Recommended listening: Queen’s “Friends Will Be Friends”

Friends

By: chair-chan

Drizzt had been living in the Moonwood for several months before he was again ready to talk. He had received his own small hut from the kind elves, and it was the spot of much thinking, and many deep introspections.

Innovindil had constantly been with him. In his current state, it wasn’t something he could appreciate, but she was the main reason he wasn’t dead.

Right now, Drizzt couldn’t feel enough to be grateful.

If he had been able to feel, he might even have been resentful, angry that she was holding him back from the peaceful bliss of death.

--

It was daytime, and the sunlight was filtering through the windows of Drizzt’s hut. Innovindil was sitting at a small table, knitting. Doing something so commonplace and repetitive was a calming to her, and besides, she needed a new scarf. Her current one was so worn that it would not survive another winter.

After that, Innovindil was planning on making Drizzt a scarf, of course in an appropriate, “manly” color.

Her musings were interrupted by the object of her plans.

“Wasn’t I good enough for her?” The drow’s rusty voice rang out, tone hurt. “Wasn’t I? There was nothing I wouldn’t do for her. I loved her, you know,” he confided. “I fucking loved her.” Innovindil’s eyes widened, for she had never heard the ranger curse.

“What is it about me that drives people away?” he said, his tone genuinely curious, shrouding his actual feelings of inadequacy and depression. “Is it the color of my skin? Is it my attitude? Is it my face?” His tone became dark. “I know it’s not the first two, not with her. So is it the third? Did she find Wulfgar more physically and aesthetically pleasing than me? Is that it?”

The question was obviously rhetorical; Drizzt didn’t want an answer, didn’t need an answer. Nevertheless, Innovindil was unable to keep herself from giving him one.

“Drizzt Do’urden,” she said indignantly, perhaps swayed by her own opinion, “I find it hard to believe that any woman could find Wulfgar more pleasing to the eye than you.”

“Ah, but you are an elf.” It seemed the drow had an answer prepared for her response; his tone was despairing. “Humans are different. They’re odd. Sometimes they prefer odd things and neglect to tell anybody.”

“Then that is Catti-brie’s fault, for not telling you.”

“What would be the point? I can’t change my face. I can’t change my height, or the maximum size my muscles can grow to. She was taller than me, and weighed more. Women don’t like to weigh more than their lovers, Innovindil.”

“Drizzt, she loved you for years. That obviously didn’t influence her opinion then.” I would never do that to you.

To that, Drizzt had no response. “Then what can I blame it on, Inno?!” he asked finally, anger fizzing to the surface. “Did she just suddenly fall out of love with me? And if she did, why didn’t she tell me?!”

Innovindil shook her head. “I don’t know, Drizzt. Perhaps she loved both of you. But instead of doing it the honorable way, she went over your head, and snuck behind your back. I just don’t know.” I could never do that to you. I love you for who you are.

The dark elf sighed, and got up. He held out a hand to Innovindil. She glanced up at him in shock, wondering if he was...

“I need to get out of here,” Drizzt explained, seeing her expression. “Do you mind going on a quick walk?”

“Of course not,” Innovindil said courteously. Her heart calmed. But, somewhere inside, she was sorry that he hadn’t been offering something more...

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Many thanks of course to my beta and to all you reviewers out there! I was very happy to get more reviews! It felt like so many to me, and really motivated me, although now that I check, it was only, like, six. ^__^

Reviews make me happy! So thank you to: Zolarix Aster, Avuna, PhantomBoo, Luinlothana, and Lady Annikaa.

Also, thank you to penny4him, for reviewing chapter five. 