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"Do you think she'll like it?" Rolan asks his sister as he takes in what they've done to the tower.
All in two weeks, while his soulmate was out on a mission, catching yet another sleezebag and making Faerûn just a little bit safer.
"Are you kidding?" Lia chuckles. "It's perfect, a space for her and for you. Why wouldn't she like it?"
"Ah, I don't know", Rolan grumbles, running his hand through his auburn hair. "Sorcha hates surprises, so maybe she'll be mad I changed the tower so much while she was gone?"
"Even if she's mad—which I'm guessing she won't be—she'll forgive you", his little sister smirks. "Sorcha adores you. Though I have no idea why, what with you being an insufferable grump most of the time."
"Hey!" Rolan growls, but cuts himself off from reprimanding Lia. His sister is just trying to lighten his mood, draw him out of his broody state.
It helps, if only a little.
Rolan smiles and wraps an arm around his little sister, pulling her into him and kissing her temple. He's learned from Sorcha that sometimes touch speaks louder than any words or promises.
"Thanks, sis", he says now, and Lia leans into him more, giving him one gentle squeeze before pulling away.
"Anytime, Grumpy McGrumperson", she grins, diving out of the way when he playfully swats at her with his tail, a smile of his own brightening his features.
"One of these days I'll set your tail on fire", he warns.
"No, you won't", she retorts, a smug smirk on her face. "Because you love me."
Silently damning her—because she's right—Rolan finally lifts his head to take in what they've done with the place.
The tower is higher now, to make room for the changes. It is now a perfect blend of civilization and nature, the walls full of books, solely for him, the middle a veritable jungle for Sorcha and her siblings, for whenever they decide to visit. A safe haven of nature in a city mainly made out of wood, stone, and steel.
A huge tree now grows in the middle of the structure, its branches sprawling left and right, creating pathways into every room on every floor. To ascend the tower without claws or the ability to fly, one now needed to take the stairway winding around the trunk
There are lianas everywhere, easy to climb if one knows what they're doing, completing the feeling of standing in front of a giant jungle tree.
Aodhán had given him the seedling alongside a spell scroll and an amulet loaded up with nature magic to promote the growth of the seedling into the mighty tree that now grows within his tower.
To say that Rolan is excited to see Sorcha's reaction to the change of interior decor would be an understatement.
He already imagines how she'll climb the tree and lounge on one of the branches in her leopard form, her golden fur glowing in the sunlight.
He still can't believe he managed to find himself a soulmate, let alone someone who turns into an entirely different being whenever she wants.
But he loves her, and he loves her wild side too. The leopard is just as much a part of her as her elven half.
She's also the one who taught him that he can be a sophisticated wizard while also being a tiefling feral for his mate, losing himself in her whenever they fall into bed together.
A slap on his back dissipates his delicious thoughts, and he turns only to see Karlach's grinning face. "Why so contemplative, Rolan?" the barbarian asks.
"Just pondering how Sorcha will like the tree", he smiles and turns to face her fully, hugging her and Shadowheart hello. The couple is here to join the festivities to celebrate the renovations on the tower, along with their adopted son, Fevrokis.
He bends down to the kid who shyly hides behind Shadowheart's leg. Rolan knows the boy is still terrified that his happiness is fleeting, that his new mothers might change their mind any second now, and he'd be all alone once more. So he's careful around people he doesn't yet fully trust.
But that's fine, just as long as Fevrokis is a happy, healthy kid with his mothers. Which—from what Shadowheart, Karlach, and Aodhán keep telling him—he is.
"Hey there, Fev", Rolan smiles. He loves kids, no matter how grouchy he sometimes gets around them. "Want to climb the tree?"
"Hello", Ferokis greets, but doesn't budge from behind Shadowheart's leg. "And… maybe?" the boy remarks, looking up at his mothers.
It's clear why he's reluctant; he ended up an orphan the last time he ran off to play. Such correlations leave an imprint on a young mind, such as Fevrokis', which is why Aodhán gives the boy special attention whenever he needs it, just like he'd done for many of the orphans who had to witness their families dying from Absolutist attacks.
"Uncle Rolan!" another childlike voice, much louder and very much outgoing—Arabella.
