He had heard the loud crack! from afar, and naturally it had garnered his attention. Winter had progressed nicely, cleanly, and with the water having come back, life itself seemed to be getting back to normal. All of it appeased Damascus, who was out for a light jaunt in criss-crossing the territory in search of something to find, whether it was some pocket of unexplored forestry or a new-forming bend in the waterways, and of course company too.

And it was company that he did find just around the river bend -- a dark-haired damsel who was helping herself to the fresh, crisp water that had been continuously keeping itself under ice. While there were various breaks in the icy cover here and there, Damascus couldn't have faulted her for not wanting to go that far. As if the snowfall and other various perils bound to be found on a daily basis weren't enough havoc, right? But at least they had the water... that he couldn't deny at any time. Since it had gone away, he found he had a new appreciation of it.

With his tail wagging out behind him as he approached her, Damascus let out a kind woof for a hello.

She didn't react adversely to him, though he did note her appraising eye. He smiled even in light of the fact that she hadn't and still approached friendly as ever, though he didn't come too close. Offending her by getting too close or invading that so-called ‘personal bubble’ wasn't really on his agenda. Besides, up close she was much larger than he was, and frankly the last thing he wanted was to anger her enough to be pinned down. Not that he feared that anyway, feeling confident that he had some sort of standing within Swift River.

But then again, that may have meant nothing since he was one of the Tainns. Family took precedence over wandering strangers who exchanged skill for temporary home any day. “I'm Damascus,” he said in their exchange of names. “I hope I'm not interrupting your drink.” He couldn't quite tell if she were one of them. A Tainn, anyway, though she was certainly large enough to pass for one. Both Ruiko and Indru stood taller than he, but she wasn't of the same colouration as they were. So ultimately it seemed doubtful, though he made no certain judgment.

As they exchanged pleasantries, Damascus was glad that she was open to meeting others. Being the social creatures that they were, he felt that they could hardly work well as a pack if they weren't acquainted. Not that he was one to talk, seeing how he hadn't exactly going all out to greet every single one of the Swift River residents, but at least he was getting there. One by one, every so often. Stepping up to the hole that she had broke in the ice, he took a drink to be polite though the notion of thirst hadn't quite become an issue.

“Ah, thank you,” he said once he had gotten a bit of his fill. “I hadn't realised I was thirsty until I had taken a drink. Though I'd venture to say that cold water does that to us all.” Cold enough that it burned to drink it, but at the same time it was that coldness that compelled them to keep at it. “Have you lived here long?” he wondered aloud to her, turning his head to gauge and listen to her response.

“About the same,” Damascus said, thinking about to when he had first arrived. “I turned up here, in this region, about midway through autumn, just before the waterways dried up. Ruiko and I happened upon each other a few days later, and well, the rest is history.” They had teamed up in their quest to find water, though ultimately the water came back before both resorted to abandoning the land or each other. Even if he had not quite spoke at length with Ruiko since his initial meeting with him, Damascus was eternally grateful for his kindness.

Of course, everything was still up in the air as to whether or not he would continue on once spring came. Damascus liked to think he would, forever in search of that Great Something, but he was debating it now. He hadn't exhausted the land of all there was to see, anyway. Excuses, excuses, excuses… “What brought you here, if I can venture to ask? Are you too a traveller of the world?” For now he was at least content with things. Relic Lore had given him that, which he had not found anywhere else prior to his arrival. Even when the water had been absent from his tongue for days and his belly even drier and emptier, he had remained confident and content.

And that at least meant something.