Ragnar caught the curious tilt of the young child's head when he spoke a soft and murmured prayer to the All-Father in his native tongue, though he offered Charon no translation. Not because he did not think that Charon would understand the concept of prayers but because it had been meant to be private. Without Gunnar and Thistle present he was able to speak in Norse to himself without the fear of any others knowing what he said. It wasn't as if the words had been bad either, simply that sometimes what he spoke to Odinn was meant to be private. Just between the All-Father and Ragnar. “It was a prayer, Charon,” Despite that Charon did not, technically, ask. Now more than ever Ragnar needed to know that Odinn was with him, that the God's favor had not dissolved so quickly. Ragnar was no stranger to his Gods and understood that their attention, infinite as it was, tended to be extremely fickle.
“Yes, Charon. Gone,” Ragnar confirmed to the young boy, his voice holding volume barely more than a whisper. It wasn't an easy thing to have to say aloud to Charon, even if the Ostrega child did not fully understand the ramifications of “gone forever”. Being the bearer of bad news was a hefty burden that Ragnar had to shoulder, and it never got any easier, no matter how many times he had done it. Though, admittedly, this was the first time he'd ever had to break such horrible and life altering news to young children. Ragnar's gaze softened when the child asked him why, simple, yes, but also extremely complicated. Ragnar knew only know to explain it in his own way of thinking, how his culture had always explained it to him. “Because, Charon, it was Fate.” Ragnar believed that their lives were ruled by Fate, determined by the Norns long before their births.