Within a second, the tiefling girl flies into his arms, and Rolan lifts her with a chuckle, hugging her close.
She'd started calling him 'Uncle' after Sorcha found her brother again, and they became a real family once more. The girl makes friends easily and gives her love as freely as she gives it heartily.
He puts her down with a smile, watching as she draws Fevrokis away to play. Despite his earlier reluctance, he seems too intrigued by her suggestions to decline. Casting one last glance at Karlach and Shadowheart before following Arabella.
"We'll be right where you can see us, Fev", Karlach promises him with a thumbs up. "Go have fun, squirt."
Rolan watches as Fevrokis' face lights up with a smile. The boy nods and then reaches for the first branch he can reach, pulling himself up.
"She's drawing him out of his shell", Rolan remarks. "It's good to see."
"Yes", Shadowheart smiles, watching as her boy climbs higher until he finds a branch thick enough to hang down head-first. His knees hooked around the branch, his tail coiled around it for bonus purchase.
Still, Shadowheart takes a step toward him, as though scared he might fall and hurt himself.
"You don't have to worry", Rolan calms her. "The whole tree is littered with wards that automatically cast Featherfall on anything or anyone that falls down. I have set the size it recognizes to a book, and your boy is definitely bigger than a book."
Shadowheart nods and sighs softly, clearly relaxing after the explanation.
And so, for a moment, they simply watch the kids play. Fevrokis hangs in the tree like a monkey. Arabella soon turns from her tiefling form into a small tiger cub and tries her claws on the tree trunk instead.
After ensuring the wards will hold up, Rolan looks back at the adults, noticing Halsin and Aodhán arrive on Arabella's heels. Aodhán carries their little boy, not yet old enough to walk without the help of an adult, while Halsin carries Yenna, who had probably gotten tired on the walk here.
The older druid gently draws her attention now, nodding toward the tree while speaking softly, inaudible to Rolan. But Yenna's face lights up, and once she's put down, she runs toward the tree to play with the other kids.
"Sorcha, Eithne, and Rashaan are right behind us", Aodhán tells him now, moving Solasán onto his hip so he can greet Rolan with a proper hug.
"Good, perfect", Rolan smiles, happy. He can already feel their connection grow in intensity, in warmth, soothing something deep inside of him that always aches when Sorcha goes on a mission.
It becomes hard to breathe when she's not around, and on nights when it's especially bad, he barely holds back from teleporting to wherever she might be. The only thing holding him back, the possibility that she might be stalking her prey right now, and he might blow her cover sky high if he intrudes at that very moment.
Her safety is non-negotiable, no matter how much his soul misses hers whenever she is out.
Rolan greets Halsin, leaving the rest to Cal and Lia. The two of them have set up everything in the new dining area underneath one of the branches on the right side.
"The tree looks formidable", Aodhán now comments with a big smile. "The spell worked as intended then?"
"Yes", Rolan answers. "Thanks again for that. But we can talk about that later. I have to intercept Sorcha now. Gale, Minthara, Astarion, and Octavian are already inside."
"Right, of course", Aodhán chuckles and follows Cal and Lia to the dining table, keeping an eye on his daughters all the while.
Sorcha just wants to have a long and hot bath, kick her legs up, and relax. That last mission had been gruelling, drawn out longer than it should've been, and she cannot wait to cuddle with Rolan and get some long-overdue shut-eye. However, it is sort of suspicious that Eithne is bristling with energy next to her. Even Rashaan has a bit of a spring in his step she's not used to.
The three of them had once again worked together as a team to take down a criminal kingpin attempting to take over the city of Elrendel from the shadows, having apparently learned a lesson or two from Nine-Fingers.
"What's got you so happy?" she asks, suspicion coiling around her heart.
"Oh, just getting home", Eithne shrugs, her best impression of 'I do not know what you mean' on her face.
"Can't wait to get some proper food into me instead of the slop that Eithne served us last night", Rashaan grumbles. "I am never letting you take over camp cooking duty ever again."
"It wasn't slop!" Eithne protests. "It was a proper boar stew!"
"You barely put salt and pepper into it and refused to give up a bay leaf, which would've made it taste like actual food!" Rashaan shoots back, the two of them squabbling like the siblings they are at heart.
