It will probably take a while until the full release of Baldur's Gate 3 but Gale's story already let's me run wild with ideas so I just had to write a take on of what MIGHT happen in Baldur's Gate. The story will focus on Gale's problem and his relationship with Tav and mostly leave out the other companion's issues and the tadpole. I plan for 3-4 chapters.
The Tav in this story is a human ranger, full beard, red hair, complete lumberjack vibe.


Coming back to Baldur's Gate after everything that had happened felt weird. He'd never been a man of the city. Born in the outskirts of Baldur's Gate, Tav had always spend more time in the woods and plains around the town than on its streets. Part of him wished that they would've stuck to the wilderness but the wilderness offered no solution for...

Well. A lot of their problems, it seemed.

Because the first thing that happened after entering Baldur's Gate was that everyone went separate ways. They all seemed to have unfinished business, things to look after, people to meet – or murder. He'd let them go. After all they were all connected through a slimy tadpole in their head and eventually would meet up again, he knew that.

But even Gale had excused himself for the whole day and so Tav had found himself wandering through the streets and markets of this unbearable town alone.

Evening was long gone and the night had already dawned when Tav headed back, feeling tired. The stench and dust of the town stuck to him like a bad omen. And now he was standing in front of a room door in a cosy and expensive inn – Gale's choice. If it had been after Tav's own decision, they would still be somewhere outside, camping in the forest, along with Halsin – who was most likely in bear form snoring under a large oak tree. He envied the druid.

Tav lifted his hand but hesitated for a moment. Did he smell lavender? With a raised eyebrow he finally knocked. "Gale?"

"Come in, it's open!" The voice from the inside sounded relaxed, chipper even. And without a second thought on what might be going on, Tav opened the door and stepped inside – just to freeze on the spot. Quickly he closed the door behind him, both hands on the wood, leaning against it.

"Gale, you're..."

"... taking a bath? Yes, yes I do. Is that the cause of a blush on your cheeks as red as your hair? Would've never taken you for a coyly one, not after what we've done that other night, down by the river..." Gale said with quite the innocent voice but that smug smirk on his face and the mischief in his eyes proved his tone was a lie – he was enjoying the sight of an embarrassed Tav.

Absolutely.

"It suits you," he added more softly, warmer. And it made Tav relax.

"You could've given me a warning, at least."

"There's nothing you haven't seen already, my dear."

Tav's heart skipped a beat. My dear. He wasn't sure if Gale had any idea what effect these two words had on him, yet he tried to keep his cool. Better not let him know. This cheeky wizard already had an ego of the size of an owlbear! He didn't need another boost in confidence!

"Well the light is a bit different here, I say," Tav hummed and pulled a stool next to the bathtub to sit down.

"Oh I know. Candle light compliments me much more than pale moon light," Gale agreed.

"As humble as always. How long are you sitting in here already?" Tav lifted his hand and put a finger into the water. It was nicely warm.

"That's a good question... I didn't really keep track of the time, to be honest. But I did reheat the water... once... or twice?", Gale answered, keeping his eyes on Tav who drew tiny circles on the surface, swirling the lavender blossoms around.

"So that's what you ditched me for, hm?"

Gale let out a long, satisfied sigh and closed his eyes, sinking deeper into the water. However, he reached out his hand, which found Tav's thigh and decided to stay there.

"Forgive me my desires for such luxury. Taking showers in ice cold waterfalls or a bath in a dark pond might exult the adventures heart but after so many weeks in the wilderness I was looking forward to a real bath more than anything else. That and a soft bed, a heated room with walls, the absence of bugs and other animals that try to get into my tent at night." He opened his eyes again and met Tav's gaze. "I think there's enough space for two in here. Might get a bit tight but that wouldn't be too uncomfortable, would it?"

What an offer. And a tempting one for sure. It wasn't what he came here for but it was tempting nonetheless. The look in Gale's eyes alone was enough to send a wave of heat through Tav's body. Gale sure was many things but being coy wasn't one of them. And if eyes could undress, Gale's would be doing that right now. A few seconds of silence followed and Tav pondered if he should just get out of his clothes and follow that invitation.

"Actually, I wanted to give you something," he said instead and finally managed to take his eyes of Gale's naked body to rummage around in his backpack. Eventually he lifted a small and blank looking pendant up and it peaked Gale's interest immediately.

"An amulet of Shar," he said surprised. "Where did you get this?"

"A man sold it on the market for only ten gold. He surely had no idea what it is. Does it hold enough magic for you...?"

Gale took the amulet gently into his hand, with a mild frown on his face. He always handled artifacts with such deliberate care and Tav never failed to notice that it hurt a part of Gale to destroy them, in order to absorb their Weave. He held a love for anything magic that Tav would never be able to understand, no matter how hard he tried.

