Stavanger Bay dark before the dawn

Charon chuckled when Jorunn let out a 'gah'. It was weird to think that the pups didn't know their father at all... Sort of like Charon hadn't really known his parents. Well, he had been a wee bit older when his parents had perished, but still. They were no more than vague shadows to him now, and it was really weird to think that Ragnar would be no more than a vague shadow to little Jorunn as he grew up. Charon tilted his head as he contemplated this and looked at the small pup.

"That's right, 'gah'!" he said with a nod. "Almost like 'ma'. Can you say ma? I bet Thistle would love it if you could say maaaaaaaaaaaaa. Ma. Ma ma ma ma ma." Charon wasn't sure if this was what parents did to teach pups to talk, but whatever; seemed like a good enough approach as any to get the pup to repeat what he said. He just needed to say it enough times for the pup to get it.