Rolan X Tav - Tumblr Posts

Matchmaker (Rolan x Tav)

part 2 part 3

Lia and Cal were getting so frustrated with the two of you. They had noticed how much you cared for their brother but he didn't catch up on it. You both obviously liked each other yet Rolan kept denying it every time his siblings brought it up.

To them your feelings for their brother weren't hard to tell considering how you had wiped the floor with Lorroakan for hurting Rolan.

He had told them about that day.

You had stepped into the Sorcerous Sundries and saw him standing at the counter. Your smile grew as you walked over to him until you were close enough to see the bruises on his face. He never saw your smile drop so quickly and before he could even greet you, he already felt your hand on his face. You cupped his cheek and brushed your thumb over the cuts and marks on his face.

"What happened to your face?", you asked.

He grabbed your wrist to pull your hand away from his face, holding your hand in his hands.

"It's nothing.", he quickly responded, avoiding your eyes while his face started feeling warm.

He didn't want to be saved by you again, it was getting to an embarrassing point.

"Who was that?", you asked again, anger and worry could be heard in your voice.

"Listen, I assure you it is nothing. Please don't worry about it."

"Fine." Your eyes were still on his face. "Where do I find Lorroakan?", you asked him. After all you were here for a reason, which was to find out what Lorroakan wants with the Nightsong.

"You can find the portal to him upstairs.", he responded.

"Thanks."

You were on your way up these stairs before he even realized.

He could tell you were mad just by your body language. What he wasn't expecting was for you to leave the tower just a few minutes later only to come back with the Nightsong.

He knew there was going to be trouble just by the way you stomped up these stairs. Instantly he felt worried. He couldn't stand if you got injured so he hurried after you. Even if he wasn't of much help, he would still do as much as he could.

He wasn't going to just let you save his ass without helping again and was tired of the way Lorroakan treated him.

The fight wasn't going on for too long, after all Lorroakan was mostly hiding behind the elemental allies he summoned. You took them out one by one, only for Lorroakan to be defenseless in front of all of you.

Rolan smiled seeing him defeated, after all he had done to him.

"Stop that smile, I am not dead and you will suffer even more than before once I am done with the other fools.", Lorroakan angrily said to him.

"Wait.. that was you?", you said. You shouldn't be surprised, it would be easy to guess by the way Lorroakan was acting. "You will regret ever being born once I am done with you."

Your whole body looked tense as Rolan had never seen you so mad. He never expected it just because he was wearing a few bruises.

Needless to say the fight was a rather short one from there and he was taking notes to never get you mad at him.

After Rolan told them about that it was rather easy for Lia and Cal to notice you liked each other. They knew their brother well, especially seeing the way he was looking at you every time you visited them at the Tower.

They were going to play matchmaker if they had to and knowing how stubborn the two of you are, they already knew they would.

Matchmaker - pt. 2 (Rolan x Tav)

part 1 part 3

On your way to Ramazith tower you were nervous. Lia had invited you over saying they were going to celebrate Rolan learning a new spell.

Gale had offered to join you and you thought Rolan could be thankful for someone, who doesn't beat him up, to help him with learning new spells, so you agreed.

You found Gale waiting for you in front of the tower and went inside together.

When you got through the portal to the top floor of the tower you saw Lia running towards you with Cal following behind her.

"You're here!", Lia said and pulled you into a hug. While she was hugging you she saw Gale who stepped through the portal after you. "Oh.. you're here, too."

She seemed disappointed, that you brough Gale with you and for a second you thought about wether Gale had done something wrong in the past.

"That's good, I need your help with something in the store. Come.", she continued in a more cheerful tone. Maybe you just imagined her being disappointed. "Rolan is reading somewhere in here, you should go find him!"

Both Lia and Gale, who she pulled with her, disappeared back through the portal and Cal followed behind them.

With that you stood there by yourself. Seems like you had to look for Rolan.

The tower was still as impressive as the last time you were here, you just didn't have much time to admire it last time. The high bookshelves with so many books you couldn't even all read in a lifetime impressed you. You were glad Rolan was able to learn as much as he wanted to now, without fearing the abuse of his former mentor.

Looking down to the many other floors you were wondering where Rolan was. You couldn't spot him anywhere in the tower and you noticed the doors leading to the balkony.

When you stepped outside you walked around the tower and you noticed him leaning against the railing, book in his hand but he was deep in thought and staring into the distance.

His back was turned to you so you couldn't see his face, yet his body language told you he was relaxed. You were just standing there for a few moments just looking at him, before you walked over to him and leaned next to him. He looked over at you and you saw the surprise in his eyes.

"Oh, I wasn't expecting you here.", he said and straightened his body. You hadn't noticed how tall he was before, just now that you were standing right next to him.

"You weren't? Lia invited me to celebrate the new spell you learned, so I thought you'd expect me here.", you responded confused.

He looked at you in disbelieve for a second.

"Oh, right. I totally forgot about that as I am already busy learning the next one.", he laughed awkwardly.

"Of course. I still wanted to congratulate you, it seems like you are doing well."

"Well thanks to you. You had to save my ass 3 times in order for that to happen."

He avoided your gaze, leaning back on the railing again and looking around.

"Seeing you here now was definitely worth it, I'd do it again.", you said and you meant it. You enjoyed seeing him look happy, with his siblings safe and more books he could ever study.

"Thank you, really. If you ever need any help, I'll gladly offer it. Anything.", he said, now turning to you and looking at you with a serious expression.

"I will keep it in mind." You looked up at him with a smile on your face. "It's nice to see your face without any bruises on them."

