The dark-haired woman knew that she wouldn't be able to go much further today. She was lucky enough to have gotten enough money from her last job to get some dried meat and nuts for traveling. Because she was not going to risk having a fire, to her that was just asking for trouble. And she did need to rest because this was her third day on the road, still not sure where she was going.

Kanea saw a fire and could smell fish cooking, but what seemed most appealing to her was the thin possibility of safety for the night. Although she hardly ever felt safe, but it was worth a look. She approached slowly as to not startle the people or person that was responsible for the fire. Stepping into the clearing her golden eyes adjusting she saw that there was a man there. Part of her felt like it would be safer to just keep on going to put some distance between them, just in-case he was trouble.

Seeing that the man was not armed was encouraging. “Would you mind to share your fire for a bit?” She asked the man in a quiet voice while standing a respectful distance away from him. Her own swords were hard to conceal, not that she cared if he turned her away for clearly being armed. Her dark hair was pulled back in a long ponytail.

Quan-Li saw a person walking up, so he wasn't startled, just a bit cautious. As the figure approached, he saw that it was a young woman. "Of course," he said. He was not going to deny a young woman a chance to be the fire for the night. Besides, even if she was dangerous, he could more than handle himself. And he didn't get that feeling from her. He gestured for her to sit down opposite from him. "If you're hungry, there's a stream not far from here." He pointed behind him to where he remembered the stream being. He hadn't known he would have company, so he hadn't caught more fish, figuring he could go back in the morning and catch another one if he wanted to before heading out for his next destination. "You can stay the night if you want. I don't mind, and it's getting late." He could always build a wall to protect them during the night.

It had been a while since he had company, so it was nice that someone had wandered into his camp. Even if only for a night, he appreciated the company. He wasn't sure if she would want to converse with him or not. He gave her a friendly smile, though, to alleviate any fears that he was not going to attack her or assault her. "Nice to run into another person. Where are you headed?" he asked, hoping to also show her that he was not someone she should fear while they were sharing a campfire.

Kanea was glad that the man at the campsite seemed welcoming, although she was still a bit on edge. But for her that was normal, and the thought of going to catch a fish for dinner was tempting. Because she would welcome a hot meal for a change. “Thanks, I will take you up on the offer.” She told him taking a seat across from him. She thought that it was nice of him to offer her use of his fire, and the thought of staying did make her feel a little uneasy. But the moment that she sat down to look through her pack for her fishing line and hooks, she could feel the fatigue running though her legs.

The young woman was confused when he smiled at her. It was just not something that she was used to, without meaning to she averted her gaze down to her pack. “It is unusual to see another person traveling alone.” His question made her think and she shrugged looking up at him. “Maybe to the next village on my list.” She told him standing up and walking off towards the stream, because she did her her stomach rumble.

It had taken her a bit of time to get a fish on her line, luckily for her she knew how to quickly clean a fish properly. She had cleaned her blade and fixed the fish on a wooden stake before heading back, it was a good thing that the sun was not fully down yet. She placed her fish on the fire to start cooking. “So where are you headed?” She asked the man, to be honest she did not care, but thought it was normal to ask a question in turn.

The woman seemed friendly enough, though a bit… cold, if that was the right word. Quan-li could understand that. After all, she didn’t know him, and he was just a strange him man sitting by a fire alone at night. She seemed pretty, but it was hard to tell in just the fire light. He shrugged his shoulders when mentioned it was odd find someone traveling alone. “I suppose so. I don’t run into too many people traveling alone, either,” he pointed out. “It’s nice to not be alone tonight, even if it’s with a stranger.” At least she was trying to be friendly, if a bit guarded – maybe that was the right way to put it.

“Nowhere in particular,” Quan-li replied to her query. “Let’s just say that going home for is no longer an option. It wasn’t home anymore, so I left, and am now… wandering.” He gave her a small smile as he took his fish off the fire. He let it cool down a bit before he started eating it. “So, what’s your name, by the way? If we’re going to be making small talk, might as well introduce ourselves formally. I’m Quan-Li.” Even if they parted ways come morning, at least they could make one night of small talk instead of sitting alone by themselves by the fire.

