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Okay. Gale of Waterdeep may be many things - a powerful wizard, a fount of knowledge, a dab hand at embroidery.
But right now, he is a pain in my bloody arse.
The rain is pouring down, and at this point, Tav is just sick of it. It has been what feels like a monsoon for three long days, and she honestly believes she may never be dry again. She plods along through the mud, head bowed. Behind her, she can hear the squelching footsteps of her moody companion. On either side of the path great trees loom out of the darkness, their branches reaching out in the wind to grab the pair’s clothing and whip into their cheeks. It is long, slow work, and Tav is almost driven to tears when she once again must pause to rip her cloak free from an errant branch’s grasp. It seems the very forest itself wants to hinder their progress.
“Just face it Gale, we’re lost!” She cries out in frustration.
He turns to look at her directly for the first time in hours, and they scowl at each other.
“Tav, if you had just listened to me earlier, we wouldn’t be in this situation.”
“Oh sure, it’s always my fault, right? Because you can never do anything wrong, right? Is that right, Gale?”
He rubs his palm across his forehead forcefully as if trying erase his thoughts.
“Of course that’s not what I’m saying,” He hisses. “I’m merely pointing out that in this particular instance, it would have been wise for you to listen to me when I said I was sure of the direction!”
“Well, I didn’t! So here we are. What do we do now, Oh mighty and powerful Gale of Waterdeep? Please, impart some of your wisdom to this lowly commoner!” She knows she is in the wrong, but she can’t help herself being catty. She is just sick of him being so damn right all the time, especially when he is definitely so wrong in the other argument that they are currently having. The one that hasn’t been brought up since this morning.
He throws his hands up in exasperation.
“Fine – let’s go back the way we came and take the correct turning.”
And with that, he turns tail and begins striding back.
Tav scoffs, folds her arms, and waits for him to turn to check she’s following. But he doesn’t. Even angrier, she scurries away after his quickly vanishing figure before he disappears completely into the darkness.
--
After two more endless hours, a correctly navigated turning (this time), and a lot more rips to their cloaks, they turn a corner to find a large log gate, maybe twenty feet tall, set into an equally large wooden wall, and with a tiny hut next to it emitting a warm, flickering light. A face peers at them from a small window.
“Ho there, good sir!” Gale calls out jovially.
Tav rolls her eyes. Sure, he’s all smiles for this guy.
“We would like to enter the town; we are weary travellers seeking refuge for the night!”
Out of the hut steps a stooped old man with a scowling face and gleaming white hair to his shoulders.
“Travellers, hey?” He croaks. “Bit late in the day for good, gods fearing folk to show up. What business have you here?”
Gale puts on his most charming, innocent façade.
“Correct you are, sire – this is much too late in the night. Alas, my assistant here had the map upside-down, and led us far off our path!”
Tav scowls at him. The only thing keeping her silent is the thought of sinking into a warm, comfortable bed in the inevitable tavern that must only be a few feet away on the other side of the gate. So instead of doing what she wants to do, which is clap him round the ear, she gives her best ‘what am I like’ shrug to the gatekeeper.
The old man peers at them for a few more seconds, looking them up and down, checking for any potential danger. He seems to come to the conclusion that they are harmless, and beckons them towards the gate. He bangs on it once, twice, then calls out:
“Hark ‘ee, Tom – I’ve got two lost ones in for the night! Let Fio know!”
There is silence for a moment, then the sound of wood scraping against wood. A grunt comes from the other side of the gate, and then slowly it starts moving inwards.
Revealed behind is a small path, not unlike the one they are currently on, winding round to the left out of sight. Tav can see a half dozen wooden huts nestled in-between the trees. A tall man stares out at them, clearly judging them both for danger. Tav and Gale instinctively pull their cloaks tighter around themselves – Tav to hide her blades, Gale to cover his royal purple robes. The man's eyes narrow, and he seems to come to an internal decision that he doesn’t want to press them any further. Standing back, he raises his palm and gestures the two inside.
