This was meant to be short, but similarly to Gale, I can't stop babbling.
Disclaimer: (confession time) I've never actually played BG3, and simply live vicariously through others & on here...but what I do have, is far too many years of skyrim under my belt, so I decided to meld the two while I attempt to write fan fiction for the first time in many years. No I'm not sure on the logistics of this but shhh, let's just enjoy our handsome wizard
This is my first time attempting this, but if you enjoy it, let me know & I'll work on more BG3/Skyrim fics 😘
Requests are open for Gale/Halsin/Astarion
*The companions are all together in this, despite Tav not being there*
It all began with a book Gale had recently acquired. They had recently come across the skeletal remains of a poor fellow, who had met an untimely fate when resting at his makeshift camp. While the others in the group rummaged through his knapsack for items to take, Gale's attention was on the book lying next to the skeleton's hand.
He quickly picked up the leather-bound book, inspecting the lightly faded golden text on the front; "A Mage's compendium volume III: Arcane Apothecary by [Y/N]".
The textbook piqued his curiosity. While he was convinced that he probably already knew all the book had to offer, he was desperate for some new reading material, having resorted to re-reading most of the books back at camp.
...Plus, he was saving this book from a lifetime of rotting away, unused...it wasn't like any of his companions had shown an interest in it, either.
That night, after saying goodnight to his companions and settling into his bedroll, he pulled the book out and began reading.
There was something about this book. The way it was written felt personal, like the author was speaking to him directly. The warmth and passion, along with snippets of personal anecdotes about each potion from the author, reminded him of the cookbooks his mother had back home.
"My favourite thing about alchemy, is that it allows everyone to experience the wonder of magic. It gives, even the most magically inept, the potential to experience the power of magic."
He found himself absolutely enthralled with the book. While a lot of the information he already knew, he felt elation each time he came across new information- not to mention the excitement when reading about ingredients he had never even heard of. He wasn't sure where the author was from, but it must have been some far away lands he had never been to, where these unusual things such as nirnroots and mora tapinella grew.
He had already read through the first two chapters when he managed to tear himself away, reminding himself if he read it all now, he'd be back to having no new reading material for the following day. Begrudgingly, he set the book aside and fell asleep.
The next day was another long battle, the companions completely drained from another brush with death. So exhausted in fact, that none of them noticed the wizard amongst the party stuffing the odd ingredient into pockets as they headed back to camp...not that any of them would have probably even have questioned it, thinking he was merely looking for seasonings for the next meal.
Once again, Gale found himself captivated by the book. He had gotten through another chapter, before deciding to attempt one of the potions listed. Just as he placed the cork into the recently filled bottle, he noticed the outline of Karlach outside of his tent. She must have noticed the light as while on guard duty.
"Still awake at this time, Gale?"
"Ah, I must have lost myself in the texts again! I-um-I'm guessing it must be pretty late...NOT to worry! I promise I'll go to sleep, right now,"
He could feel Karlach roll her eyes from the other side of the tent.
"Whatever you say, magic man, just make sure you're rested enough for tomorrow, long day ahead, again." Karlach said, a chuckle on her lips.
The party had immediately regretted having Halsin back at camp when they saw the treasure chest, which contained the item they needed to retrieve, at the bottom of a particularly deep lake. If they had a bear with them, he could have simply dove to the bottom of the icy waters.
They flopped dramatically on the lake's embankment, Astarion whining with defeat, while Lae'zel simply stated that the wizard should just use a spell to drain the lake.
"I don't think that would be a wise dec-Ah! But I do have a Potion that should be perfect for this!"
Before anyone could question what Gale was babbling on about, he pulled the bottle he had been working on the night before with outstretched hands to show the others.
The rest of the party just stared at him with blank expressions, Astarion simply just raising a disapproving eyebrow.
Gale ripped the cork out, before faltering for a moment looking at the rather unappetising colour. "It will be fine, remember when [Y/N] said she had used this potion to explore shipwrecks," he told himself.
