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Since the day she had been summoned, Tara knew that Gale Dekarios would be her charge for the rest of his life. Even though the young wizard had the kindest of hearts, he was full of mischief and ambition, correlating to a lifetime of duty for her. And did he ever put her to the test. With every passing year, it seemed as though he found a new situation to entangle himself in for which she had to help him unravel. Nothing, however, could prepare her for what was to come when he fell in love with a goddess. She had to watch as her best friend spiraled deeper into obsession, only to end up with a magic-eating and life-threatening orb buried deep in his chest.
Tara spent months searching everywhere for objects to satiate the orb and keep her ward alive. Seeing Gale withering away as the goddess he loved shunned him made the magical creature even more protective of her little mage. She tried her best to keep his hopes alive. Yet as each lonely day passed in their tower, she found herself growing ever more despondent for him and his broken heart.
The day Gale was abducted, Tara very nearly went mad. That day, her wizard had finally decided to leave his tower for the first time in a year. It was also the day that a Nautiloid darkened the sky and snatched him away from her. She did not know if he was dead or alive. Even if he was still alive, she knew it would only be a matter of time before the orb in his chest exploded. The frantic search for her pet was on.
When Tara finally located him outside of Baldur’s Gate, Gale was not alone. In fact, he looked healthier and happier than he had in months. He was surrounded by a motley group of companions he called his friends, but it did not take long for Tara to notice the way Gale deferred to one in particular: a dark-haired half-elf named Helyne. It was obvious that she was the leader of the group, even though Tara knew her mage would have made a better one. After all, he knew the difference between a cat and a tressym. The cleric had been lucky she had not received a fireball thrown at her like she had been considering when the word ‘cat’ had left her lips. At least she was satisfied that Gale was still alive and well.
Without Gale’s notice, Tara remained nearby so he could not slip through her paws once more. As she watched over him, it became clear why Gale’s demeanor had changed so much in the months he had gone missing. He was in love! And not in love with just anyone, but that annoying cleric Helyne. Tara debated marching right up to Mr. Dekarios and letting him know what a huge mistake he was making. Had he not gotten himself into trouble previously by falling in love with someone who was supposed to guide him? Yes, she knew it would do no good to speak her mind to him. The poor darling still had a tadpole in his brain and a magical bomb in his chest. He had enough troubles to worry about at the present moment. Figuring it was best to keep her thoughts to herself for the time being, she waited and watched.
Tara was never more proud, nor relieved, when Gale defeated the Netherbrain and decided to hand that cursed Crown of Karsus over to that no good goddess of magic. Since he was cured of his arcane hunger, he could finally return home to Waterdeep! She had flown ahead to tell Mrs. Dekarios, Gale’s mother, the good news. When Tara returned to their tower to greet him on the day of Gale’s return home, she received the shock of her life: standing there in their study was that wretched half-elf! To top it all off, her mage had his arm around the cleric as he showed her around the room. Without preamble or introductions, Tara promptly questioned her ward, demanding to know why she was in their home. To her absolute horror, for the first time she had ever seen, he became nervous as he told her of their plans to wed. Her precious dear! She knew the parasite had done a number to his brain if her pet had lost all his bravery and had decided to wed someone so beneath him. Could he not see how this clinger-on was so much like his that awful goddess of magic?
Unfortunately, Tara’s greatest ally did not seem to share the same mind as her. Mrs. Dekarios was ecstatic when the half-elf was introduced as her son’s betrothed. As if that was not bad enough, Morena scolded her, proclaiming they had both wanted their beloved mage to find someone who adored him all along (though to anyone else, it was obvious Morena had been teasing the tressym).
With Mrs. Dekarios also under the cleric’s spell, Tara knew it was up to her to take matters into her own paws. Almost certain that Helyne was some secret sorceress up to no good, the tressym made it her mission to make her soon-to-be in-law’s life as miserable as possible. She promptly moved out of the tower into Morena’s home, making sure Gale knew the reason for her removal. When she did visit, she barely acknowledged the presence of the half-elf. Even during Gale’s planned ‘introductory dinner,’ Tara threw barbs at Helyne whenever a chance presented itself. As much as Gale tried to please her, the tressym refused to follow the plan that he seemed so desperate to follow to try to get her to like his betrothed.