Kanea knew that she should try to nicer, wait was that even the right thing to do. Or was it try to be friendly towards this man that she had just met? But it was hard for her to even start to figure it out. She stopped thinking and listened to what he was saying. Her lips twitched upwards when he seemed at least a little glad not to be alone, because she was there. It made her feel something although she was not sure what the feeling was.

“I agree, it is nice.” She replied, trying not to sound so cold. But it was exhausting for her. She took out her water skin and took a sip. If anything it was enjoyable to have someone talking to her and it was not about a job. She could feel her eyebrows knit together when he mentioned that he no longer had a home. Because she could relate to that. “I get how you feel. It helps to move around to clear your head.” She told him, and was a little off guard when he asked her name, but at least he offered his own. “Kanea.”

It took her a few moments before it even sounded odd to her ears. “My name is Kanea, and well I am not really good at small talk.” She told him, and it scared her that she was being a little honest with anyone after so long. “So Quan-Li, do you like tea?”

Quan-Li shrugged. “I don’t know about clearing your head, it’s more about… looking for something, but I’m not sure what,” he admitted. “I haven’t felt at home anywhere since I left mine, and it wasn’t home anymore, so… I’m looking for something, and I’ll keeping moving around until I find it.” He was curious as to what Kanea’s story was, she was travelling alone and saying things like needing to move around to clear her head. She seemed a bit… withdrawn, but she was not being that cold; she was at least trying to be friendly enough, even though she admitted that she wasn’t any good at small talk.

Quan-Li gave a friendly smile. “You’re doing fine if you ask me,” he said. “Yes, I like tea. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t to at least some degree. What about you?” He assumed the answer would be yes, since she had asked. He wasn’t going to ask her about anything deep. They didn’t know each other, and he wouldn’t volunteer information about himself and make her feel obligated to return the favor. Whatever she was running from, it was none of his busines at all.

Kanea tilted her head taking in his words, if anything they were heavy to listen to. She turned her fish on the fire, trying to think of what to say. Because if anything it was hard for her to believe that someone of the Earth Kingdom could feel anything close to how she felt all those years ago. “I understand a bit of how you feel.” She told him in a soft voice, because she did not know what he had been through. And in turn there was no way that she was going to dare tell him more about herself then she had to.

The young swords-woman felt a little uneasy when he looked at her like that, but it did make her feel relieved when he said she was doing good. It had been a long time since she had sat down like this with another person. “Thanks, and I do enjoy a good cup of tea. I don't recommend any tea house in these small towns.” She warned him, because honestly they did not know how to serve a good cup of tea and almost ruined her taste for it. It just saddened her a little that she couldn't risk a fire at night, and a teapot was a luxury that she didn't want to carry in her pack. Because a cup of tea right now would be nice. The golden eyed woman took a drink of water.

Quan-Li wondered what she had been through. She had agreed with his statement about home. She must have been through something. It seemed a lot of people had – either bandits or the Fire Nation. She didn’t seem to want to talk about anything personal, though, which was fine by him. Everyone had their own story, their own problems, and no one had any reason to tell their life’s story to a complete stranger. He wondered how long she had been by herself. The more he talked with her, the more he was sure that she was a bit awkward – and she had admitted that she wasn’t used to small talk.

He nodded at her comment about the tea houses. “I will keep that in mind,” he said. “Had a bad experience, I take it?” She didn’t take out a teapot or anything, so he wondered if she was just trying to make conversation. There was nothing wrong with that, of course. Seeing that his fish was done, he took it off the fire and started eating it. It wasn’t too bad. Without going into town and spending money, it was about all he could. There were, of course, other things to catch and to eat, but he had found fish the easiest so far. “What do you for work?” he decided to ask, trying to keep the conversation going.

Kanea wished that the light from the fire was a bit brighter so that she could see Quan-Li's face better, but at least he was pleasant. And he was not turning her away for the night, she checked on her fish and it seemed cooked enough so she removed it from the fire and blew on it for a moment to cool it. She took a bite because she was famished by this point. She did have to laugh a bit when he responded to her advice.

