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Chapter Text

It had been an otherwise normal camp day since the Nautiloid crash. Gale Dekarios had occupied himself with menial tasks, mostly just tidying up the place and occasionally making conversation with Karlach. The rest of the party had headed out that morning to scout out the area surrounding the goblin camp. It was nearly sunset and there was still no sign of their return. The wizard tried not to balk at his being left behind, but still felt a twinge of irritation. 

Things were quiet. A bit dull, even. Karlach had fallen asleep. Shadowheart had been in her tent doing gods know what. 

Why had Tav left him behind again? He was a fully capable wizard. Hells, he had even been a goddess’s Chosen. Decades of pursuing and mastering his craft, only for a blasted tadpole to snatch away all of his progress… 

Gale tried to focus on the novel he was reading. It didn’t have the most compelling introduction, but the topic itself, he hoped, might prove interesting enough to keep him entertained for a while. Something about the ruins of a castle in some faraway land, a bit of a convoluted character backstory… poorly written, but he hardly had his library to choose from these days. Beggars can’t be choosers, after all.

From behind his tome, a flash of movement caught his eye. He lowered the book and glanced over it. A black cat had wandered into the camp.

He immediately shut the book and set it down.

The cat didn’t seem bothered by his presence, if it had even noticed him. It continued to walk towards the center of their camp, the sun casting a reddish tint onto its dark coat. Gale stood up quietly, careful not to move too quickly or risk frightening the animal. He walked a few paces towards it, crouched down, and held out a hand.

“Hello, there.”

The cat turned to look at him. It didn’t seem particularly bothered by his presence. 

Encouraged, Gale tentatively reached out and stroked its head. It froze in place, peering at him with amber eyes. 

“You’ve got beautiful fur,” he murmured. “What a lovely cat you are.”

It stared at him as he continued petting it, scratching behind its right ear. Gale was fairly confident in his ability to pet cats – or rather, to pet tressyms, but the cat’s lack of reaction was nevertheless slightly unnerving. He switched tactics to a gentle scratch under the chin. That seemed to evoke a better reaction, with the cat’s eyes drifting closed for a moment. Gale even felt the first rumblings of a purr on his fingertips. He smiled gently. “Look at you.”

A snicker from behind nearly made Gale jump.

“Talking to a cat? The tadpole must be getting to you,” Astarion teased. Gale turned to see the rogue a few metres away, Wyll and Lae’zel behind him as they entered camp.

“Oh, come off it,” Gale scoffed. “There’s no shame in enjoying the company of a cat.” To demonstrate his claim, he reached over and gingerly lifted the cat off the floor, holding it to his chest as he stood to meet Astarion’s gaze. The elf’s eyebrows immediately lifted in surprise. He exchanged a glance with Wyll, whose mouth had fallen open.

“ What? ” Gale said indignantly.

“Gale, that’s… um,” Wyll started, before being interrupted by Astarion’s laughter. Gale frowned at the vampire.

“You are aware that that is Tav,” Lae’zel said simply.

Gale felt his face grow warm as Astarion guffawed even harder. The cat suddenly wiggled out of his arms, jumping down and taking a few steps before transforming into a tiefling.

Tav stood facing away from the wizard. For once, he felt at a complete loss for words. “I – I’m so sorry,” he choked. “I did not mean… I did not know –”

“It’s alright,” Tav responded, unmoving. “I am going to my tent. I’ll see you all for dinner.”

Gale could only watch in horror as they walked past him. What he saw of their face was unreadable; with their blank expression, they seemed practically unbothered by the whole interaction. Perhaps they really didn’t mind?... he doubted it, somehow.

Astarion howled in laughter as Tav ducked into their tent, drawing it shut. “Oh, Gale, that was priceless,” he said breathlessly, placing his hand on Wyll to support himself. “Did you really have no idea? You shouldn’t be so ignorant, seeing as we’re traveling with a druid.” 

“How was I supposed to know?” he replied, a note of panic in his voice. “Surely I’m not to expect every animal I come across is a tiefling in disguise!”

“He couldn’t have known, Astarion,” Wyll agreed as the vampire continued to laugh. “Though… it is pretty funny.”

Gale groaned and put his face in his hands.

“Why would you pick up an unfamiliar animal? Surely that poses some danger to you,” Lae’zel furrowed her brows. “You lack the fortitude needed to be so reckless.”

Astarion gasped for air.

“I… Well, I’m sure Tav will be perfectly reasonable and understand that it was not my intention to make them uncomfortable, and that I was obviously unaware that it was them. At least initially.” Gale cleared his throat. “Ahem. I have some business to attend to. Excuse me.” He stared at the dirt beneath his boots as he headed towards his tent, willing the earth to swallow him whole.

“Very important business, I’m sure,” Astarion called after him. “Say hi to Tav for me, will you?”

That fucking vampire. 

Gale laid in his bedroll, face buried in his pillow as he failed to push the moment from his mind. What had been a lovely moment so quickly turned into a nauseatingly awkward interaction, and he had no idea what to do next. He hardly even knew Tav. It had been – what, not even two weeks since their first meeting? – and he had already horribly embarrassed himself.

From what he knew of them, from their sparse interactions at camp and from what little he had gotten to witness, Tav was a perfectly nice person. A bit quiet, perhaps, but Gale didn’t mind. They had defended Arabella from Kagha’s wrath, even shielded a goblin from harm at the risk of endangering themself. And of course, they had reached into unstable magic to rescue him. Who knew what would have become of him otherwise?

And now. He hated to think of how his actions might have made them feel, or what they were thinking about at this very moment. He was grateful, at least, that their interaction was cut short, even if it came at the cost of Astarion’s jeering. Had they been alone, it might have been even worse, Gale supposed. They had been nothing but kind to him and he had repaid them by hoisting them up and cooing. 

Of course, he needed to talk to them about it. Pull them aside at some point and simply apologize again, ensure that they truly knew it was an accident, ease any discomfort they might have suffered. He dreaded to imagine the interaction, but the alternative of ignoring the issue seemed leagues worse. 

There was one thing, though – a detail he kept returning to from before Astarion had appeared. 

Had he made Tav purr?

…

Surely he had imagined it, right? Or if he had, it likely meant nothing. A purely physical reaction, like the relief one might get from a pleasant massage. They likely had no control over it and it was foolish to imagine even for a moment that it indicated anything.

But from his experience with Tara, he recalled her purring only when she was truly happy. When they were curled up, him reading a book with her curled up on his lap, cosy and warm back in Waterdeep… Perhaps he was just very good at petting cats, as he had previously thought. But surely, the reaction meant that Tav wasn’t furious with him? Had they taken immediate offense to his actions, they likely would have hissed or moved away, or even immediately changed back forms. Maybe Tav would have even scratched him if it bothered them enough.

Instead, he remembered, they had just sat with him for a moment, gazing at him with those adorable amber eyes. Was it wrong to think of Tav as adorable? Cats were notoriously adorable animals, and they had taken the form of one; it certainly wasn’t personal. Not that Tav was unappealing as a tiefling, of course, they were actually quite attractive. Gale hadn’t considered them much in that regard, given how seldom they spoke to each other, but it was hard not to notice in the few conversations they had shared.

What in the hells was he thinking about?

Gale rested his arm over his eyes and willed his mind, for once, to be quiet.

Chapter Text

By the time the sun had finally finished setting, Gale had forced himself out of his tent to prepare dinner. He longed, of course, for the days where he could afford not only the ingredients but the energy to cook exquisite, decadent meals; nowadays, he was limited to what Tav and the others brought in after their daily expedition. Potatoes, carrots, the occasional cut of meat or wedge of cheese they could scrounge up… with seven mouths to feed, there was hardly enough to go around. Then again, he didn’t really need to worry about feeding Astarion, given his… dietary restrictions. In that one respect, his condition was rather helpful, though Gale would never voice that thought aloud.

Tav had remained inside their tent since their awkward encounter earlier in the day. Gale hoped that they were merely tired from their excursion, but he remained entirely clueless as to what was actually going on in their head. The anxious thoughts had somewhat subsided as the hours passed, but any movement in the corner of his eye still had him checking if it was Tav.

Gale, you absolute fool; their tent isn’t even in that direction, he chided himself. That particular blur of motion was actually the other tiefling in their party, stretching as she walked towards him.

“Soldier,” Karlach greeted with a friendly grin. “What’s for dinner, Gale?”

“Nothing too extravagant, I’m afraid. Grilled fish and a few roasted potatoes.”

“Sounds great to me!” Karlach leaned over his makeshift kitchen, taking a deep whiff of his cooking. Her grin broadened. “Smells great, too. Hey, what happened earlier today in camp? I think Astarion’s laughing woke me up, but I just fell back asleep.”

Gale grimaced. He had hoped to keep the encounter between the few who had been forced to witness it.

“I suppose,” he started carefully, “you could describe it as a bit of a miscommunication between Tav and I. Nothing to worry about, but of course Astarion was able to find the humour in it.”

Karlach nodded. “Classic Astarion! I’m glad everything is alright, though.” She surveyed the area before turning back to Gale. “Where is Tav, anyway? Haven’t seen them all day.”