"It does," Gale nodded. "Quite powerful magic is slumbering inside. Shadowheart will silently murder you in your sleep if she finds out you gave it to me. Are you sure I should...?"

Tav shrugged.

"Shadowheart doesn't know and doesn't need to know. I just want you to feel well."

"I..." For a moment Gale struggled to find words, something that rarely happened. A deep and honest gratitude showed on his face but instead of absorbing the Weave of the amulet, he put it aside for later. "Thank you. I don't know what I did to deserve you."

There it was again. This warm feeling that roamed Tav's whole body, made him feel weak and fragile and helpless. He loved and hated it at the same time.

"Well, maybe you don't deserve me at all?", Tav said with a smirk, feeling that only a teasing joke could free him from the frailty caused by the spell put on him by this cursed and beloved wizard.

"Ouch!" Gale said pretending to be hurt and placed a hand over his chest. "My poor heart! Cruel man."

"I'm a man of nature, what did you expect? Cruelty runs in our veins. Nature is cruel and unforgivable and so are we," Tav smirked and then leaned in to give Gale a kiss on the forehead.

"Some incredible charming wizards have ways past that and are able to draw mercy even from the most cruel amongst these wild men from the woods. Or so I heard," Gale hummed.

"Myths and fairy tales." Tav laughed a bit. He got up from the stool and looked around for a towel. "There's actually more than just the amulet I wanted to talk to you about but maybe you should get out of the bath before I tell you."

Tav had, in fact, seen much more magnificent bodies than Gale's. He would be lying if he denied that Halsin's tall, muscular frame elicited a deep desire within him. Even Astarion, with his more slender frame, still had these deadly and gracile movements of a cat, a body suited to kill its prey swiftly, but with elegance. Compared to them, Gale's body was... plain. Yet there was something about the way the water was dripping off him, the steam rising from his form as he rose out of the tub of hot water...

Tav almost forgot to pass Gale the towel.

He cleared his throat and turned around, aware that his decency was quite stupid right now. He heard cloth rustle and as he looked back at Gale, he noticed that he was clad in a complete new and noble outfit. Rather than the plain, blue wizard robe he had before, he was wearing a dark coat now, embroidered with fine, golden symbols. It looked like Gale had done more today than just spending time in the inn and the bathtub.

"Ahh, it feels so good to finally wear something else than the old robe that had been torn apart and stitched back together a hundred times! Cursed be all the blackberry bushes of Faer?n," Gale sighed pleased and then walked over to the table to fill two silver cups with dark, red wine. Tav couldn't take his eyes from him. He looked... incredibly good. And in a way, daunting, too. Now he could see a glimmer of that archwizard that Gale once has been. And there he was, wearing ye ol' reliable leather armour. He'd even freshly oiled it up this morning... must smell great... way to make an impression... And to make things worse, Gale grabbed into Tav's hair and pulled out a small branch. "Ha," he grinned, "seems like you carry the forest wherever you go."

Tav frowned. Maybe he should've taken a bath, too.

"So," Gale said, handing him one of the cups, "What is it that you wanted to tell me?"

"I've been to the Twin Song district."

"The famous place that holds a statue of every deity in existence," Gale nodded. "I've been eager to take a look at it, too. Heard even the evil gods find their worshippers there...?"

"Yeah. But the Flaming Fist makes sure that no one oversteps any borders. Apparently, the Gondite religion found more devotees among the common folk and they build a great museum, calling it the Hall of Wonders, next to their High House of Wonders. To display Gondite inventions. That didn't set well with the church of Mystra and they sent a couple of clerics from their temple in Waterdeep to the town. Tensions between the two churches are raising by the day," Tav explained and Gale listened before he put a hand on his chin.

"That's interesting and all, but what does it have to do with the little wormy problem in our brains...?"

Tav was quiet for a couple of seconds which seemed to raise awareness in Gale. A hint of concern showed on his face.

"It doesn't have anything to do with our problem, but with... yours."

Gale caught what was going on. He took in a deep breath and looked into his cup, swirling the wine around a bit instead of drinking.

"I appreciate that you hunt for solutions on our first day in town, but I know a few doors I will knock on to-"

"They have a priestess with them. A young woman. Word on the street is that she's a powerful cleric, an Avatar of Mystra herself, even. That the goddess sometimes speaks through her. That she serves as her eyes and ears. People already call her the Eighth Sister."

Gale suddenly got a bit pale but wrapped himself in silence, staring into the cup of wine.

"That tells you anything...?", Tav wanted to know.

