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When they woke up this morning, Halsin was gone. At first, no one thought anything of it; everyone knew the druid liked to spend parts of his day in wildshape while they were making their trek to Baldur's Gate, but usually he wouldn't wander far.
The party waited an extra hour after sunrise, even though it was crucial not to lose daylight, for they had to get to the city as fast as possible. When they didn't see any signs of Halsin though, man or bear, Tav went out to look for him. She didn't mention to the rest how worried she was. Halsin was always the one to help everyone pack up their tents in the mornings, and setting them up again in the evenings. He wouldn't leave his own tent and not come back for it.
'Halsin!' Tav called. She hated being loud and giving away her position, but she didn't know how else to find him in this dense forest. As a bear, his hearing would be twice as sensitive as hers and cover a larger area. If anyone of the Absolute's army would hear her and attack, she could just disappear in the trees as if she was invisible. That was one of the many advantages of forests.
She continued searching for what felt like at least another hour until big blood spatters on the forest floor caught her attention, and her breath hitched. They looked fresh. She quickened her step while following the blood trail. She was quiet now, not wanting to make anything aware of her presence; anything could be at the end of this trail. All her caution melted away, however, when she saw a big pile of fur through the trees. She could recognise that coat anywhere.
'Halsin!' she shouted, running towards the bear, but stopping about two arm-lengths away. Something was terribly wrong. The bear was laying on his side, eyes closed, his breathing shallow. His front was covered in blood, his snout, chest, and front paws glinstering red in the sunlight that trickled through the canopy. The smell of iron made Tav feel dizzy for a second. Her gaze caught on his left front-paw where a huge, sharp-teethed bear trap was stuck around it.
She edged towards it and examined the trap. She had never disarmed a bear trap before, but her experience with all other manner of traps gave her enough insight in the workings of this one. If she took care of those springs holding it closed, it would fall open and release Halsin's paw.
She took out her tools from her pack and got ready to work, but when she touched the trap, Halsin's eyes suddenly flew open, and he lifted his head and roared in Tav's face. Startled, she fell on her back and quickly created distance between her and the bear's maw, kicking at the bloodied dirt at her feet.
Her heart was racing and it took her a while to regain her composure. When she did, the bear was looking ar her wearily, still panting, but it seemed to have lost its burst of aggression. Tav got up on one knee and held out her hand.
'Halsin, it's me. I'm here to help,' she said. A few seconds passed with both Tav and Halsin regarding each other motionlessly. Then, Halsin slowly put his nose against Tav's hand and whined.
'There you go,' she said while stroking his nose and shuffling closer to him again. 'This shouldn't take long.' She picked up her dropped tools and set to work.
It wasn't as easy as she'd hoped. The springs of the trap were slippery from all the blood, making it hard to deal with them, but after a couple of curses from her, and a few painful whines from the bear, the trap finally fell open.
Halsin tried to get up, but he looked so weak, standing on three paws, holding the injured one up with blood dripping from the soaked fur. He must've lost a lot of blood. At this moment in time, Tav cursed herself for never having learned the arts of healing.
'Can you heal yourself, or do I need to get Shadowheart?' Tav asked, not being able to keep the worry from her voice. As she held his gaze, Halsin's eyes started glowing a yellow light, and his wildshape disappeared as he collapsed on his knees, a man once more.
Tav lowered herself next to him and put a hand on his broad shoulder. Halsin's face was contorted in pain, while he cradled his left arm against his chest, soaking his clothes with blood. Slowly, he looked up at the tree canopy, his breathing uneven.
'Oak Father, please aid me,' he prayed, not without effort. He closed his eyes again, and for a second, nothing happened. Tav held her breath. Then, a blue light engulfed him. His right hand, which was holding his injured arm, glowed, shafts of bright light spilling from his fingertips.
The mangled flesh of his wrist started to knit together again, bones shifted back in their original positions. Halsin grunted in pain and all Tav could do was stand by and watch. When the glowing light disappeared, his wrist looked normal again. Well, as normal as a limb can look when covered in entirely too much blood. Halsin fell forward on his hands and panted.
'Let's get you back to camp,' Tav said, sliding her arm around his and pulling him up. She liked to believe her support was helping, but strength wasn't her strongest pursuit and Halsin probably barely noticed she was there when he stood up with effort.
'Thank you, for finding me,' Halsin said while they slowly started walking, Tav still holding his arm, hoping at least the emotional support of it would help. 'It truly saddens me someone would leave out a trap like that. It's not right.' The angry tone in his voice didn't escape Tav's notice. She felt something flutter in her chest. This man, who cared so much about all living things, about the forest around them, and the earth they walked on, didn't deserve any of the cruelties mankind afflicted. She squeezed his arm and looked at him.
'Don't thank me. We look out for each other. It's why we're all together. It's what we do,' she said, thinking of everyone back at camp. If any of them were missing, she would go out and find them, no matter what.