Sorcha smiles to herself, actually glad that Rashaan is back to some semblance of normalcy after the silver lining Aodhán provided him with.
On top of that, he's now a proper adventurer, no longer just a shadow in the dark, no longer a blade pointed by the greedy, by people who just used him until he was no longer useful. Who only wanted him to be functional rather than whole.
Still, these days, he sometimes does solo missions for the Harpers, goes so deep undercover that he might as well be back with the guild that had so blatantly discarded him the moment he broke.
Sorcha always worries about what these missions might do to him in the long run. But then Rashaan always makes it a point to go visit Aodhán, and the shadows in his eyes retreat to where they came from to steal his soul.
Just a little. But enough.
The squabbling about food starts to become background noise at this point. Because something else is calling to Sorcha. Something far more profound: Her soulmate bond with Rolan.
She feels it like a physical tug from her sternum toward the spiraling wizard's tower down the road.
"Does it look… higher?" she asks, interrupting Rashaan's next jab at Eithne, accidentally serving him raw meat once.
"Hm?" Rash mutters, looking up with a smirk. "I don't know what you mean."
"You're a terrible liar, Rash", Sorcha growls at him.
But it doesn't matter anyway. Because the next moment, a welcome scent hits her nose.
Hellsfire, the crackle of magic, ozone.
Rolan.
She breaks into a sprint before she's even made the conscious decision to do so, flying into his arms without holding back, without shame.
Because Rolan is her anchor, her home base, the man she loves with all her soul, with all her mind. No matter how terrifying that love still sometimes is to her.
"I missed you, Clisteán", she whispers.
"And I missed you, Vreshka", he mutters back, his deft hands instantly untangling her braid, opening it to bury his fingers in her copper curls, pulling her close. He kisses her deeply in welcome, spinning her in his arms for good measure.
He's so much taller than Sorcha, but still, they are equal in everything else. His knack for magic against her dexterity and skills with a bow. A bow that he had gifted her two years ago. Handcrafted for a left-handed archer.
It's still her most treasured possession, and she uses it on every mission, not just because it's a great bow, but also because it's now her good-luck-bow.
She's never missed a single mark with it.
"Did the tower grow taller?" she asks him once he puts her down on her feet.
"Maybe?" Roaln grins at her, a teasing gleam in his golden gaze.
She narrows her eyes at him as Eithne and Rashaan walk past, giving her more secretive smiles.
Sorcha hates surprises, but it always turned out fine whenever Rolan had one for her.
So maybe she ought to overthink her stance on surprises. At least when it comes to Rolan…
When Rolan leads Sorcha into the newly renovated tower, she goes stock still.
For a moment, he worries he might've overdone it, but one look at her face tells him it's exactly right.
"Do you like it?" he asks.
"I…" she begins, but trails off, her emerald eyes alight with wonder. "I love it", she breathes out.
"I'm glad. I wasn't sure you'd appreciate such a big change", Rolan starts, "but since you always say you miss the forest whenever we stay here, I thought—"
Sorcha swirls around, cupping his cheeks and drawing him down for a deep kiss that makes his tail wag with joy, his toes curl in his fancy boots, and his skin tingle with the need to whisk her away and forget about the housewarming party altogether.
"You gave me a jungle, Rolan!" Sorcha exclaims as she draws back, a big smile on her face.
He smiles back, gently cupping her cheek, running his thumb over the burn scar that mars her skin, a sign of her strength and resilience. It only ever made her more beautiful.
His ferocious warrior, his soulmate, his Sorcha.
"Well, it wasn't just me", he chuckles. "Astarion and Octavian sent their best and fastest contractor to help with the construction of the new bookshelves and the new floors to the tower, and your brother helped with the tree", he explains. "Cal and Lia helped me put all the books back in when everything was done."
"A family project then", she chuckles.
"Yes. And Rashaan and Eithne were to ensure you didn't get back too soon", Rolan reveals.
"Everyone was in on it?" Sorcha shakes her head with a fond smile.
"Yes. We all wanted to give you a nice surprise", Rolan nods. "And the tower was due for a renovation anyway."
