Van's glance caught Tanek mid-sip and he widened his eyes to signify that he did not know what was up with this, either. Just like Van, Tanek had a healthy distrust of authority. However, he was not too proud to accept hot cocoa.
Jack sighed, obviously needing a moment to collect himself. He offered Van the hot cocoa again ("You sure?") before he started to share what he knew.
"Your herd is not entirely sure what happened to you," Jack explained. "Their best guess is that your birth had... complications. Your mother passed away in childbirth, while the priest that was present during the birth took it upon himself to burn your father's..." Jack glances to Tanek and then gave a significant look to Van and the silver chain that was around his neck. "You know what. After that, your herd tried looking for you, but they could never find you. They..."