“The tavern is just down the way – ask for Fio. It’s a busy night, but he should still have something. Now...” The man looks behind him, presses his lips together, then back to the pair. “I know you’re both more than you seem. I also know trouble when I see it. And I am judging you both... to not be trouble. I’m usually right about these things, so you’re not going to prove me wrong today... right?”
Tav nods. Gale nods. The man nods.
“Good! Now off you go, and I don’t want to hear a peep.”
And off they go. As soon as they are out of earshot, Gale leans in close to Tav.
“I think that was the best welcome we could have expected.” he murmurs.
“We can’t blame them for being suspicious. Especially with us turning up at god-knows-what hour of the night. What time is it, anyway?”
Gale looks up to the sky, frowns a little, then back down to Tav.
“Past High Moon. Sunrise can only be a few hours away.”
Tav groans.
“I tell you what, Gale, I don’t care how run down this tavern ends up being – I just want to get out of these soaking clothes and into a bed.”
Gale hums in agreement, but his eyes are focussed ahead of them. A two story building has appeared in the darkness. Only a few windows still have light flickering from them. A sign hangs over the door - “The Rose”. The building looks basic, but cosy.
Before they walk in, Gale stops. He turns to Tav, clearly mulling something over.
“Look, I think we should...” he trails off. His dark brown eyes, almost black in the night, are darting over the floor.
Tav folds her arms, and gives him ten seconds (she counts) of silence before clucking her tongue.
“I think we should what, Gale?”
“I think we should put our... discussion on hold for the night. You said it yourself, it’s been a long night, we’re both exhausted. Can we call a truce?”
Her eyebrows jump up, almost to her hairline.
“A truce? You want to call a truce? You don’t get to call a truce, we are not done talking about this!” She hisses.
Gale rubs his eyes with his fingers and sighs. His shoulders seem to sag with exhaustion.
“I know we’re not done talking about it. I’m just saying I want some sleep. I promise... you can berate me in the morning.”
For the first time that day, Tav feels her anger ebb away a little. Gale is clearly at his wits end, and to tell the truth, Tav has had enough as well. She unfolds her arms, and, after a moment's hesitation, touches her hand to his forearm. At her touch, he takes his hands from his face and meets her eyes.
“Okay, Gale,” she starts. “a truce it is. But mark my words... after a good breakfast, we’re going to get right back to it, deal?”
His mouth quirks up in a crooked smile.
“Deal. Now for goodness' sake, let’s get inside.”
He strides forward and pulls at the door, stepping back to let Tav in first. She rolls her eyes at the gentlemanly gesture.
As they walk through the door, a wall of warmth and light hits them. A small bar room awaits, with a smattering of tables, and – most importantly – a hearth sits in the corner, with a still crackling fire blazing within. Only two people are there with them. A short, ruddy faced man stands behind the bar, with sparkling blue eyes, jet black hair, and a welcoming smile. This must be Fio. The other is a taller, thin woman sat across from him. She has a shrewd expression, but laughter lines that indicate she is much more mirthful than she seems. At their entrance, she rises.
“Good evening, little ones!” She cries. Tav smiles at the phrase – even though the woman is tall, both her and Gale tower over her. “You must be freezing. Come on in, come on in - Fio, for the love of the Gods, get them something warm!”
“Right you are, my love – some soup for you both?” The man behind the bar – Fio – scurries round to the hearth.
Gale holds his hands up, palms out, in front of him.
“You are too kind, but please – I can only humbly apologise for our rudeness, but we are so exhausted from the storm that I don’t even think I can sit and eat without falling asleep. Do you have some rooms to spare?”
The woman hums sympathetically.
“Of course – we will take you up now. But please, let us bring the soup up too. It’s the end of the night, it’s either going in your bellies or it’s to be tossed out the back door!” She waves a hand at Fio, who dutifully continues ladling out the steaming food into two bowls. “Follow me up, both of you.”