"This fish fillet is wonderful, Gale! I'm sure we'll all be in for a long rest tonight!" Wyll exclaimed, the others nodding and giving mumbled sounds of approval around the fire, mouths full.
"That potion must have been quite the powerful concoction for you have to caught so many," replied Halsin, shovelling another fork-full down.
Gale's little potion experiment worked incredibly well, not only had the water breathing potion lasted long enough to retrieve the chest, but he had plenty of time to wrangle some fish, too.
As was his now nightly routine, Gale nestled himself into his bedding and picked up the book once more. After reading through a few lines, his mind began to wander, thinking about the author. He suddenly realised he must have skipped an introductory page in his excitement to begin the book.
He quickly flicked back through the pages until his eyes settled on the second page in, a gasp caught in his throat.
Looking back at him, was an incredibly detailed sketch of the most stunning witch he could have envisioned. His fingers lightly traced the image in front of him, mesmerised by her beauty. Despite there being no colour, Gale could see the twinkle in her eyes as she held a pot containing, what he had assumed, was one of the Dragon's Tongue plants she had spoke about growing. She was more beautiful than any mortal he had laid eyes upon.
That night changed everything. Gale now found himself imagining the woman talking him through each potion. Once he had finished the book, he would often just stare at her image as it lay next to the empty spot of his bed, fantasising that she was there next to him, talking to him until the early morning. He would keep his eyes on her image, right until he could feel himself falling asleep, and then hide the book under a pillow in case a companion caught him.
Gale's demeanor had changed around camp in the days that followed. There was a new spring in his step, more jovial, as he practically skipped around the camp.
"What's got you so happy?" Astarion sneered, noting the sudden happiness radiating from the usually pained wizard.
"Nothing! Just the joy of a book to remind me of the love of magic! The joy of learning new knowledge! The-" Gale began, before Astarion dismissed him with the wave of his hand.
Truth was, while Gale was excited to gain more knowledge, he was absolutely smitten...for a woman who didn't even know he existed. Not to worry, he thought, at least that way he wouldn't have to go through the heartbreak of rejection.
Gale's little crush had become a full-scale obsession. He thought about her during the day while in a little daze and, at night, had begun attempting to recreate her image with illusion spells. She was the perfect distraction from his Goddess, and his glowing orb. Of course, the looming orb in his chest meant he had to stop himself from fully losing himself to some of his more risqué thoughts.
Tara had, of course, become aware of Gale's new love, too. He groaned each time she teased him for acting like a lovesick teen. Alongside mutterings about how better it would be for him to focus that attention onto to finding a person to bring home, after the mission was complete.
Although everything was about to change.
Halsin had been the one to raise the alarm. In the dead of night, the camp was ambushed. Halsin, who had been standing guard, had alerted the others before morphing into his wildshape, wildly tearing apart the intruders. While the bear had swept away most of the threat, the odd one had slipped through into the camp, only to be met with the full force of the companions' fighting skills.
It hadn't taken long for the threat to be quelled, although not without a little bit of damage to the camp.
"Oh Gale, I'm sorry. I'm sure a spell or two will fix it right up," Wyll sympathised, placing a hand on the wizard's shoulder.
Gale turned his head to look over to where Wyll was looking, and his stomach flipped as he watched the final embers fade. His tent must have got hit, either by a misplaced spell or dropped torch. Wyll was right though, most of Gale's contents had survived, and a flick of the wrist saw the damaged tent stitched back...although Gale noticed something. There was a pile of smouldering ash just next to the tent. He knew instantly.
He immediately ran over to the cinders, dropping to his knees and grabbing fists full of the ash, letting it pool through his fingertips, completely crestfallen. Anyone who had had an interaction with a human, could tell he was trying his best to hold back a sob.
The rest of the group watched from afar.
"Poor guy, he really does love those books, doesn't he?"
"Pathetic." Lae'zel sneered, arms crossed across her chest.
