Welcome Aboard Part 1

Katherine had just sat down and taken a breath when she heard a little knock on the door. She got up and smiled as she opened the door and saw Markus there carefully holding a glass of milk. She motioned for him to come in and watched as he surveyed her quarters before his eyes landed on Brian and saw that he was holding his sister and was trying to calm her down. Markus walked over to Brian and Brian sat up his baby sister as he carefully started to bring the cup of milk to her lips in an attempt to get her to drink it. His baby sister couldn't quite understand as she flailed her arms and smacked the cup of milk, spilling it all over. Katherine tsked "No no, this won't do. She's a baby. She's not going to understand how to use the cup to drink the milk." Intuitively Katherine came over and grabbed the baby. She held and shushed the baby as she motioned for the boy and Brian to follow her back to the galley. Leeroy was working at the sink washing dishes when he heard the cries of the infant. He turned around to see Lady Katherine holding the crying baby with a pained look on her face. He quickly grabbed another cup of milk and sat it down at the counter before Katherine. Katherine then dipped her pinky finger into the milk and brought it to the infant's lips and the infant suckled her finger getting milk drops off of it. Katherine nodded and figured this would work for now but they would need to come up with a better solution and continued to feed the baby in this matter.

When Katherine finished feeding the infant, the infant subtly closed her eyes and drifted asleep. Katherine sighed in relief and decided she would have the baby stay in her quarters with her. She found out the boy was called Markus and thought maybe this first night he can stay in the quarters with her and his sister but after that he should be with the men as he is a young man himself now. She had Brian bring in an extra cot into her quarters and made a makeshift bed out of it for the baby and Markus. When she finally laid the baby down she walked out and headed over to the ship's helmsman directing him to head towards port in the next town they come across as they would definitely need supplies and clothes as she noticed the boys clothes were all tattered and dirty but looked like they must have been nice once. Some ill fate must have fallen upon these children and she somehow found her way to them. She figured this must be her punishment for defying her mother and living the way she does. She walked back to her quarters with Brian closely behind when she saw that the baby was already asleep and the boy was looking quite sleepy himself.

Markus realized how exhausted he really was and laid down next to his sister, drifting off to sleep. Katherine couldn't help but smile and motioned for Brian to follow her out. "When we get to port, I'll stay here with the children, take just a few men and make sure you guys acquire some supplies for them and of course clothes, obviously our usual prize is fine too. Markus looks like he might be a capable young man and I think it might be worthwhile to train him in the ways of your village. I'm sure you learned quite a bit before you came to my family. Who knows, having another top warrior in our ranks might come to our advantage. Tonight he can stay with me and his sister but tomorrow he will reside in the cabins with you. I'm putting you personally in charge of him."

Brian's eyes got big as he looked at Katherine, "Surely you aren't serious. The ways of my people were not easy and I'm not sure the boy has what it takes. it could break a weak will. Plus to raid another port? We just did before we found them, don't you think we run the risk of being caught by raiding again so soon?" Katherine just looked at him sternly and Brian understood, raid or not, the fact remains the same that they now needed supplies for these children they have taken on. He shook his head as he realized Katherine must be thinking of keeping them long term instead of selling them off. Katherine smiled as she could see that Brian fully understood. "If the raid goes well, we can have a feast tonight to officially welcome Markus and his sister into our crew." Brian nodded and went off to find the group of men that would be best in accompanying him this time around.