She starts out to the back of the room, where Tav can see a thin, wonky staircase. Before the woman gets to the base, however, she stops.
“Wait a second - I’m so sorry, did you say rooms? As in, more than one?”
“Yes please.” Gale and Tav speak in unison. After the day’s hike, Tav is absolutely desperate for a few hours away from the wizard. The woman’s face twists into a grimace.
“I’m so sorry,” Tav’s stomach drops as she realises what the woman is about to say. “there’s only the one left – the storm has meant we’re a lot busier than usual!”
Truce be damned, Tav audibly groans in disappointment. Gale whips his head round to face her, with a curious look on his face. Almost... hurt?
“It’s okay.” He mutters, voice low. “I can sleep on the floor.”
Tav feels a strange surge of guilt. “Don’t be silly, Gale, we can -”
“Lead the way, please.” He cuts Tav off with a snap, and strides forward to follow the woman, who shrugs, then continues up the stairs.
Tav’s mind whirls for a second. Why on earth did he give her that look? And why is he so pissed off with her? It’s not her fault they have to share a room!
She hurries up after them, and reaches the second floor to find the woman holding open a door to a small but comfortable looking room, with...one double bed.
“Let me know if either of you need anything else,” The woman is saying to Gale, who has already entered the room and dumped his pack on the floor. “Fio will be up in just a second with your soups. Sleep well – I'm Tara, by the way, in case you need me.”
“Thank you, so much, Tara,” Gale smiles warmly at her. “We appreciate you both going out of your way for us.”
Tara raises a hand in farewell, then turns and closes the door behind her.
Tav throws her pack on the bed, then whirls round to face Gale.
“What the hell was that about, Gale? I’m sorry that we have to share a room, but I never said you had to sleep on the floor, so don’t even get all -” He holds up a hand to silence her, eyes still fixed on the door.
“Don’t just raise your hand at me and try to shut me up, you-” Two knocks ring out. Gale raises his eyebrows in a ‘See?’ kind of way, then opens the door to reveal Fio, two bowls of soup balanced on one hand.
“Here you go – it's not the fanciest thing in the world, but it’s warm, and will fill your bellies,” He proclaims. “Sleep well, both of you!”
“Most kind, Fio – we appreciate the hospitality.” Gale still has that infuriating smile on his face. He takes the soup and places it down on the rickety table in the corner.
The second the door is shut behind Fio, Gale's face drops into a scowl.
“I’m not the one who’s pissed off about sharing a room,” He immediately hisses, as if there hadn’t been an interruption at all. “I couldn’t care less! But did you have to make that noise? Like you couldn’t think of anything worse than to spend another second with me?”
Tav’s mouth hangs open, flabbergasted. Gale turns away and begins setting out his bed roll on the floor, as far away from the bed as possible.
“What do you mean?! I thought you wanted to have your own space as well?”
Gale scoffs, still facing away. “Of course I do, I just didn’t think the idea of sharing a room was so disgusting to you. Let’s just go to bed.”
Tav dithers for a moment, bewildered by Gale’s reaction. Had she...hurt his feelings? She feels a sad twist in her stomach. She never intended to upset him. Even with their current discussion, she still cares deeply about his wellbeing. After all, that is what the whole damn argument had been about in the first place.
“It’s not disgusting to me,” she says in a small voice. Gale stills. “I just... we’re tired, I’m stressed about today. I’m sorry.”
He half turns his head. “It’s okay, Tav, let’s just get some sleep.”
Tav pauses, then decides to leave it. She crawls under the blanket, then undresses down to her small clothes, keeping the bed covers firmly on top of her so she doesn’t expose herself. Gale blows out the single candle, and the room is plunged into darkness. She hears him rustling around, settling in for the night, and then quiet falls. Tav rolls over to look at him. She can only see his silhouette now, broad shoulders rising and falling gently with his breathing. She finds herself not wanting to go to sleep. She has no idea what to say.