Weeks passed and nothing Tara did seemed to have any effect on Gale’s feelings for Helyne. In fact, they only seemed to fall deeper in love. They continued to offer invitations for dinner that Tara passed on, coming and going when she pleased, and usually without warning of her arrival. One day, Tara accidentally flew in through the balcony door to find them making love on the floor in front of the fireplace. She spat and hissed when she heard the horrendous noises Helyne was making, sounding like some displacer cat in heat. And to see her own little darling on top of the cleric, rutting like a common animal! At least they both had the decency to look ashamed of themselves that they had been caught in such a compromising position.
Still, the two carried on with their lives, seeming not to care about her opinion of their relationship. Their wedding took place three months after Gale’s return home. Not wanting to miss out on such a significant part of his life, Tara agreed to sit in a place of honor on his shoulder as he spoke his vows to Helyne. Even she had to admit the ceremony was beautiful. With his bride on his arm, Gale had never looked happier. Maybe Helyne was not as bad as she had assumed. After all, she had remained faithfully by his side since his return home. Now she was agreeing to tie herself to Gale in front of family and friends. As Waterdeep tradition required, the couple exchanged their Union rings, each made from half a ring they had found on their adventure together. Tara had not known each had found a ring for the other to wear while on the road, carried faithfully on their persons until a Waterdeep dwarf had fused them together in a symbol of what their futures held. Even she had to wipe a stray tear off her whiskers as they clinked their newly exchanged rings before kissing for the first time as husband and wife.
After the bride and groom returned from their honeymoon in Candlekeep, they continued their lives as newlyweds. They still tried to invite Tara as often as possible, but it was clear how much the two loved each other when she was in their presence. Overtly, Tara continued to be sassy towards Helyne. Inwardly, however, the tressym was beginning to warm up to the cleric, who now worked full time as a midwife and healer. When she was with the couple, she saw how caring Helyne was towards Gale, always putting his needs before her own. It made Tara proud to see Gale fussing just as much over his new wife, though she dared not speak her thoughts out loud. Even though Tara had been nothing but rude to her, Helyne was kind and caring to the tressym. She always included her in conversation or gave her extra food from her own plate, something Gale would gently scold her for doing. Not once had the familiar received such affectionate treatment before from any of Gale’s previous lovers.
Around four months after their wedding, Tara began detecting another shift in the couple’s relationship. Helyne, a high half-elf who already had an inner light about her person, began to glow brighter. Gale became fussier when in the presence of his wife, never allowing her to stray far from his sight and doting on her even more than usual. For a few weeks, Tara became concerned that she had grown ill, as the cleric seemed not to eat as well and slept more than usual. Sitting on Gale’s lap as he watched over his wife, she kept a close eye on her too. Still, the couple remained tight-lipped about what was happening with the cleric even when asked.
Then, one day they invited both her and Morena to dinner. The couple, holding hands, announced to the table that they were expecting their first child. Mrs. Dekarios almost fainted with delight over the news. Tara left out a cry of happiness, flying over to congratulate Helyne by winding herself around her shoulders and nuzzling her cheek. Her sharp senses caught the surprised glances passed between Gale and Helyne before they both laughed joyfully.
Mr. and the newly Mrs. Dekarios’ announcement was enough to solidify Tara’s decision to move back in with them. While she knew Helyne was a capable midwife, she wanted to support Gale in the newest chapter of his life. Even though he was a learned wizard, she often wondered and worried about what kind of father he would be. She admitted that she had her doubts about Gale of Waterdeep, but she hoped she would be pleasantly surprised by the newly rebranded ‘Gale Dekarios.’ So the tressym integrated herself back into their daily lives, watching over Helyne as she grew further along in her pregnancy and telling Gale what needed to be done. If he was not grateful for her help, Tara pretended not to notice. What truly mattered to her was that the little one arrived safely. When Helyne’s bump became prominent, she began curling up around it protectively. Gale, shocked, made a comment about needing to capture the moment on canvas the first time, almost earning him a good swat for his sassiness. She let it pass, however, and continued her duties to the growing babe in Helyne’s womb.
When Helyne went into labor, Tara sat on the bed next to her head, warm and comforting to the soon-to-be mother. As loud and messy as the whole affair was, the tressym refused to be anywhere else besides her charges as they welcomed their first child into the world. After hours of intense labor, the baby was finally placed on Helyne’s heaving chest, where mother and father greeted their newborn daughter. When Tara was able to get a peak at the dark-haired, dark-eyed baby, she felt her whole world brighten, just as it had the first time Gale had summoned her all those years ago. “Hello, my dear Gwenhevare. My name is Tara, and I will always be here to protect you.”