smiled and noticed how he was watching her lips with every word that she said.
"You do care," she teased while secretly hoping for a serious response, and Lex gave her one.
"I don't want to see you get yourself killed or scarred," he openly stated. "So stay inside at night."
"What about when you're on duty?" Mandila pressed, sensing that his patient streak was coming to an end, for the former gentleness all but faded from his face as she challenged him.
"You can't ever just do as you're told," he sighed. "But to answer your question, I might not always be there, Mandila."
"But you'll try to be, won't you?" He didn't need to respond, because she already knew what his answer would be. She knew from the way that he'd grown to treat her, and the way that he was now leaning closer to her, his eyes fighting not to focus on her lips or expectant eyes. A hand lifted, almost reaching out to touch her before returning to his side, the gesture giving away his muddled thoughts as a faint frown suddenly creased his face. Mandila thought that if she pushed him, he might willingly lean into her lips this time, but knowing that he might want her physical affection startled her now that it had appeared. She'd only ever hoped, and here he was, so close and yet so forbidden. If she kissed him, and he kissed back, what did that mean? It wasn't a game—that much was certain. And gods, but she wanted to touch him.
"You should go interrogate your prisoner, sir," she suggested. "The victory is yours today."
"I'll see that she gets the full time for assault," he indirectly agreed with her, distancing himself from her as he moved toward the door. "Thank you for your help today, and remember what I've said." As if she could forget. He went to question a captive that would try to blacken Mandila's name, and she dreaded that as she too left Myvryna's home. Her stomach was still twisting in nervous delight from her conversation with the captain as she entered her own house, sitting on her shabby bed and staring at the floor as she wondered what she could do for the rest of the day. It would take some doing to get Lex out of her head this time.
"You've done it this time," a voice interrupted, and Mandila finally noticed that Methredhel was sitting on the opposite side of the room, her expression halfway between amusement and concern. "I warned you about this."
"About what?" Mandila sighed. "I've got enough on my mind after being attacked by that fetcher of a dark elf." Methredhel moved closer and sat beside her sister, her eyes abnormally devoid of energy.
"Please tell me that you didn't think no one would notice how you and the captain stayed in that house for some time after Myvryna was moved." Mandila defensively crossed arms over her chest and dared Methredhel to speak ill of her.
"It was perfectly harmless," she asserted. "You always seem to think that I'm sexually assaulting the man every time I'm alone with him for a five minutes."
"Oh trust me, sis, if it was sexual harassment, I'd be less concerned. What I heard was our captain comforting and even looking after you. You should have noticed that the back window was open, but you're intuition seems to disappear when Lex is around. So tell me: what was really happening in there?" Mandila shifted uncomfortably as the elder thief waited for a response, but there was nothing to say that sounded even moderately appropriate.
"We get along," she allowed. "And after helping me with my wounds that one day, he's been making sure that I don't do anything too stupid."
"Well it's obviously not working," Methredhel shook her head. "Look, I love a game as much as you do, but I told you what could happen if you let your fascination run away from you. Now there's been a mole, and Armand's more paranoid than usual..."
"He doesn't think that I could be a mole, does he?" Mandila loudly agonized.
"I don't know," Methredhel admitted. "I trust you, even if you are stupid. My advice is to never speak with Lex again. Just give him the cold shoulder until he gets the message and leaves you alone. You might not want to do it, but another interesting person will come along, and you know it. Just give it some time." Mandila had never heard a more distasteful suggestion in her life, even if it was the most rational course of action for her to take. No, she wouldn't drive Lex away. She couldn't, and what did Methredhel know about it? She had never been as protective and comforting as Lex at her best, and she was trying to marginalize this by dubbing her interest in Lex a fascination. It had been, but now...now Mandila had apparently lost her mind, for she'd sunk far beneath the waves of mere fascination.
"Armand saw you," Methredhel continued after a long, thoughtful pause. "I let him out of my house, and I was walking with him. I was going to show him where I'd hidden the bust, but you and Lex were inside. I didn't actually see anything, but whatever he saw made him storm off in anger. I don't think that I've ever seen Armand so angry...oh, Mandila, why did you have to go after the captain?"
"You wanted me to," Mandila pointed out, feeling danger about to collapse on her head. This was not going to be easy to redeem, and if Armand had seen how Lex had almost touched her—how he had been touching her...prison was suddenly a very appealing option in light of having to face her boss.
"Of all the people that you could find attractive," Methredhel said with an amazed smile. "You could have gone after Armand, you know." Mandila's face furrowed in confusion. "He's always liked you. He might even want you, but you've always been too busy running around and causing problems to notice. You've never even been with a man, have you, sis?"
"You know that I haven't," Mandila grumbled.
"It shows," Methredhel teased. "Get your head out of the clouds, and get back to your brothers and sisters in the shadow. There's a big job coming up, and you might want to do it to regain the guild's favor. You know how Armand is. You're under suspicion now."
"I'll talk to him about it," Mandila reluctantly agreed. She needed to do something big in order to redeem herself, and even then, perhaps her image had forever been tarnished. Unless she wanted to lose her friends and family, this was the only option. Yes, she needed to act as soon as possible, and in the meantime, she'd keep away from Lex. Kissing would need to be contained to her dreams, but maybe one day she would test Lex's resistance, and until then, she had to decide where her priorities lay.