It surprised him when she apologized, but at best it only served to remind him that even sharp-mannered creatures had hearts too. But a great deal of the ones he had ever encountered were liable to only have the organ, rather than the emotion to go with it. Yet again, it was no harm and no foul, and he only offered her a kind smile. She was forgiven. As she approached the water to take her own drink from its icy surface, Damascus turned with her, not wanting to be rude.

"There are two packs that I'm aware of, though I'm not sure if one of them still exists. We had a bit of an... ordeal, with the water supplies here just before winter started. To your west, beyond where the falls dive deep into the valley is Swift River. It is the pack in which I have stayed with. To our east, somewhere up in the mountains, is supposedly another. Another nomad told me about it, but it has been some time since then." He had forgotten the name of the other pack, but since he hadn't heard much from the east or out of anywhere in general, it was likely it may have been gone. After all, if not for Ruiko and his younger brother, Swift River would have ceased to exist.

"I take it that you've no alliance of your own, miss...?" She was unaware of the existence of either pack, or at least he presumed. It seemed unlikely that he would find himself being tested verbally after being tested physically. But at least now that she was being a bit more friendly, he took the opportunity to gain information.

"No...none of my own yet.. I was simply passing through and stopped for a hunt.." A partial lie. She was passing through that *PARTICULAR* zone of the lands on a hunt, but she had alluded to the fact that she was simply passing through Relic Lore. The comments about a pack on the mountainside made her smile, it was good to know that not many actually knew Bordens pack was still there. It boded both well and not for their pack. If they weren't known about - the chances of someone stumbling on their lands was higher, but perhaps safer.. if no one thought their lands useful for takeover.



"Swift River and the one on the mountain.. How...many wolves are in your pack, if I may ask?" Vlarindara didn't mind scoping out the size of the other pack - not that she had any intentions of taking a burning torch to war, but perhaps she could manage to get a bit more information about how many she might encounter in her travels. Of course, if he thought she might be willing and interested, he may be a bit..looser tongued. "And...you can call me Vlar.. My apologies for not introducing myself earlier."

"I'm Damascus," he offered first, before answering her question. "There's a few wolves at the River, but I don't know the exact number. I haven't had a chance to meet everyone yet, but I know it's an extensive family mostly. Either way, they're an established pack that's been here for some time, or so I've gathered." How big that family was, he didn't know either. Ruiko had only alluded to so much, but what Damascus did know was that a fair portion of them had left. Only now had some started to return. That was something that he didn't decide to share though, not finding it all that relevant to their dialogue. Damascus still wandered here and there, so for all he knew there could have been five more Tainns for each day of the week that could have snuck in while he was away.

She took the information with a soft smile, listening to it intently before closing her eyes with a slight shake of her head. "It may be worth looking into... " She had Raigo to care for, and knew she could do it - especially with her returning strength. The illness that had plagued her was beginning to lose its battle as the she-wolf found food for herself, and for the pup. She was having an easier time with her hunts - with her old strength returning... not quite as fast as some - indeed most.. but she still used her longer legs to her advantage.



"Thank you.. for your assistance..." She was sincerely grateful to the wolf - he'd given her information she hadn't had before. Especially about the general location of the other pack - it might help her if she had to hunt on their lands, so she could try to avoid a confrontation. The wolf smiled at Damascus, dipping her head in respect to the older male - he was obviously higher ranked than she was. Vlarindara lifted her head and looked around them, settling her ears back on her neck with a soft smile. "I will leave you be, Damascus... I've a pup to feed... if I leave him too long, he'll get into mischief." The female dipped her head to the other wolf before turning and starting back towards the forest - hoping to lose him if he decided to follow her so she could keep him from the den.

With the last little snippet he learned about her was that she had a child, Damascus felt much more than an inkling of concern spread through him. But it was fleeting, just like the ivory she-wolf as she disappeared into the snowy wood beyond him. He could almost entirely justify her actions as being overly cautious, but yet there had still been something very feral and on edge with her. Something he wouldn’t have expected from a mother, but he hadn’t quite the satisfaction of encountering many of those. Especially any who had children that were still -- or presumably -- moderately young and unable to fend for themselves in the winter. Looking out over the water as it rolled swiftly towards the valley lip, Damascus turned from its banks and back the way he had come, deciding it to be best to return back to the territory that Swift River had claimed.