“It was nothing but hot water with a hint of tea flavor to it.” She told him with what she hoped was a friendly smile. Even she was not sure if she was making the right facial expressions anymore, not that it mattered to her. But hell she was trying and it was hard for sure. When he asked what she did for work she just stared at him trying to find a way to word it properly. “I do travel to towns and help out. Some would say that I am sell sword, but at least I do honest work and don't bully helpless people.” She told him before he could misunderstand her.

“So what did you do in your old town?” She asked him because it was only fair. She dug in her bag for a moment and pulled out a small bag, it was a mixture of salt, pepper, and some flaming flakes for a bit of heat. She carefully sprinkled some on her fish before taking another bit. “Help yourself.” She told him holding out the bag in the palm of her hand, it was perhaps the most friendly gesture that she had done in years.

“I’ll remember that,” he told her. “It can be hard to make good, high quality tea. Getting the right flavor out of it and not having it taste like… leaf juice. I wouldn’t know, though, I am not an expert in such matters.” Quan-Li just shrugged at the mention of her being a sell sword. “Whatever you have to do make money,” he said. A sell sword could be many things. He wondered if she was an… assassin, but either way, it wasn’t really any of his business. She hadn’t said she hurt people, and in fact, said she didn’t bully helpless people. Besides, if that’s what she needed to do to make money, then as long as it worked for her, who cared, right? He didn’t know her, anyway, so what she did for a living was not any of his business to begin with.

“Mostly manual labor, working for my dad,” Quan-Li told her. His hands were rough because of it, too many years of working with his hands. His adopted father had been an Earthbender, though, so that had taken out some of the work, but there were still some things that bending couldn’t do; you needed to do it by hand. “I do mostly odd jobs when I get into a city, and need money. I don’t mind sleeping outside, but it’s nice to have a roof every once in a while. Same with fish.” He waved off her flakes. “No, thank you. I appreciate it, though.”

She seemed to be warming up to him a bit. It was nice to share a good conversation, even if she was a bit awkward. He assumed that she wasn’t used to being around people, probably used to being by herself. He wondered what would have lead a young woman to be travelling alone, but they all had their reasons for being alone, and they didn’t owe each other any explanations, since they were still virtual strangers.

Kanea was sure that she was smiling a little because she actually felt like a person for a change, not just someone passing through and keeping to herself. And it was nice that he did not judge her for doing what she did, well not that he knew exactly what she did for a living. “Maybe I should treat myself to a nice cup of tea in the next city I go to.” She mused out loud, because it would be nice. But it would be even nicer to have someone sit and talk with her like this. Not that she would dare ask, because she couldn't dare to get close to anyone.

She listened to him talk about what he did for a living. And it seemed that he was used to doing honest work and it felt like he might feel as lonely as she was. But she was not sure how to say what she wanted to. “It's odd what you could get used to. Without a fire, you can see the stars better.” she told him softly, she had gotten used to being alone and sleeping in the dark. “You're right it is nice to sleep inside, and maybe have some steamed buns.”

The young lady took her hand back with the offered flakes, hey it was his lost if he did not want any. And she was shocked that she was feeling a little relaxed around a complete stranger. Even mentioning one of her favorite foods of all things. Maybe it sounded like she wanted to have company beyond this night. Because she knew better then to want anything, or to question anyone too much.

“A nice cup of tea is always good,” Quan-Li agreed. “Especially if you had a bad experience. Having a good one will hopefully wipe that out.” He found her comment about without a fire odd. Did she not usually have a fire? Surely, she knew how to make one… it wasn’t that hard, he could do it. Perhaps she didn’t like having one? She seemed a bit… awkward, maybe skittish would be that right word? Perhaps she felt safer without a fire. He had no way of knowing, and it wasn’t right for him to ask at this juncture. He looked up as he continued eating the fish. “Yeah, you’re right. You probably could. I always make a fire, because it’s a bit chilly at night sometimes. Some steamed buns sound good, though.”