"Thank you, Rolan", she says softly, hugging his neck and drawing him back down again. Tangling her fingers in his auburn hair, she pushes another kiss to his lips, this one softer, sweeter, full of the love that shines brightly in their bond, weaving their souls tighter together every single day of their lives.
"We have guests to celebrate with", he smiles as he draws back, cocking his head slightly to the side.
Her gaze follows his nod and sees a tiger cub roaring ferociously on one of the branches while Yenna and Fevrokis climb up to a certain level only to swing down on a liana repeatedly. Solasán, on Aodhán's lap, claps his hands excitedly. Clearly, he would like to join in with how he wiggles in his father's hold, but they all know he's still too small for such stunts.
A smile blooms on Sorcha's face, and he feels the happiness roar to life inside of her. Her whole family is here and then some, celebrating with Rolan and her as they enter the next phase of their life together, ensuring their home is suitable for both of them.
Before, it was neither of theirs. Just a tower with lots of books that Sorcha, Rolan, and his siblings lived in.
But now, there is order to the former chaos, the books arranged neatly in a way that Rolan will find them within seconds whenever he looks for something.
And as the sun shines through the glass ceiling of the tower just right, the jungle beneath, the giant tree with all its branches is set alight in sunlight, and Sorcha looks on in awe as she sees the sunlight trickling down.
He feels her visceral need inside his heart as though it were his own.
"Go, rest up. Food and celebration can come later", he tells her.
"I won't be long", she chuckles. "I just want to climb up, maybe take Arabella along with me, show her the top. Have a small nap on a sunlit branch. Then food."
"Sure", Rolan smiles. "Go, have fun with your niece."
Sorcha nods and, without hesitation, changes into her leopard form, leaping onto the branch where Arabella currently resides. She nudges the cub with her head, rubbing against the smaller cat with a rumbling purr, and then shows her how to place her paws, how to climb without being in danger of falling down.
Rolan watches the two of them vanish into the treetops, a lightness in his heart that brings a smile to his face.
When Sorcha comes back down after catching a small nap and a few rays of sunshine on her tree—because it is her tree, Rolan planted it for her, made the effort to create this jungle just for her—she finds the rest of their family and a few friends chatting over a deliciously spread out dinner.
Even without trying, she already spots three different types of cheeses, mixed vegetables and legumes, salads, roasted and cured meats, and numerous pastries.
Astarion is seated in the far corner, cloaked in shadow as they chat, Octavian beside him, his hand on the back of the vampire's chair, playing with one of his silvery curls.
Eithne and Aodhán are discussing with Rashaan who the worse cook between the two is, and Halsin discusses something animatedly with Gale. Lia is doting on the kids and chatting with Shadowheart and Karlach, while Cal and Rolan discuss Baldurian politics with Octavian and Minthara.
It's not what she thought she'd come home to, quite the opposite, really. She thought she'd come home to a soothing bath, some snuggles, and maybe some alone time with her soulmate.
But this? This is just as well.
She hops onto the ground, a sleepy Arabella dangling from between her teeth, her hold on the scruff at her neck iron-clad yet gentle.
After turning back into her elven self, she slides into the only free seat next to Rolan, smiling softly as she settles in.
Sorcha never thought she'd actually like domestic life, always on the run, always looking over her shoulder. But it's nice to have a place where she can kick back and just enjoy.
Rolan hands her a goblet of wine right then, smiling at her.
"Now that all of us are here", he says with a grin. "How about a toast?"
Sorcha nods, watching as he stands up.
"To a tower that finally represents its wizard and his soulmate", he exclaims, turning to smile at her with a mischievous wink. Then he looks back at the others. "And also: To friends, family, and good food."
"Hear, hear", Karlach grins, toasting with a vigor that nearly spills some of her wine.
Goblets cling, wine is sipped, food is enjoyed, and conversations are had before Rolan, Cal, and Lia give a tour of the new upper floors, making sure to explain what changed and how.
Not letting go of the sleeping bundle of fur in her arms, Sorcha follows along, taking in all the changes and admitting she's awed in more ways than one.
Rolan truly made this tower his own and, by extension, hers as well.
Because the two of them are a unit, unbreakable, woven together by fate and love.
And Sorcha knows, she's well and truly home now.