Chapter Text
The sun was high in the sky when Tav finally woke up. The bustling sounds of the city came in through the open window, more so than usual. The efforts to rebuild were clearly underway – she could hear a myriad of shouting, hammering, and rubble being dumped into wheelbarrows before being taken away, the wheels squeaking on the cobblestones.
Trying to lure back sleep, she cast her mind to the events of the previous day. Traveling to the morphic pool and finally coming face to face with the Absolute, the Netherbrain that so easily threatened the lives of Faerûnians. Getting saved by the Emperor in just the nick of time, narrowly avoiding becoming a mind flayer herself. Meeting all her friends and allies and saying goodbye before walking into certain death. A tough battle on the way to the giant brain that hovered over the city, a tougher one on top of it. And then, for the first time in a year, silence. The tadpole in her head was finally gone.
She never thought she would miss it.
Now, lying on the floor of her room at the Elfsong Tavern, listening only to the soft breathing of her companions, she noticed the emptiness of her mind. While they weren’t exactly part of a hivemind, Tav could always infer her companions’ emotions through it, as well as share thoughts when the words didn’t come or weren’t enough. It was a slight buzzing that was always there, but the overwhelming silence in her brain now just made her feel alone. It was disconcerting.
Maybe that was why they had all silently decided to spend the night together, huddled up in front of the fireplace in their room. It hadn’t been a conscious thought on her part, but when they finally returned to their room, having avoided the celebrations downstairs in favor of a quieter and more private night, they had all just sat around the fireplace talking softly of their future plans. She couldn’t even remember falling asleep.
Tav stretched her body – between the soreness from all the fights the day before and the stiffness of having spent the night on the hardwood floor, sleep was long gone. Her body ached despite the healing potions she had taken and her limbs felt heavy, like they belonged to someone else. She sat up, careful not to wake Shadowheart beside her, and looked around. The room was much emptier than usual – Lae’zel had left with the githyanki, confident they’d find a way to dethrone Vlaakith; Astarion ran for the shadows once he realized the sun burned him again; Jaheira and Minsc said their goodbyes soon after the final battle, going to search for the elf’s family. Halsin had sat beside her last night, but no trace of him remained, no doubt preparing for the journey back to Reithwin and the Moonrise Towers. Gale was already up, draped over a table studying maps of the Chionthar, scribbling notes on a piece of parchment while he muttered quietly to himself. Wyll sat on the other side of Shadowheart, eyes fixed on the long dead coals of the fireplace.
“Morning,” he said quietly, not moving to meet her eyes. “There’s bread and cheese by the door, and I think some apples, if you’re hungry.”
Tav’s stomach turned. She hadn’t had any dinner, hadn’t eaten anything since the previous morning, but the thought of food was revolting. She made a face. “No, thanks.”
She couldn’t help but notice the sadness in Wyll’s expression, the way his shoulders slouched while he hugged his knees. She willed her tadpole to connect with his, to extend a tendril of empathy and concern. It took her a moment to realize that the silent response wasn’t Wyll denying her access, simply the tadpoles no longer being there. Tav resorted to words.
“How are you feeling?”
Wyll scoffed. “Relieved. Angry. I can’t seem to muster the courage to face anyone right now, and I’m sure I don’t want to leave this room ever again. I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do with myself, in all honesty.”
“Rest. You’re supposed to rest.” Tav reached over to touch his shoulder, giving it a slight squeeze in reassurance. “And then, whenever you’re up for it… I guess Avernus awaits its Blade.”
Wyll turned to look at her then, clenching his fists. “I’m going to fucking kill Zariel. That’s a promise.”
She knew he meant it, feeling tears pool in the corners of her eyes. Unable to sustain the intensity of his gaze, she averted her eyes. “She really was the best of us.”
“She was. And gone entirely too soon.”
Karlach. Just thinking of her name hurt. She had survived all year, coming out mostly unscathed from every enemy encounter they had, only to die in a pool of fire and smoke when her infernal heart finally gave out as they made their way back to the city. She had barely had time to say goodbye to her companions, let alone any friends she might have had in the city.
“Dammon.” Tav groaned. The thought of seeing the smith again filled her with joy, but the news she had to deliver… her heart grew heavy on her chest. “Dammon will want to know.”