It took them longer to return to camp, than it had taken Tav to find Halsin. The man was exhausted and had lost a lot of blood. The sun had left its position from the highest point in the sky and had started making its journey westward, transforming the place in a painting with golden light and long shadows.
'We're not leaving today,' Tav said to her companions as they entered the camp. Everyone was lounging around, not letting the opportunity of having an extra day of rest slip by.
'Mmm, someone is smelling absolutely delicious. I'd like to take a nibble if you don't mind,' Astarion said lazily while looking up at them, laying on his back on the mat in front of his tent, his hands behind his head, one leg crossed over the other. Halsin chuckled softly.
'Not now, Astarion. I'm afraid I don’t have any blood left to spare.
'Pity.'
Tav took Halsin to the spring behind the camp. When they discovered it yesterday evening, they immediately chose this place to settle down for the night. It was everyone’s first proper bath since the battle at Moonrise Towers, maybe even since this whole adventure had started. The water was clear and streamed merrily over a rocky terrain. At some points it was deep enough to come up to your chest, or a little below that point in Halsin’s case.
Now Tav guided Halsin to a rock on which he slumped down with a sigh. Beads of sweat pooled on his forehead, and he looked so pale. She handed him her water flask.
'Here, drink.'
Halsin took the flask and took some big gulps. Meanwhile Tav took a clean rag from her pack and soaked it in the spring. Birds twittered overhead and in the trees. The sound of the streaming water calmed her again after the stress of seeing Halsin wounded.
'Let's get you cleaned up,' she said as she approached him again, 'Otherwise Astarion might not be able to contain himself.' She wiped at the blood and sweat on his forehead.
'Tav,' Halsin began with a breathy voice while lightly grabbing her wrist. 'You've done enough for me already. I can handle it.' Tav's skin tingled in the place where his fingers touched.
'I know you can,' she replied, 'but I want to help. Let me take care of you.' Halsin frowned and looked at her intently. Then he let go of her wrist and nodded. Tav immediately missed the warmth of his touch, but set to work cleaning his face. He closed his eyes and a few times Tav swore she felt Halsin lean into her touch.
'I must admit I don't remember ever having someone help me in this way. Forgive me for not knowing how to... behave.'
Tav felt a slight ache in her chest at his words. Halsin never did anything selfish, he dedicated his life to helping others and bringing harmony between nature and mankind. He deserved so much more than the world had given him.
'There's nothing to forgive. I'm sorry you were deprived of this for so long.'
When she finished cleaning his face, she rinsed the rag in the water.
'Is it okay if I take this off?' Tav asked as she gestured at Halsin's blood soaked shirt.
'Of, course. Let me just-' He grunted as he tried to pull it over his head, so Tav quickly helped him get rid of it.
Her breath caught as the sun fell on the muscles of his bare chest. Even covered in blood, he looked like a god.
'I guess this isn't what I imagined you undressing me for the first time would be like,' Halsin said with a chuckle. Tav felt heat rise up to her cheeks and she quickly turned away, concealing her movements by pretending to concentrate on soaking the blood from his shirt in the cold spring water, afraid her face would look like a tomato if he could see it now.
Was he- flirting with her? She had thought he had no interest in her. Not after his polite rejection at the party, after they had saved the Tiefling refugees and The Grove from the Goblins. Tav had put her attraction to him aside, but it had not disappeared.
She wrung out his shirt and laid it out on a rock to dry. 'What did you imagine it would be like?' She tried to make her voice sound nonchalant, and prayed to whatever god was listening that he didn't hear the quiver that slipped her control.
"Mmh,' she heard Halsin smile, 'Less- bloody,' he replied. That's something she could definitely relate to.
Without further words she helped him clean the blood from his torso, but now infinitely more aware of how close she was to him. She couldn't help letting her fingers linger on his skin longer than was necessary a few times. If Halsin noticed, he didn't mention it, however, Tav swore she saw his eyelids flutter shut at her touch once or twice.
She carefully took out the braids from his hair, made difficult by the strands sticking together because of the blood. She combed it out with her fingers and washed it with water.
'I haven't felt this relaxed since before my time as Archdruid. I apologise if I accidentally doze off. Your touch feels like a blessing,' Halsin said, arching his neck as Tav let her fingers slide over his skull, his eyes closed. She smiled, feeling her shyness melt away slowly as she gazed down upon his blissed expression.
'Stop apologising, big guy.' She turned around him slightly, so she was standing in front of him now instead of behind, and let her fingers glide down slowly over the side of his face.
Before she lost her nerve, she bent down and kissed him on his cheek.
She heard his breath hitch. She let her lips linger slightly, noticing his musky scent now that the blood was not there to overpower it anymore.