"... Long time ago, there was a man, Dornal Silverhand by name. A man of the woods, a ranger, not unlike you," Gale started to tell. "He loved a beautiful woman, Elué she was called. But she was shy and he was too so their love would've probably never came to be... if it hadn't been for Mystra. The goddess had cast an eye on Dornal... but she knew she wouldn't win his heart. So she possessed Elué and helped their love to bear fruit. Seven daughters were born. Seven immortal women, all Chosen of Mystra and daughters of the goddess, mighty spellcasters, each one of them. But Elué died young. Being possessed by a powerful deity is not taken lightly by a mortal body. After her death, Mystra revealed herself to Dornal... and he, heartbroken and filled with anger, abandoned his daughters and they were cared for by various foster parents. Today they are known as the Seven Sisters."

"Is that a true story or one of these typical myths they tell in the temples...?", Tav wanted to know.

Gale looked up and frowned deeply.

"All of my stories are true. Anyway... an eighth sister... a new one..." he mumbled and went back to staring into his wine. Tav watched him for a while until an unsettling thought crept into his mind.

"Gale... how long ago was your... uhm.. time with Mystra?"

"Sixteen, maybe seventeen years... why do you ask? Are you implying..."

Tav gave him a kinda helpless shrug and a questioning look. Gale suddenly put the cup down and had to lean heavy on the table.

"No. That would be ridiculous, absurd even. To even think she would've... no." He eagerly shook his head. Tav felt helpless, seeing Gale like this.

"It's just a name people on the streets gave her. Rumours, nothing more. I still think we should investigate. Sister or not, Chosen One or not, if she really is as powerful as they say and able to speak to Mystra directly, then..." He closed the gap between them and Gale turned to face him. Worry and an old pain were written all over his face. Tav placed a hand on Gale's chest, over his heart, were the ever hungry orb was pulsing, hidden, restless and dark. "... maybe she can help you to get rid of this... this thing. And if she can't... then maybe she can finally make your words be heard in Mystra's ears again. It's your chance to face her. To meet her again. Then you will hopefully get all the answers you're looking for."

Gale's gaze wandered over Tav's face. In moments like this he looked so vulnerable, so broken even, thought Tav.

"You were right", said Gale quietly, almost meek.

"About what?"

"I don't deserve you at all."

Something in Gale's voice, the way he spoke, worried Tav. It was like his words were tainted by a dark shadow, foretelling a bad omen of what was to come. Tav opened his mouth to word his concern but felt a finger getting pressed against his lips. Gale shook his head with a serious look on his face.

"Can we try and act for tonight like you didn't just tell me about a possible immortal half goddess that could very well be my offspring...? Indulge me, please. I was really looking forward to our first night in town. Just a nice, long bath... something fresh to wear and good to eat, drinking fine wine for once and spend the night with you, only you. No one else sleeping next to us in a tent, no Halsin snoring, no awful Volo poetry. No Astarion creeping around looking for blood. No Wyll talking in his sleep, no Lae'zel and Shadowheart searching for reasons to kill each other. No worries about a tadpole, about the Absolute or the Netherese taint in my chest", Gale finally said with a sigh.

Upon this revelation Tav felt horrible. Why was he such a tactless brute? Head through the wall, not a thought wasted on what his actions might do to others, even when he meant well – or especially then. Now everything made sense. Gale taking a lavender bath and inviting him in... there were two silver cups on the table with wine... several candles were lit... and Tav noticed the plate of cheese and grapes just now. He let out an almost whiny sigh and closed his eyes, tilting his head to the side like he wanted to escape Gale's touch.

"You'd planned a romantic evening, didn't you. Way for me to ruin the mood", Tav groaned and drew a light smile from Gale's lips.

"To be honest... yes. But don't think I am not grateful. The first day we arrive in Baldur's Gate and, without hesitation, you spend several hours on the streets to search for a solution for my problem."

"I told you that we would bear this together and I stand by my word."

Tav's gaze wandered over the table again, maybe to avoid looking at Gale for a moment and he noticed a plain book next to the wine decanter. His lips were moving a bit while he slowly read the title.

"Is that...", he said surprised.

"The Art of the Night? Yes. However I could only find a lightly censored version in the book shop I've been in. It leaves out the most slippery details but my favourite passages are still included. I was thinking... we could lay on the bed or the couch together, I read from the book and we can both enjoy the sound of my voice... you would eventually feed me grapes to make me shut up...", he hummed.

Tav wasn't a good reader. Back in his childhood his father had prioritized other skills: he'd taught him to hunt, to fish, craftsmanship, which berries to eat and which to avoid, how to track wild animals and build shelter in the forest, how to listen to the voice of the woods. How to survive the cruelty of nature. Reading wasn't among these skills. Tav could read alright – slow, but he managed, as long as it was simple. But poetry or philosophy, complicated books about the essence of the world, if sentences got too long and words too complicated... that's where he was getting lost. This book just once again reminded him of everything that he was not.

