At the sound of his companion climbing back over the root, pale eyes glanced up to her form, a welcoming smile offered at the sight of her. Her feline grace was admirable, entrancing even, her hands and feet guiding her over the roots with a noticeable lack of effort or attention, merely reaction born into her body. His pale eyes widened slightly as he noticed her chosen garb, a battle ready outfit, that fit her curves like a second skin, leaving her neck and collarbone bare. She was the picture of deadly beauty, her natural grace only enhancing the image of a predator, ready to spring to action at a moments notice. A slight smirk could be seen at the edges of his lips as she exited the burrow, a form of approval from Kallo, grateful to have a companion that was as used to being alone as he was. Someone more than capable of handling a given situation on their own, made even stronger by the acceptance of his offered help.<br/><br/>Listening to her speak of her life before the darkness, he couldn't help but read between the lines of her story, realizing that he was missing an integral piece to her puzzle. She spoke as though she were a creature of the forest, not a human born within the forest, but an entity born of the forest, given life by the very lifeblood of Asdenni. Trying desperately to piece together the enigma that made up this exotic young woman, he began to see her in a different light, her words carrying more meaning that he had previously taken from them. As she spoke of Asdenni, as though it were a living, breathing entity that birthed her and nurtured her from a child, memories of other odd, or out of place things that she had said began to fall into place.<i>'What are you?' </i>The thought floated through his mind, a question he knew she wouldn't answer, at least not yet. Pushing the thoughts away, biding time to get more of the pieces to her puzzle, he accepted the offered plate with a bow of his head, an unspoken thank you.<br/><br/>Chuckling softly to himself as he watched Levani dig into the fish with her hands, foregoing any utensils, he followed suit, wishing to put the gnawing in his gut to rest. The bit of rabbit the night before had been quite tasty, but barely enough to satiate his need for sustenance, the battles and healing taking more than a little from his stores of energy. A heavy, relieved sigh escaped his lips as he downed the first bit of fish, the taste of the fresh meat, seared to perfection, helped his worries fade away, at least for a time. “The tribespeople you speak of, I've caught glimpses of figures trailing me, just out of sight, always a fleeting shadow or the muffled crunch of leaves, barely enough to hear. To be honest, if I hadn't been raised as a hunter, I would've never noticed them, or the barely tangible mark they leave.” Pausing to throw another piece of filet into his mouth, eagerly swallowing it down, a wry smile graced his features as he remembered his travels through the forest. “I wasn't sure what to make of them. I never felt any malevolence from them, merely a curiosity and a... cautiousness, as if they expected something terrible to happen as I traveled through their home. I was a day or so away from trying to find a way to speak with them, but...” A slight shrug of his shoulders interrupted his words, his eyes falling to the the bit of fish that was left on his plate. “Then you found me more than half dead in this clearing.”<br/><br/>Shaking off the memory of the searing pain that was inflicted upon him that night, he shifted the subject back to his parents, offering a slight nod of his head, though his eyes grew dark, a sadness filling his thoughts. “The two of you would have gotten on quite well. I'm sure he would've tried to convince you to marry me. He was always trying to find me a strong, willful woman who could handle me. My father wanted grandkids so bad...” Kallo's words trailed off as he lifted his gaze to the sky, his eyes glistening with unshed tears. “My soul aches that I will never get to see him again, or grant him the wish of grandchildren. Though...” Taking a deep, steadying breath, he lowered his gaze to Levani, studying her as she ate her food. “I'm grateful he didn't live to know that I destroyed my brother's soul. He died on a hunt, a mountain lion got the better of him. A fitting end.” Silence fell over Kallo, his thoughts turning inward as he finished the last of his fish and set the plate to the side.<br/><br/>After a few moments of silence, Kallo sat down on the soft, emerald grass and laid back, enjoying the sensation of the cool vegetation against his bare skin. “As for my mother... she was one of a kind. A foreigner to our lands, an exotic woman that somehow managed to tame the feral nature of my father. I take after my mother, as far as my dark hair, light skin and pale eyes. My father's people... they aren't as fair skinned, and have reddish hair and darker eyes. From the stories I was told, she was a warrior among her people, but tired of the bloodshed and left... wandered until she found our valley, found my father.” A warm, gentle smile spread across his lips as he crossed his arms under his head, his pale eyes watching the clouds float across the blue sky. “An alchemist is much more than a wisewoman or a witchdoctor. An alchemist is able to harness nature, through the use of plants and minerals. If you mix certain parts of nature together, in just the right amounts and prepare them in exacting ways, you can achieve unbelievable feats. With her guidance I learned to create salves that cut recovery of wounds in half, or more. I learned to create oils that when mixed can produce a fireball the size of a bear, or a blast of freezing cold, snap freezing anything in it's reach.” Rolling his head to the side to look at Levani, he nodded towards her home. “I would show you, but I lost most of my mixtures a few days before you found me. I lost my bow as well.”<br/><br/>As he watched her, his pale blue eyes studying her form, he thought back to her mention of him belonging in Asdenni. “Levani... if you truly believe I belong her, in Asdenni... I would ask something of you.” His tone became quiet, his gaze searching her golden eyes for an answer she might not have. “I would ask your permission to return here... with you.” After a moments silence, Kallo shifted his gaze back to the sky, thoughtful of his choice of words. “I don't wish to see my home again. Nothing is left for me there, nothing but painful memories that I do not wish to face. If you would have me, I would call this place my home and help you to keep Asdenni safe.” Even though they were complete strangers a short time ago, Kallo knew in his heart that if he survived their journey, he wanted nothing more than to return here with her and live the rest of his days prowling the shadows of this forest as he once did in his homeland.