“In their tent, I believe.”

Karlach nodded again. A few seconds of silence passed before she furrowed her brow.

“Are you sure nothing happened? You seem a bit, I don’t know, bothered by something. I’m not disrupting your cooking, am I?”

“No, no,” Gale sighed, waving his hand in dismissal of the thought. “I apologise if it seemed that way. You’re absolutely fine.”
“Then what is it?” Karlach propped herself down on a nearby log, looking curiously up at the wizard. “I’m all ears if you’d like to talk about it.”

Gale hummed in consideration. Talking to Karlach would mean rehashing the whole spectacle, but it might help him summon up the courage to approach Tav. He could probably use some advice. And dinner was nearly done, anyhow.

“Yes… yes, I suppose that I would like to talk about it,” he said, sitting down beside her. “It’s a bit of a silly story, really.”

Karlach listened attentively as Gale recounted the earlier awkwardness, a smile tugging at her lips. “That’s it?” she asked when he finished. “Oh, Gale, you have nothing to worry about! I’m sure Tav doesn’t mind at all. It probably happens all the time with druids!”

“Do you really think that?”

“Yeah! I mean, I know if I saw a cat in camp, I’d probably do the same thing.” Karlach paused thoughtfully before frowning. “Well, I suppose nowadays I wouldn’t. Don’t want to scorch the poor thing.”

Gale chuckled. “No, I suppose not.”

“Anyways, I’m sure you’re fine. Astarion’s just teasing you. Silly bastard.”

“ What did you just call me?”

Astarion’s sour face emerged from his tent, glaring at the two.

“I called you a silly bastard,” Karlach replied gleefully. “Oi, how can you hear us from over there? Is it those big ears of yours?”

Astarion’s frown deepened. He huffed and retreated back into his tent. Karlach cackled. 

“Thank you, Karlach. That was kind of you,” Gale said. She shouldered him playfully, the heat immediately making him wince.

“Oops, sorry! Habit. Really, though, don’t worry about it.”

“I will try not to.”

“Good! Hey, how’s that fish coming along?”

The party gathered in a lazy circle, sat on whatever log or boulder was around. Everyone had already served themselves their portions and were now beginning to eat. Lae’zel poked at her fish distastefully, grumbling about how she wished it were red meat, while Astarion rolled his eyes – “Imagine how I feel!” – earning laughter from the rest of the party. Gale caught Tav’s eye as they laughed, though they broke eye contact soon after. The pit in his stomach returned as he watched them eat, carefully avoiding his gaze.

Karlach, sitting beside him still, seemed to notice his discomfort and offered him a sympathetic smile. “It’s alright, Gale,” she insisted. “Really. Just go and talk to them once we’re all done, yeah?”

He nodded glumly. Astarion took notice.

“Something bothering you, Gale?”

The wizard pressed his lips together. “No, I’m quite alright, thank you.”

Astarion shrugged, a smug grin on his face, and Gale felt a swell of annoyance.

“Leave him alone, Astarion.”

At the sound of Tav’s voice, Gale’s eyes widened. He looked at them, then, their eyes still focused on the vampire with a slight blush on their cheeks. Astarion sighed dramatically.

“Oh, you’re no fun!” 

Tav lowered their gaze, continuing to quietly eat. Gale noticed Shadowheart and Wyll exchange a glance; his stomach dropped at the thought that perhaps everyone knew about his earlier indiscretion. He hurriedly finished eating and excused himself from the group, citing indigestion, before shutting himself in his tent and letting out a deep exhale.

Gods damn it. I’ve made myself look like an idiot, haven’t I?

Footsteps sounded behind him, followed by a muffled voice. “Gale?”

Tav.

Gale swallowed. “Yes?”

“Can I come in?”

He quickly surveyed his surroundings before deciding they were tidy enough. “Ah – yes, feel free.”

Tav slipped through the entrance, their horns nearly getting caught on the fabric. Gale reached out a hand to assist them before thinking better of it. They offered him a shy smile in response, fixing the fabric themselves before turning their gaze to the floor.

“Could I talk to you for a moment?” they asked, their voice quiet.

“Of course. Please, sit down.” Gale grabbed a cushion and placed it a few feet away before settling himself down by the end of his bedroll. Tav sat cross-legged on the cushion, their tail curling around them like a cat. The thought only made Gale more nervous.

“Earlier was… a bit odd,” they started. Gale nodded guiltily in response.

“Yes, I agree. I hope you know I had no idea that you –” They held up their hand, cutting him off.

“I know,” Tav nodded. “It’s alright, I didn’t mind. These things happen.”

Gale gaped at them. They continued.

“I appreciate that you like animals,” they said, meeting his eyes at last. A slight blush once again covered their cheeks. “I didn’t know.”

“Of course,” Gale replied, relieved. “I summoned a tressym as a child, in fact. Tara. She’s been an incredible companion.”

“When was the last time you saw her?” Tav queried, their eyes brightening.

“I believe she visited me sometime last week.”

“Really?” There was a note of disappointment in their voice. “I don’t think I saw her.”

“She kept her visit short.” Gale was cautious not to say too much on the topic. Tara had somehow managed to locate him and brought him another magical artifact to satiate the orb. He had been doing his best to keep his affliction secret, hoping in vain to handle it himself until he had no other option. He knew deep down, of course, that he would need to ask for help eventually; but now seemed to be a particularly bad time to broach the topic. Nevertheless, Gale felt a pang of guilt for being so secretive.

“That’s a shame,” Tav murmured, oblivious to his predicament. “I don’t believe I’ve ever met a tressym. I would love to one day; she must be beautiful.”

“She is,” Gale agreed. “Perhaps I can conjure up some sort of projection of her to show you.”

“Would you?” Tav smiled at him. “That would be incredible. Or – do you think she would visit us again anytime soon?”

The excitement Tav spoke with was immensely endearing. Gale couldn’t help but chuckle at the thought that this was the conversation he had so been dreading; Karlach had been right after all. “I don’t know if she’ll be back anytime soon. If she is, I would naturally be happy to introduce the two of you.”

Tav’s smile widened, their eyes twinkling in the candlelight. The two of them sat together in a peaceful silence for a few moments, hearing only the crickets and quiet chatter of the party outside. 

“So,” he began, “you’re sure I didn’t offend you too much earlier, did I? I appreciate that you’ve been so forgiving of my behaviour, but I just want to make absolutely certain that I haven’t made things too unpleasant between the two of us.”

Tav shook their head. “I wasn’t offended at all. Surprised, yes; it’s not every day that someone picks me up –” Gale blushed, averting his eyes from theirs. “--but I suppose I’ve gotten used to surprises these days. It’s hardly more odd than a literal vampire living in our camp with us.” Tav laughed. “Hells, I even let him get a taste of my blood. I think it would be unreasonable for me to draw the line at getting my chin scratched.”

“It wouldn’t be unreasonable,” Gale fidgeted with his tunic. “I don’t know how I would react to such a thing. As a human who sticks to this form, it’s not something I’ve ever had to think about much.”

“Have you never changed forms, then?” Tav asked curiously.

Gale pursed his lips in thought. “No, I suppose I haven’t – not really. I’ve experimented with astral forms, but that’s an entirely different matter.” A memory of Mystra briefly resurfaced in his mind, but he pushed it aside. Not now.

Tav nodded thoughtfully. “I do think that would be very different. Have you ever been curious about it, though? Changing into a wild shape? I remember finding it so exciting when I was younger.”

“I haven’t given it much thought,” he admitted. “Though I suppose it would be interesting to see the world from such a different perspective.”

“It is. The world looks very different from the eyes of a cat.” Tav paused before a slight smirk appeared on their face. They closed their eyes and shapeshifted into their black cat form, still sitting on Gale’s cushion.

Gale could imagine their tiefling self giggling at the timing of their transformation. He opened his mouth to speak but found himself unsure of what exactly to say. Talking with Tara had always been easy, but then, they had been lifelong friends; he could hardly remember their first interactions, it had been so long. He hadn’t really spoken with any other animals, at least not in recent memory. Even if he knew Tav wasn’t actually a cat, it was still so unfamiliar to interact with them in such a manner.

“I don’t really know what to say,” Gale admitted to them, giving voice to his thoughts. “I’m not accustomed to this sort of thing. Tara can speak back to me, though I assume you can’t while you’re like this?”

Tav blinked in response.

“I will take that to mean I’m correct.”

Tav stood up, walked off of the cushion, and stretched. Gale fiddled with his hands.

“It’s not that I can’t just… carry on a conversation by myself,” he explained. “Quite the contrary. I’m sure you’ve caught on by now, but I am certainly capable of rambling on when left unchecked.” Tav flicked their tail, a gesture that seemed to convey some amusement.

“Indeed. Astarion, to his credit, is adept at stopping me in times like those. I almost envy the sort of confidence he has, being able to simply voice his thoughts as he does.” Gale leaned back, placing his hands on the floor beside him to support his weight. “You, however, have made the mistake of taking a form that restricts your speech. I must apologise for boring you in advance.”