Gale seemed to misinterpret the look on Tav's face. "Or we just do none of these things! I wouldn't mind to simply write a sequel to the night we spend together at the river...", he said, with this certain seductive undertone in his voice and that tiny, yet charming smirk on his face.

Tav felt helpless in Gale's hand. How could he say no to that smile? And Tav knew he was good at that part of a romantic evening - leastwise he'd never had a lover that complained about these skills. Yet he was only human, after all. Gale had been quite diplomatic back then, when Tav had asked him how he would compare to a goddess. Diplomatic and charming and it had dawned Tav much, much later that Gale had just used some fancy and kind words to say: you can't compare a mortal to a god.

But of what use were all those worries and this dredging feeling of being inferior? Gale's smile was genuine. Wasn't that all that mattered...?

Tav grabbed Gale by the coat and walked backwards, until his calves hit the bed and he let himself drop down on it, looking up to Gale, hunger in his eyes and no more words between them. Gale caught on immediately. With a wave of his hand and a few mumbled words in a language Tav didn't understand, most of the candles got blown out by a silent gust of wind. Tav felt a tucking on his armour and he noticed a faint, blue shimmer around himself. He watched how each piece of leather got removed by invisible hands, levitating in the air for a second or two before they got dropped to the ground. Gale conducted these magic forces with tender movements of his left hand while his right slowly opened his own coat, button after button. Tav took in a deep breath as he watched how the laces of his jerkin opened up themselves and soon left him bare chested. His belt was next and so his pants followed the rest of his clothes. Not a moment later, Tav grabbed Gale and pulled him down on top of himself, his arms tightly wrapped around him, claiming the kiss he hungered for.
And in the faint, warm light of a single candle's fire, a wizard's tender hands slowly started to roam the scared and coarse skin under their touch. Tav closed his eyes, a quiet, low moan escaped his throat while Gale seemed to explore every inch of him.

Gale pressed a kiss on every scar he could find, claiming each one of them. His hands wandered around freely, scratching the side of Tav's chest, tracing sore muscles, feeling up his biceps. Tav knew he could only endure this teasing for so long, his hands already tightly gripping into the sheets, longing to be all over Gale's body. After all, he was a man of action. Gale lifted his head and met Tav's gaze. A silent understanding passed between them. Tav grabbed Gale's shoulders and with one swift move he rolled both of them over and Gale suddenly found himself on his back, pinned down by Tav before they both let the night run its course, starving for each other.

It must've been long after midnight when Tav opened his eyes.

He was used to an easy sleep – anything unusual tended to wake him up. This time it was the scent of rose water.

Tilting his head a bit in the pillow, he also noticed faint blue light. The Weave.

Gale was lying next to him, a hand lifted over his chest and swirling energy emitted from his fingers. It seemed that Gale paid him no mind, probably wasn't even aware that Tav was awake.

The magical energy conjured an image over Gale's hand, the image of a woman, woven by the Weave itself. Tav felt a sting in his chest. And Gale had this look on his face again, somewhere between longing and a painful sadness. Tav closed his eyes, moving around in the bed and not a moment later he felt an arm wrapping around him and Gale's head against his back.

Tav could barely imagine what the mere thought to be able to speak to Mystra again after many years must mean to Gale, even if the chance was rather faint. She was his muse, she was everything magic – and to Gale, magic was everything. The very definition of existence itself.

But it wasn't Tav's world. It was Gale's. Gods and magic were something so far away to him, concepts hard to grasp. He never questioned his abilities to communicate with nature, to command roots to grow thorns or make his steps silent and unheard. He'd never tried to see behind the veil or to understand how a spell or any artifact worked. They worked and that was important. Sure he followed Sylvanus' paths, sometimes, half-hearted at least. But did he ever care if the god really listened to him or not? He never wasted a thought on that. Prayers weren't his vein.

To him it was like watching Gale's world from afar. He was afraid that he would never be able to be a part of it, now more than ever. He knew he was secretly falling apart and there was nothing he could do about it. Only if they ever met again, Gale had told him, would he know if he was still in love with her or not. Tav had the unpleasant feeling that this question would be answered soon. And he also had the very unpleasant feeling that it wouldn't be in his favour.

Yet he would drag Gale to the doorstep of this priestess, this Eighth Sister, for the tiny chance of a cure.

Even if it meant that he would lose him to Mystra for good.

Because in the end...

How could a mortal compare to a god?