“Gale?” she whispers.
She hears his breathing pause.
“...Yes, Tav?”
“Are you asleep?”
Another pause.
“Obviously not?”
She flushes.
“You know, you don’t have to sleep on the floor. I can sleep there if you’d rather have the bed?”
She can almost hear Gale roll his eyes.
“Tav, of course I’m not going to let you sleep on the floor. I’m fine here!”
Tav frowns.
“What, so I’m some delicate flower who can’t rough it? You know we’ve been camping in the woods for weeks now?”
Gale groans, and she hears him roll over.
“Are you trying to start a fight? What on earth is with you tonight?”
She sits up.
“What do you mean, what’s with me? What’s with you ?!”
“Oh for God’s sake...”
“Don’t ‘Oh for God’s sake’ me!”
Gale throws his bed roll off and jumps up. He stands tall, and Tav’s stomach drops as she realises he has stripped down to his small clothes to sleep.
He is glaring at her, eyes blazing, shoulders heaving. She finds herself unable to stop her eyes roaming over his chest, hard and muscled, with dark brown hair scattered down from his collarbone to his navel. A pool of warmth coils deep in her stomach, and she finds herself involuntarily squeezing her thighs together.
“What is it going to take for you to shut up?” he hisses.
Tav’s mouth hangs open. She’s never heard him sound so venomous before.
“You want to talk about it? Fine – let's talk about it. You don’t get to decide what I do with my life, Tav.”
And here it is. The truce has seemingly been thrown aside. They’re going to have this discussion now.
“Gale, I can’t accept that. I’m not trying to decide what you do with your life, but I just can’t accept what you want to do.”
Gale throws his hands up in exasperation.
“It is not your problem, Tav! This is the burden I have been given! It is the cleanest, most logical solution, the one that makes the most sense!”
“For fucks sake, Gale!” Tav explodes. “I’m not going to let you kill yourself!”
The words hang in the air as they stare at each other. Tav’s heart is pounding, blood coursing throughout her body. Gale’s eyes are wild. Since Elminster had appeared a few days ago, and warned Gale that he had the equivalent of a city-levelling bomb caged within him, Gale had been set on harnessing the power to rid the world of the scourge of the mysterious Absolute. Tav could appreciate the sentiment, however, what she could not abide was the fact that Gale would have to sacrifice his own life to do it.
His voice croaks as he responds, much quieter than Tav expected.
“Why does it matter?”
Tav can feel her heart break as she looks up at him. His eyebrows are scrunched up, his mouth downturned, and he looks utterly defeated. She peels the bed cover off herself, and slowly rises to stand in front of him.
“Gale...” she starts, but can’t seem to find the right words. He takes a deep, shuddering breath and closes his eyes tight, as if looking at her causes him physical pain.
“Gale,” she tries again, voice stronger this time. Still, his eyes remain closed. She reaches out, hesitating for only a second, then touches her fingers to his chest. Electricity surges from the tips of her fingers, crackling down her arm, into her heart. He gasps, and his eyes flicker open to meet hers. “It matters to me.”
Once more, silence falls between them. Tav can feel that this is one of those moments, one of those crucial few instants that will dictate how the rest of her life will turn out. Slowly, so slowly, she takes a step closer. His eyes remain fixed upon her own, almost black in the moonlight. He raises a hand, and places it over Tav’s, over his heart.
“It does?” He whispers. Tav’s heart once more skips a beat. How can this man, this incredible, powerful, astonishing man, be so unsure? So unwilling to believe or understand the impact he has on the people around him? Tav’s blood is thundering in her ears as she nods. They are inches apart now. It seems so natural, so inevitable, what to do next. She raises her chin up to him, infinitesimally, and waits. He hesitates for a second, then responds, bowing his head to hers. Her eyes flutter shut, and she leans in. After a second, she can feel his lips ghosting over hers. His breath stutters. She removes her hand from his chest, and winds it slowly up his neck, into his long, dark hair.
