Until I Met You - Chapter 32
Chapter 32: A Curse Broken
Pairings: Halsin x Tav
Word count: 4,999
Rating: Currently M, will be Explicit in later chapters.
Read on AO3
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Summary: Tav and Halsin set out to find Thaniel's missing half. Part 32 of the slow burn fic. Tav and Halsin POVs.
Tags: Slow burn, mutual pining, hurt/comfort, emotional hurt/comfort, fluff, eventual love confessions, eventual smut, angst, implied past rape/non-con and abuse, graphic description of injuries, brief suicidal thoughts.
A/N: And we're back! Enjoy this next chapter! Sorry for the long wait between updates...don't worry I'm definitely still chipping away at this fic! They'll still be a bit sporadic while I'm in school but more story is coming I promise <3 Thanks so much for coming back to read after such a long break!
Halsin barreled past the mingling inhabitants of Last Light, still clutching Thaniel tight against him. The small groans and labored breaths coming from the small boy in his arms brought tears to his eyes. From what he could tell, Thaniel was suffering from a similar malady to Art Cullagh, but the hold on his mind was far stronger. In his weakened state, it must have been easier to take over his mind, allowing the shadows to take deeper roots. Without returning his missing piece, Halsin was certain Thaniel would remain under Shar’s spell.
Their brief sprint across through the woods led him stumbling past the edge of their camp, Gale and Astarion gasping for breath behind him. To his surprise, Shadowheart had returned from Last Light. She sat in front of her tent, lost in prayer or meditation.
Halsin laid Thaniel down next to the campfire to try and warm him up. Despite being huddled in Halsin’s arms, his skin was still cool to the touch.
“Who’s this?” Arabella had come skipping over to the fire.
“He’s a friend of mine, his name is Thaniel,” Halsin responded as he tried to catch his breath.
When he looked over his shoulder, Gale and Astarion had averted their eyes away from Arabella. They shuffled in place, kicking the dirt around their feet into little piles.
“He looks like the other boy I saw before Tav found me.” Arabella cocked her head to the side as she studied Thaniel’s face.
Of course. How did you not make that connection you old fool?
“I think you may have met his counterpart, Arabella. The part of him who has been trapped here since Thaniel was taken away to the Shadowfell.”
“Huh, he just asked me to play with him. I couldn’t find him though, so he must be good at hiding.”
“Do you remember where you saw him?” Halsin asked.
“Not exactly, it was too dark to see much. I remember being close to a graveyard,” she said.
“That’s alright, chances are he doesn’t stay in one spot for long.” He sat down next to Thaniel.
Astarion and Gale had wandered over as well, still decidedly avoiding Arabella.
What is that all about?
Having interrupted her meditations, Shadowheart also joined them.
“He…he’s just a child…” Shadowheart whispered next to him. “I thought you were exaggerating, or…or lying.”
“He’s much more than a child,” Halsin corrected her, “but he doesn’t truly know that.”
When he spared a glance up at Shadowheart, he saw confusion and anger oscillating over her features. He could see her pointed ears twitching behind the black fringe of her hair. Her hand was balled into a fist at her side.
“I don’t understand…” He heard her mutter under her breath before composing herself once more.
“Where are the others?” she asked, raising her voice so they could all hear.
“Tav was injured rather badly,” Gale explained, sparing a sympathetic look at Halsin. “Everyone else stayed behind so she could heal.”
“This must be important indeed if you came back without her,” Shadowheart aimed a bewildered scoff at Halsin.
“More important than you realize, Shadowheart. Her injuries were not life-threatening, I’m confident she’s capable of tending to them on her own.” He tried to project confidence with his words despite the fact that each one felt like a knife in his gut. When he looked back up at her, there was an unfamiliar softness in her expression.
“I…I need to meditate. To see if I can find any clues in his mind.” Halsin stood up, once again taking Thaniel in his arms. “Would you tell me when…”
“We’ll let you know when she’s back, Halsin,” Astarion said with a wink.
He gave him a grateful nod before taking Thaniel to rest in his tent.
***
Tav rolled her wrist and shoulder around, testing her range of motion. She had taken care of her wounds with ease – the injuries had been painful, but not life-threatening in the least. Wyll, Lae’zel, and Karlach had stayed behind with her after the fight so she could get healed up a bit. They also managed to salvage plenty of useful materials, so she was counting the battle as a win.
