When the storm just beats you down

Exodus listened curiously for the slightly younger boy's answer,
wondering who he was, where he'd come from, and how long he had been with Celestial. So it seemed Chasm hadn't been here long, although definitely long enough that Exodus felt he should have met him by now. Maybe that was his own fault, for spending too much time on his own and trying to make up for the time he'd loss in training since he'd gotten lost as a pup outside Celestial territory. Perhaps it would be worthwhile for him to spend just a little more time meeting and getting to know his pack mates. After all, how would he ever make friends, or form any sort of bonds of teamwork for hunting and defending the pack? His head tilted in concern though as Chasm said he was helping his mother to heal. He wondered from what. Had something bad happened to her? Or had she gotten mysteriously ill just like Kavdaya?

A certain sadness tinged in Exodus' amber, green-flecked and violet eyes, their multiple hues seeming to glimmer slightly. He wanted to ask, to connect with the boy on something they seemed to unfortunately have in common, but he didn't know Chasm well enough to ask personal questions.
If the boy wanted to open up and share, then he would, but it would be rude of Exodus to ask otherwise. Instead, he focused on the questions posed to him. "I was born in Celestial," he began, eyes drifting downward, "I left as a pup when I shouldn't have, and I ended up getting lost for a long time. I was able to return in the fall when my brother Paladin found me and helped me get home." He was a little ashamed to admit that he'd left the pack as a pup when he'd been ordered to stay and behave himself. But he couldn't help it... Regulus and the others had taken his mother away when she got sick, and his worry had overwhelmed his sensibilities. He'd tried to follow them, and then he'd gotten lost. And upon arrival, he learned that his mother had returned anyways and he'd not only worried her and the others, but he'd lost valuable time with her that he could have been spending helping her to get better.

Had he rambled on a bit and gotten trapped in his thoughts? He couldn't help but to think of his mother when Chasm had mentioned his own. Would she ever be well again? All he could do was hope, and trust in the skill of the healers to treat her. He hoped that Chasm's mother was receiving the same dedicated care, and that she would get better. "So, who is your mother?" he asked,
figuring it wouldn't hurt to find out if he'd seen her before, or if he knew her name at all.