Zac peered over his father's arm to get a look at the pink bundle in his arms. He wrinkled his nose.
"Why is she so ugly Dad? And noisy?"
Mikhail blinked back his tears and attempted to smile at his son.
"She's crying because she's hungry."
"Why didn't Mum feed her?"
This time the sea wolf found it impossible to stop a solitary tear from sliding down his cheek.
"She couldn't, Zac."
The small boy's brow creased.
"But she always feeds me when I'm hungry."
Jem, Mikhail's first mate, stepped forward to grasp his skirl by the elbow to stop him from falling over. Yesh, another member of the crew, gently lifted the baby girl from his arms and trundled in the direction of the galley in search of milk. Jem bent down to Zac's level and took him gently by the shoulders.
"Kid, I'm real sorry, but your Mum's not coming back."
Zac's lip trembled.
"Why? Doesn't she love me anymore?"
"No kid. She loved you and your sister so much that she had to make sure that the little girl could come back to you; she had to go away so she could come home."
"Where did she go?"
"Remember when your Granny went to Valhalla last year?"
He received a nod in response.
"Well, your Granny was getting real lonely, so your Mum had to go and keep her company."
"When will she come back?"
"She's not, kiddo."
A loud sob broke the silence that followed. Zac ran over to console his father, tears threatening his own face.
"Its ok Dad. Mum's gonna take real good care of Granny, and maybe one day I can go see her, and….."
He was cut off when his Dad roughly grabbed his shoulders and shook him.
"Don't you ever say that, you hear? You're gonna stay right here with me and Zoe, you understand?"
He prevented his son from replying by pulling him in and wrapping his arms around his son's small frame, and continued to sob into his hair. Somewhere off to their left, one of the crew had started humming a familiar tune, Jem's low baritone chiming in with the words.
"Farewell to you my friend
For I'm turning 'round
I'm pointing my bow north
Toward the icebound land
The seas may be rough
And the journey long
But I'll see you again
On the shores of frosty soil
I'm sorry to say goodbye
But it's not for ever
When we meet again
It will be with joy
Take care of yourself
I'll watch over you
Carry on day by day
Until no more must we wait"