Gale came running up to them as soon as the camp was in sight.
“It’s good to see you up, my friend.” He patted her on the back. “Halsin’s waiting for you, he wanted to know the second you returned.”
“Thanks, Gale. I’ll head over right away.” She nodded to the others as she jogged over to Halsin’s tent, Lunari close at her heels. He was sitting on the ground outside of it, concentrating over Thaniel’s body.
“Halsin?” she called out softly. His head snapped up to her.
“Tav…you’re back.” He let out a relieved sigh as he stood up. “Forgive me, are you alright? I wanted to stay but–”
“I’m fine, Halsin. My wounds are healed, and Thaniel is safe here at camp. There’s nothing to forgive.” She held up a hand to cut him off. Even as she spoke, he was inspecting her wrist and shoulder.
“You…you dove in front of an arrow for Thaniel. For…” A single tear ran down his face as he looked into her eyes.
“Not just for Thaniel, for us. For you. And I’d do it again,” she assured him. Before she could continue, he grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her into a hug.
When she pulled away, she noticed marks up and down his arms in the shape of handprints.
“What happened?” she asked as she gingerly ran her fingers over one of them.
“There were wraiths and shadows that pursued us through the Shadowfell. Their grip was cold enough to leave burns,” he shuddered as he recalled the creatures.
“Here, let me.” Tav murmured her simple healing spell. She wasn’t nearly as skilled as Halsin, but it was more than sufficient to mend a few burns.
“Thank you, I suppose I forgot about my own injuries while tending to Thaniel.”
She smirked back at him. Of course he had neglected his own pain to concentrate on others’.
“Now…what have you found out? You said there was a part of Thaniel missing.” Tav reached up to wipe away his tears.
“Yes, his counterpart. It seems they were ripped apart when Thaniel was dragged to the Shadowfell. If we can find his other half, he should be able to recover. Once he is whole again, he can banish these shadows once and for all.” Halsin’s voice had taken on a new tone, full of hope and courage. Having found Thaniel, his confidence in finding an end to the shadow curse seemed to be born anew.
“Okay, where do we start though? What are we looking for?” she prompted.
“Even while subdued, this curse cannot fully suppress Thaniel’s power. We must look for signs of life in the darkness. Leaves, flowers, anything that doesn’t seem warped by the shadows.” Tav could see his mind racing, trying to think of any clues they could have seen during their travels. A sudden look of realization spread over his face.
“In fact, I saw something like that on our way here. Fool that I am, I didn’t recognize its significance.” His eyes widened as he spoke.
“Show me!” Tav fumbled with her bag to pull out the small map Jaheira gave them.
“There…just outside of Last Light,” he said breathlessly. They made a small mark on the map to save their destination.
“Okay then, I’ll see what I can do. I’ll head there right away.” She smiled and turned to walk back to the others, but Halsin caught her hand and spun her back toward him.
“Wait…” He pulled her a little closer. “This doesn’t have to be your burden alone. I’ve asked enough of you without being at your side. From now on, if you require my aid, you shall have it. Against the curse, against the Absolute…” He brought his other hand up to rest on the one he was already holding.
“…anything. Just say the word.” He tensed as he looked at her, almost as if he expected to be sent away.
“Then let’s get moving,” she responded with a smile. His shoulders relaxed as he squeezed her hand.
She whistled for Lunari to follow, but the wolf had curled up next to Thaniel with her head on his chest.
“I must admit I would feel better knowing he’s being looked after,” Halsin mused.
“Very well, we’ll leave her with Thaniel.”
Tav led him back towards the others, ready to brief them on their next mission.
She let him take the lead. The others listened with intense stares as he told them of his meditations with Thaniel. Halsin eagerly explained what would need to be done to make him whole again.
“Come now, surely this group of adventurers can handle a child.” Astarion’s eye roll was audible in his words.
“He is no mere child. Oliver is part of the spirit of the land. He has the power of this land as well. There is a good chance he will not come willingly after being isolated amongst the shadows for so long,” Halsin warned.
