Disclaimer: I forgot to say this before, but I don't own Drizzt. R.A. Salvatore does. duh. However, I do own Inriole. So please don't take her.
A/N: Inriole is pronounced like it looks; In-ri-oh-lay.
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"Am I … blind?" she asked, her voice small.
Drizzt nodded, and then said quietly, "Yes, Inriole. You are blind."
"Why?" she cried, vainly twisting her head, trying to see. Drizzt hesitated. He did not want to remind Inriole of the events that had left her blind. He did not want to bring that trauma back into her mind. But, as he watched the girl, still crying and trying to see, he knew he could not keep the truth from her.
"Your village was attacked, Inriole," said Drizzt. "By drow elves." He paused. "Do you about drow, Inriole?" he asked the girl.
"Yes," she said, sniffling. "They're bad. And evil. Mommy says that they will hurt me if they can."
"Your mommy is right, Inriole. Drow elves are mean. They attacked your village. That's why you are blind. A priestess- do you know what a priestess is?" At her nod, Drizzt went on. "A priestess cast a spell at you, Inriole. She made you blind." At this pronouncement, Inriole began to cry again.
"I don't want to be blind! I want to go home. I want my mommy! Take me home." She pleaded with Drizzt, still twisting her head and straining her useless eyes.
"I can't take you home, Inriole. There's nothing left."
"What do you mean, nothing? What about Mommy? Where is she?"
At Inriole's frantic questioning, Drizzt too cried. "I'm so sorry, Inriole. I couldn't save her. It was too late. I'm so sorry." When she heard his words, Inriole's crying fell into mindless sobbing and wailing. She had no words to express her loss, and she didn't need any. Her entire life was gone, and there was nothing left.
Inriole continued to cry for hours, her grief pouring itself out in hoarse sobs, and tears that ran down her cheeks. Drizzt knew he could do nothing to comfort her, and indeed, he didn't try. He knew that the only real way to deal with grief is to feel it, and not to hide it inside, and never let it out.
After a long while, just as it was beginning to grow dark, Inriole's sobs began to lessen, although tears still fell. She cuddled closer to Drizzt, and he held her as she fell asleep. Curing the long night, Drizzt wondered what he should do with Inriole. He still didn't feel as if she truly remembered the attack, only what he has told her about it. He didn't know where to find help for this girl. Drizzt decided eventually that he would make his way to the nearest town, and seek help for Inriole, and also somewhere for her to stay.
Inriole stirred in her sleep, waking Drizzt from the light doze he had fallen into. Recalling his decision of the previous night, Drizzt carefully put out his fire, and wrapped the elven girl in his cloak. Careful not to wake her, he lifted her in is arms and began walking toward a human town that he knew was within a few days. Soon after Drizzt began the journey, Inriole woke. Drizzt noticed, and began to talk to her.
"Good morning, Inriole. How are you feeling?" Drizzt didn't want to immediately remind her of the previous traumatic events, but she remembered soon enough. "I'm alright," she said quietly. Drizzt could tell she was trying not to cry again. "It's OK to cry, Inriole. You've suffered a great deal. It's OK." Inriole reached up to her face and sniffled then wiped her eyes. "Is mommy really gone?"
"Yes, Inriole. She's gone. I'm sorry." Although Drizzt had expected another outbreak of grief, he didn't get it. Instead, Inriole just opened her eyes and turned her head around.
"I still can't see. I want to be able to see the forest. I want to be able to see you. I don't know you." With that, Inriole turned her sightless eyes to Drizzt's face, and then followed that blind gaze with her hand. Small fingers traced the contours of Drizzt's face as he walked. "Oh, Inriole. You don't really want to see me. I'm nothing much to look at." Privately, Drizzt was almost glad that Inriole couldn't see him. She was the first person he had met since Mooshie died that hadn't feared him for his race.
Now Inriole's fingers were brushing through Drizzt's hair. "What is your name, though?" she asked.
"My name is Drizzt, Inriole. I told you last night, but it's alright if you forgot."
"Drizzt," she laughed. "That's a funny name! Drizzzzzzzzzzzt. Hee hee. Drizzit." She stopped suddenly, as Drizzt's grip on her tightened, and relaxed.
"I'm sorry, Inriole," he said, realizing what he had done, and sighing. "I just don't like the name Drizzit. Please don't call me that."
"Why?" Inriole asked.
"Maybe I'll tell you someday, Inriole. But for now, please don't call me that."
"OK." Drizzt enjoyed a few moments of silence, walking through the morning woods with the girl in his arms. Then…
"Are you an elf too?" Inriole asked. Drizzt nodded, then was about to speak when he realized that Inriole could feel the movement of his head. Then she felt his ears.
"You are an elf! I knew it. Your ears aren't funny, like a human's. Their ears are round, not pointy like ours," she half-whispered, as if imparting a great secret. She giggled. "Human's have such funny ears. I don't know too many of them, except Orwen, the healer. She comes to our village sometimes to visit Mommy." Inriole was quiet for a few moments, and then she spoke again. "Drizzt?"
"Yes, Inriole?"
"Will I ever see my mommy again?"
"Yes, Inriole. You will see your mother again. When, I don't know, but she is waiting for you. Somewhere."
"Oh," said the elven girl, laying her head down on the dark elf's shoulder. "That's good." They were quiet the rest of the morning as Drizzt continued toward the human town, both silently contemplating their own thoughts.