Astarion nodded agreement, his arm draped across Lae'zel's shoulders. Although keep down, he couldn't help but feel a little sorry for him. Not that Astarion would ever admit to that, or let the companions know his softer side.
The companions left Gale to his own devices, all silently agreeing he probably wanted to be alone at this time.
After laying his hands on his knees in defeat, his attention was drawn to small piece of parchment flickering in the wind, wedged by a small rock next to his tent. He rushed to grab the paper, singed all around the sides. In the center, smiling back at him was [y/n]. He held it to his chest in relief, before stuffing it into his pocket.
The image went everywhere with him, now that it was easier to conceal. He kept it in his pocket throughout fights, a thumb absent-mindedly stroking it while they travelled, like a lover who carried his partner's photo in his wallet.
At night, he would place it on the tent wall next to his bed, rolling over to stare at her. He had made a point of ensuring it was hidden before bed, his cheeks burning at the thought of the ridicule if anyone caught him.
"Ah, Gale, there you are," Astarion noted, waltzing over to the wizard who was rummaging through supplies for the night's supper.
Gale sat up and looked over to the elf stood above him, surprised that he had searched for him.
"Astarion! Well, I can't say I'd have ever imagined you would come looking for me! Need something?" the wizard began.
"Believe me, I don't plan on making it a habit. Here," Astarion spat, outstretching his arm with contained a book, his nose held high up to the sky to avoid eye contact.
Gale knitted his eyebrows in confusion, taking the book from Astarion. A small gasp almost left his lips as he read the title.
"Mage's compendium volume V: De corporis alteration by [Y/N]"
It was another of [y/n]'s books. The wizard lept to his feet with a laughter of joy.
"This is fantastic! Thank you! I can only imagine what wonders this contains, the poetry of th-"
"Yes, yes, I'm sure it's wonderful," Astarion dismissed with the waving of his hand, wandering off before Gale could spew anymore sentiments.
Gale could hardly believe his luck. He wanted to ask the elf where he had manged to find such a rare find, but knew better than to go chasing after him as he slinked off.
Gale had been the first one to bid goodnight to the rest of the group, barely taking the time to light his candles, before opening the book.
This time, a different image of the woman that had bewitched him looked back. Still as beautiful, this time her robes seemed a lot more elaborate. She had been sketched mid-spell by the looks of it. Underneath the image was a short paragraph.
After the untimely passing of the College of Winterhold's Savos Aren, [y/n] has, with good grace, accepted the role as Arch-mage in honour of her good friend. Her work on behalf of the college has already seen a shift in popular opinion for the once disgraced institute.
Gale's heart swelled with pride while reading her recent accolades. She truly was a rare gem in these unforgiving times.
As he felt his heart flutter, he also noticed his orb swirling with uncertainty, having only just managed to quell its anger with a pair of enchanted gauntlets Shadowheart had found.
His mood instantly drained from elation to misery. How woeful he must appear. Mystra was probably watching, snickering at the love-sick fool pining for such a talented woman. It's not like he would ever get the chance to meet her, and even if he did? She was a gorgeous and talented witch, clearly in her prime...it's not like she'd want a man who's body could destroy everything over a lack of magical items.
He rolled over with a sigh, flicking through the pages to distract from his misery.
While it is no hidden fact that my favourite form of magic is enchantments, Alteration is perhaps the most overlooked school of magic. Whether it be a case of Telekinesis or Oakflesh, this magic is not to be disregarded by mages.
She could enchant objects. Gods, how useful that could be towards Gale's plight. The corners of his lips twitched with a smile as he once again got lost in fantasies of her being part of the party.
Each time the group was in earshot of a bookstore, Gale would disappear. While this was no change from the usual, Gale now found himself babbling to the merchants, asking them if they had anything on the "College of Winterhold". Each time they'd say no, and he'd end up sighing with defeat, choosing a selection of other books instead.
He had found himself sneaking the odd romance book into his pile, hidden under tomes.
"What's the matter Gale? Still yearning?" Astarion cooed one day, pulling Gale out of his half-trance.