“We have a possible location, but this will be dangerous. I’ve asked too much of all of you to expect you to join another personal tangent.” Tav looked between her companions, hoping they would come with her anyway.
“We’re in this together soldier. Your tangents are my tangents.” Karlach came and put her arm around Tav’s shoulder.
“I couldn’t agree more.” Wyll stood up from his seat next to the fire.
“I’ll always look for an excuse to put a bratty little child in their place.” Astarion was nonchalantly twirling his daggers between his fingers.
“I’ll be by your side, whenever you need me,” Halsin said as he took one of her hands.
“Hang on, are you coming with us bear man?” Karlach jumped in front of them to yell.
“If you’ll have me.” Halsin’s voice was anxious again.
“Fuck yes!” Karlach grabbed his free arm and hugged him. He seemed startled by the motion, but quickly recovered and hugged her back, his lips turned up in a soft smile.
“Here, this might help.”
Tav turned to see Shadowheart standing at the other side of the fire, holding out the Lathander mace they had found in the Creche.
“What happened to going against Shar?” Tav spat the words with a little more venom than she intended.
“This second spirit isn’t being held by Lady Shar. And…” She took a deep breath. “I need to see it for myself.”
“Then why not come with us?” Karlach asked, head cocked to the side.
Tav tensed at Karlach’s offer, but another bout of guilt gripped her chest when Shadowheart’s eyes darted to her. The obvious distrust she saw there was enough to make her want to hide in shame.
“Just because this spirit isn’t being held by her doesn’t mean I want to incur any further displeasure by participating in its release.”
“Fair enough,” Karlach admitted.
“Besides,” Shadowheart continued, “I heard you were injured rather badly before. This can at least help with the shadows.”
The look of shock and suspicion on Tav’s face must have been painfully obvious. Shadowheart just rolled her eyes.
“Don’t look at me like that,” she snapped back. “Regardless of our differences I’d prefer you all come back alive. I can’t exactly dispel this Absolute cult on my own, can I?”
“Thank you,” Halsin said, walking over to accept the weapon.
Shadowheart gave a curt nod before stalking back over to her tent.
Tav wanted to call out to her, but no words would form. She could feel the others’ eyes on her, wary of her erratic behavior throughout the day.
No matter. One more step, maybe one more fight, and this duty can be done.
***
Halsin’s heartbeat pounded in his chest, the rhythm resonating deep in his ears as they made their way up the hill. At the top was a small, decrepit house. Just like the rest of the cursed land, it had fallen to ruin. The walls barely stood, parts of the roof had collapsed, and the wood looked to be rotten all the way through.
Despite its concerning appearance, Halsin felt his breath catch at the sight of the small pathway leading to the door.
All around the perimeter of the house were patches of grass, in each patch a small group of flowers bloomed even in the darkness. Tall, sweet-smelling flowers with rounded, purple petals stacked upon one another in little clusters at the top of the stem.
Lavender.
“This is it,” Halsin whispered to the others.
He walked over and held one of the delicate blooms between his fingers. They were fragile, struggling to grow in such a harsh environment, but when he closed his eyes and focused, he could hear the smallest hint of a laugh through them. He stilled his mind to all other thoughts and just listened for a moment. A hopeful smile spread over his face as he plucked one from the ground and took a deep inhale, absorbing what little life he could in the darkness.
As everyone else caught up to him, he pulled out the small notebook he kept in his backpack, pressing the small flower between the pages. He wanted to preserve this one little piece of hope he found among the shadows.
A small voice cut through his reveries, one that was familiar, but felt twisted…tortured.
“She wasn’t very fun,” the voice sneered. “All I wanted was to play.”
Halsin took note of the few bodies around the house. The freshest one was a githyanki.
“But someone else is coming.” He heard the childish whisper but couldn’t seem to find its source.
“Creepy,” Karlach said. He could see the small shiver that ran over her body.
“It definitely sounds like a child,” Tav remarked. She had the glowing mace strapped to her back to chase away the shadows.
Their group peered around the decaying doorway into the house. It was small, only one room. Broken furniture lined what was left of the walls. The air around them made the hair on Halsin’s arm stand on end.
Something, or someone, was watching them.
“Boo! I scared you!”