“Better he hears it from you.” Wyll leaned his head on the wooden railing that separated the fireplace area from the rest of the room. “I can barely believe she really is gone. I keep waiting for her to bust through those doors with that boisterous laugh of hers.”
They both looked at the door expectantly, but no one walked through.
“Gods damn it!” Wyll raised his voice, causing Shadowheart to stir in her sleep. “Why did she have to be so damn stubborn? She didn’t need to be alone, I’d have gone with her! We could have faced Avernus together, faced Zariel together.” A tear fell from his one good eye, making Tav wonder whether the Sending Stone he held in his other eye socket still worked, now that Mizora had released him from his contract. This was not the time or the place, and so she shook her head.
“You know how she is – was. No one could convince her to do anything she didn’t want. And she really didn’t want to go back to Avernus.” Tav sighed. “Seeing Gortash dead really did a number on her. I think she finally accepted that there was no magical cure, that Avernus was the only place where she could live, really live, and that’s not the life she wanted.”
Wyll closed his eyes, shaking his head. He couldn’t argue with her words, but he was also not ready to accept that his closest friend was gone forever. They spent a moment in silence, broken only by Shadowheart’s soft breaths and the scratching of a quill on parchment as Gale took notes, before Tav got up to her feet, stretching again.
“I’ll go talk to Dammon. It’ll do me good to be out in the sun for a bit, anyway.”
“Good luck. I’m not going anywhere for at least a tenday.”
Forgoing her armor, Tav left the room in just her night clothes, a loose shirt and leather trousers. She debated whether to take her weapons with her, but Dammon’s smithy was only a couple of buildings over – she doubted anyone would attack her on the way over. She most likely wouldn’t even be recognized without her battle plate and her companions behind her.
She slipped from the tavern, avoiding eye contact with Lakrissa, who had a platter of empty glasses in her hands as she made her way to the bar. She couldn’t bear the thought of stopping to talk to anyone, and she was sure Lakrissa would drag her to the roof to find Alfira so they could listen as Tav recounted the events of the previous day. Maybe the bard could write a song about Karlach one day. She would have liked that.
As Tav made her way to the forge, she relished in the way the sun hugged her body and warmed her face. She wasn’t sure she’d ever see the sun again when she set out to fight the brain. Now, her quest had finally come to an end. She could just sit in the sun for the rest of her days and bask in the warmth and comfort it brought her, content in knowing the worst was behind her. Come what may, nothing could be as bad as being infected by illithid and fearing for her life and the safety of those around her for a whole year. And if she had any choice in the matter, she would be happy to leave her adventures behind her. She was definitely never, ever, going camping again.
Although she hadn’t really been paying attention, her feet guided her to the place she had visited so often with her friends, Dammon always willing to share a smile and a kind word in addition to his wares. But as Tav approached the smithy, she noticed the coals were cold, the door to his shop was closed, and the man himself was nowhere to be found. She knew he was alive – she’d seen him last night, drinking with Alfira and the other tieflings as Tav slipped away to her room. Could he still be sleeping in the room above the shop? Had he fallen asleep at the tavern and she just didn’t see him that morning? He was probably out helping remove rubble from the nearby buildings.
She looked up in awe. It had been a great luck that his home was still intact – the Highberry’s house directly below his had half the roof gone. Tav couldn’t help but feel for the children living there.
She pondered for a moment if she should just come back later, but decided to wait for a while, accidentally kicking a small hammer against the wall as she moved to sit on a crate by the shop’s door. Dammon not being home gave her time to gather her thoughts and decide what she was going to say to him. Hi! Karlach’s heart finally gave out. I’m afraid she’s gone. I thought you’d want to know, I’m so sorry. If only her heart wasn’t racing at the prospect of being alone with the smith, of being the one to comfort him if he needed. She felt disgusted at herself.
The door beside her opened suddenly with a creak, startling her. Dammon was standing in the doorway, face flustered and eyes wide, deep dark circles under them. He beamed like she had never seen him do before. “You’re alive.”
Tav scrambled to her feet and closed the distance between them, not resisting the urge to wrap her arms around his waist, pulling the tiefling into a hug.