Tav meowed at him. Their feline form’s voice was a little scratchy, just as their tiefling form’s was. Adorable , Gale found himself thinking yet again. He cleared his throat at the thought and Tav cocked their head.

“It must be interesting, being in the body of a cat,” Gale opted to continue rambling in favour of avoiding an awkward silence. “It’s a shame, I suppose, that such abilities aren’t so often included in a wizard’s education. I imagine it would come in quite handy. I never asked – why did you take on that form today?.. Ah, right, you can’t really tell me. I can only assume that it was perhaps for stealth purposes, or perhaps to fit in somewhere you normally can’t.” 

Despite the initial strangeness of the situation, Gale found himself able to talk somewhat freely to cat Tav. This might be the most we’ve ever really spoken , he thought. It didn’t seem like it bothered them, though. The cat – Tav – gazed at him with a relaxed expression. He couldn’t remember the last time he had simply gone on and on to someone like this; the thought was both bittersweet and somewhat touching. He felt a twinge of happiness that they had been afforded such a moment, despite the ongoing chaos and stress of their situation.

As he continued chattering about whatever nonsense came to mind, Gale felt, once again, the urge to pet the cat. Of course, it would be inappropriate; it was still Tav, and they could hardly consent in this form. He wouldn’t dare do such a thing until they could properly talk about it. But he wondered, still, how they’d feel about it – how they had felt about it earlier. He wanted to ask if they had indeed purred at his touch, and what that meant if they had. 

Would he even still pet them, knowing what he did now? How did that translate to normal interaction – what was the equivalent? In cat form, Tav was essentially naked; the thought had occurred to him earlier, while he was sulking about the whole thing. It made him incredibly uncomfortable to think about. Looking at the cat sat in front of him, now, he was all too aware of it. Where do their clothes go when they change forms? he wondered. Would it be inappropriate to ask?.. perhaps it would make it too obvious what chain of thought had led him there. He decided against it.

Tav, meanwhile, seemed blissfully unperceptive to Gale’s inner turmoil. He wondered if it was just Tav’s personality, or if transforming into a cat somehow came with the ability to relax as they so often did. That would be useful. I certainly could do with a break from my thoughts these days. 

Tav yawned. 

Aww.

…

Wait, no, not ‘aww’ –

And just like that, they had transformed back into a tiefling. Tav smiled at Gale’s surprised expression.

“It’s a lot of fun,” they said. Gale realised then how physically close they were to each other, now that they were in a larger form again. They didn’t seem to notice. Gale swallowed.

“I’m sure it is,” he replied, willing his nervousness not to show. Tav continued to seem somewhat oblivious.

“Would you like to learn?”

“W-what?”

“How to change into a wild shape. I’m sure I could teach you, if you would like.”

This conversation was really going much differently than he had imagined.

“Ah… really? I’m not a druid by nature, you know.”

“I know,” they nodded, “but I think you have it in you. You’re very respectful, Gale. It’s one of the things I appreciate most about you.” 

The compliment was sudden and unexpected. Gale was almost impressed at Tav’s ability to continuously surprise him.

“But really,” Tav continued, standing up. “I think you would enjoy it. And it might prove useful in the long run.” They yawned again. “I’m exhausted; I think I’ll go try and get some sleep. It’s been a long day. Just… let me know if you’re interested.”

“I will,” he replied.

“Goodnight, Gale,” Tav said, and exited the wizard’s tent. Gale listened as their footsteps grew quieter and quieter, until they were finally inaudible.

Well.

That went… nicely.

Gale grabbed the cushion he had set down for them to place it back where it had been. He noticed a few strands of black fur on it and smiled.

That night, he dreamt of hunting mice.

Chapter Text

Over the next few days, Gale hardly saw Tav. Their daily expeditions left them exhausted, and they never seemed to leave their tent unless necessary; the two occasionally exchanged a friendly wave or a bit of small talk, but that was it. Tav would politely excuse themselves and a day would pass before they spoke again. 

Gale, as usual, was always left at camp, a fact that was really starting to wound his pride. He was weaker than he had been in the past, certainly, but he was by no means useless. Tav had, at some point, taken on the mantle of leadership for their strange little crew and would embark on journeys with any combination of their party – except for him. Besides a choice selection, he had been excluded from the adventures of their group, left in camp to do whatever busywork there was. He knew not why Tav left him behind, or if it was even intentional, but then, they never had the time for him to ask.

And then there was the orb.

A permanent reminder of his hubris and all he had lost. A ticking time-bomb, loaded with unimaginable power – power he had once dreamed of holding, or of turning over to his then-lover and goddess – power that now tormented him with pain and arcane hunger. He couldn’t just continue relying on Tara; it wasn’t fair to her, to burden her with such things. But day by day, the pain grew unbearable. What once merely gnawed at him now felt like it was tearing his flesh from the inside.

When finally – finally! – Tav asked him to accompany them on an outing with Wyll and Karlach, Gale knew that there was no more pushing it aside. He needed help, however much he hated to admit it, and this was his best chance. The four of them left shortly after daybreak, greeted by morning fog and cold, crisp air. The Blighted Village was quiet, save for their footsteps and occasional chatter. Now’s my chance.

“Say, Tav…”

The tiefling turned to look at him as they continued on their path. “Yes?”

“Do you have a spare moment? There is something rather important I would like to discuss with you.”

Tav glanced behind them at Wyll and Karlach, who were engrossed in their own conversation about gods know what. After a moment of hesitation, they nodded. “Go ahead.”

How in the hells does one do this? 

“We’ve been on the road together for a while now, haven’t we?” he began. “Survived some perils, overcame some obstacles… Ever since you were kind enough to free me from that stone, I’ve seen you demonstrate remarkable guile and courage.” Gale swallowed. “In short: I’ve grown to trust you.”

“That’s kind of you to say,” Tav replied, a hint of uncertainty in their voice. “I… trust you, too.”

Gale smiled warmly at them, a bit of his anxiety dissipating. They smiled back, though they were clearly waiting for him to say something else.

Right .

“The reason I make a point of saying this is that I’ve grown confident enough to tell you something I’ve yet to tell another living soul. Except for Tara. You see, I have this… condition.” He looked Tav in the eye, trying to gauge their reaction as he spoke. “Very different from the parasite we share, but just as deadly. The specifics are rather personal, but suffice it to say that it is a malady I have learned to live with – though not without some effort. What it comes down to is this: every so often I need to get my hands on a powerful magical item and absorb the Weave inside.”

Tav cocked their head. “Your illness causes you to consume raw magic ?”

“Yes. Just.. trust me when I say it’s all of vital importance.”

A wave of pain suddenly jolted through him, eliciting a sharp inhale. Wyll and Karlach stopped in their tracks. Tav reached for him, their worry etched on their face.

“Gale…”

“It’s been days since I last consumed an artefact,” he confessed. “That is why I turn to you. I need you to help me find magic items to consume.”

“Of course,” Tav said softly. 

His gratitude was overshadowed by another wave of pain. He winced. “Right now.”

Without hesitation, Tav immediately laid their bag on the floor, opening it up and rummaging through its contents. Gale watched them, feeling a bit of awe. Knowing their nature, he had assumed – hoped – that they would be willing to help, but he hadn’t expected such eagerness. Tav tossed various items to the side – candles, arrows, a book (he would have cared had the situation been less dire) – as though none of it mattered, as though he mattered more. After a few more moments of searching, Tav triumphantly pulled out a locket. Gale could sense the magic radiating from it as they handed it to him.

“A…are you certain?” He itched to take it immediately, longing for any relief, but after such a display of kindness knew he couldn’t be so rude. How valuable was this gift? What were they giving up for him?

Tav took his hand in theirs and placed the locket in his palm. “It was a gift from Arabella’s parents. I’m sure they would be happy to know it could help you.”

“Thank you,” Gale said breathlessly. He held the locket to his heart and inhaled deeply, feeling the locket’s enchantment unravel like thread. The orb devoured its magic instantly. Gale closed his eyes and drank in the sensation; his pain, that constant hunger finally ebbing away as the orb sucked in every bit of Weave it had to offer.

And just like that, it was done. The orb’s shriek returned to a hum – at least for a while. He stood there for a few moments in silence, Tav beside him and Karlach and Wyll staring with their mouths agape. 

“That hit the spot,” Gale finally said.

“Gale, did you just eat that locket?” Karlach asked, sounding more impressed than confused.

He chuckled. “Ah – not quite.”

“But it did help?” Tav said, the concern returning to their face.

“Yes – please, don’t worry. I can feel it working.”

The druid exhaled in relief. It occurred to Gale how stressful this situation must be for them, and he felt a pang of guilt.

“That looked painful,” said Wyll.

“Oh, it’s not so bad once you get used to it,” Gale replied sheepishly. “...And on the plus side, my tower in Waterdeep has never been so free of clutter.”

Wyll and Karlach chuckled. Gale noticed Tav repacking their bag and knelt down to help, handing them the various bits that were now littered across the floor. He also passed back the disenchanted locket.

“Sincerely, though,” he whispered to them as they took it from his hand. “I understand I ask a lot from you with few answers in return, but in time all will be told.”