“Fuck!” Tav, Astarion, and Karlach all shouted together. Each of them clutched their chest in shock as they stared down at the small child that had appeared out of thin air.
“I win! No one beats me in hide and seek.” He rocked back and forth on his feet, heel to toe, like he was waiting for praise for a job well done. The eager, playful look in his eyes caused the recognition to click immediately in Halsin’s mind.
He walked up behind Tav, placing a hand on her shoulder.
“That’s him,” Halsin whispered, “he’s like an echo of Thaniel.”
Tav nodded her understanding, never taking her eyes off Oliver.
“So, will you play with me?” he asked, eyes still sparkling with mischievous energy as he looked at Tav expectantly.
“Oliver, right?” she asked gently.
“You know me?” His eyes brightened further, feet tapping in place with excitement.
“Yes, I know who you really are,” she continued, reaching a hand out. “I’m here to help bring you back to Thaniel.”
Oliver’s expression darkened.
“I don’t want to go anywhere. I have everything I need here. I just want to play,” Oliver pouted, crossing his arms over his chest. “Will you play with me or not?”
“Easy,” Halsin urged Tav, “remember, he doesn’t think of himself as any more than a child.”
“I’m not really one to play, Oliver. But I’m sure Thaniel is. If you come with us, maybe you could play with him.”
Halsin gave her an appreciative smile but noticed Oliver’s face twist into a frown.
“Spoilsport,” he muttered. “I don’t want to go back…I like it here. I get to play all the time.”
Oliver looked pensive for a moment before waving their group away.
“I don’t want to play with you anymore.”
With those words, he conjured a portal and disappeared beyond its edge.
“Any other ideas?” Tav turned to ask Halsin.
“The shadows have warped Oliver even further than I expected.” He couldn’t help the dejection seeping into his voice. “We must follow him. I think we should be expecting a fight on the other side of that portal.”
“Ah, that reminds me! Now that you’re coming with us bear man, you should know the safe word.” Karlach came up and clapped him on the shoulder.
“…safe word?” he asked, trying to hide his confusion. Either he was misunderstanding, or this group was much closer than he had originally thought.
“Yeah! The word is ‘whizbangs.’ Anybody says it, we get ready for a fight.” She smiled back at him.
“Right, understood,” he said, concealing a laugh with a small cough. Tav fought a smirk to his side.
“Onward?” she asked, looking to him for confirmation.
“Onward.” He tilted his head toward the portal and led them through.
The moment they stepped beyond its edge, Halsin felt a shift in the shadows.
“You should have just left me alone!” Oliver cried out.
A large, glimmering dome appeared over him just before he conjured several shadows that looked just like him.
Halsin dashed up to the barrier, avoiding swipes from the small shades as he ran.
“Oliver, please!” He pounded his fist against the dome but pulled it back with a hiss.
Burning pain had shot up his arm at the movement. He could feel the dark magic stinging his flesh.
“Don’t touch the dome!” Halsin turned just in time to see a large wraith making a clawed swipe at him, catching its hand with his staff.
“Maybe we can weaken it from afar,” Tav suggested as she drew her bow. She fired an arrow, careful to aim it past Oliver.
A beam of necrotic energy was reflected back at her, striking her in the gut.
“Fucking hells that smarts,” she wheezed, doubling over from the impact.
“You alright, sis?” Karlach yelled as she cleaved through two other shadows.
“I’ll manage. Keep those shadows under control until we can figure out a way to get rid of that barrier!” She stood up and shook off the brief attack.
Wyll started hurling spells at the wraith in front of Halsin. Eldritch Blasts soared through the air to strike the shadow, distracting it for a moment. Halsin took advantage of it, bringing down a tall beam of radiant light in front of him. With a blood-curdling screech, the wraith puffed out of existence.
Behind him, Halsin heard a noise that sounded like glass breaking. When he turned around, he noticed small cracks now lining the dome protecting Oliver.
The shadows are the key.
As the thought crossed his mind, he saw Tav take out another large wraith causing a large crack to appear across the top of the dome, solidifying his theory.
Oliver conjured shadow after shadow. A discordant symphony of childish cackles filled the air as each of his “friends” joined in. Whenever they dispelled a handful, another wave came to take their place. Everywhere they turned a small shadow hissed and swiped at them, desperately trying to deter them from Oliver.