They stay like that for a second, until Tav can’t take it anymore, and gently pulls him closer. Their lips meet, and Tav feels a bolt of lightning surge from the point of contact, coursing through her body, all the way down between her legs. She gasps into his mouth, and she knows Gale feels it too, as his arms are suddenly around her, holding her close to him, kissing her in earnest. Her mouth drops open, and his tongue finds hers. They both groan against each other, and Tav winds her arms around his neck, holding him close to her.
Tav’s stomach twists as she whines into his mouth. Her thoughts start to fog as she runs out of air, and just at the last moment pulls away, gasping. Gale seems similarly affected, and places his forehead upon hers gently, sweetly, in contrast to the way his hands still cling to her desperately.
“Tav...” His voice cracks. “Where did that come from?”
She breathes out a small laugh.
“I couldn’t think of another way to show you.”
He huffs back his own chuckle.
“Could you show me again? I’m not sure I got it the first time.”
Tav’s face breaks out into a broad grin, and she buries her face into his neck. Heat is coiling and pooling deep in her belly, and she makes the snap decision. She pulls at his arm to turn him, then pushes him gently until the back of his knees hit the side of the bed. He thankfully takes the hint, and sits in front of her. His eyes look almost black as they bore into her own, and Tav’s heart soars at the gentle way he holds her hand to help her keep her balance as she climbs up to settle astride him, one thigh on either side of his hips. He winds an arm around her waist, holding her chest to his safely, as they continue to gaze at each other.
“Is this okay?” She whispers. He smiles up at her, then raises an eyebrow.
“Does it feel okay?” He murmurs, then shifts his hip slightly. As he does so, Tav can feel his hardness pressing up against her, and she gasps at the pressure of him between her legs, exactly where she needs him. She places each hand on either side of his face, thumbs gently stroking his cheeks as she leans down to kiss him again, squirming against him.
He kisses her back, ferociously, and runs a hand down to grip at her hip. He squeezes, pulls her in a fraction, then releases. He does it again. Tav whines into his mouth as he rhythmically presses her most sensitive spot against him, knowing it’s not enough. She helps, rutting herself against him shamelessly, and now it’s his turn to groan, and they become lost in each other. She knows he can feel the wetness between her legs through her small clothes, and it allows her to slide against him without friction.
Fire courses through her body as pressure begins to build. She is clinging to him, gasping, pleading for more, more, and he is obliging, pulling her against his hardness relentlessly, his chest rumbling as he groans against her, she is so warm, too warm, she can’t take it, her thighs start to shake, and right at the crucial moment he pulls her even tighter against him and juts his hips against hers, and now she is falling, white heat pulsing throughout her, ringing in her ears so loud she can barely hear him whisper her name, telling her how good she is being, how sweet, how perfect, and she cries out as her orgasm washes over her.
She clings to him as she starts to come down, trembling against his chest. He is peppering her cheeks and neck with soft kisses and praise, murmuring into her how good she feels against him. Eventually, her breathing starts to slow and she raises her head, meeting his eyes and leaning down to kiss him lazily.
He hums against her lips, and she knows that she will do anything she can to make him feel how good she feels. She pulls away, lifting herself off him and standing up, and he whines in protest for a moment before she kneels before him and he realises what she’s doing. She gently pushes his knees apart and settles between his legs, gazing up at him. His chest is heaving as his breath catches, staring at her as if she was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.
She glides her fingers up his shins over his knees, coming to rest on his thighs, and kneads her thumbs, causing him to sigh and lean back on his hands, eyes fluttering shut and head lolling back. She leans forward and kisses him softly through his small clothes. His head snaps back up and he watches her give small, light kisses up and down his length. His mouth falls open slightly and a small moan escapes him.