Tav nodded hesitantly. “I’m glad I could help.”

He offered them a hand and they took it, standing up beside him and brushing the dirt off of their clothing. Karlach caught his eye and grinned.

“Now,” he said, clearing his throat. “Shall we?”

Gale spent the rest of the day ruminating on what he could possibly do to repay Tav’s kindness. He felt he owed it to them, not just for the locket but for the stress he had now introduced into their life alongside all they already had to deal with. Gods, wasn’t a tadpole in their skull bad enough? Now they had to deal with the chronic pain of a second-rate wizard.

He put all he had into fighting the enemies they encountered that day, casting Magic Missile at a group of aggressive goblins and nearly wiping them out single-handedly. Gale hoped Tav didn’t notice his frequent glances as he attempted to impress them. Karlach certainly did, as she took every time their eyes met to be an opportunity to wiggle her eyebrows at the wizard. You don’t understand , he wanted to tell her. He was above this sort of schoolboy behaviour. It was just that he wanted to make himself worth all of the trouble he brought along.

They arrived back at camp around nightfall. Shadowheart and Lae’zel were bickering as Astarion lounged on some cushions he had around his tent, waving lazily as their group came into view. “Why, hello,” he purred. “Long day?”

“Hardly! You should have seen Gale in action!” Karlach replied with a cheeky smile. “He was sniping goblins left and right!”

“Really?” Astarion looked at the wizard, unconvinced. Gale shrugged, distracted.

Tav had already headed over to their tent. He wondered why they seldom hung around for conversation, as they had done those first few nights. They left him wondering about a lot of things. Since their conversation in his tent a few days prior, he had longed to speak to them; now he finally had, but he still felt some sort of dissatisfaction.

It occurred to him then that in a way, he missed Tav. The thought made him uncomfortable, as though it were somehow silly to feel that way. After all, they hardly knew each other; not really. For all he knew, everything about them could be a facade. He hoped that wasn’t the case.

“He ate a necklace?” 

Gale jumped back to the present as Astarion stared at him incredulously. Shadowheart and Lae’zel, too, seemed interested in his response.

Karlach still had a shit-eating grin on her face.

“No, I did not. I merely consumed the Weave within it.”

Lae’zel frowned, clearly disappointed. Astarion rolled his eyes.

“Typical wizard.”

Chapter Text

The tadpole squirmed in their skull as Tav laid in their bedroll, struggling to sleep. The parasite was not the only thing keeping them up: memories of the last dozen days, of bloodshed and terror, left Tav restless. There was so much happening – too much – and Tav knew they couldn’t do it all. There just wasn’t enough time. Not with their party’s lives at stake, as Astarion loved to remind them, and not with the abilities and resources their small crew had.

Their insomnia had been getting worse. When they were able to sleep, their dreams were bizarre and often cruel. The Dream Guardian could offer some reprieve whenever they appeared, but even then, Tav didn’t trust them entirely. They hardly trusted anyone these days. 

Tav sat up with an exhale, rubbing their temples in hopes of some relief. None came. They peered outside before standing up and exiting their tent, careful to be quiet and avoid waking anyone up. All they could hear was the quiet singing of crickets as they walked to the nearby river.

Bodies of water had always comforted Tav. It might’ve been all the fond memories by lakesides or riverbanks, with family and friends who were now long gone: leaping into the water, hunting for the smoothest stones, catching glimpses of the ecosystem in action… There was something soothing about it all. Nature had nurtured Tav as a child and they could feel its embrace even now. Sometimes, more than ever.

They settled down onto a nearby boulder overlooking the river and gazed at the scene laid before them. Fireflies illuminated the surface of the water, occasionally revealing the shadow of a fish flitting by. Sure enough, Tav could already feel the nerves and pain of the day fading as they breathed in the fresh night air. They rested their head down on the boulder, facing up at the night sky, and closed their eyes.

“...Tav? Tav!”

Tav awoke to a hand on her shoulder and a pair of warm brown eyes staring right at them, wide with concern. They jolted awake, shielding their eyes from the daylight as they did so. .

“Shit, I must have fallen asleep,” Tav muttered, glancing around their surroundings. The figure in front of them harrumphed.

“You have a tent ,” he said. “Surely that’s more comfortable than this.” Gale was knelt beside them, a small smile on his lips. He lifted his hand off of their shoulder.

“I was having trouble sleeping.”

“Ah. I see. I can understand that. Though, it is quite startling to take a morning walk and encounter your friend unconscious by a river.”

Tav smiled sheepishly at Gale. “I’m sorry,” they said softly. “I didn’t mean to worry you.” He shook his head.

“I understand entirely. I have been known to take the occasional nighttime walk myself.”

The two of them spent a few moments in silence, both watching the water rushing by. Gale shifted to sit beside them, his hand brushing by their side in the process.

It occurred to Tav that they seldom had much physical contact with anyone these days. They had offered their blood to Astarion a handful of times, but the interaction felt more transactional than intimate – even if it had led to them becoming closer friends. Tav got the impression that Astarion might be open to a more… physical relationship than they were. It was undeniable that the pale elf was gorgeous, and certainly fun to be around, yes. But Tav wasn’t the sort to have meaningless flings. Maybe in the past, but not anymore. And Astarion’s intentions were hardly romantic.

Strangely, they found themself longing for Gale’s hand to come back, to linger beside theirs. Tav glanced over at him. The wizard continued gazing at the beautiful scene before them, his eyes twinkling in delight as a starling chirped on the riverbank. Tav liked looking at Gale. It was something about how expressive he was; how his eyes reacted and lit up to anything of interest, or how his eyebrows quirked and shifted with every emotion he felt. His eyes shifted to Tav when he noticed them watching him. 

“It’s beautiful,” he said simply. “Certainly a much-needed reprieve from… everything.”

Tav sighed in response. Gale blinked at them, a thoughtful expression on his face. “Have you been well recently?” he asked, hesitantly. “I hate to pry, but I have not seen you around camp as frequently as I used to.”

Tav paused. The starling pecked at the ground, scavenging. “I have been… a bit overwhelmed,” they admitted, their voice quiet. “I feel so unprepared, and there isn’t enough time for – for anything.”

Gale nodded. Tav noticed that he had picked up a river stone while they had been speaking. He was now holding it, running his fingers over the smooth texture as he looked at the tiefling sat beside him. 

“My… condition,” he said, his speech slow and deliberate, “robbed me of much of my magic ability. I had been a child prodigy, Mystra’s chosen – suddenly reduced to a fraction of my former self...”

As Gale spoke, he shifted forward, his brow furrowed. It was obvious, even as he clearly tried to avoid revealing too much about himself, that his condition had deeply affected him. He continued running his thumb over the river stone, a nervous habit that Tav found a bit endearing. Gale was sweet; he seemed genuine and kind, at least when he wasn’t attempting to show off. Seeing him speak of such vulnerability made Tav feel closer to him. It made them feel a little less alone.

“Thank you,” they said.

Gale cocked his head in surprise. “What for?”

“For talking to me,” Tav answered, feeling a little silly. Gale was just being polite, but… still. Most of their conversations with their traveling companions still felt surface-level, restricted to the topics at hand. It had been a while since they had had a heart-to-heart with a friend.

Gale laughed. “I enjoy your company, Tav. There is absolutely no need to thank me for that.”

Sitting there with him, Tav felt the sudden, familiar lurch of stress at realising that they needed to go back to camp soon and get ready for the day. They were wasting valuable time. But they wanted to stay there so badly, even if it was so much less important than everything they had to do. Tav hadn’t felt so at peace in weeks. 

They had been so lonely.

There was absolutely nothing wrong with their new companions; Tav had grown to admire each of them as they’d fought by their side. No, it was Tav’s fault. They were awkward, quiet, always feeling like they would choose the wrong thing to say. It was difficult to open up but it was so easy to feel like they had over-shared. Tav often opted to stay on the sidelines, listening to conversations but rarely participating. In the recent panic of things, they barely had the energy to try and engage. 

How had Gale managed this situation? It wasn’t the first long conversation they’d had with him – no, that was days ago, when he had accidentally picked them up in cat-form. Tav hoped their cheeks didn’t redden from the memory. He had been so apologetic, and they had had a lovely conversation about it afterwards, but what Tav had failed to mention was how good it had felt to be touched by him. Not in a sexual way, even; just the physical sensation of Gale’s hands, so large when Tav was in cat form… the scratch under the chin is what really did it. Tav had never experienced it before.

They understood now why cats liked it so much. 

And afterwards, it had been so exciting to find something to talk about, something Tav cared about that he too seemed interested in. They had been itching to bring it up again but, of course, hadn’t had the time. 

“Gale,” Tav blurted, “would you want to learn how to transform into a cat?”

Gale’s eyebrows rose as he let out a surprised chuckle.

“Yes? Perhaps? I have thought about it since that conversation of ours, after…” He cleared his throat. “I am interested, I will admit. Uncertain, but interested.” He paused thoughtfully. “Just a quick question: would I have to eat mice if I were in that form? That is, how much of my behaviour is shaped by my transformation?”