You noticed a thin scar just below his lower lip. It was just slightly darker than his skintone and drew your attention to his lips. Just a second later you found your hand reaching for his face. You wanted to touch the small scar, hoping it would fade with your touch.

His eyes were wide and he looked at your hand, that was so close to touching him.

You pulled it back quickly once you realized. Both of you awkwardly looking away, not sure what to say.

"Hellooo? Rolan? Tav? Where are you?", you heard Lia shout as she stepped through the portal.

"We are out here.", you shouted back.

Your face felt warm and you took a step away from Rolan, noticing how close you had been standing to him.

Lia stepped out on the balkony with Cal and Gale following close behind her.

She just had to take a look at the two of you to notice her plan was going to work. His skintone might conceal the blush, that was much more obvious on your skin but she knew her brother and she knew how he looked when he was flustered, which definitely was the case right now.

With a quick glance over at Cal she knew he had noticed too. They smiled at each other. Surely they were one step closer to their plan working out.

Matchmaker - pt. 3 (Rolan x Tav)

part 1 part 2

You were enjoying a quiet day at home, a cup of tea in your hand and wearing your most comfortable outfit. It felt strange to you to have such a peaceful day. The Absolute defeated, the people you grew close with over your travels living their own lifes now, while some of them are nearby, some others are not and it feels foreign to you, being alone again.

It wasn't like you didn't enjoy it, still it had a feeling to it you couldn't really put into words.

A knock on your door pulled you out of your thoughts and you walked over to the door opening it.

Your mind had made up a few people who could be here visiting you, but it never would have guessed for Rolan to stand there. He looked nervous, avoiding your eyes as much as he could.

"Oh, I wasn't expecting you Rolan.", you said surprised.

"I'm sorry to come by unannounced.", he responded, looking down to his feet, visibly uncomforable. "I wanted to ask for your assistance on something."

"Come on in then.", you say and he steps inside your home, awkwardly standing in the middle of the room, taking a look around. "So, what is it you need help with?"

He sighs.

"You probably noticed that Cal and Lia can be very.. persistent, when they have an idea on their mind.", he started explaining, looking at you, waiting for your reaction before continuing.

"I was already sure of that back at the grove, when they were convincing you to stay with the other tieflings.", you said, amused by the thought of it and remembering how annoyed he was for you to side with them. Honestly it was probably the best choice for all of them.

"Oh how I hated you for agreeing with them." He smiled at the thought, his opinion on you obviously had changed a lot. "So, they have set their minds on something and I do need your help getting around that. They keep bothering me with it nearly every day and it's getting in the way with my studies.", he said. His eyes were avoiding yours and you swore his ears and cheeks turned an even darker red.

"I'm always glad to help, count me in.", you said. After all, having a chance to spent more time with Rolan didn't seem like a bad deal.

"You're already agreeing, before you even know what I was going to ask of you?", he said, shaking his head in disbelieve.

"Oh, right. Go ahead then."

"So.. I uh-.. I want you to act like we are dating, so they leave me alone with that topic.", he said and he did seem like he just wished to disappear.

You just stood there for a moment looking at him. He wasn't serious, was he? It kind of made sense to you, the last time you had met Rolan, his siblings basically dragged Gale out of the tower just so you were alone with Rolan.

You did like him, it's not like you were put off by the fact he wanted you to act like you two were dating. The fact that actually put you off was the part where you were just pretending. But would it be so bad to just pretend? At least it might feel like you are one step closer to actually dating him.

"Okay, I'll do it.", you said.

His eyes wide and landing on you now.

"Oh.. I wasn't expecting you to actually say yes.", he admitted.

You couldn't say no. It probably took a lot of courage for him to even ask for your help generally.

"Well, you asked for my help and I am not someone to deny it.", you force yourself to smile at him.

"I mean, we don't have to do that forever, just for a while so they stop getting on my nerves."

You gulped down whatever feeling it was that made you feel like saying you can't do that.

Of course he wouldn't act like he dated you forever, why would you feel so disappointed because of that?

"Of course, that's fine. So, what should I do?", you asked him. After all you agreed, so you need to play your role in this act.

"Uh- I haven't thought about that, but I guess holding my hand and something like that will do?", he said. "Do you want to come visit me at the tower tomorrow?"

He was looking at you, he seemed happy you had agreed to helping him. His gaze on you, waiting for you to agree.

"Sounds good to me, honey.", you said, hiding your emotions behind a smile. You weren't sure what you got yourself into, but there was no turning back now.

"Great, I'll see you tomorrow then.", he had avoided his eyes when he heard you call him that. He would have to get used to it very soon if he wanted this to work out.

Matchmaker - pt. 4 (Rolan x Tav)

Today you were going to meet Rolan at Ramazith's Tower as he had asked you to. You were unsure how you were supposed to be in front of his siblings, probably you were expected to hold his hand, but should you kiss him?

Maybe you should have talked about this some more, but you honestly had been too stunned to ask more questions. You had never expected such an unusual request from him. He probably would have a few people at hand he could date? He was good looking and if he tried to leave his snarky attitude at home, you could even consider him nice. He was smart too and studied a lot lately so his skills with magic should've improved as well.

But after all you had agreed, so questioning it now was kind of pointless.

When you arrived at Ramazith's Tower you went through the portal to get to the upper floors, where you expected Rolan and his siblings.

Lia greeted you the second you stepped through the portal, seems like she was already expecting you.

"It's so good to see you! You look amazing.", she said.

You thanked her as she pointed to where Rolan was sitting and started walking over to where he was studying.

When you were nearly there you heard Lia call over Cal to watch you two. There weren't even trying to be subtle about it, both watching you curiously.