Quan-Li found it odd that a random woman had walked into his miniature camp, but he was kind of glad now that he had. It was nice not to be alone for once. It had been a while since he’d had company like this. He’d been travelling alone since he’d left home. It was… nice. As he finished his fish, he stretched. “I was going to make a wall for protection while I sleep… did you want make to make it around you, as well?” He figured it would be rude to just do it without her permission, though he couldn’t imagine her having a problem with it. But a strange man putting up a wall of earth around them both might be a little strange to her on second thought.

Kanea had to turn his words over in her head, because if she only thought about the first part then it can be dismissed. And yet talking about how a good experience can replace a bad one made her want to ask if it had anything to do with his past. And yet she had no right to ask why he would say such a thing, unless he wanted to make her feel better? And still there was no way that she could stop herself from over thinking. It was horrible because that was a sign that she was still nervous, and that meant that she was still on alert. “I don't mind it getting a bit chilly, as long as it doesn't snow I am good.” It was true, because when wintertime came she always headed south. “Well if we are headed in the same way tomorrow, I could treat you to some. As repayment for the fire tonight.”

Because the thought of having some company for a bit longer did seem appealing to her, she finished eating her dinner watching him stretch. A part of her envied him for being so carefree around a complete stranger. She locked her knee's to keep from jumping up in panic when he suggested he Earth-bend a wall for the night. “That seems like a good idea.” she told him not letting on how much it unnerved her. She stood up and stretched out her limbs taking in what she could about their surroundings well just in case.

Quan-li though that it was a bit of a weird comment for her to mention that she doesn’t mind being cold as long as it doesn’t snow – so she didn’t mind being uncomfortable at night when making a fire was easy enough? He wondered what she had gone through that she wouldn’t do something like that. Too much of a risk, maybe? He shrugged his shoulders, thinking to himself that it wasn’t really his problem. Her reasons were her reasons, and had nothing to do with him. He probably wouldn’t see her again after they parted ways tomorrow, so it didn’t really matter in the end. Still, though, he found himself curious about this young woman. He wasn’t sure what it was about her.

“You don’t have to,” he told her. “I won’t turn it down if you insist, but I would have had the fire up anyway.” He gave her a smile before he stood up. Taking a deep breath, he pushed his arms down and got in a wide stance. Moving his arms out, he slowly moved them up. A wall formed, going up with his arm. When it was high enough, he moved, and did the other wall, continuing until all four walls were surrounding them and he and Kanea were blocked in for the night. “I typically do it because that way I don’t have to hold my stuff in my sleep. Only another Earthbender could get in, and if they tried to break it down, that would probably wake me up anyway.”

Stretching, he laid down on the ground on his side. “Well, goodnight then, and I guess I will see you in the morning,” he said. “If you need out in the middle of the night, just wake me up and I’ll let you out, no problem.” He didn’t want her to think that she was a prisoner here. He would let her out anytime, of course, if she didn’t feel comfortable or didn’t want to stay here. He understood how weird this situation might be at first for her, if she’d never slept wall-offed like this. It wasn’t quite like a house, though he could make a tent, too, but he always found this safer. People messed with him less.

Kanea was shocked at herself that she felt, well a little happy that he wouldn't turn her offer down. The teen had to force herself to remain calm, Earthbenders did make her a little nervous. Despite the fact that she had lived here for years and by now she should be used to it. Concentrating on her breathing to remain calm while she listened to him talk, and was thankful for the darkness that he couldn't see her clearly.

“Then let's head the same way until we reach the next town. And that is smart, although I don't have much myself.” She responded standing up and taking out a few concealed knives out of their hiding spots so that she could lay down comfortably. It took her a moment to set up her bed roll and stow away her knives, although she still did have more on her person. Well a girl could never be too careful when they traveled alone, and she did not care what he thought about how she was armed.

“Thanks, good to know.” She told him laying down, and it had been so long since someone had told her goodnight. The dark-haired woman laid down and resisted the urge to have her sword out by her side, cause this man had shown her trust and was trying to make her comfortable. “Goodnight.”

