After all of her companions had gone in to their tents to rest, she remained awake and thoughtful.
Davamir had been acting strange all day. First with nearly saying he actually liked their dwarf companion. Certainly, Dru liked him too and enjoyed speaking to him...but Dav had never gotten along well with him when she saw them. He and Bolokoth bantered as always, but it seemed more good natured and less prideful insult.
Dru was unsure of why he was acting so...pleasant that day, but she certainly was not loathe to take it.
As they made for Ost Guruth, Dav mentioned his elder brother, the lad who had always caused chills to race up her spine and her hairs to stand on end. His gaze, his smile...he had intent as many men did and there was no mistaking it even so young as she had been when last she saw him.
Davamir's words of how his brother spoke of her had simply fortified what she knew of his brother. And yet he seemed to hold a strange...nay, not respect but something akin to it. "Strong", he had called his brother. Stronger than he was. The way he spoke was as though he thought his brother was better suited to inherit his House. Dru hoped that wasn't the case. Their family would suffer greatly if his brother was the head of it. He was a vile man.
As Dav put himself down, Dru felt indignation and defensiveness rise within her. "Why? It is only himself he belittles," she thought. She had no answer for her own thoughts nor feelings. Perhaps it was the desire for truth to be known everywhere. Heavens knew dishonesty had caused her enough pain in life. She did her best to speak her mind and tell him just how wrong he was, but she could not quite achieve it.
Then there were his hidden plans. He seemed to think she had something to do, aside from aiding his family situation. The way he spoke was somewhat...ominous. Dru did not think it was so, but just in case, she informed him if he had plans to marry her to fix everything, she certainly would not do such a thing simply to lend aid to a situation. He had laughed and then mentioned he could not believe she thought such a thing and still joined him on the journey. "Bah, let him think what he will. I was simply being clear," she murmured to the stars.
There was certainly no way she would ask what she had been thinking of asking him now. Him thinking she thought he wished to marry him, atop of Bolokoth's comments, made it quite impossible without making things...odd...between everyone. Her hair had become quite unmanageable without wrist strength, and so she had intended to ask Davamir to cut it. His hair was rather nice, befitting a noble brat of course, and from that, she trusted him a little more than the others to do that for her. But Bolokoth had said something along the lines of, "Perhaps Davamir would like to help you with your hair. Then you could braid his." And she was done with that idea. She would likely have to subject her hair to the shaky hands of a snot-nosed teenager with an impulsive nature if anything. Nay, she'd rather have her hair wild 'til her wrists were back than that.
Lastly, just before Dav had gone to rest, he mentioned that fate must have brought such a group of nobles such as theirs together. He was sure Balnirar was of noble blood as well, among Dwarves. Dru mentioned in jest that she was sure Davamir had orchestrated it himself. He had grinned in that infuriating way of his, and said he hadn't, but he was always one for using the tools fate gave him.
She did not know why, but this bothered her. Was she just "Fate's tool" here? Was he using her? He did not appear to be and she knew herself well enough to know she was often decent judge of character. Perhaps a bit too judging of others if she had to be fully honest. But simply being seen as some tool; some means to an end...did not sit well with her.
He almost seemed to sense her thoughts as he gave her hand a friendly squeeze. Not lingering or inappropriate. A brief squeeze and a smile.
He saw her as his friend...right?