Gale's blood ran cold. He almost choked on the mouthful of wine he had gulped as Astarion had begun talking.
Dammit. Astarion must have caught sight of one of those romance novels.
"If someone, HYPOTHETICALLY, decided to expand their reading materials, not me, then they're maybe just seeking...knowledge!" Gale stuttered back.
Astarion's faced twisted into the most devilish smirk, like the cat that got the cream.
"Darling, I'm not sure which fiction you're referring too...I was merely just inquiring about your little infatuation with a certain witch." Astarion interjected, taking great pleasure in the the wizard's visible discomfort, "all I'm saying is, next time you want to spend the night mumbling about your true love, perhaps use a spell to silence yourself? Hmm?"
Gale's face burnt bright red, for once in his life feeling unable to think of a comeback.
A simple supplies trip had gone completely wrong. It was meant to be a simple in and out job to replenish supplies. Oh, how wrong it had gone.
It had begun when, from out of the shadows, a bandit suddenly appeared.
They ran full force at the party, weapons drawn.
Perhaps they had been naive in thinking it would be a simple task, without too much danger. The camp had not had a deep rest in what felt like weeks. Supplies had run lower than anyone would have liked to admit, and exhaustion impaired their usual sharp minds.
Halsin and Shadowheart worked relentlessly to heal wounds, while Gale fought off the last few remaining bandits.
"Well, that was certainly more than-"
Before Gale could complete his chattering, an unfamiliar voice roared in his direction.
Instinctively, he ducked, feeling the ripple of the air just millimetres above his head. As he looked up, he saw the flash of a spectral arrow whizz past. He turned his head to follow, watching it impale the final bandit whom had been hiding in the shadows, ready to pounce.
Gale snapped his head to see who had fired the arrow, with such force he wondered if the phantom in front of him was real, or conjured from his whiplash.
Stood, barely visible in the low light, was a figure donned in a black armour. Every inch of their body was covered by the ebony substance. So much so, Gale could not even tell what they were, be it elf, human, half-orc, or something else entirely.
Before Gale could had a chance to speak, the figure flicked their wrist. Their bow, which was almost transparent with glowing blue wisps cascading off, disappeared.
"Marvellous! A most impressive display! Thank you, truly, I fear that may have had quite the different ending if you hadn't been there!" Gale began babbling with excitement, his fists balled up with enthusiasm.
Halsin & Shadowheart looked over towards the wizard and shadowy phantom. They were convinced that if the figure's face was visible, they'd had an eyebrow raised at the wizard's prattle.
"-and that spell! An incorporeal bow! Fascinating, absolutely fascinating. Forgive my boldness, but Gods, where did you learn such a spell?" Gale continued with an excited whisper.
They let out a small chuckle in response to Gale's keenness.
"Why, the greatest Mage's school there is - the College of Winterhold!"
Gale's soul left his body, too stunned to speak, mouth slightly agap. The College of Winterhold. He had never heard someone say it aloud. By the Gods, did that mean you knew [y/n]? No, he was being foolish. Hundreds of students had probably walked the halls, it didn't necessarily mean you had been at the college the same time as [y/n].
He had been so lost in thought, he hadn't even felt Halsin's towering presence appear next to him. That was, until the druid warmly placed his hand on the wizard's shoulder, almost making him lose balance.
"Well, friend, we certainly appreciate your help! I must ask, though, what compelled you to help?" Halsin inquired with a grin.
"Ah, I wish I could say it was a completely selfish act, and that I was merely acting heroically...but in truth, I too needed those bandits gone. They had taken someone's family heirloom, and I was offered a nicely weighted coin purse to retrieve it," the figure replied.
"A noble reason as ever! The name's Halsin and you're...?"
There was a pause, and Gale was convinced that if he could see through the armour, he would have seen them chewing their lip.
"Tav. You can call me Tav,"
"Are you sure about this?" Lae'zel hissed to Halsin, watching the latest recruit enter the camp site. Although she did have to admit, that armour was impressive.