As she stood up again, Halsin opened his eyes. She couldn't read his expression; was he about to reject her again, having flirted with her only because it came naturally? She cursed herself for her bad timing. Halsin was exhausted, had lost a lot of blood and needed sleep and rest, not her weak attempt at seduction. Or, she mused hopefully, was he actually looking at her with... yearning? She didn't dare believe.
'Tav-'
'I'm sorry, let me... I'll just...' she stammered quickly, gesturing vaguely back at camp, not really knowing what she meant or wanted. Halsin weakly lifted his hand towards her and lightly grazed her side with his fingers.
'Stop apologising and come here to me.'
Tav didn't let him tell her twice and with deft movements, she sat down in his lap, grabbed his face, and captured his lips with her own. He put his hands around her waist and hummed contently. His lips were soft and sweet and everything she had imagined while alone in her tent at night. Her heart fluttered against her ribs and she was convinced it would break free and fly away. When she felt his tongue lazily touch her lips, she opened them and let him in, as she buried her fingers in his long, soft hair. They let their tongues gently explore each other's mouths until Tav felt dizzy and had to come up for air.
'I didn't dare hope. Not after the party,' she whispered and pressed her lips against his again.
'I wanted to wait,' he moved away ever so slightly, 'until I could be yours entirely, until after the Shadow Curse,' Halsin said with a raspy voice, pressing his forehead against hers.
'You could've told me.'
'I didn't want to bring your hopes up, when the chance was likely I'd fail.'
Tav playfully nudged his nose with hers. 'It wouldn't have made a difference to me. I stand by your side no matter what. Even if you failed, I would've stayed.' Halsin shook his head and looked down.
'That would've been a mistake. Others need you.' Tav put her hands on his cheeks again and lifted his head so he had to look at her.
'And I need you, Halsin.'
He looked at her for a second, his eyes so soft, before leaning towards her again. Tav put everything she felt for him, everything she didn't dare say in the past two months, everything she had locked away in her heart, not expecting ever having need of it again, in the kiss. Halsin's touch was eager, but gentle. They both drank each other in like rain after a drought. Tav didn't worship any gods, but if she did, she would fall on her knees and thank them for this moment, for the rest of her life.
Halsin pulled her closer against him and he moaned as she shifted against the bulge in his pants. He broke the kiss and chuckled. Tav didn't believe she had ever heard a more beautiful sound.
'I must stop, or I won't be able to resist my cravings for you,' he said. At his words, Tav felt heat pool between her legs, but she nodded, not able to contain a smile. They had time to explore each other... more extensively, in the future, but now Halsin needed rest. With reluctance, she got up from his lap. She held onto his shoulder, not wanting to let go of him, and not trusting her gooey legs to hold her weight yet.
When Halsin stood up, he bent down again to give her one more, long kiss, during which Tav pressed her hands against his bare chest. Then, they made their way back towards camp.
During supper, Tav kept stealing glances at Halsin, most times discovering he was already looking at her as well. If the others noticed, they didn't show it... yet. Tav was sure she wouldn't hear the end of it during the remainder of their journey to the city. If there was anything they loved more than sleep and wine, or blood in Astarion's case, it was tea, the metaphorical kind.
The sun completely disappeared across the horizon and crickets started performing their orchestrations. The forest quickly cooled down and everyone gathered close near the fire, which Karlach stoked up some more. Tav noticed Halsin's eyes kept falling shut, so she sat down next to him and guided him to lay down with his head in her lap. She ignored Wyll's obvious smirk, Karlach's eyebrow wiggling and Shadowhearts pointed looks. Astarion sighed.
'At least some of us know how to stay warm properly, it seems,' he said with a drawl.
Tav stroked Halsin's hair and looked down at his content face, hoping no one saw the flush she felt in her cheeks.
'I hope that included me, because I'm always hot as fuck,' Karlach said in a singsongy voice.
'Aww, want me to come to your tent tonight and be your big spoon, Astarion?' Gale said jokingly while prodding Astarion's arm with his elbow. Astarion tsked.
'I'd rather cuddle up with Scratch,' he replied disapprovingly.
'Probably for the best,' Gale said, 'Otherwise I might wake up with two puncture wounds in my neck come dawn.
'If I find you anywhere near Scratch with those teeth I will come for you,' Wyll said to Astarion, the latter waving his hand dismissively.
'Get in line already.'
Tav let the chatter fade to the background and focused on the feeling of her fingers gliding through Halsin's hair. His breath had already slowed down, indicating he had fallen asleep. Her heart felt so full. How was she this lucky? Well, aside from the whole tadpole situation of course, however, even that didn't feel so bad right now. If it wasn't for the Illithid behind her eye, she and Halsin never would've met. There's no way she would want it any other way now. She didn't know what the future held, if they would be able to destroy the Absolute and its army, if they would get to live normal lives afterwards, but she knew she'd be fine as long as Halsin was at her side.