“Hells below, these little brats are everywhere!” Astarion yelled as he took out another one.
“We’re close, every shadow vanquished weakens that shield around him,” Halsin called back to him. “Look at the cracks forming around it!”
The shimmering dome surrounding Oliver started to look like a glass bowl that had been dropped but hadn’t quite shattered yet.
We might make it through this yet.
Just as he finished the thought, Wyll took out the last little shadow with a spell, and Oliver let out another laugh.
“Now you want to play? Fine, let me show you my favorite toy.”
He conjured a shadow just outside of his shield in the shape of a massive owlbear. It let out an ear-piercing shriek before lunging at them.
“Fuck that’s a big guy,” Karlach hissed as she narrowly avoided one of its swipes.
Halsin responded in kind, shifting into an owlbear to counter it. Not a moment too soon either, for its next swipe caught him in the shoulder. A blow that would have been near deadly in his elven form. The creature followed with a hard stomp onto the ground beneath it, causing a small quake strong enough to knock his other companions into the dirt.
He tried to keep the owlbear busy, lashing out with his own paws to give the others a chance to recover.
Karlach was the first back on her feet, charging at the shadow from Halsin’s flank. She aimed a powerful cleave through the owlbear. The blade stuttered through the apparition like it caught on something, but then passed through the rest of the way in a smooth arc.
The others seemed to be having trouble getting up. Astarion was cradling his arm on the ground, Wyll was gasping for breath as he rolled to his side, and Tav had only made it up to her knees.
Karlach came in for another attack, but the shadow knocked her away with one mighty swipe of its paw. She was thrown into a nearby tree, slamming her back against its trunk.
While Halsin was distracted checking on the others, the owlbear leaped at him, pinning him beneath a heap of shadowy muscles and feathers. Just as it reared its beaked head, ready to attack, it cried out with a pained, unnatural shriek.
He spared a glance to his side where he saw Tav on one knee, bow still held out in front of her from firing an arrow.
With that final shot, the owlbear puffed away to be reabsorbed into the shadows, and the dome protecting Oliver crumbled to the ground around him.
***
Tav let out her held breath as the owlbear disappeared into thin air, still kneeling on the ground. When she looked back up at Oliver, the barrier protecting him had vanished as well.
Halsin dismissed his wild shape and was now taking slow steps toward the boy. Tav followed close behind, not wanting to startle him.
“Why can’t I just stay here, playing? I had everything I’ve ever wanted, right here, and now you’ve ruined it!” Oliver paced and pouted at the top of the stairs. “I’m not leaving – you can’t make me!”
Tav looked to Halsin for help, unsure how to soothe this powerful force of nature with the soul of a child.
“Be gentle,” he urged her, “like I said, he’s much more than a child, but he doesn’t truly know that.”
“You should talk to him, Halsin. You know what he needs to hear better than anyone.” She reached over to take one of his hands. He nodded back to her with a sad smile before kneeling in front of Oliver.
“No one is going to make you leave, Oliver. This is your home. But…” Tav choked back tears hearing the cracks in Halsin’s voice. “But it’s lonely and empty. I don’t want you to be here alone, I want you to be with Thaniel.”
“Why would I go back to him? He abandoned me!”
“No, you were taken from each other. Neither of you are to blame. I know your pain, truly I do. Thaniel was my friend too. I used to play with him, I grew up with him even though he stayed the same. I am who I am today because of him, and then he was ripped away from me, same as he was for you.”
“But would he even want me back?” Oliver kicked a small rock on the ground, not meeting Halsin’s eyes.
“Of course he will,” Halsin sniffled and took one of the boy’s hands, “you need not invent friends, you don’t have to be alone. Thaniel is back. And he’s waiting for you.”
“But I was alone. Even when it was scary.”
Tav rested a hand on Halsin’s shoulder and knelt next to him. “You’ve been so brave, Oliver. Spending so much time among the shadows? All on your own? Think of how much you’ll be able to help Thaniel.”
“I suppose he’s a bit scared too,” Oliver looked back up at them, a small smile threatening to spread across his face, “I bet he’d like to have someone to help him.”
He took a moment to think before speaking again. The brief pause felt like an eternity as her heart pounded against her ribs.