Rolan was sitting at a desk nearby, focused on his book. He looked deep in thought as it seemed he didn't even hear you and Lia talk a few seconds ago, his eyes scanning over the pages, eyebrows furrowed.

When you stood beside him you wrapped your arms around his shoulders, your chin resting on one of them and he was startled at the sudden hug, but relaxed once he realized it is you.

"Your siblings are staring at us.", you whispered into his ear.

"I thought so.", he said quietly, his head turned to you slightly as he tried to look into your face.

"I'm pretty sure they expect you to kiss me.", you told him. Your heart was beating quickly just when you thought about it and you hoped he wouldn't notice the blush on your cheeks.

"Are you okay with that?", he asked, his tone sounded kind of shocked, like he wasn't expecting you to even consider kissing him.

"Well.. they are supposed to think we are dating and I agreed to that already."

"You're right."

His eyes were on your lips and he looked back to your eyes like he was still expecting you to pull away or to refuse. Quickly he placed a short kiss on your lips, too short to even give you a chance to notice how his lips felt. He avoided his gaze from you quickly and focused back on his book, to hide the fact how flustered he was.

You still saw the blush on his cheeks and you couldn't help but smile. At least you weren't the only one blushing.

"Aww, are you blushing?", you said. You couldn't resist on teasing him a little, like your heart wasn't beating like crazy just for the short moment you had felt his lips on yours.

"Shush, I am busy studying.", he said like he wasn't aware that you could see the blush even on his skintone.

"Of course, my bad.", you responded and chuckled as you loosened your embrace.

You started looking around, taking a book out of the shelves and looking through it to see if it's something you would enjoy reading. The high bookshelves offering an overwhelming amount of books, holding as much wisdom about magic as you could ever imagine.

You feel his eyes on you while you looked around and turned towards him.

"You are distracting me.", he said.

"What am I supposed to do? Sit and do nothing while you study? Let me at least find something to read."

"Fine, hurry up."

You rolled your eyes and looked at him while he tried to look at his books. His gaze drifted to you many times while he was trying to focus on the book before him.

You grabbed a random book from the shelves, that caught your interest and sat down nearby, a few meters away from him.

"No, come sit here.", he said, pointing to the chair by his side, his tone telling you something was off about him. He acted like the day when Lia and Cal were imprisoned and you talked to him at Last Light. All bitchy and like he was sick of your presence alone.

"Did someone step on your tail today?", you asked him.

"What?"

"Your mood is exceptionally bad today."

"I-.. ugh I am just busy and everyone is getting on my nerves. So please just sit and let me study.", he said, avoiding your gaze.

"Fine."

You sat down next to him, putting your legs over his lap to sit comfortably. He didn't comment on it but you swore the tips of his ears, peaking out from his hair, were definitely a darker shade of red than usual.

After a while his hand rested on your leg, right above your knee, while he was focused on his book. His thumb moving in circles over the fabric of your clothes, caressing you absently.

Your gaze was on his hands, long nails gently moving across your leg while the other one was on his book, turning the pages from time to time.

"This was a bad idea, you are distracing.", he said again.

"Rolan, I'm literally just sitting here.", you responded. Was he being serious?

"I can feel you staring at me."

"So? I'm your girlfriend, I should be looking at you after all.", you said and he knew you were right.

"It's still distracting me."

"Why am I here then?"

"Can you just read and not stare?", he asked of you with a sigh. You had no idea why he was acting like that, but you weren't going to question it. If he didn't want to tell you what's wrong, then that's fine too.

Your eyes focussing back on the book, trying to keep them from wandering off to watch Rolan again.

"Rolan? Tav? Are you hungry? We plan on going to eat something, do you want to join?", Lia called from the portal a few moments later.

"No, I am bus-", he started saying but you interrupted him before he could continue.

"Of course, we would love to!"

"Are you out of your mind?", he hissed at you.

"I'm pretty sure you didn't eat anything yet and you could use a break from studying. Maybe your mood will be better then.", you said and while he looked like he was going to say something, he closed his mouth when he noticed you are right.

"Ugh, you were supposed to be on my side, not on Lia and Cals."

"You asked me to date you, not to be someone to always agree with you. Now lets go eat, darling.", you said teasingly.

You took his hand and pulled him away from the book and joined Lia and Cal.

"Did you fight?", Cal asked when he saw Rolan's face.

"No, he just thought he would get away with not eating.", you said and rubbed your thumb over his hand in yours.

"I'm glad you care for him, when he doesn't do so himself.", Lia said.

"Pff, lets get going then so I can get back to studying soon.", he said, avoiding to look at anyone and pulling you with him through the portal.

Lia and Cal smiled at each other like they were going to tease him about it again.

Rolan really thought he would get away with dating you, expecting the teasing he got from his siblings to just disappear. It wasn't one of his brightest moments.

When you're in the middle of doing something completely mundane and the most perfect, painful plot thread comes into your head

Not that anyone cares but this is about deciding to make Idris (Tav) and Rolan exes

When you're in the middle of doing something completely mundane and the most perfect, painful plot thread comes into your head

Meet My Tavs: Idris Baines

Idris is a case where the lore does what I say it does and timelines ware whatever is most convenient for me, for instance the fact that they exist in the same universe as one of my Durges, Kieran. So!

Idris is a Sorcerer, as in they are born with a capacity fir magic but they get into bardic magic really early, so they assume it's just the bardic magic. Essentially that inate magic just makes them an insanely powerful bard.

Idris is born in Eltûrel to their two moms (one of whom is technically their step mom because them and their brother are children born of a deal made by their mama and Mephistopheles). They also have an older brother Eryx who's surprisingly plot relevant.

