Chap 3
All save Drizzt and Legolas were asleep, though she did wonder about Gandalf. His open-eyed sleep was eery, eyes always seeming to follow her. He was half the reason she had yet to find slumber. Her last encounter with with a human wizard had left her leery of the species. Gandalf seemed no less mad, though less sinister. Aragorn continued to dote on her which in her opinion made him mad as well, though she did appreciate him giving her his blanket. Boromir at least did not seem so bad, though she had caught him stealing glances at her legs during dinner until she adjusted the hem of her skirt.
She did not know what to make of the dwarf. She didn't understand a word he said, but while he spoke gruffly there didn't seem to be any real heat to his words. If nothing else he was more fair to look at than the svirfneblin she had once lived with. Deep gnomes were good people but extraordinarily ugly to her eyes. Sort of the reverse of drow, she supposed.
The hobbits, even smaller than the dwarf, she judged to be harmless. Shocking really. In the Underdark nothing was harmless. Their only ability was that of eating inordinate amounts of food. After only a few hours with them she could understand better the slow progress of the fellowship. It seemed like every hour at least one of the hobbits strayed off to deal with the end result of all their overeating or demand that the group stop for a snack break. Still, even if they did remind her of rothe beasts she was becoming fond of Frodo. He knew just enough Sindarin to begin teaching her the beginnings of Westron.
Legolas… he was different. It was too early to be sure but he seemed less uptight than the elves of Rivendell for all that she'd heard he was a woodland prince. It was too late in the day to solve that mystery though. For now it was time to sleep.
Barely had she drifted off when a hand shook her back awake. If not for the blanket tangled around her she might have broken his hand out of reflex. "Lady Arwen, are you unwell?" The phrase was uncomfortably familiar but the voice was not.
"Legolas…" she murmured. "Why do you ask?"
"Your eyes were closed, you appeared asleep."
She frowned. "And why is that so odd? Is it not customary to sleep during the night?" In the Underdark night and day had little meaning but during her limited classes on the surface world at Melee-Magthere her instructor had said that most races slept when the sun was down.
"Not for elves," he said slowly. "Not unless they are very young or very sick."
Curious but annoyed she turned away from him. "I am neither, and you may call me Drizzt." She was used to loneliness, and was glad for a bit of conversation, but this was too much. After spending so long with only a panther for company it was extremely trying to have near-strangers constantly question her sanity and every action she took. "Goodnight."