“Okay, I’ll do it. It might be nice to have someone to play with again.”
Halsin let out a relieved, breathy laugh.
“Well done.” He leaned into Tav as the tears in his eyes started rolling down his cheeks, causing hers to do the same.
“Are you crying? You’re both a bit big to be crying.” Oliver cocked his head to the side. “I guess that’s okay though.”
They both chuckled as they leaned against one another.
“I guess this is goodbye for now,” Oliver smiled, “but thanks for playing with me!”
Right before their eyes, they saw a swathe of golden light envelop Oliver’s body. The dark magic that had been lining his features was burned away, causing him to look even more like Thaniel. His face looked peaceful as he slowly faded away with the light.
Halsin and Tav stood back up, staring at the spot where Oliver had just been a moment earlier.
“It’s done…” Halsin turned to her, astonishment obvious in his handsome features.
Before she could say anything in response, his arms shot out to draw her into a crushing embrace. She threw her arms around his neck to pull herself closer. Their joyful, relieved cries mingled in the still air as they held each other.
He did it. Halsin actually did it.
Shar’s cursed darkness would choke the land no more.
“You did it.” Tav’s sobs were muffled by his shoulder as he picked her up off the ground, keeping his arms tight around her waist.
“We did it.” He sat her down again and took her face in both of his hands. “I could not have done this without you. Thank you, Tav. Thank you.”
He wiped her tears away; she reached up to do the same for him as he left a soft kiss in her hair.
“I couldn’t have done this without all of you.” Halsin let go of her to turn and address their companions. “You have helped me at a great risk to your own lives, and I will be eternally grateful.”
Karlach wore a mushy expression as she watched Tav lean against Halsin, hugging herself close to his side. The happy tears gathering in her eyes as she gave Tav a quick wink caused her smirk to turn to a toothy grin.
“Not to be the depressive voice of reason,” Astarion spoke up first, “but I see the shadows are still here and dark as ever.”
“It will take time for them to disperse. Thaniel is still recovering his strength, but with Oliver returning to his side I am confident that we will see them banished soon.” Halsin looked back to Tav, still wearing a soft smile.
“Well, I don’t know about you guys but I’m fucking beat,” Karlach yawned as she stretched her arms out in front of her. “I wonder what Gale’s got on the menu tonight?”
“Well, courtesy of our friends at Last Light, we were able to get some more fresh meat,” Wyll chimed in. “I’ve no doubt he found something incredible to make out of it.”
Wyll and Karlach turned away from Tav to start the walk back to camp. Astarion followed close behind as the other two started to salivate in anticipation of their evening meal.
Tav started to follow, but Halsin caught her hand.
“Wait…” he whispered.
She hung back a few steps behind everyone else with him.
“I don’t know what to say. There are no words to express my gratitude.” He brought his other hand up to envelop the one he was already holding.
“I…” Tav trailed off as she looked up into his gentle eyes, still shining with tears even in the darkness. “I’m so very happy for you, Halsin.”
One of his hands came up to cup her cheek.
“This victory is yours as well, Tav. I want you to share that joy with me. I know Tev’s death weighs heavily on your mind, but I hope you can allow yourself just a brief reprieve from your grief.”
She closed her eyes and leaned into his touch. For just a moment, Tav let her pain float away. She gave herself permission to have a fleeting feeling of happiness and accomplishment.
“Banishing these shadows was such a distant dream for so long. Seeing it become a reality…I must admit, I’m not sure what to do next.”
She smiled back at him as she opened her eyes. “I guess you’ll just have to find a new dream to chase.”
“Perhaps once there’s less talk of curses and mind flayers, I can do just that,” he chuckled.
Tav saw the rest of their group turning around a nearby corner.
“We should catch up with the others, otherwise Karlach might claim all the food before we get back,” she teased.
“Lead the way,” Halsin said as he placed a soft kiss on her knuckles.
At least one problem had been solved. Soon enough, the shadows would no longer choke the land.
Now all she had to do was dismantle a murderous cult of mind flayers being led by a former paladin of Shar before all of its True Souls could be turned into illithids and take control of the Sword Coast. The past three days had already proven difficult and overwhelming, but Tav had a feeling that the hardest fights were still yet to come.