"Relax, my friend! With so many enemies about, it is always good to have more friends on our side. Plus, from the small display we saw, she's a formidable fighter,"
The answer seemed to appease her, as she gave a quick nod of approval at this statement.
It had been five days since she entered the companion's circle, and it was already like she had been part of their group since the beginning.
The only thing was, she never showed her true form. Always in the armour. She had tried to play it off as always wanting to battle, and it had resulted in an new past time for the group, trying to guess whenever she was out of earshot.
"She's definitely not a tiefling. No way she'd be able to conceal her tail so well," Wyll surmised.
"Perhaps she's a hideous creature and that's why she wears that armour! A slimy blob creature with no shape!"
There wasn't much to be joyous about these days, so they'd take their entertainment where they could. Even those who had tried to sneak a glance through her tent would be disappointed - she had mastered the art of invisibility spells when the armour was off.
Gale knew it was wrong. Guilt gnawed at the edges of his mind, but he couldn't stop himself. He had spent far too many nights engrossed in his fantasy about [y/n], and now had managed to recreate her image will illusion spells to encompass nearly every minor detail.
After daydreaming one day at camp about his ridiculous crush, he realised he had no idea what her voice sounded like. At almost the exact moment, he heard Tav's sweet voice across camp, and Gale couldn't help but think how beautifully the voice matched his vision.
That was all it took. He would memorise Tav's inflections, and then pretend it was [y/n] talking at night. He knew it was embarrassing, but it gave him the company he desperately wished for.
"Morning Gale! Apologises for barging in unannounced," Tav greeted cheerfully, sliding under the entrance of Gale's tent, "But Karlach insisted tha-"
She had stopped dead in her tracks, voice cutting off immediately.
"W-where did you get that?" Her voice whispered.
Gale scrunched his nose in utter confusion, until his eyes followed Tav's pointing finger. It was the singed image of [y/n] - he had left it propped up by the side of his bed.
Gale's skin instantly felt clammy, his breath caught in the back of his throat, praying his flushed cheeks weren't too obvious. If there was ever a time he hoped to fall into a portal to escape, it was now.
"Oh! I've been collecting pages from ruined books. I'm hoping to find a way to restore them to former glory!" Gale babbled, rubbing the back of his neck to appear causal.
Tav paused for a few seconds. Eventually she nodded, as if agreeing with the plasuability of Gale's explanation.
"A noble quest! There's so many texts back home that could benefit from that! Speaking of books, maybe we can lend from one another sometime. Obtaining books on the road can sometimes be a little...challenging,"
[Y/N] had gone on a little side quest with a few of the other party members, meaning Gale was now stood by himself in her tent. His eyes scanned through the selection of books she had brought along.
It was quite the impressive collection to be travelling with, and Gale had already placed his book by her bed so she knew he had upheld his part of the trade.
As his fingertips grabbed the book he was intending to take, his eyes noticed a familiar gold font underneath.
"Mage's compendium volume VIII: Closing Wounds & Other Restorations for the Living by [Y/N]. Special addition"
Gale chewed at his lip. Surely Tav wouldn't notice one book missing. He'd simply read it, and return it before Tav noticed. After all, there were so many of [Y/N]'s books he had missed out on; he couldn't let this opportunity slip.
The book was a special addition indeed. It was enchanted. There were diagrams on every page. As Gale glided his hand over each with a small glow from his fingertips, they would come to life for a brief moment - showing the reader a visual of each spell.
Gale was impressed. It had been a while since he came across a mage he felt was an equal. This idea of teaching magic made his heart swell.
He'd just finished the last page of the book, when his orb flickered dangerously. He hadn't looked at the portrait in the beginning of the book, knowing he had to get through the pages as quickly as possible.
What if that's enchanted too?
With a shaky breath, he turned to the front, staring at the witch who looked back. This version was in colour. He ran his hand along her features and she sprang to life. Her initial stoic expression suddenly changing to laughter, as if the person painting her image had just told her the funniest joke she'd ever heard.
