“<i>I am impressed</i>, Sul'ima.<i>”</i><br/><br/>Those three simple words, with the addition of his companions chosen pet name for him, brought a slight grin to his lips, the compliment making the time spent at the river well worth the effort. He'd almost forgotten what a compliment was, having traveled alone for so long, and how good it felt. Pale eyes watched as Levani set the fire and readied the pan for the fish, then deftly cut the filet out. “I have lass. More than a few times.” Moving to the base of a large root, Kallo crossed his arms over his broad chest and leaned against the root, his eyes intent on his companion's actions. “Aye, much more than a warrior. I took to the sword like fish to the water, but truth be told, I'd much rather spend my time and energy hunting. Spending time walking the trails and listening to the life that's all around us.” His pale blue eyes glanced around the clearing, scanning through the trees around them, finally landing back on her as she exited the burrow, carrying an armload of items. “I'm sure this would be surprising to you, but I don't exactly enjoy fighting. I won't turn from a fight, as you've witnessed, and I refuse to second guess my choice to fight, but to be perfectly honest, I'd prefer to never have to lift that sword again. It's grown heavy over the years.” A sadness touched the edges of his eyes, his tone telling of a deeper meaning than physical weight, an intangible weight on his soul. After a brief moment of introspection, Kallo chuckled quietly at himself, shaking his head with a knowing smile on his lips. “But I do what must be done.”<br/><br/>Taking the cloth wrapped jar from Levani with an arched brow, he watched as she took a bucket and climbed over on of the taller roots nearby, effectively shielding her from prying eyes. At the mention of washing up, he offered a slight shrug, then took the other bucket and moved a short distance from the clay oven, so not to splash any water on the pan or fire. “Don't worry lass, I'll keep an eye on the fish. Hell, I might even flip 'em over if I'm feeling generous.” The laughter in his voice gave the tease for what it was, his lighthearted nature showing through in the calm morning. The two of them hadn't had much time to relax and really talk, start to actually get to know each other. Their instant connection couldn't be refuted, but he desired to know more of his companion, the small, exotic woman was an enigma to him, one he desperately wanted to puzzle out.<br/><br/>At her request for him to speak of his life before the plagues and darkness, he paused a moment, the smell of the homemade soap filling his nose. “Seems like a lifetime ago lass. Almost like it happened to another person.” Setting the soap to the side, Kallo pulled his shirt over his head, tossing it onto a nearby root, followed shortly by his boots and pants, his bare backside turned towards Levani. He wasn't ashamed of the naked human body, but he figured he'd show her at least a little modesty, in case she finished first and climbed back over the root. “I grew up on the countryside, at the foot of a mountain range. The emerald plains stretched to the east and north, the mountains to the west and a large, fast flowing river bordering the south. My family were hunters, some of the best actually. I was taught to feel the land, to listen to it's heartbeat, to the flow of energies that coursed through the seasons. I loved it. The forests and countryside were more home to me than any man made structure could be.” As he spoke of his home, he lathered the bar of soap and began to was the sweat and grime from his relaxed muscles, the ache of the previous battles having left him during the night, thanks in part to the boon of his Goddess.<br/><br/>“My brother and I were inseparable, aside from when Teala came around. She could always pull his attention away.” A heavy sigh followed the mention of his brother, the memories of stalking through the woods on a hunt with his brother, flooding his mind. “Teala was his childhood sweetheart, who he eventually married. They were so good to each other, true soul mates.” Dark thoughts swirled in his mind, reminding him that he was responsible for his brother's utterly destroyed soul, knowing that it would never again find it's one, true love, it's other half. Ruthlessly pushing those thoughts from his head, he focused on the better memories, the ones that brought a smile to his face. “One day I hope to return the the forests with my bow in hand and spears on my back.”<br/><br/>Pausing at Levnai's reminder of the fish, Kallo set the soap to the side and rinsed his hands off, then walked to the clay oven and used the wooden utensil to check the fish, flipping them over gently as they were sufficiently seared on one side. With his task finished, he walked back over to the bucket and picked it up. “I lived a simple, happy life... boring, one could say. But Goddess do I miss it.” Tipping the bucket over his head, he rinsed his body, making sure to clean his entire body of the aromatic soap. “My father taught me to hunt, a wise, generous man who never put himself before another. Well respected by the surrounding families. He could read a trail better than you or I could read a book. My mother...” After letting the majority of the water run off his bare body, he grabbed his leather trousers off the nearby root and slid them on, leaving his boots and shirt sitting to the side as he moved back to the clay oven to check the fish again. “She was an alchemist, a damn good one actually. She tried to teach both my brother and I, though I took to it more than he did. She's where I learned to make that oil I put on your arm.”<br/><br/>Realizing that he had been rambling for quite sometime, he fell silent as he watched the sizzling fish, the filets almost done cooking, the spicy aroma causing his stomach to rumble quietly. “What of your life before all this? You said that you've never left this forest... Asdenni?” As he waited for her answer, he pulled the pan from the fire, setting it to the side to let the fish rest as Levani finished washing the previous battles from her body.