But when Eltûrel is dragged to and back from Avernus Idris is just a kid and was separated from their family, leaving them to wander the world in search of them. They pick up more bardic talents on the way for survival.

They grow up on the streets of Faerûn, hopping from village to city to village to city, hoping to find any sign of their family or to make a big enough impression as a Bard that they start making enough money to fund a much better search.

On the way they run into the very same group of refugees they find in Act 1, and stick with the refugees for a while, even dating Rolan. But they find a lead on their parents and disappear to follow it, leaving them all behind.

The lead takes them weeks to follow but eventually leads to Baldur's Gate. While there they manage to secure a gig that could be their big break, but on the way they're snatched by the Nautaloid.

The last detail that I won't expand upon here but I feel the need to mention: The Emperor takes on the appearance of Eryx.

Sorry I haven’t been active I’ve been very Baldurs gate brained this is my half dragon who likes Rolan very much

I really like them a lot . Hi

Comical slap followed by a YEEEOWCH!

I love Rolan.

My Tav wasn't raised by Tieflings and hasn't really lived as one until the events of the game. As a result she has no concept of tail body language and broadcasts shit she doesn't mean to.

"It's just one bonus comic!" I say, "how many panels could it be, 4?"

I gotta stop lying to myself and pretending I'm capable of doing short follow up comics lmao. There'll be a part 3 to this eventually, it just won't be quite as quick as this one was

Part 1

Thank you so much for your Tiefling smut contributions! I am so lovesick for Rolan and wanted to request--Rolan x fem Tav at the grove party? I know it's super early in both of their arcs but I can't help but wonder. 💕

Rolan x Fem!Tav (Unnamed)

Good Night For Company

"Would you mind if I kissed you?" Sometimes you need to feel lonely before you notice the person sitting right beside you.

Tags: Fem Unnamed Tav, Kissing, Accidental Cuddling, Feelings Realization | SFW

Word Count: 5,443 [Read on AO3]

Sometimes it was lonely to be the hero, she thought to herself.

Their camp was fuller and merrier than she’d ever seen it. Every last Tiefling she’d met at the Grove had joined them for a night of celebration, bringing along every last bottle of wine and spirits they could get their hands on as way of thanks.

Unsurprisingly, all eyes in camp seemed to be searching for someone else to spend the night with. Who could blame them? Mortal peril and hard-won victories tended light a fire in people, herself included. 

Yet somehow she still found herself short on options. Everyone at camp seemed more interested in clapping her shoulder in thanks than joining her for a night of abandoned pleasure. Even her close companions hadn’t taken much interest in what she had on offer.

Astarion was the only one who had made her an invitation. She practically felt grateful to him for it. He would tempt anyone, of course—just look at him. But underneath his beauty, there was a dark edge about the elf that made her hesitate in the end. How was it Gale had described him? ‘A tiger when it purrs.’ 

Honestly, she wouldn’t have said no to Gale, either. He was certainly attractive, and there was a sad weight to his shoulders that seemed to invite comforting. The kind she wouldn’t mind giving. Yet despite the lonely shine in his eyes, he’d made it abundantly clear to her in his loquacious way that his mind was elsewhere this evening. She left him alone to his private reflections.

She at least expected their own cheerful Tiefling to be smack in the middle of the evening’s revelry. Tonight, Karlach was nowhere to be found. Only when she later glimpsed Shadowheart’s tent standing dark and noticeably empty did she put the pieces together. 

Well, good for them. At least two of their group might have a chance at a lay tonight.

No such luck for her, it seemed. She raised the bottle of Ithbank to her lips and tried not to feel too sorry for herself. The last few days had been long, exhausting, positively brutal…her muscles ached from overuse. Really, a good night’s sleep should be more than enough to satisfy her. 

And yet—how nice it would feel to be touched and held with tenderness, even if it wasn’t real, even just for one night. Just enjoy a harmless tumble in someone’s bedroll before everything crashed around them again. The thought of the long road that would greet her in the morning made her groan, and she shook the thought away. 

It hardly helped her souring mood to see Danis and Bex practically sitting in each others’ laps in the middle of camp, gently knocking their horns together with affection. She averted her eyes and took a rather resentful swig of wine as she trudged past.

“Go on then, give us a show!”

Teasing laughter came from just ahead. At the edge of camp, she happened upon the three Tiefling siblings from the Grove. Rolan, the oldest, stood flexing his hands as if preparing for an impressive feat. As she approached, she thought for just a moment that he glanced in her direction.

His brother Cal heckled him mercilessly from the rock where he and Lia were perched. “Lose your nerve, wiz?”

Rolan sighed, long-suffering. “Have you no respect for showmanship?” Not leaving time for any more smart comments, he flourished his hands upward with a low incantation.

The effect was like tiny stars, or fireflies, or some combination of the two. Sparkling lights spread and popped above their heads, leaving behind a violet mist that gently faded into the night.

She found herself smiling up at the sky. It wasn’t a powerful display, but it was lovely nonetheless. And certainly unique. She wondered how one went about inventing a Weave spell; she wouldn’t know where to begin. 

Tucking the bottle against her chest, she offered a little round of applause. Cal looked over at her then and let out a groan of amusement. “Not you, now he’ll keep at it all night.” 

"Shut it," Rolan shot at him, positively glowering. Lia was clutching her side in laughter at his expense.

Two against one; that was siblings for you. She was in a newly generous mood after his pretty magic, however, and decided to lend Rolan a hand.

"Surprised you're still here," she said, cocking her head toward Cal. "Last I heard, Lakrissa was looking for you."