Tav tapped their chin. “Well… I don’t ever hunt, though I think that may be more due to personal preference. When I’m in wild shape, I’m still myself . I know who I am and what I intend to do.” They gazed into the rushing water in front of them. “It is different than being in this body, and so I naturally experience some things differently. Some of my senses as a cat are much more sensitive than in my human form.”

“Fascinating,” Gale murmured. 

They sat quietly for a few more moments before Gale nodded.

“I’ve decided,” he said. “I would love to learn how to transform. It is certainly an unfamiliar form of magic, but it is nevertheless part of the Weave – not to mention, such an ability will likely be useful in the days to come. It has been quite a while since I was last a student, but I assure you that I will do my best.”

Tav couldn’t help but giggle at his serious tone. “I don’t know the last time I really taught anyone anything. I will do my best, too.”

Gale stood up and offered Tav a hand. They took it gratefully, realising as they shifted up that their back was a bit sore from sleeping on stone.

“We’d best be getting back to camp,” Gale said. “I haven’t prepared breakfast yet, and Lae’zel tends to wake quite early.”

“Of course,” Tav responded. As they turned to leave the area, they noticed Gale silently pocket his river stone. A small smile grew on their face.

“That was nice,” they said.

Gale smiled. “Yes. Yes, it was.”

Chapter Text

In the days that followed, the camp relocated to the Emerald Grove. Tav had mentioned wanting to talk more to Zevlor, who seemed to be the leader of the tiefling refugees. Additionally, after having several violent encounters with the goblins in the area, their previous camp location had begun to feel dangerous. 

Gale was decently content about this development. He could appreciate the quiet buzz of conversation among refugees and merchants, trading their wares. Such a sense of community had been entirely absent from the last year of his life. Instead, he had been alone in his tower, avoiding the world around him; terrified that his condition was too volatile to ensure the safety of his beloved city. And what would they have said about him, about the great archmage – Mystra’s Chosen! – what could they possibly say about a man who had fallen so far from grace? Could they even know of the tragedy that had befallen him? Would they expect from him some luminary of legend?

What would they think of the disappointment he had become?

Such thoughts were useless, Gale knew that much. He had no one to blame for his folly but himself. And yet, in the form of a mindflayer tadpole, of all things, Gale had been given a second chance. He no longer had to rely on the assistance of Tara to keep him alive… he was now dependent on a number of near strangers instead.

“Gale?”

A familiar voice shook him from his spiral. Gale blinked. Shadowheart stood before him, a bemused expression on her face.

“If you’re not too busy daydreaming, I believe Tav was looking for you.”

“Ah! Yes, of course, my apologies. I’ll head over right away.” Gale cleared his throat and began to walk towards their leader’s tent.

“Actually, they’re over there,” Shadowheart called over his shoulder, gesturing towards the Emerald Grotto.

Gale ducked his head in embarrassment and corrected course. He could hear the cleric giggle from behind as she jogged a few paces to walk alongside him. Gale silently wished that she would leave him alone instead of lengthening this excruciating encounter.

“You are going to do it, then?” she asked. “Tav mentioned hoping to teach you ‘the druidic form’ or something along those lines. I can only assume that’s the reason they were looking for you.”

“I intend to learn, yes,” he replied, unsure whether Shadowheart’s last comment was meant to be as insulting as it felt. “As someone who has dedicated his life to the Weave, I am keen to learn about it in any form it may take.”

“‘Any form it may take,’” she echoed as a sly smile crossed her face. “...a cat, perhaps?”

Gale narrowed his eyes. “If you are referring to my… indiscretion the other day, I assure you that it has been discussed and is merely a matter of the past.”

“Whatever you say,” Shadowheart laughed.

Upon arriving at the Emerald Grove, Gale was taken aback once again by its natural beauty. Wildflowers and moss decorated ancient columns as creatures of all shapes and sizes wandered about. It was impossible for Gale to distinguish between what might be a shape-shifting druid and what was actually an animal inhabitant of the area, but he was struck by the notion that it somehow didn’t matter. At least, none of them seemed to mind.

Even with the biodiversity of the area, it was easy to spot Tav. They were the only tiefling in the area, after all. They stood at a distance from the resident druids, a thoughtful look on their face. As Gale and Shadowheart approached, Tav’s face lit up.

“Shadowheart, Gale,” they greeted. “Thank you for coming.”

“Of course. There’s hardly anything more important to do,” Shadowheart quipped. Tav didn’t seem to notice their sarcasm. The cleric rolled her eyes and with a quick goodbye sauntered off.

“What do you need?” Gale asked.

“Ah. Well… I was hoping to have our first lesson here,” Tav said sheepishly. “But… I suppose the ordeal with Kagha got to me more than I’d like to admit. It doesn’t feel safe here, not like it should.”

“That’s perfectly understandable,” Gale replied. “Her cruelty was hardly what I’d expect from a druid.”

Tav nodded. “I can understand being protective of one’s home, but… yes. She is cruel.” 

The tiefling paused, their tail swishing in quiet agitation.

“I can’t teach you here,” they finally said. “I’m sorry for making you come all this way. We can still have our lesson now, I’m sure we can find another suitable place — I don’t really have one in mind, but surely we could find something…”

“Shall we go for a walk, then?” Gale offered. 

Tav nodded. “Please.”

The two headed off into the nearby hills, Tav offering the basics of druidic magic as they went. Where Gale drew his power from the innate Weave, magic in the purest form, druidic magic had a slightly different source. Instead, it derived from the life force of nature, a Weave that connected all living beings much like a mycelium network. Gale’s magical prowess came from his knowledge, but Tav’s abilities came from something more like understanding. They were able to change into different forms because they felt a deep, intrinsic connection to other living beings. 

Eventually, the pair came across a quiet clearing in the forest, a decent distance away from any settlements. Tav sat crisscrossed on the grass and motioned Gale to sit in front of them, to which he complied. 

“Have you ever meditated?” Tav asked.

“Perhaps once or twice, though I never made a habit of it.”

“That’s alright. It’s something that really helped me develop my abilities as a druid. I thought it might be a good place to start.”

Gale watched as Tav laid their hands palms up on their knees. They looked at him somewhat expectantly. He imitated their actions, only for Tav to smile as they gingerly reached over and took his hands in theirs before returning to their resting position.  

“Close your eyes,” the druid gently directed. Gale did as instructed, acutely aware of the warmth of their fingers. He faintly recalled having read that tieflings’ resting body temperatures tended to be higher than that of humans’, but had never been afforded the opportunity to check the claim. If this one interaction was any indication, though, it seemed entirely accurate.

“Focus on your senses beyond your sight. Listen to the leaves moving in the wind, the birdsong, the bugs… anything you can make out.”

Tav’s hands were calloused, their nails longer than his; another trait common among tieflings, he had noticed. His hands were only slightly larger than Tav’s but still rested comfortably on their palms. 

“Try and even out your breathing. Pay attention to how the air feels entering your lungs. Feel your chest deflating as you breathe it out.”

The two inhaled deeply, exhaling at the same time. They repeated the exercise several times before Tav spoke again.

“Now, focus on the feeling of your hands in mine.”

Gale returned his focus to their hands, on purpose this time.

“We are never entirely still,” Tav said softly. “We’re alive, so we’re always in movement, even if it’s not visible. We just learn to ignore it. Can you feel your pulse in your wrist? Can you feel how your fingers and mine twitch even when we don’t mean to? It’s all proof that we’re alive, the things we can’t control.”

As if in response to their words, Gale felt his thumb twitch. For a brief moment, Tav’s hand seemed to tighten around his before relaxing again. He heard them exhale.

“We’re alive,” Tav repeated. It felt like a sort of prayer to him, the reverence with which Tav spoke. “Can you feel it?”

“Yes,” Gale replied.

“Open your eyes.”

Gale’s eyes opened. He immediately squinted as he adjusted to the light. Tav smiled at him.

“How do you feel?” they asked.

“Peaceful,” Gale answered after a moment. They nodded in agreement.

“Me too,” Tav said. “It’s been a while since I’ve had the time to meditate. I’m glad you agreed to do this with me.”

“It’s my pleasure,” Gale said. “What’s next?”

Tav laughed. “We won’t be attempting wild shapes just yet, if that’s what you’re thinking. I don’t know what the practice of wizardry looks like, but I assume it’s a lot more structured than what I learned as a druid.”

“Perhaps I’ll show you sometime.” The offer slipped out before he had really considered his words – it had been a long time since he had taught anyone, and given recent developments he hardly felt like a suitable teacher. Despite that, though, he felt a twinge of happiness as Tav nodded excitedly in response, their smile growing even wider.

“I would love that,” they said. Their tail, laid on the grass by their side, flicked upward as they spoke. The action made Gale realise that he had no idea how to interpret tail body language. I wonder if there’s any literature on the subject.

“For now though,” Tav continued, bringing Gale back to the present moment, “I think there are a few cantrips I might be able to teach you? If you don’t know them already.”

“Try me,” he replied. “What do you have in mind?”

They thought for a moment. “Perhaps ‘Produce Flame’? Are you familiar with that one?”

