Thoughts of his brother still drifted through his mind, memories replaying that showed him his brother's skill with the blade he had just laid to rest. Kallo was more than skilled with the blade, to be sure, yet his brother was something else entirely, a true master of that heavy, edged weapon. The man had been as graceful as a dancer when wielding the large sword, his foot work immaculate, his strikes perfectly time and utterly precise. The thoughts were bittersweet, reminding him that his last connection to his family was now broken, taken from him by the blackness, though it also showed him that he had carried a great weight every time he lifted that blade, that his brother's shadow had been cast over him since the moment he first picked the weapon up, and now it was gone. Kallo could feel the weight falling from his soul, urging his brightening mood, regardless of the pain he was in. Time would find him another blade, this one to call his own.<br/><br/>Arching a brow at Levani at her protesting, the man let out a snort, followed by a shake of his head. “I do not mother you lass, merely care about your well being. Now quit brushing off the damage you took and off with your armor.” His pale eyes sparkled as his lips curled into a warm smile, her stubbornness seen as an endearing trait to him. “I did not see all of your fight with that beast, but even if you took half the beating I did, we need to make sure that you are truly ok, and not just blustering. I will search for a few ingredients once we get cleaned up to make an oil that will soothe your pain and urge your body to mend itself faster.” As he spoke, he slowly pushed himself to his feet, grinding his teeth at the pain that coursed through his battered body. “I may even need some this time...” The admission was a testament to the amount of damage his body had taken and the pain that saturated his being.<br/><br/>Levani's next words, her pointed question that he had hoped she'd forget in the chaos of the fight, gave him pause as he fumbled with a proper response. A cold fear ran the length of his spine, settling in the pit of his stomach at the thought of explaining what his words had meant and how she might react to them. Turning to face his companion, bending to take her hands in his and help pull her to her feet, as requested, he stood quietly for a moment, holding her hands in his as he matched her golden gaze. “Lass... those words...” Shaking his head slightly, he swallowed his fear and offered her a tentative smile before continuing. “That was the language of my homeland... the rough translation is 'Love gives me strength'.” He could feel the warmth of his face as his embarrassment took hold, his hands giving a gentle squeeze to Levani's, desperately hoping she would understand what he had meant.<br/><br/>As he stood there, gently holding her hands in his, their eyes fixed upon each other, he realized that he hadn't felt a fear as strong as this before. Not once in his life had he allowed the icy feeling of fear to grip him so strongly, not even in the face of the dark god had he been so unsure of his resolve. Why should four small words cause him so much discomfort as he looked at the woman in front of him? He hadn't given his words much thought in the heat of the moment, the pair of them facing a beast that could have easily ended their lives, yet now that he had to explain what he had meant, now that he had time to think of the implications, he was terrified.<br/><br/>Shifting uncertainly on his feet, he released his hold on her hands and offered her a weak shrug, his pale eyes searching her beautiful face for any hint of what she might be thinking. “I did not mean to force that kiss on you lass... I... I just wanted you to know that you weren't alone and that you mean a great deal to me.” Reaching up with his right hand, he brushed the hair from her face, his fingertips tracing the soft lines of her jaw. “You are a beautiful creature. Smart and capable. Perfect.” Choosing to ignore the icy fear that gripped his spine, he took a deep, steadying breath and continued. “There is no one I would rather have by my side, whether fighting the corruption, or merely hunting through a forest. You've given me hope in a world that has none.”<br/><br/>Dropping his hand from her face, he nodded behind her, towards the brook she had mentioned. “Come, let's get cleaned up and we can discuss this further, should you want to.” His uncertainty in her reaction to his words was evident as he tried to shift her attention to cleaning and mending their bodies. Giving her a way out of the emotional conversation, should she desire it.