Cal's neck practically snapped with how quickly he craned it around camp. Lia turned her mirth on him, aiming a punch at his shoulder.

"As if, you idiot," she chuckled. "She's only about ten times out of your league."

"You don't know that," Cal told her, completely thrown off teasing his brother as he rose to look around the party hopefully. "She told me I had a good parry one time—I could have a chance—"

As he wandered off, Lia threw up her hands and rose to follow him. "Guess I'll go save Lakrissa. Or maybe just watch what happens. Nice one," Lia added over her shoulder, grinning appreciatively at her. 

She and Rolan were left standing alone to the side. There was some awkward shuffling of feet; somewhere past the campfire, Volo launched into his third stanza of Tymora's Melody. A song to make people lucky, she seemed to recall. A suggestive choice for the night.

"Drink?" She broke the silence, offering out the bottle of wine. Relief flooded Rolan’s face.

"Gods, please." He accepted and took a generous pull.

"You certainly have your hands full with those two, don’t you." She bit back a grin at the way his brow crinkled in response.

"They are…" Rolan cast around for the word. "Challenging. But I don't have to tell you that," he added, glancing sideways at her. "We were bickering the first moment you met us."

"That's just family, though," she laughed, taking the wine back from him. Their fingers brushed together slightly over the bottle.

“Nevertheless. My thanks.” He waved his hand in a general motion, but she could tell he meant her intervention before. 

“Don’t mention it,” she told him. 

Seeking a reprieve from the merry music and voices around them, her feet idly made their way toward the edge of the fire's light closer to the riverbank. From the corner of her eye she saw Rolan follow. They settled on a log of driftwood that faced the scenes at camp. 

"So, you're finally making your way to Baldur's Gate," she said. It wasn't a question; he'd already told everyone who would listen about his apprenticeship with Lorroakan of Ramazith.

"Finally.” His eyes glowed with pure enthusiasm. "You have no idea how long I’ve waited for this. The slightest delay has felt like an eternity.”

“And Cal and Lia? They must be excited, too.”

“Of course” he said, though his lips raised in a little smirk. “They’ve never been to the Gate, so they don’t quite know what to expect. But they’re just as eager.”

She watched him for a moment as she turned the bottle over in her hands. "You're quite sure of yourself, aren't you."

Rolan looked at her with a challenging expression. “Tell me, in our position, what else is there we can be sure of?"

He almost made her regret herself. “I didn’t mean that. It’s just that you’re very—”

“I expect most wouldn’t guess that a hellspawn could earn a position under the greatest archmage on the Sword Coast,” Rolan said before she could finish. 

His moods were volatile as a storm; turning this way and that without warning. She was never sure what to expect from him. Before she could protest his assumptions about her, he continued onward.

"We three never had much between us, you know." Rolan’s voice was abruptly low and bitter. "Somehow we've got less now than we started with. Not even our birthplace anymore. The one thing I’m sure of is my magical talent. I'm not going to deny it for the sake of being modest—" he tossed the words out with contempt. "Not when it's the one thing I always knew I had in spades. With the right instruction, I could be inimitable."

She studied his determined profile in the half-light of the campfire. Perhaps there were more layers to his self-important attitude than she'd thought. After all, without him taking on the challenging role that awaited him in the city, Rolan and his siblings found themselves in much the same position as the other refugees milling about camp tonight. A heavy weight despite his obvious enthusiasm. Who was she to judge him, or any of them?

Rolan finally caught her watching him and cleared his throat. "Forgive me, I think I've—had too much wine."

"Oh?" She gave the bottle a swirl; it was still more than half-full. "You're making pretty good sense to me."

"I don't usually speak so freely with strangers," he explained tersely, glancing away.

She pondered the comment over another sip. "Does that make us friends, then?" She asked, not sure if she was being serious or trying to tease him. He did seem like he'd be awfully fun to tease.

"That's a little premature," he said dryly, but he glanced at her with a serious look. "Though I suppose, given recent events, you've earned it."

"A roundabout way to say yes," she laughed. "But I'll take it."

Rolan only made a low, grumpy noise in his throat. But he didn't challenge her.

“I’m really glad you three stayed, you know,” she told him. “I know you were against it. It certainly wasn’t the easy choice.”

Rolan plucked a bit of dry grass from between his boots, twisted it between his fingers. “Don’t thank me,” he said. “Once Lia gets an idea in her head to save some poor thing or other, there’s no arguing with her. And she knows I'd never leave her behind.”

"You say that, but anyone with eyes can see the way those two look to you for guidance. They would've followed you down either path."

"Not like us staying even made a difference," Rolan deflected, tossing the ball of grass onto the dirt in front of them. "We only lost a few more traveling days waiting around while you and your friends took care of everything. For which, I suppose, we owe you thanks," he finished sarcastically.

"I suppose," she said lightly. But she was looking straight at him.

Rolan was clever enough to realize he was being chastised. He let out a sigh, but dipped his horns to her in resignation. "Thank you."

She only smiled at him and offered back the wine in response. He accepted without comment.

Watching him tip back the bottle, she mentally fit another piece to his puzzle. "You don't like feeling powerless, do you?"

Rolan looked sideways at her. "Does anyone? Do you?"

"No," she replied, feeling a little foolish for asking. When he passed it back, she drank deeply from the bottle, grounded by the burn that traveled down her throat.

"That must make your situation difficult." Rolan was watching her almost cautiously, as if the subject should be carefully tread.

"The tadpole, you mean?" She spoke it aloud, not wanting him to feel any suspense about the subject. How the thought could fill her with dread and a kind of dark humor at the same time was beyond her. Maybe the worm in her brain was finally driving her mad after all.

