Delectable

It had been much longer than Simon felt comfortable admitting since he had felt a strong sense of passion flowing through him, at least for something more than the thrill that combat would bring him during the moment. There was nothing like the look of terror on a man's face as he realized his fatal flaw seconds before you took his life. It was an empowering situation, where one knew completely that he had bested his equal and had the power to prove it in the most profound of ways, an indisputable decision that clearly stated you as his superior. However, that was not the entire truth. There was a thrill that Simon had kept himself from feeling for years as he focused on his duties; a thrill that felt more natural even than killing. It was a feeling of desire, but not the desire for a good meal or comfortable bed to collapse onto after a long campaign. No, it was a desire that felt familiar to killing, what with its release of tension in the most rewarding ways of all.

Clearing his throat as he attempted to ignore the difficult situation, he busied himself with the fire, adding more wood to the base in order to keep the fire burning stronger and with fresh fuel that would take much longer to burn out. He considered himself an expert of sorts when it came to the craft of designing the perfect campfire and then lighting them and maintaining them. He had often been designated as the fire maker when on campaign, preparing a cocking fire and cooking spit for whatever his comrades brought back from their hunt. Glancing up and across the fire, he let his eyes find their gaze positioned at hers again, his lips raising into a smile as he heard her speak. Shaking his head and closing his eyes, he opened them and looked into her eyes with increased fervor as he spoke, "I have taken an oath to protect those that I can, help those that I can, and assist those that I can. If I let you go on your way, I would be an oathbreaker, and there is little worse in the world than being an oathbreaker."

Seeing her take hold of the food shakily, he was reminded of how hungry she looked and how hungry he had been before at times in the past. There had been times on the battlefield where he had ordered his men to put down a lame horse and prepare the meat to eat, tricking themselves that it was beef rather than dwelling on the truth. Looking down at the two pieces of pig belly, he felt his mouth water as he saw the grease glistening over the fat. He was different from his comrades with how he prepared his meats, seasoning them before he cured them so that they were not purely salt flavored. Seeing that the piece was easy for her to rip apart before eating, he felt a sense of pride that his gesture was being taken so kindly. He was preparing to busy himself further with the flames when her words caught him off guard, causing him to look up and let out a soft groan when he met her eyes again and saw her sucking at her fingers. Clearing his throat before he spoke with a gentle smile, he shrugged his shoulders first, "I've already eaten today, and I would hate myself if I offered you this food and then I took a portion of it for myself. No, this is for you first. I prefer my meat cooked, but I have made due with cold meat for a very long time."

Seeing her shift closer to him, he felt himself drawn closer as well, as if there was a sense of orbit or gravitational pull between the two of them and as a result of her closer proximity, the force was stronger and demanded that he half the distance. Feeling his arm brush against hers gently as he readjusted, he could not help but look down at the meat where it sizzled on the stone. He was surprised she was able to eat it with its current heat, but he could remember times that he would eat still flaming meats so that he could insure he got something down before the march was resumed. Following her gaze towards the tent, he shot a glance to the time piece before returning his eyes to her delicate facial features when she spoke. Chuckling softly, he shook his head before responding, "Soldiers are encouraged to marry, for a strong soldier could possibly breed young soldiers who are just as strong. But, my companion is not my wife. She is a comrade in arms."