The Marshal listened somberly before offering his genuine condolences. "I'm certain she'll be fine, it will just take time," Hati reassured Alder in a more confident tone, though he was really trying to convince himself. Ayita was ever optimistic, but she wasn't healing as quickly as her family expected, and it was worrying them all. He did not stop to consider that it could simply be age. She was over seven years old now, and it would be increasingly difficult for anyone to rebound from such trauma. He did not see his mother in such terms -- she was a constant presence, the heart of his home, something he needed and could not do without. He sighed heavily, grateful at least for Alder's understanding. He felt better having shared the news with his teacher, even if there was nothing they could do to fix it.
"Thank you, I... I appreciate that. I've known Asagi since I was small, but I can't say we've ever interacted much; I must be a stranger to her. It could take some work," he explained with a wistful smile. There was nothing more he could do for his mother right now, especially since the disturbing sight of her injuries made him feel so ill. He did not have the constitution to be a medic like his elder siblings Liam and Amaranth. The childish need to cry rose in him again, but he pressed it down with a clenched jaw; it was not an appropriate response, and he did not want to embarrass himself and lose respect in Alder's eyes. What was wrong with him lately? So emotional, so overly sensitive. He quietly accepted the ragged fabric and began rubbing down the stallion's withers, gentle despite the depth of his inner turmoil. The repetitive movement had a calming effect. Everything about the stables was calming.
After a moment, Alder spoke again. Hati was still staring at his hands and the horse's back, but after a moment he looked up with ears perked, surprised at what he heard. "I don't know... I mean, if that will be necessary. I... might prefer to spend more time here, just... to focus on the positive..." Was that selfish of him? He thought reproachfully that it might be, but Alder was smiling again, and it was making him say things without thinking them over first. Hati loved his mother unabashedly more than anyone else, but seeing her sorry condition made him so upset. Guilt, helplessness, pressure, loneliness. Alder made it go away. How strange to think it was his packmate with this ability, albeit his only friend.
What was it that made him upset this morning, anyway? Something about the stirring dream, but it slipped below his conscious mind and now he couldn't quite remember. That was for the best, he decided. Alder helped him forget all of that turbulence and focus on simple tasks that brought him peace. He stepped back and viewed the stallion, warm hide free of water or mud. The horse could be sent to the paddock to graze, and they could move on to their next task. Hati silently wished they would never run out of things to do together, because it would mean he never had to leave.
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