Quan-Li sent a smile in her direction, though he wasn't sure she could see it or not. With that, he laid down, using his pack as a pillow. He always slept pretty soundly with his walls up. Only another Earthbender could take them down, and he would hear it when it happened and wake up. It hadn't happened yet. Most people, whether bender or not, just saw the walls and figured it was someone who didn't want to be bothered and went on their way. Now, he had a companion in his walls. Even for a brief period of time, it was nice, sharing this with someone else. She was a little awkward, but she seemed nice enough. It would be good to travel with someone for a while, until they went their separate ways. Until then, he would enjoy what time he had with his new companion. He wasn't sure he could call her a friend; they had just met, after all. That would be a bit weird.

Qiuan-Li drifted off to sleep. Sometime early in the morning, he woke up. He could see the colors of the sunrise peaking over his walls. Figuring he should take them down now, he stood up. Pushing his arms down, the walls disappeared back into the earth one by one. Yawning, he laid back down on the ground, curling with his pack and his blanket and drifted off back to sleep. He wasn't ready to get up yet, but this way, in case Kanea had things she wanted to do in the morning, or was an early rise, she wouldn't have to wake him up again. Within a few minutes, Quan-Li was back to sleeping soundly as the sun rose around them.

Kanea was shocked that she was able to sleep, sure she woke up from time to time. For her that was normal, like when the fire went out she was up within minutes gazing around in the dark to make sure that she was not going to be jumped in the night. Only to remember in what kind of situation she was in, and to see that Quan-Li was sleeping like a rock.

Breathing a small sigh she walked closer to the sleeping figure to make sure that he was still asleep. Not like she was going to do anything if he was awake like her, looking down she could see that he was completely relaxed and sleeping on his back. A rare smile touched her lips as she bit back a laugh, quietly she went back to her bed roll and laid back down. A few times she woke up, just to make sure that she was okay.

When the sun started to rise she was already awake but still laying down like she was still asleep, because she didn't want it to be awkward like she was waiting for him to wake up. The feeling of pure relief washing through her body when he put the walls down made her shiver. Only then did it cross her mind that she had been a bit afraid, frowning she sat up and saw that he was was not moving. With a shrug the young girl got her things together and walked over to him. Looking down she could clearly see his face for once, feeling her face grow warm she walked away quickly and went to the river.

She quickly did her morning business and splashed cold water on her still burning face. It turned out that Quan-Li was actually an attractive guy, and that was something that she was not expecting. Luckily she was able to calm down and catch a few fish, clean them and get a fire going so that she could at least make them some breakfast. She had to use firebending to light the fire because she didn't have a flint on her, and was sure that he was still asleep and wouldn't notice anything amiss.

While the fish was cooking she took the time to take her hair out of it's braid and to comb it out before redoing it, morning stretches, and going thru her morning paces. It was normal for her morning routine.

Quan-Li slept pretty soundly after falling back asleep, but with the sun shining down on him, it got harder and harder to stay asleep. Rolling over, he groaned, and with a stretch, he sat up. He stretched his arms over his head. "Good morning," he mumbled. "The fish smell delicious." There were more than what she could eat on her own, so he had to assume that some were for him. She was probably paying him back for the fish he had shared with her last night. If it wasn't, that was fine with him, too. "Did you sleep well?" It was early, and he was still half asleep, so he wasn't sure what else to ask. He figured he should make some small talk, especially since they were planning on travelling together to the next village. It was only polite after all, and that was only thing he could think of. 

He grabbed his comb out of his pack, and started combing out his hair as he glanced over at her. She was quite attractive, now that he saw her in a better light than just the fire from the night before. It looked like it was going to be a nice day out, at least so far. There were some clouds in the distance, which could mean rain. It was too early to tell, though. "It looks like it might be a nice day," he said, getting out his flask and drinking some water from it. It was nice to have a rest, but he was looking forward to getting moving once they had breakfast and once washed up. He would have to bring that up with her later. He didn't want her to think he was a creep, and would of course, put up walls to block her from him while they bathed, if that was something she wanted to do before they headed out.