“I am experienced with other fire-based spells, but no, I don’t believe I have cast that particular cantrip. Though I doubt it will be any trouble.” Gale spoke with a confidence that he no longer truly felt. Whether Tav was privy to that, he couldn’t say; the tiefling was very difficult to read sometimes. “A conjuration cantrip, I presume?”

“Yes, conjuration. It was the first cantrip I ever learned. It was the first one that I relearned after… well, after the mindflayer ship.” Tav shook their head as if to dispel the memory. “I usually use it as a light source; it’s not of much use in battle. But I believe it’ll be a good place to start.”

“Very well, then. How do we begin?”

Tav pulled their hands away from his. He had completely forgotten that they were still touching until then, a thought that struck him harder than it should have. After so long alone, the touch of another person was still foreign to him; how had he not noticed sooner? Not that it had been a show of intimacy in any case, it was a purely functional interaction, but nevertheless. It felt natural , he supposed, and that was the point, wasn’t it? Even after all he had experienced, he was still human. Still alive. As were those around him. 

Gale moved his hands back to rest on his knees as he watched Tav perform the cantrip. A tiny ball of flame in their palm – where his hand had just been – flickered and danced in place, creating a nearly invisible trail of smoke up to the clouds. The action seemed easy, but Tav’s eyes were locked on the flame. Gale recognised that look: it wasn’t the strain or the effort that they were so intently focused on, but the beauty of the magic they had created. He had experienced such a feeling many times, when cultivating his relationship with the Weave. He could still remember the first time he had conjured an aurora above him, an imitation of skies he had only read of, or even the sheer joy of his first encounter with Tara.

“It’s beautiful,” he said simply. Tav did not reply. With their free hand, they once again took his. They placed the flame into the palm of his hand.

From the first moment he held it, Gale found that he could hardly breathe. It wasn’t strenuous to hold, but there was an unfamiliarity to it that he hadn’t experienced with his prior spells; not concentration, but something akin to it. He didn’t want it to be extinguished, didn’t want to exhale too sharply and blow it out.

“I know that fire isn’t alive, not really,” Tav murmured. He turned his gaze to them, finding them still staring at the flame. “But it feels like life to me.”

The logical part of Gale’s brain wanted to retort, to confirm their initial statement and discard the latter, but he knew to do so would be dishonest. After all, their words perfectly described what he had just experienced. Even if the fire wasn’t alive, it still breathed and held a fragility not unlike that of a small, living being. 

In his prime, Gale had cast countless Fire Bolt and Fireball spells, often to demonstrate their combative uses to students. But he had never wielded fire so carefully as he did now, had never seen it in such a delicate light. His fingers were pleasantly warmed by it, rather than the unpleasant heat he had previously encountered when expelling fire. His hand involuntarily twitched and the flame reacted, briefly growing in size before returning to its previous state.

In that moment, he understood something he hadn’t before.

After a few more moments, Gale extinguished the flame with a wave, an action that came naturally despite it being his first time.

“How did it feel?” Tav asked him.

“Alive,” he said.

Chapter Text

“Behind you!”

Gale immediately whipped around at the sound of Wyll’s shout, only barely dodging a vicious strike from the gnoll now in front of him. He struck it with his quarterstaff, eliciting a whimper from the beast as Astarion snuck up behind it and slashed his dagger across its throat. It staggered to the ground, blood pooling on the grass as it took its final breath.

“Thank you, Astarion,” Gale exhaled, wiping his brow. “That was certainly a close call.”

“Of course.” Astarion knelt down beside the gnoll and sliced off the creature’s ears, pocketing them in his alchemy pouch. At Gale’s disgusted expression, he scoffed. “What? Have you never brewed a Potion of Speed before?”

“I didn’t know you took an interest in the alchemical arts.”

“Darling, there are many things you don’t know about me.” With that, the vampire stood up, dusted off his clothes, and sauntered off.

It had only been an hour or two since Gale’s first druid lesson with Tav had drawn to a close, and yet the peace that they had enjoyed that morning now seemed worlds away. Gale’s gaze drifted to the druid, who was kneeling and tending to a shoulder wound Wyll had just acquired.

These gnolls had proven some of their strongest foes yet, and they had all been woefully unprepared. Tav had noticed the hyenas first, but hesitated to kill them in spite of Gale and Wyll’s warnings – a few moments later, and it was too late. Newly birthed gnolls, already covered in gore, descended upon them like a flock of impatient vultures. Gale admired Tav’s kindness in most situations, but was for once inclined to agree with Astarion that now had not been the time. As for whether they’d learned their lesson, he was uncertain. If their party had any luck – and that was a big “if” – they would never have to deal with those foul beasts again.

“Thank you, Tav,” Wyll groaned, lifting up his arm as the blue healing aura subsided. He peered over his shoulder to observe the wound and winced. “Augh. They did a number on me, that’s for sure.”

“If only we had Shadowheart here,” Tav sighed. “I’m hardly a replacement for her skills.”

“Don’t be so hard on yourself.” Wyll stood up and stretched before reaching a hand out to help Tav up. “We’re still alive, aren’t we?”

“Barely,” Tav replied, but Gale could see the corners of their mouth twitching into a smile. The two of them seemed to get on swimmingly. Gale wondered for a moment why they hadn’t offered to teach him the druidic ways instead.

“Well, I’ve looted all the bodies,” Astarion reported, haphazardly flicking his dagger in the direction of the gnoll corpses. “As expected, not much of use beyond their ears. Darling –” he turned to face Tav specifically “–next time you decide to risk all our skins, at least try to make it worthwhile, hmm?”

Tav flinched at his words. “I’m sorry. It hadn’t been my intention to endanger us.”

“I suppose I’ll have to forgive you,” Astarion huffed.

The sound of distant shouting interrupted their conversation. Tav’s eyes widened as a scream rang out.

“What was that?” Tav immediately sprang back into action, rushing towards the commotion. 

“What did I just say?” Astarion complained. The three remaining men exchanged glances before Wyll headed off after Tav, beckoning the other two to follow. 

“Bleeding heart,” Astarion grumbled.

Wyll gave him a look. “Empathy is nothing to be ashamed of.”

“Ha! You’re one to talk. Don’t forget, your empathy is the reason you’ve got those awful horns on your head.”

Wyll stopped dead in his tracks, stunned at Astarion’s words. “Excuse me?”

“Astarion,” Gale warned, but the vampire just sneered.

“What? It’s the truth. We all know it.”

“The truth is that Wyll sacrificed a great deal to save Karlach’s life,” Gale hissed. “I suppose we should all be grateful you weren’t put in such a position, since you clearly don’t care about anyone other than yourself.”

Astarion scoffed. “Ugh. You know what? I’m done. Have fun getting yourselves killed.”

“Astarion –” Wyll started, but the elf pushed past him, walking in the opposite direction they had been headed.

“Don’t listen to him,” Gale put a hand on the younger man’s shoulder. “He just likes to get a rise out of us.”

“I know, but –”

Another scream sounded in the distance, but something about it sounded distinctly familiar. Gale felt his blood run cold as the realisation hit him.

Tav.

He immediately broke into a sprint, Wyll close behind him. The two raced toward the sound.

There were more gnolls. Gale cursed the sight under his breath as his eyes frantically searched the area for a sign, any sign of where the scream had come from. The gnolls seemed to be surrounding something, but he couldn’t make out what it was from his current position. He glanced at Wyll. His face had gone pale.

“There are too many of them,” Wyll whispered. “We won’t be able to take them alone.”

“We can’t leave Tav here. They’ll be devoured.”

Wyll’s brow furrowed. “I… I know. Is that them there, surrounded by the gnolls?”

Gale took a few cautious steps forward, careful to avoid making any sounds. One of the gnolls sidestepped before attacking, allowing him a better view momentarily. Thank the gods , he thought, they were attacking another gnoll. A strange sight, to be sure, but there was no time to question it. He shook his head, and Wyll heaved a sigh of relief.

“Then we have some time,” the warlock said. “I’ll go back to camp and grab the others. Find Tav.” He paused for a moment, the exhaustion and fear obvious on his face. “ Please .”

Gale didn’t need further instruction. He used the last dregs of magic he could summon to Misty Step to a boulder he had spotted, still out of sight from the gnolls but close enough to better gauge the situation. There was blood everywhere, no indication who or what it came from. Gale could just make out two voices speaking in hushed Common from the nearby cave, but neither sounded like Tav. Still, they were probably his best bet at finding them. He crouched, sent out a silent prayer to whatever god might be watching, and rushed to the cave entrance he had spotted earlier.

After nearly being crushed by a boulder, Gale was finally inside. He could still hear the two voices still ahead, and after a moment of catching his breath, he started to head towards them.

Then: a weak, quiet cough.

Gale turned to see the origin of the sound and there, laying in a pool of blood, was –

“Tav,” he gasped, and hurried over.

He knelt beside them. Tav was crumpled into a ball, a deep gash on their side. They coughed again and winced as their body shuddered. More blood soaked through their torn clothes. Gale emptied his pack out onto the cave floor, combing through it for something, for anything that could be of use. Empty potion bottles clattered onto the floor. Gale paused for a moment, listening for any sign they had been heard, before continuing to search. An antidote, but they weren’t poisoned – an invisibility potion, a scroll for Flaming Sphere, miscellaneous books –

“Gale,” Tav croaked. He looked at them, and they offered him a weak smile. “Thank you,” they whispered.