"First I had to talk Nettie out of giving me a lobotomy. Then I thought the renowned First Druid Halsin might be able to heal me, but no luck. I even thought that crazy goblin priestess could have something up her sleeve." She gave a mirthless laugh, starting to feel the weariness closing around her again. "Suppose I just need to keep searching, right? Halsin thinks we might find answers in the Shadow-Cursed Lands. Or maybe the cure is in Baldur's Gate. Who knows," she added, glancing over at him. "Maybe your Lorroakan could know the solution, if he's as powerful as you say."

"He is," Rolan answered automatically. His luminous eyes were sharp with enthusiasm as he watched her. "When you get to the city, come see me at Sorcerous Sundries. If a cure exists, it'll be recorded somewhere in the library of Ramazith’s Tower, I'm sure of it. I’ll even research it, if I have time."

Inwardly she hoped they'd all be cured far earlier than that. But she was touched by his sudden helpfulness, even if it was half to prove the powers of his new station. 

“Thank you, Rolan,” she smiled. “I appreciate it.”

He dipped his horns wordlessly toward her again. It was a gesture she was beginning to recognize, and grow rather fond of. She offered him their wine bottle in thanks.

From there they both let the moment drift. Seated on their log near the riverbank, she turned to watch how the rest of the revelry was progressing. Alfira had joined Volo in some kind of bardic duel; a rapid-fire melody drifted out to where the two of them sat. Lia appeared to be bravely trying her luck with Lae'zel. Judging by Lae'zel's very non-subtle body language, she was actually getting somewhere. 

And to her disbelief, she even saw Cal and Lakrissa sitting together at the fire, engaged in what looked like a very friendly, very close conversation. Was it seriously everyone's night but hers?

She glanced to Rolan's face at her side. He wasn't paying attention to her; his fingers rolled the neck of their shared drink idly back and forth.

It should've occurred to her sooner, honestly. Despite Rolan's initial bluster, she found it surprisingly easy to speak with him one-on-one like this. He had a depth she hadn't noticed before. 

And he wasn't bad to look at, either. Golden eyes set against inky black, strong jawline, lips that often curved up in a little smirk that she wasn't sure he deserved but found charming despite herself. She decided to dispense with caution and just try her luck.

"Would you mind if I kissed you?"

“What?” Rolan's head jerked around as he stared at her. "Why?"

"I don't know," she admitted. Maybe this was a bad idea; the shock on his face made her question her own boldness. But then she thought of his pretty spellwork. "Because you're the only person who's made me smile tonight."

Rolan examined her expression as though trying to tell whether she was joking. "We barely know each other," he said slowly.

She gestured her head toward the crowded clearing. "I mean, I didn’t know any of these people a few weeks ago. And now look at us. We’re practically family at this point.” She turned back toward him. "Besides, maybe I'd like to get to know you better?"

Rolan cast around for a response to that. "I suppose you're not…unattractive," he conceded. Although the nervous movement of his fingers gave him away a little.

"Know how to make a girl feel special, don't you," she laughed. "Look, Rolan, say no if you don't want to. I'm not after anything serious. It's just a good night for some company, and honestly, I’ve enjoyed talking to you."

Rolan was considering it; she could practically see his mind ticking between his options. "You're quite tenacious, aren't you?" He told her, the hint of a smile teasing at the corners of his mouth.

"When I want something," she agreed.

Something in the words seemed to tip his decision. She watched Rolan's eyes flick down to her lips.

Taking that as a yes, she tilted forward to press them against his. His skin was warm and softer than she expected. Rolan didn't move against her, in fact was practically frozen still. She couldn't tell whether he was inexperienced or just out of practice. Regardless, she pulled away to look at him through her lashes, checking his expression.

This close his golden eyes almost seemed to blaze. She watched them move over her face, taking in her features up close. When he realized she wasn't going to initiate again, Rolan leaned in for another kiss.

Definitely not inexperienced, she decided, as his lips slid and moved softly over hers. She breathed in and smelled smoke and wine and something spiced; a pleasant warmth coiled in her stomach. He sighed into the kiss, apparently feeling something similar.

She felt a tentative hand rest on the side of her waist. Without breaking from him, she scooted sideways to get a little closer, inadvertently pressing her leg up against his. Rolan made no objection, only circled his arm further around her back.

It was the nicest feeling. Being held by a firm yet gentle touch, sharing kisses that flowed from sweet to eager to shy and back again. How long had it been? The longer Rolan's mouth moved over hers, the less she cared about remembering. 

She hooked her arms over his shoulders to keep him close. As she tilted her chin for a better angle at his mouth, she took a chance and ran her tongue along his bottom lip. Rolan’s fingers dug slightly deeper into her side, but his lips parted to allow her in.

She felt a thrill run through her as their tongues melted together. They tasted each other softly for a moment; unconsciously, she combed her fingers up through the hair at his nape.

Rolan broke away gently at the feeling. She grew suddenly shy when their eyes met again, and she cast around for something to fill the silence.

"Why do you hide your ears behind your hair like that?” She wondered aloud. “They’re lovely." As she spoke, one of her index fingers went to tuck a lock of his hair back behind the long, pointed arrow of his ear, grazing against it with curiosity. Before she could blink, his hand caught hers to pull it away.

"Don't—" Rolan said abruptly, then let out a nervous laugh to break the tension. “Tiefling ears are…quite sensitive.”

"Oh," she said. His meaning sunk in the rest of the way. “Oh—I’m so sorry, I didn't realize—" The heat of embarrassment on her cheeks could have melted her.

