Ragnar did not have the joy within him to give Charon the praise that the scarred Scandinavian knew the boy deserved, and equally assumed that Charon was looking for. It wasn't fair, Ragnar understood. It wasn't fair to Charon for Ragnar to not lavish him in giddy praise for being able to repeat his own name, no matter what Ragnar's reasoning was. Odinn alone knew the pain of losing not just one dear friend, but two. Thistle and him had found Julooke's body and though Ragnar had not been able to find Verrine's the only evidence remained left little to the Viking's imagination, and the worst, with little other choice, was assumed. Charon, Levi, and Liyani were wards of the Lodbrok family, adopted in the wake of them becoming orphans. Their situation was so very different than his own children, born of another man's seed. Ragnar had sought to replace Crete, and it had been a selfish desire but obtainable because Crete had vanished off the face of the earth before Thistle had even known she was pregnant. This time, Ragnar did not seek to replace Verrine as their father. Certainly, he would become a father figure but he would not see Verrine or Julooke out of their hearts or minds. He would tell them what he knew of their parents, making sure that the Ostrega couple that created the small children whom now shared the Jarl's den with them lived on in their children. It was the very least Ragnar felt that he could do for them.
Charon seemed to shy away from Ragnar's stare and the Scandinavian took in a deep, slightly labored breath with the emotion that threatened to over take him. The burn of tears were there, hot and unbidden in his eyes. It felt too familiar to having lost Pump because, essentially, it was not that different. Again, he lost dear friends, and again he took up the mantle of responsibility left in the wake of their departure from this world into the world of the Gods. Charon was too young to understand his loss, as was his siblings but someday soon they would know. Wondering if he was scaring the young boy, Ragnar looked away, the handsome half of his face, smooth and unscarred facing Charon. After a few moments, Ragnar placed his head upon his front paws, closing just his left eye, unable to help but think that this was how Odinn saw things. Through one eye. But Yggdrasil gave him infinite knowledge and with the aid of Huginn and Munnin the All-father, in actuality, saw everything.
When Charon broke the silence, Ragnar did not lift his head, instead he readjusted his position, tilting his head slightly so he could better look at the boy, without, hopfully, making him too uncomfortable.