Gale shook his head, guilt clawing up from inside his belly. “Don’t,” he whispered back. “I don’t have anything to heal you. I am so sorry.”

Tav blinked at him. He spotted a bottle of water from the corner of his vision and grabbed it, holding it out to them. They could barely lift their arm up to take it. Gale held their head up and with his other hand, helped them hold up the bottle as they drank.

“Wyll’s heading back to camp for reinforcements,” he informed them quietly. “Shadowheart will be here in no time at all, and Karlach and Lae’zel will take care of the gnolls. All will be well soon.”

Gale could hear the snarling of the gnolls from outside. The voices he had heard before were now yelling – he could smell distant smoke, hear the telltale cries of combat. The gnolls would be in the cave soon, then. He tried to lift up Tav, to move them somewhere safer, but his strength failed him. Instead, they just laid in his arms, now painted red in their blood. Tav’s eyes were locked onto his.

“Tav,” he whispered. “I have a Potion of Invisibility. You should drink it and hide. I’ve got a few cantrips I can still attack with, I’ll be able to hold my ground before the others –”

“No, Gale,” Tav rasped. “That’s suicide.”

“I’ve dealt with worse.” Gale’s retort was entirely unconvincing and he knew it. But he also knew that the way things were going, neither of them would survive. This way, at least, Tav might be able to.

“Don’t go,” they begged, quietly. Gale searched Tav’s eyes, still burning into his. “Please.” 

He felt his shoulders sag in defeat. “I can’t help you like this,” he tried to say, but they shook their head in response, grimacing in pain as they did so.

“Please don’t leave me,” they whispered. Gale’s stomach dropped.

“I…” he gulped. “I won’t leave you,” he finally agreed.

Tav let out a quiet exhale. He could feel their breath on his face, feel the soft heaving of their body as their lungs struggled to function. Gale breathed in and out with them in what felt like an exceptionally grim sequel to their earlier meditation. Still, it seemed to calm Tav, at least just a little, enough for their eyes to flutter shut. Gale’s heart nearly stilled, but he could still feel their breaths, just enough to know that they were still alive. 

Please don’t die, he wanted to beg them. Though he knew it would be useless, that his words wouldn’t help them at all.

He would keep them safe for as long as he could, hold them up so that they wouldn’t suffocate on their own blood. When – if the gnolls found them, he could pour the Potion of Invisibility down their throat. Shoot out a few Rays of Frost, slow down the inevitable. Pray that Tav could make it far enough in case the orb was detonated.

Gale kept as still as he possibly could, afraid that if he moved he might somehow further injure Tav. Where he was now was good; if he could just stay like this, then it would all be alright. Shadowheart would come with Wyll and cast Cure Wounds, perhaps wag her finger disapprovingly, but that would be the worst of it. They would survive this. They had survived a nautiloid crash, that battle with the ogres at the Blighted Village – they could deal with a few gnolls.

Minutes passed in silence. Tav kept their eyes shut, still in his arms, and Gale found himself regularly glancing down at their abdomen to make sure they were still breathing. The two of them had shifted into a slightly more comfortable position, Gale holding Tav more upright with his left arm while his right wrapped around their abdomen. It allowed for him to brush some of the bloodied hair out of their eyes and cast Prestidigitation to clean some of the blood off.

They were looking a little better for wear now, he thought. They just had to wait a little longer. Wyll would be back any second now –

“Shit!” he heard a familiar voice yell.

Karlach. Thank the gods.

By the time Tav was healed enough to leave the cave, it seemed that the group had come to the unanimous decision to leave further exploration for another day. Even Lae’zel, who usually insisted on pushing them past their limits, seemed to recognize what a close call the gnoll fight had been. They headed back to camp immediately. 

Tav, all things considered, seemed to be doing fine. They even joined the rest of the group for dinner. Astarion had stalked back into camp at some point but had quickly retreated to his camp without any semblance of an apology to Wyll; normally, Gale would be more annoyed, but he couldn’t find the energy to care. They had faced much more pressing matters only hours prior.

For the first time that day, Gale finally had some time to himself. He sat on his bedroll, already having changed into his nightclothes, and picked up one of the books they had found at the Blighted Village a few days ago. It seemed to be some sort of fantasy novel, and though Gale hadn’t read anything of that sort for some time, he was just not in the right headspace for an educational read. He just wanted something light to help ease his mind before he slept.

It only took a few pages for him to realise that yes, it was a fictional novel as he had suspected; furthermore, it was a romance.

Hm.

But he kept reading. It proved a decent distraction from the events of the day, just like he had hoped. Though when the two protagonists embraced for the first time, he was reminded of the warmth of Tav’s body when he had held them earlier that day.

Chapter Text

It was almost magical, Tav thought, what a good dinner and a full night of sleep could to a person. 

They were still covered in scratches, some that would likely develop into scars over time. The gash on their side – a jagged line along their ribcage – would definitely leave a mark. But when they touched it now, it was only a bit sore. Inconceivable to think of the mind-warping pain it had brought them just a day ago.

The gnolls. Tav had been so foolish, so naȉve to hesitate when it came to killing that hyena — stupid, too, to try and help those two men so soon after the first battle. When Tav had been laying there, bleeding alone in that cave, their mind was a whirlwind of regret and self-loathing. Nearly dead, and for what? They had recklessly rushed away to rescue strangers who, once they saw Tav, left them to die without a second thought and fled.

Then it was just Tav and the gnolls. Tav wasn’t quite dumb enough to think that they could handle the whole pack on their own. Thank the gods that somehow, they were able to come up with one good plan that day: they successfully convinced the leader of the gnolls to turn on their pack via their shared parasite link. Then it was just a matter of getting some distance.

They ran as fast as they could, but it wasn’t fast enough. One of the gnolls had descended on them, slashing with razor-sharp claws that tore through skin to the tender flesh below. Tav used up the last scraps of their magic to use Thunderwave, pushing away their assailant and limping away as quickly as they could. They rushed into the cave, where the two men were nowhere to be seen, and collapsed in some lone corner. 

Tav had felt with some certainty that they were going to die. Either they would bleed out on the hard stone floor, or the gnolls would find them first and slice them into ribbons. Had they any more energy, they might have found a better hiding place.

But the wound was too deep. It stained through their robes, onto the hand that they clutched their side with. Tav had no healing potions and no magic, all used up from the last gnoll fight; all they could do was wait. For what, time would tell. They could only hope that if they were going to die, then hopefully it would be from bleeding out, and maybe their corpse would be left alone for a while. Then, if Wyll or whoever wound up finding them, it might not be too late for a Scroll of Revivify.

Otherwise, well… Tav had seen the piles of gory viscera the gnolls had left of their meals. There was only so much magic could fix – not to mention, it wasn’t as though any of their party members would be able to recognize them solely by their innards.

When Gale had found them, the relief was overwhelming. The water he had given Tav felt like the most refreshing drink of their life; they hadn’t even noticed how parched their throat was, what with the blood pouring out of their side. Tav had no idea how long he was there with them for, nor how long they had waited before he arrived; memories of the cave were hazy at best, mostly just feelings rather than distinct events. Tav faintly remembered breathing in unison with Gale as they passed out in his arms. And when they came to, Shadowheart had already arrived.

How do you thank someone for saving your life?

It was an unfamiliar situation accompanied by a strange mix of feelings: guilt, mostly, but also a lot of gratitude, coupled with some embarrassment at having been in that situation to begin with. Had Gale chided them when they had been in the cave?.. no, Tav didn’t think so. A memory briefly resurfaced, him offering a Potion of Invisibility, before flickering out again. Trying to remember further only led to a headache. 

Tav laid in their bedroll for at least an hour, replaying fragments and trying to piece it all together. 

It was raining outside. They rationalized that maybe, that meant they’d take it easy today, that Lae’zel would finally slow her blistering pace. Childishly, Tav just wanted to spend the entire day in their tent resting, or maybe just avoiding everyone until the bits and pieces of yesterday faded away into irrelevance.

The question, again: How do you thank someone for saving your life?

Tav was more or less familiar with near-death experiences, both before and especially after the nautiloid. That one fight with the so-called paladin of Tyr was tricky to navigate, they recalled, but with Karlach newly at their side they still emerged victorious. But that time, and the times since and before it, Tav had been prepared with a few healing potions or spells at hand. They couldn’t remember a time where they had felt quite so helpless as they had in that cave with the gnolls.

Once they had been healed enough to speak properly, they had thanked everyone profusely. Shadowheart had rolled her eyes and made some comment about being more careful in the future, and they had gone back to camp without much further discussion. Gale’s eyes had been on them both during the walk back and later on at dinner. Whenever Tav glanced his way, though, he moved his attention elsewhere. 

They hadn’t properly spoken since the cave. The guilt gripped at Tav’s chest. They needed to thank him. Somehow.