"It’s all right,” he told her, laughing genuinely now. “Gods, your face is almost as red as mine.”

Rolan was even more handsome with a real, true smile on his face. She wasn’t sure she’d ever seen one there before. Before she’d found a response, his grip on her wrist was gently pulling her arm over his shoulder, and her body closer to him with it. 

She decided another kiss would shut up his teasing nicely. She followed his lead and then some, wrapping both arms around his lovely shoulders, melting against his lips again. He said something against her, but the words dissolved into a hum that sent a pleasant shiver down her back.

Finally, Rolan succeeded in pulling away to glance back toward the center of camp. "Sorry," he said breathlessly, and it sounded like he truly was. "I just—don't want you to face uncomfortable questions in the morning."

No doubt his siblings' teasing was another factor, but she didn't call him out on it. While she appreciated his chivalry, all she could think about was getting his mouth under hers again.

"We could go to my tent?" She suggested.

For all the cockiness he'd spouted from the first moment she met him, she felt Rolan's hands almost seize up around her.

The feeling made her bite back a grin. "I'd just like to kiss you some more," she said, tracing her thumb against his jaw. "We don't have to do anything else. It would just be more private. And more comfortable."

Rolan licked his lips, unsure. “Won’t that be even more obvious?”

“I don’t think this crowd’s going to notice much at this point…” She turned with arms still around him to look over the scenes near the campfire, and Rolan's gaze followed. The generous flow of alcohol was taking a clear effect on most of the faces gathered here and there. Around the fire’s edge, Alfira was leading many of her fellows in a rousing ballad that she didn’t recognize. Most voices were noticeably off-key.

“Come on,” she invited Rolan, rising with one of his hands in hers. He made no protests as she led him around the edge of camp, trying to stay out of the more obvious sightlines, and towards her empty tent. When she held the flap open for him, he ducked in quickly without a word, and she followed.

Inside, the light from the roaring campfire filtered dimly through the fabric walls. She watched Rolan’s luminous eyes glance around, taking in her personal effects, finally landing on her open bedroll. He swallowed hard. 

“Just sit,” she told him, guiding him by the arm down beside her. They settled side-by-side on the blankets. Somehow the mood between them was back to the initial uncertainty of before, as if they hadn’t already shared a score of kisses.

“Your tent smells like you,” he said out of nowhere.

"Really?" She chuckled, but the observation somehow made her very nervous. “Not sure if I want to ask what my smell is.”

“Balsam.” Rolan didn’t elaborate, only dipped his head swiftly to place lips under her jaw. Her laughter dissolved into a sigh of pleasure. Clawed hands snaked up around her side and down over her shoulder, tipping her torso into him. She let her head loll to the side to give him all the access he could want.

She’d forgotten all about his sharp incisors. As he kissed down the side of her neck, his warm breath sending a cascade of shivers over her spine, one of his fangs grazed her bare skin by accident. Her sharp intake of breath surprised even herself. 

Rolan pulled away to look at her, uncertain if he’d done something right or wrong. She used the moment to capture him in a kiss again, sucking and nibbling on one side of his bottom lip, letting him know how right he was getting this.

She sank sideways into her bedroll, pulling him down with her with hands clasped behind his neck, trying to be mindful of his angling horns.

Rolan's arm rested comfortably over her side, nails whispering against her back as he held her. He was so gentle like this; so unlike the way he presented himself to others. The thought that she was seeing a side of Rolan most others didn’t get to see—she liked that thought very much. She tangled a hand in his hair as their kisses turned soft, and lovely, and almost lazy.

The security of his arms around her in her soft bedroll, the alcohol making its way rapidly to her brain, the exertions of the day straining along her limbs…she felt herself drifting toward a state of relaxation almost like sleep. She roused herself, wanting to kiss him back while she had him here. She wasn't sure when they'd get a chance like this next.

But Rolan gently disentangled their mouths for a moment. "Here," he said, scooting his arm under her neck like a pillow. She leaned against him with a comfortable sigh. 

"Your arm's gonna fall asleep," she warned him, making no moves to shift the weight of her heavy head.

Rolan chuckled low in his chest. "I think you'll be doing that first."

She wanted to make a snappy response, but all that came out was a petulant groan against his lips. 

This wasn't going at all the way she intended. She wasn't supposed to doze off, she was supposed to kiss the Tiefling wizard until he saw stars, like the ones he'd conjured for her.

Because he had conjured them for her—she told herself that with certainty, whether or not it was true. The sweet thought carried her toward sweet dreams, and the memory of them behind her eyelids was the last thing she saw before she drifted.

—

The call of an owl nearby pierced through her sleep. As her mind surfaced in the darkness, the first thing she was aware of was the pleasant weight of an arm across her. She sighed and settled comfortably back into the warm figure pressed up against her hips and shoulders. The mystery arm pulled her in tighter in response.

Things began slowly filtering back to her; the party the night before, and the wine, and Rolan, and—

Her eyes opened wide then. The interior of her tent was so dark that she could only make out blurry shapes. Outside, she heard nothing but crickets and a few more distant owls hooting; it must be well past midnight. The fire hadn't been tended for hours, judging by the absence of light reaching through the fabric walls. Presumably the rest of camp had all turned in long ago. 

With the nervousness of a person who'd fallen asleep from drink, she shifted around a bit to confirm that yes, she was very much still fully clothed. Her toes flexed against hard leather; even her dusty boots were still on her feet. That answered that question, at least. She glanced down at the clothed arm over her stomach.

"Rolan?" She whispered through the dark. 

She felt and heard his lips mumble something against her hair, and then Rolan's face nestled deep into the crook of her neck with a happy sigh. The intimate gesture made her bite her lip. She could feel his steady breaths tickle against her collarbone. 