“Hi,” she said against his shoulder. He smelled of smoke and sweat and cinnamon, and Tav nuzzled into his shirt, breathing deeply. His arms enveloped her in return, one hand firmly on the small of her back and the other rising to hold her head against him, fingers deep in her hair. He was so warm, almost like Karlach had been, but touching him didn’t burn – it just felt like coming home.
“Gods, you’re okay.” He pulled her closer to him, planting a shy kiss on her forehead. “I was so worried.”
“Can’t get rid of me that easily,” she joked, smiling against her clothes. Her heart was beating so fast that she feared it would leap out of her chest. How long had she wanted this? To be held by his strong arms, to feel his body against hers, to be so close that she could count the freckles on his neck.
“Come inside, I’ll put the kettle on,” he said softly against her hair, but made no movement to end the embrace. After a moment, his hand moved from the back of her head to her chin, lifting it slightly so he could look into her eyes. “You really are here. Alive, in one piece.”
She squeezed his waist reassuringly. “I am.”
His cheeks were a dark red, making her heart jump when she realized he was blushing. Tav felt her own face redden, suddenly aware of their closeness.
“I went to the Elfsong yesterday, but you weren’t there.”
“I was, I… I saw you there, actually. We all kind of just sneaked upstairs. Not really in the mood for celebration, not after–” She stopped herself. It felt wrong to tell him of Karlach’s fate while embracing in the sun, when Karlach would never feel those things for herself again. Just thinking about breaking the news to him made her want to cry.
“I was told someone died, but no one could tell me who.” He shook his head, his calloused fingers gently wiping the tears from her eyes. “I paced so much in my room last night, I’m afraid I dug a path on the floor. I’d never forgive myself if something happened to you.”
“You did plenty to help us, it would never be your fault if something happened. And I’m okay.” Tav gently stroked his sides. “Can I come in? I think it might be best if we’re both sitting down before…”
“Of course.” With a hand still firmly on her back, Dammon nudged her into the shop, closing the door behind them. He led her to a room on the right, motioning for her to sit at a small table next to his stove, where he stoked the coals before filling a kettle with water. His hands were shaking. “Can I get you anything to eat?”
Tav’s stomach rumbled loudly and she groaned, suddenly ravenous. Seeing Dammon, touching him, knowing he was okay, had lifted an anxiety she didn’t know she felt.
“I think you can. I haven’t actually eaten anything since before the brain – just a couple of healing potions. Didn’t feel hungry until just now, strangely enough.”
“Ah, you need a meal and not a snack. That is… not ideal.” Dammon scanned his cupboards. “I don’t have much of anything, you see. Wasn’t really sure I’d survive this whole ordeal. Should have known you’d come through.” He flashed her a smile. “I can put together some bread and dried meat, or–”
“That sounds heavenly.” Tav sighed contentedly. “I’m sorry for raiding your food, I can replace it when I leave.”
He chuckled. “You’re not raiding anything, I’m offering.”
While Dammon prepared her meal, Tav looked around the room. The kitchen was only separated from the main room by a large wooden shelf that housed different types of ingots and some space tools. She could see a large forge, infernal by the looks of it, on the wall behind it, surrounded by bellows, an anvil, and a couple of barrels of water. On her left stood a workbench, with notes and blueprints scattered about. On her right, there were only a couple of cupboards and the stove, directly next to the table she sat at.
“It’s not much,” Dammon said, following her gaze. He extended her a plate with a sandwich and a cup of tea. “But it’s nice to have somewhere to finally call home after all this time.”
“You’re lucky. There’s nothing waiting for me back in Waterdeep.” She took a swig from her tea, herbal and bitter. “I guess at least Gale will be close by.”
“No family? A boyfriend?” Dammon looked at her intently over his teacup.
Tav shook her head, feeling dejected. “No, it’ll just be back to the garrison. Don’t really have a family, I’ve been on the streets since before I can remember. Then the City Guard took me in, but I’ve never really been close to anyone there, either.”
The sorrow in Dammon’s eyes hurt, and she averted her gaze, choosing instead to focus on her food. She usually refrained from talking about her life, about her past, just to avoid the pitying glances, but seeing the pain in his eyes, knowing how much he could relate to being shunned, was too much to bear. They stayed in comfortable silence while she ate, neither of them feeling the need to inject empty words into the air.