His hips twitch as he wrestles with keeping still, and Tav can tell he is trying to let her take her time, but desperate for more. She hooks her fingers over the edge of his small clothes, and he pushes his hips off the bed momentarily to help her ease them off. She throws them to the side, and he is bare before her, magnificent and long, pink and trembling, and a small bead of liquid pooling at his tip. She can’t resist but to lean forward and lap at the salty flavour, and Gale emits a groan, deep from his chest as he squeezes his eyes shut tight in the effort to keep still. Tav smiles, and decides to keep him wanting for just a little longer, placing the flat of her tongue against his tip and circling. He gasps and lets out a curse. Tav’s eyebrow raises – she has never heard him swear before.
“Gale, I had no idea you even knew such language!”
“Tav,” he whines, knuckles white as he clings to the sheets. “Please, I can’t keep… fuck!” She laps at him again.
Tav is almost embarrassed at how much Gale using such foul language is is making her aroused again, and she can feel the familiar warm wetness starting to pool in her already ruined underclothes once more.
She takes pity on him, running her tongue from the base of him up to the tip, before taking him fully in her mouth. The sudden change has him letting out a strangled cry, and he slaps his own hand over his mouth to try and stifle the noise. The sight and sound makes Tav’s stomach drop, and she moans around him as she starts moving in earnest, up and down, taking him as deep as she can, right to the back of her throat. Her jaw is already aching with the size of him, but she is determined to make him feel good, so keeps going even as spit pools at the edge of her mouth and runs down her chin. He is leaning back on his elbows now, watching her intently, mouth hanging open and eyebrows furrowed as he keens and groans.
“You are so beautiful… you look so beautiful like that,” he whispers, and she moans around him again, the vibration making him hiss. She can’t help but run a hand between her legs, dipping her fingers into her underclothes, almost shocked at how wet she is, and starts circling her clit, muffled moans tumbling from her endlessly now, as Gale watches her, eyes wide.
Suddenly, he screws his eyes shut, sits up, and winds his hand into her hair, gently pulling her off him. She whines in protest, but he shushes her softly.
“Beautiful girl, I am going to-”
“I know, Gale,” Tav interrupts, and leans down once again, making him gasp in surprise as she takes him in to the back of her throat. She moans around him to let him know how much she wants this, how much she needs him to finish inside her. His voice cracks with another groan as his hand tightens, seemingly involuntarily, in her hair. She makes a muffled moan of appreciation, and lets him see her put her hand back between her legs to show him that she wants him. She continues to play with her clit, circling herself over and over as she bobs back and forth on his cock, saliva streaming down onto her chest now. He is grunting over her, keening with every breath as his hand continues to hold her hair tight. The tension of her hair being pulled only heightens the feeling between her legs, and she can feel the pressure build again as she knows she is done for. Her whines, muffled by him, get higher pitches as he starts muttering praise over and over, swearing and praying as she brings him to his own edge.
“Tav, I’m going to… fuck!” He cries, as he grips her hair, almost tighter than she can bear. The strange orb on his chest glows lilac, and her name comes tumbling from his lips as he crashes over the edge, cock twitching in her mouth and spilling saltiness down her throat. The feeling sends her falling after him, and she squeals around him as she comes against her own hand, tears streaming down her face as her lower half throbs with pleasure.
Eventually, the ringing in her ears subsides, and she swallows the last of him down as she releases his cock with a wet popping noise from her mouth. He is laying back on the bed, his hands over his face, stomach rising and falling with each stuttering breath. On shaking knees, Tav rises and climbs up the bed to lie beside him. At this, he reaches an arm down to her and pulls her close to his chest.
He smiles at the ceiling, eyes still screwed shut. “Tav, it’s not often that you find me lost for words, but…” he trails off as she giggles into his neck.
“Then we’ll talk in the morning.” She murmurs into him. He hums in agreement and squeezes her close, leaning down to place a small kiss on her forehead. Her heart swells as she returns the kiss to his neck, and they both feel the inevitable pull of sleep take them.