However much she might want to let him stay right there, forever, she knew she should wake him.

"Rolan," she whispered a little louder. Twisting a bit to free the arm under her side, she reached to gently pat the spot between his horns. She felt his hair rustle freely under her hand; its orderly tie must have come undone in the night.

Rolan inhaled sharply awake then. He lifted his head from her as if trying to cast around for where he was.

"We both fell asleep," she whispered, stating the obvious. She felt him tense up behind her as he took in his body's positioning: chest pressed against her back, one arm cradling her neck, the other wrapped tight around her waist to keep her pulled in close to him. She wasn’t sure, but she thought she even felt his tail twined around one of her legs.

Every part of him retreated from her at once as he lurched into a half-seated position. "I'm sorry," he apologized in a groggy whisper.

"It's fine," she assured him, wondering why he would assume she didn't enjoy the closeness as much as he clearly had in his sleep. "I think everyone else is asleep by now."

There was a long, quiet pause. Then Rolan began, “Did we…?”

“No,” she interjected with certainty. 

"Thank Gods. I mean—" He cast around in the dark for one of her hands, realizing how that came out. "We both drank a lot, that's not how I want—it shouldn't be like that."

"I know." The sweet goodness of him made her heart swell.

Suddenly, Rolan grabbed his head with both hands. "Fuck," he hissed. "Lia and Cal."

"What about?"

"They'll know I didn't come back to our camp last night," he groaned low.

"Oh—okay," she said, trying to think; her brain was still fuzzy from the night's wine. "Well, maybe they'll just assume you got back late?"

“You don't understand, they know that I—” He cut himself off, and finished, “They already tease me about you.”

“Oh." She did her best to ignore the way that made her insides do a happy flip. But she couldn’t resist teasing a little herself. “Then maybe they’ll just assume you finally got lucky?”

His head fell against her shoulder with a groan, horns lightly knocking against her. “Please,” he begged.

“Sorry, Rolan—” She was instantly contrite, holding his head close to place kisses across his hair and forehead. "Listen, we've got an hour or two before dawn. Maybe you can sneak back and they won't know how late you were out. Where's your camp?"

"The bluffs just outside the Emerald Grove, with Lakrissa and the bard."

She knew the spot; they could easily reach there in a quarter hour on foot. But first, she scooted away and undid the flap of her tent to peer out for any signs of activity.

Everything outside was very still. She watched carefully for another moment just in case; near Wyll's tent, Scratch snuffled and buried his snout further against the owlbear cub's feathers. Beyond that, there were no signs of stirring in the camp.

She ducked back inside the tent for a moment. "C'mon—"

With quiet, shuffling feet, they crept out into the quiet moonlit night. Scratch's head raised silently in their direction. She stared into his dark eyes with a silent plea, begging him to be a good boy and stay quiet. He lowered his head back down without a sound. She swore to herself that she would find him the biggest, juiciest bone in the morning. 

She grabbed Rolan's hand behind her and tugged him quietly through camp. They passed tent after tent filled with steady breathing, boots padding against the dirt in near-silence.

Once they were outside the ruined wall at the edge of the campsite, she let out her pent-up breath in relief. 

Rolan kept his fingers twined firmly with hers as they walked through the moonlight. They talked about anything to fill the air, about things that didn't matter, both trying to stave off the impending end of their short night together.

Far sooner than felt fair, they rounded into a familiar clearing, and she knew his destination was just up the hill to their left. 

"Well," she began, as they slowed to a stop.

Before she knew it, she was pulled against Rolan’s chest in a tight embrace. She folded herself into him as completely as she could manage, breathing deep and committing his scent to memory.

When they broke apart, he kept her close so he could see her face in the moonlight. "Which route will you take to reach the Shadow lands?"

"Through the Underdark if we can," she answered. "I wasn't sure about it, but we all took a vote after the fight yesterday. What about you three?"

"I don't know," Rolan said honestly. "It depends how Zevlor decides. We're all going to travel together as far as we can."

"Oh," she said. She ought to say something reassuring about how that was a wise tactical choice, but she was overcome with the realization that she might not see Rolan again for many weeks. Possibly not until they both reached Baldur's Gate.

In that moment, she fervently regretted not fucking this wonderful man into tomorrow when she'd had the chance—wine be damned. From the way Rolan was looking at her, she wondered if he was thinking the same.

Instead, she leaned in to kiss him one last time with everything she had. She wanted to remember the way his shoulders fit perfectly under her arms. Rolan’s grip closed around her middle, and in the next instant she felt her feet dangle weightless as he lifted her off the ground into him.

The kiss had to end eventually. As he lowered her onto her feet, she touched back down to dirt and reality. 

“Your hair,” she gasped suddenly. It hung loose to his shoulders, his red ear tips poking from between the locks. It was a very handsome look for him.

Rolan raised a hand up in realization himself. “I’ll figure something—” he began, but she was already tugging at the leather lace that fastened her shirt. She raised it to her mouth to bite off a short length.

Before he could stop her, she stood on tiptoe to gather Rolan’s hair behind his head the way he usually kept it. Her arms circled him as she tied it halfway back with the makeshift string. She could feel his eyes on her face, but she steadily avoided meeting his gaze. She foolishly felt like she might cry if she did.

“There,” she sniffed as she pulled away. 

Rolan only gave her a gentle smile. “Thank you,” he said, dipping his horns to her one more time.

Telling him goodbye hurt just to think about. “Good night,” she whispered to him instead.

“It has been,” Rolan agreed. “The very, very best.”