“Feeling better?” He stretched his legs under the table, distractedly bumping her knee. The touch sent a jolt of electricity through her body, making her straighten her back, meeting his eyes once more. Oh, what she would give to be able to look upon them every day, to memorize every speck of gold that pierced the blue. She could so easily get lost in his gaze that it almost made her forget what she was actually there for. Almost.
Tav rubbed her hands nervously. “Dammon. I– There’s no easy way to say this.” His hand inched closer to her side of the table, ready to hold her hands and comfort her if she needed. Her heart grew heavier at the kindness. “Karlach… Karlach’s gone.” She could see the shock in the way his eyes widened, his mouth agape. Again she forced herself to look away, talking to his chest as opposed to his face. “Her heart gave out right after we fell from the brain. I’m so sorry.” She slouched in the chair, willing herself not to cry. “I can go now, if you’d prefer to be alone. I know you liked her and–”
“I did,” he said quickly, his voice barely a whisper. “She was a good friend, and a damn good tiefling. The world is a poorer place without her.” Tav could feel him staring at her, yet she couldn’t bear to meet his eyes. He took a deep breath. “But I didn’t have feelings for her, if that’s what you mean.”
Her head shot up, surprised. There was no trace of a lie in his expression, only his kind eyes looking back at her, and she felt her heart start to beat faster. “You– But you– I saw you flirting with her every time we paid you a visit!”
He blushed, looking embarrassed, and ran a hand through his hair. “You did see me flirting, but it wasn’t directed at Karlach.”
Tav looked at him in disbelief, trying to recall their last meetings. She had come to the forge before traveling to the morphic pool, both for last minute supplies and to warn him of what was going down. He seemed anxious then, fidgeting with the straps of his apron while clearly wanting to say something. But the only thing that came out of his lips was a quick “Good luck”, followed by a reassuring smile. They had met afterwards, in the upper city, right before the final fight. Everyone was saying goodbye, and Dammon had given her a hug that lingered a moment too long, perhaps, but she couldn’t remember if he had given Karlach one, too.
“M-Me?”
“Am I really so inept that you never realized?” Dammon pinched the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes. His whole face was now the same color as his cheeks.
“Maybe I just didn’t want to believe it,” she breathed, eyes wide. Dammon, the handsome tiefling smith, interested in her? A simple human, with no particular skill except swinging a sword around?
“That I could care for you in that way?” He rolled his eyes, incredulous. “You are a beautiful woman, Tav, I’m sure you’ve noticed.”
She blushed at the compliment, her heart singing. “But I’m… I’m just a human. I’ve got nothing going for me.”
“Why would you being a human change anything?” He got up from his seat, choosing instead to lean on the edge of the table, close to her. “And you – you’re only the great Hero of Baldur’s Gate. The Savior of the City. Clearly got nothing going for yourself.”
A tiny smile crept up Tav’s lips and she took his hand, getting up from her seat. Her heart was pounding in her ears as she moved to be in front of him.
“Do you remember the first time we met?” Dammon held her hand in his, slowly parting his legs so she could move between them, closer to him. “You made time to talk with each one of us refugees. Even the children. Hells, even the ones that clearly wanted nothing to do with you! I was sure your kindness would get you killed soon enough, but then you stopped the druids from kicking us out. By the time you dealt with the goblins and granted us safe passage, I was fairly confident that you might be able to survive after all.”
“Might?!” Tav poked his ribs, feeling the hard ridges beneath his clothes.
“Hush, now.” He smiled, pulling her closer. His scent was intoxicating, the warmth of his body irresistible. “I didn’t expect to see you at Last Light. I thought for sure you’d gone straight to the Gate, but there you were. And you helped us again, expecting nothing in return. And you were busy, too – freeing that aasimar, killing people that couldn’t die, lifting curses. Your run of the mill day, really.”
She chuckled, resting her forehead on the crook of his neck. She could live here, in his arms, for the rest of her life.
“Jaheira thought it best if we left while everyone was distracted during the assault on the Towers. I considered leaving a note for you, but I didn’t know if you’d return to the inn, let alone find it.”
“I did. I looked for you, but you were gone. I thought maybe we could travel together to the city, if you wanted to join our camp. You’d have been most welcome.” She placed a shy kiss on his neck, causing him to lean into her, ticklish.