Tav shifted into a sitting position and pushed aside the opening to their tent just enough to peer outside. The rain had calmed into a steady drizzle, quieter than the roar it had been when Tav had first woken up. No one seemed to be outside.

Tav closed their tent and stood up for a brief stretch. They had slept only in their underclothes, as usual. Much more comfortable than the other clothing they had with them, and preferable to nudity in case one of their companions decided to stop by for an unexpected visit. Their camp clothes and robes laid in a messy pile on the floor. As Tav leaned over to pick them up, they caught a whiff of blood and grimaced. When was the last time they had washed their clothes? Hells, when was the last time they’d washed themself?

Tav tied a towel around their body for some modesty and grabbed a bar of soap from their rucksack before heading out of their tent, dirty clothes in hand. They walked the now-familiar path to the nearby river – the one where Gale had found them sleeping a few days ago, they remembered sheepishly. Once there, Tav glanced around to ensure they didn’t have any unwanted company. All they could find was a pair of doves, sheltering in the jagged mountainside nearby. Hopefully they won’t mind me.

Tav removed their towel and set it on the boulder. It was, naturally, already wet from the rainy walk over. The realisation made Tav chuckle. Not the stupidest thing I’ve done in the last day, I suppose , and with that thought, they stepped out of their underwear and removed the thin top they had on. About time all of this was washed, anyway.

Tav placed all of their clothing on the boulder and took a deep breath before stepping into the water. It was cold, just as they’d expected; the sudden temperature change sent a shiver up their spine. It was followed by a rush of excitement. Bathing like this, in a river – in the rain – it felt so familiar, so nice. They pushed through the cold’s discomfort, stepping further into the stream until they were submerged up to the waist. Their tail helped them maintain balance when their feet nearly slid on the rocks beneath.

Washing off the dirt, sweat, and blood that had accumulated over their little adventure felt good . And even doing laundry afterwards was hardly a chore. It felt a little like a return to normalcy, like any moment now one of the druids they’d grown up with – Quercus, maybe, or Celandine – would pop out of the water and splash them, and they’d all erupt into laughter. But the nightmare of the parasite had been going on for too long for Tav to even momentarily dismiss it as a dream. They were far from home, with a wriggling creature in their head and still more battles to fight. 

Enough of that . Tav bent down into the water and dunked their head in, the cold shock successfully derailing their train of thought. They crouched down into the water and let their whole body submerge. It was only a few feet deep, and the current wasn’t particularly strong; perfect. Tav closed their eyes and let out a long breath. The cold wasn’t as biting anymore, and the rain drizzled on softly.

Pure bliss.

Time passed. The numbness enveloped them almost comfortably, only requiring them to splash around a bit to keep their blood flow moving. From a distance, Tav observed the doves they’d spotted earlier preening each other and let a content smile drift onto their face. 

I will survive this, they thought. I will be alright.

After a few more minutes, the drizzle eventually slowed to a halt. Tav could hear a distant hum in place of the rain, and stilled immediately. The sound grew louder, accompanied by footsteps.

Oh, hells.

Maybe the current had been stronger than they thought; they’d drifted a few metres away from the boulder where their clothes were. Tav began to wade over, careful not to slip and embarrass themselves even more.

“Hello? Is there anyone here?” a voice called out.

Tav immediately recognized it as Gale’s. After a moment of hesitation, they shouted back. “It’s just me.”

Gale’s footsteps came to a halt, still out of view. “Ah — hello! Apologies for interrupting, I wasn’t sure if anyone was out here. I’ll be on my way, then.” 

“Did you need something?”

Tav heard his feet shuffle in the dirt. “I have a bit of washing up and laundry to do — prestidigitation is great for general upkeep, but not ideal for long-term maintenance.”

Tav noted with some affection that Gale did not tone down his verbosity even when yelling. They’d waded back to their clothes boulder by then, Gale’s voice growing louder along the way. By the time they arrived, Tav was able to respond at a normal volume.

“I’m just about finished. If you give me a moment, you can have the river all to yourself.”

There was a pause before he spoke again. “Were you just going to let me keep yelling?”

“I wasn’t going to interrupt you.”

“I suppose that would be rather rude.” Tav could hear the smile in his voice.

They wrapped their towel around their torso, using it more to cover up than to dry off – it was still soaked from the rain, after all. “You can come out now.”

Gale emerged from the trees, a bag slung over his shoulder. He waved at Tav as he approached, and Tav returned the gesture.

“We shouldn’t keep meeting like this,” Tav joked, feeling a bit awkward.

Gale laughed. “On the contrary! I find our riverside chats to be most enjoyable.” He laid his bag down on the boulder and began to empty it as he kept talking. Tav noticed he wasn’t making eye contact. “How are you feeling? I’m glad to see you up and about, given your condition yesterday…”

“I’m feeling much better.” Gale was dressed in an off-white linen shirt, different than his usual camp attire – Tav noticed his purple tunic piled on the boulder with some other clothing. “Actually, I wanted to tell you… thank you, for yesterday.” 

“There’s no need to thank me.” His tone remained cheerful as he kept sorting through his things. “You’ve been nothing but generous to me; it’s the least I can do, to return the favour.”

“Gale…” Tav tried again. “Genuinely. I owe you –”

“Nonsense! If anything, I’ve only repaid a fraction of my debt to you.” Gale waved dismissively with one hand, the other still rifling. “I appreciate your gratitude, of course, but it’s truly nothing –”

“It’s not nothing,” Tav interrupted, frustrated. They stepped closer to Gale and placed a hand firmly onto his arm, finally forcing him to look them in the eyes. He blinked in surprise. “Gale, you saved my life.”

“Well, really, Shadowheart is the one to thank –”

“I have already thanked her.” Tav’s eyes were locked onto Gale’s, willing him to not look away again. “So now, I’m thanking you. I needed you, and you were there. Thank you.”

Gale swallowed.

“Thank you,” Tav repeated, quietly this time, and pulled him into a hug.

There were a few seconds – a few horrible seconds – where Gale stood, frozen in place, as Tav’s arms were wrapped around him. A wave of anxiety rushed through them: am I making him uncomfortable? Is this not okay?  

But then, tentatively, he wrapped his arms around them. Tav relaxed into his embrace and felt him do the same. His warmth seeped through their skin, still chilled from the river, and they shivered involuntarily at the sensation. 

“You’re wet,” he mumbled. Tav could feel his chest rumble as he spoke.

“Sorry.”

Neither of them moved. Tav found themself hoping he wouldn’t pull away. Gale’s hands rested near their shoulderblades. His chest rose and fell against theirs with every breath.  

It occurred to them, then: they were only wearing a towel. There was only a towel separating Gale from their exposed body, and his hands were already touching their bare skin. Tav sucked in a breath, suddenly nervous, the sensation of his body against theirs taking on a new meaning. They thought about stepping back.

But his beard tickled the side of their face, and now there were butterflies in their stomach; he smelled of a library, somehow, with a faint whiff of cologne. It was nice.

They felt one of his hands lift and prepared to step back, to apologise for the unexpected intimacy of their hug, but after a snap it was back in place.

He had cast Prestidigitation to dry their towel.

Tav chuckled, and he joined them. The rumble from his chest returned. Like a purring cat, Tav thought, and the chuckle grew into a full-throated laugh. Gale kept laughing, too, and a few moments later, they both took a step back as if in silent agreement. They caught their breaths. Gale regarded them with a small smile.

“Tav,” he started, his voice low. “Of course I came. You’re my friend . I couldn’t just let you die.”

“No, you could have,” Tav shook their head. “You could have waited until everyone had gotten to the cave, and it would have been safer; we have a few scrolls of Revivify. Or you all could have just left me for the gnolls, end of story. We haven’t known each other for so long, really –”

Gale’s brows furrowed. “Do you think so lowly of our company, that we would just leave you to die?”

Tav opened their mouth to reply before realising they had no idea what to say.

“Certainly, we’re all still strangers for the most part,” he continued, “but I suspect I’m not alone in feeling that we all need each other. Perhaps it’s fate, as Withers is so fond of saying. Perhaps it’s merely serendipitous chance. Nevertheless, we all owe our lives to each other at this point. I, myself, am indebted to you for the magical artefacts you’ve so kindly bestowed upon me.”

“I’d rather have an alive Gale than a locket to cast Dancing Lights with,” Tav mumbled. “It wasn’t much of a sacrifice.”

“Ah, but Dancing Lights is a great cantrip for reading at nighttime,” Gale wagged his finger at them. “Sounds like quite the sacrifice to me.”

Tav shook their head again, this time with a laugh. Gale hummed in satisfaction.

“Well… I’ve taken enough of your time. I’ll let you get back to your laundry,” Tav said, picking up their bundle of clothes. Upon lifting them up, they narrowed their eyes at the wizard. “Hey – when did you dry these?”

Gale winked in response before turning his attention back to his washing. Tav felt a flush creep up their cheeks.

“Fine,” they muttered, and began to head back towards camp. After Tav was confident they were far enough to be out of view, they paused in their tracks, a question having occurred to them. They leaned in and sniffed their laundry.

Disappointingly, it only smelled of the soap they’d used.