Gale's heart felt like it was going to explode. His cheeks tinted pink and his stomach flipping. He cursed his reaction. He was acting like a schoolboy once again, mentally reminding himself to replace the book back in Tav's collection.
She knew [Y/N]. Gale was almost certain at this point. She had replied to a question from Astarion, almost word for word what Gale had read in one of [Y/N]'s books. Her voice was light and airy as if she was reciting a love story.
At first, he had clenched his fists. How dare she copy [Y/N]. However, the moment was fleeting when his logic stepped in.
"She's probably friends with [Y/N]. She's quoting her friend, that's why she sounds so in love," Gale told himself.
Gale wanted to run up, grab her hands and start asking her every question he could think of. What's her favourite food? Does she like cats? Is she married? Is she even still alive? ...the last thought caught in the back of his throat. After all, these were dangerous times. He didn't know which answers to the last two questions would hurt more.
Astarion shot him a glance, as if his heightened senses had alerted him to something, but quickly shrugged if off. Gale knew he had to be careful, knowing the elf would just love to see him squirm.
"Oh you might know Gale's girlfriend then! She goes to the same college," Astarion's voice mocked in Gale's head. He shook out the thoughts, trying to hide his uncomfort at Astarion potentially announcing to the world Gale's puppy love.
"Where'd you learn that?" Tav's voice playfully yelled over to Gale during battle.
He had cast a spell from one of [Y/N]'s books.
Tav's melodic laugh rang through Gale's ears. The two had come close the past week or so.
"Don't lie to me. I remember the faces of all my students,"
Gale's concentration broke. Tav was a lecturer at the College of Winterhold. Which meant one thing for definite.
Tav knew [Y/N]. That's why Tav was questioning why Gale had an image of [Y/N] by his bed.
Before he could wrap his head around these new revelations, a large spell came their way.
Gale paced around frustrated, guilt gnawing inside him. He had lost his focus for a mere moment, and as a result, his new friend had gotten hurt in battle.
"These wounds are deep. Too deep for me to simply heal over her armour," Halsin began, his large palms hovering over an unconscious Tav.
Halsin and Gale shot each other a look. They knew they had to remove her armour, and that both would see whatever creature hid amongst their party.
As Halsin removed her helmet, her head flopped back, and Gale had to hold in a gasp.
Tav didn't know [Y/N]. [Y/N] was Tav.
After a full recovery, [Y/N] had stopped wearing her armour around the camp, settling to wear her robes instead.
Gale had also made it his uttermost goal to avoid [Y/N] as much as physically possible. Most of the party put it down to him blaming himself for her injuries, rather than the fact the love of his life was now floating around camp.
He had been successful in his goal for the most part, aside from stealing the odd glance, until [Y/N] followed him into his tent one night.
"Astarion told me, by the way," [Y/N] began, reaching to grab something from her inventory.
Gale span around to look at the intruder, his eyes wide. The pasty elf just had to embarrass him. For the second time, Gale wanted a portal to appear and drag him out of this situation, but [Y/N] began talking again.
"That you're an avid reader of my books. If you had said something earlier I would have given you the collection! Here, you might find this useful,"
There was a playful tint to [Y/N]'s voice. Gale accepted the book she had extended out to him.
"Mage's compendium volume I: Magic for the Magically inept by [Y/N]"
It was a mischievous dig at the events of the last battle. Gale couldn't help but let out a chuckle, his eyes focused on the font. In fact he was so busy staring at the cover, he hadn't noticed [Y/N] close the gap between them.
"Oh, and Gale?" She breathed out, her breath close to the wizard's ear.
"Yes?" His voice faltering.
"Next time you're lonely and need some company...rather than sleeping next to a portrait of me, come find me okay?"
With that, she placed a quick kiss on his cheek and winked. She disappeared out of the tent before he could even respond.
Gale raised his hand to touch where her lips had just been, his other arm wrapping around the newly acquired book tighter. A small smile crept across his face.