“I wouldn’t know what to write, in any case. Come find me in the city, I can’t bear the thought of never seeing you again? It’s not the kind of thing you leave in a note to someone you’ve never expressed an interest in before, and I didn’t want to scare you away. So I did my best to make myself known once I got here. Opened up shop as close to the front gate as possible. I didn’t have to wait long before you came by.” His hand moved to cup her cheek, his thumb tracing patterns on her skin. He smiled at the memory. “I was so happy to see you and you had such a big smile on your face. I could hardly believe you hadn’t just heard a really funny joke right before coming up the steps. But I never did forget that smile.”
Dammon was so close now that she could feel his breath on her skin. She couldn’t help but take in the finer details of his face – his strong brow, punctured only by the base of his horns; his straight nose, slightly upturned; his sharp jaw, with only the barest whisper of hair; his lips, so full and so impossibly soft. She wondered what they’d feel like against her skin, against her own lips. Feeling bold, she closed the distance between them, closing her mouth around his.
He wasted no time before deepening the kiss, pulling her body closer as if he wanted them to meld together. A soft moan escaped her and he all but growled against her lips, hands possessively at her sides. His tongue traced her lips, prompting her to open them. She did, wordlessly inviting him in, letting their tongues meet and dance between their mouths. They kissed for what felt like an eternity, both gasping for air when they finally separated.
“I’ve wanted to do that for so long,” he admitted, his voice husky and his eyes still closed. “Gods.”
“Do it again?” She smiled timidly.
Dammon didn’t need telling twice, holding her head between his hands as he pressed his lips on hers. Her hands explored his body, shy at first, growing bolder with each movement of his tongue on hers; more adventurous with each little gasp and sigh that fell from his lips. The back of his neck was punctuated by small peaks along his spine, continuing into his back and disappearing under his clothes. His shoulders were wide, rough. She could feel the ridges where they met his chest, similar to the ones on his ribs. His stomach was flat, hard beneath her fingers. When she hooked a finger on the waistband of his trousers, intending to untuck his shirt so she could feel his warm skin, something hard wrapped around her arm and she gasped in surprise, taking a half step back.
Dammon’s tail looped around her wrist, pointy end down, holding her firmly.
“Don’t,” he said, breathing heavily. “I want to do this properly, not have my way with you on a table.”
“I like the table.” Tav kissed his jaw, softly nibbling at the smooth skin.
He groaned, digging his fingers into her hips. She could feel his claws through the pants and wondered what they’d feel like running through her body, the thought sending shivers down her spine. He gently pushed her away, forcing distance between them. His face was flushed, a vein throbbing on his neck.
“Gods, you’re intoxicating. I can’t think when you’re close to me.”
Tav smirked. She wanted nothing more than to keep kissing him, to feel his body twitch under her, but she respected his wish for distance, smoothing her shirt to keep her hands busy.
“Well, how do we do this properly, then?”
“I want to take you out to dinner,” he replied immediately, like this had been on his mind for a while. “Walk with you through the city, steal flowers from the park for you.”
Her eyes softened – he wanted to court her. Her heart danced in her chest.
“I’ll have you know that stealing is a crime,” she said, in her best patrolling guard voice, but there was no real bite to her words and she flashed him a smile. “But I’d like that very much. Though with the city half destroyed…”
“We’ll find a way. Can’t get rid of me that easily,” he echoed her words from before.
“I wouldn’t want to.” She held out a hand to him, wanting to touch him while still maintaining the distance he had imposed. He took it in his, softly kissing her knuckles. “Dinner at the Elfsong tonight? Might be packed, but we can always take the food back to my room, or here.”
He nodded, giving her a warm smile. “Dinner at the Elfsong it is. But we eat in the main room, or I fear I… I won’t be able to control myself around you.”
Tav blushed. “I should go, then. Make sure I look presentable tonight.”
“You could never not look beautiful. Me, on the other hand…” He sheepishly ran a hand through his hair. “I don’t have any fancy clothes, but I can scrounge up a clean shirt.”
“Have you seen yourself?” Tav tilted her head to the side, looking at him disapprovingly. “You could wear a burlap sack and still be the most handsome man in the whole of Faerûn.”
“You flatter me.”
“Is it flattery when it’s the truth?” She approached him, quickly kissing him before he could protest. “I will see you tonight, then.”
“It’s a date.”