Ocean's Breath Plateau how long can you hold your breath?

he blinked the water from his eyes, upon seeing her. izel? no, she was lighter, softer, but still silently staring at him. with a ragged sigh, he shook the moisture from his ruff and padded toward her, his gait limping and unsure, and came to a halt. his golden eyes lacked the warmth they had once enjoyed, but his face was still vaguely friendly--just relatively blank.

"namaskar," he murmured, realizing he hadn't used that greeting in a very long time. . .perhaps since childhood. he had taught it to pema, but a simple 'hello' had always sufficed. what good did it do to start a conversation in an unknown tongue? but this came so readily to his mouth now; he could not deny it.

"can i help you?" there was the sentinel again, rising from the ashes of his ruined persona. you're on my land, he thought wryly, knowing how far from the case that was. what are you doing here?