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Indy did not understand. Fungrim's family had not died, but yet he was dead to them? For her young mind this was a cryptic message beyond her understanding. Yet he had used death in his answer, so the feeling of it, if not the true reality of it, was in Fungrim's heart.
Indy looked at the dwarf with large, sympathetic eyes. She might not understand exactly what it was that he meant, but she did understand the pain of death, of losing loved ones. On an impulse, she wrapped her arms around him in a hug and kissed his cheek. Fungrim patted her head and sighed. Sitting back down, she gazed at him with fawn eyes, thinking.
"Fungrim," she started softly, her small voice serious, "will you be my family?" she asked with sincerity. Fungrim turned to her, having been shaken out of his remembrance of a painful past.
"I'm not sure you'd want a dwarf, let alone me for family, Indy." he said to her. It wouldn't be right for him to replace his own family, no matter how lost they were to him. Besides, his lifestyle could never accomadate the needs of Indy, she was too young. She needed a mother and a father, and brothers and sisters too.
"But you're the only one I've got. No one else has ever cared for me like you have. No one else ever paid attention to me." she paused. "But if you want me to, I'll leave." she added, having misunderstood the intent of Fungrim's answer. Tears came to her eyes and she turned away, brushing them away angrily. She hated tears, she hated to look weak like this.
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