The chief had known that ever since the crew had somehow left the map at home, they would be sailing endlessly for days.

They would be doing three things as well. That included circling the same patch of ocean. The chief would keep giving orders that led to nothing but the waves mocking them.

Lastly, the pack would pretend they weren't starving while the food started to run out. The fish smell slipping past their noses wasn't helping the situation either.

"Chief, we're going in circles again!" a blonde werewolf cried, gripping the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles whitened.

"We are not! Keep steering." The chief snapped at him, his tail flicking furiously.

They absolutely were going in circles, and they were also going crazy.

As said before, the food was running low, and so was morale, apparently. Because the crew started hallucinating bread flying over the seas.

The person who was handling this the worst was Kael, who was running out of decent excuses as to why the food barrels were mysteriously lighter every morning. His latest excuse was evaporation.

As if fish were capable of evaporation. Either way, it was obvious the crew did not believe him. In fact, they thought he was an idiot.

Meanwhile, Nico was curled into the lower cabin, devouring a plateful of smoked fish Kael was, against his will, sneaking him. He swore that one more fish and the chief might just throw him overboard.

"I'm still hungry," Nico whined, his lips shaped into a small pout.

"No more food. You'll have to wait for supper," Kael snapped, running a hand through his hair in frustration.

"You're my man-sitter though! It's your job to feed me."

"And it's your job to listen to your mother," Kael retorted, glaring at the small child who suddenly looked awkward.

He decided to put the excuse he'd been practicing to use. "It was the call of the sea's fault!"

"Yes, because the call of the sea is a person who forced you to hide in a barrel," the older werewolf said sarcastically.

It was the most ridiculous excuse Nico had come up with yet. Nico suddenly looked sad. His expression twisted, and he looked ready to burst into tears. His bottom lip quivered.

Kael looked immediately panicked. He'd just upset a seven-year-old. The worst mistake he could've possibly made.

"I-I just want to see big b-brother," Nico burst into tears.

Kael stood there stiffly, trying to figure out what to do.

"Ah... please don't cry, you're going to get yourself caught. Nico, please..."

"I don't care if we get caught!" The child was wailing, his small blonde ears pinned back against his head and his tail curled around his legs as tears streamed down his face.

The werewolf couldn't deal with this. So he lifted the child and held him awkwardly, patting his back.

"Uh... Nico, everything's going to be okay, I promise—"

"Stop saying everything's going to be okay! Big brother is gone!" Nico yelled, hitting Kael's back with his fist. Kael took a deep breath and tried to steady himself.

"Nico. You're right about that. Adults tell children that so they don't worry. Everyone's worried. Even your father. But we have to believe. That's the only way we're going to make it through here. So if you want to see your brother, you have to be brave. So no crying allowed."

Nico sniffled, wiping his eyes, and he moved his face just enough that the other werewolf could see his newly determined face. Sure, his eyes were red and puffy, sure, he'd just thrown a tantrum, but he was ready to go.

"O-okay! I'm ready."

Kael grinned for the first time that day. "High five."

Nico raised his hand and they high-fived. Then he carefully set Nico back on his feet. The little boy placed a hand on his chin before asking a question.

"How is Dad doing? Are we almost to big brother?"

The older werewolf grimaced. The crew was doing the exact opposite. But considering what happened the last time he'd tried to reassure Nico, he decided to go with the truth.

"No. Actually, we're going in circles," he admitted, hoping that Nico wouldn't cry.

"Do you guys have a map though?" he asked curiously.

"Yeah... about that. Marcus left it at home."

Nico's face fell for a moment before it brightened right back up. "This is my chance to be a leader like Dad!"

"Wait, what does that mean?"

Nico didn't answer. He grinned mischievously before zooming past him like a torpedo and out the door.

"NICO! WAIT!" Kael burst out running after him, but the child seemed to have infinite amounts of energy as he sprinted at full speed through the hallways and up to the deck.

"Oh, I'm so fucking dead."

Simultaneously, the crew up on deck had made a breakthrough. They'd found a small, soggy, half-chewed scroll in one of the barrels.

"A map, Chief!" someone shouted triumphantly. "A map of the human world!"

The pack cheered instantly, and upbeat music started playing. The chief took it from her hands, his blue eyes blazing with newfound hope.

"Finally, now we can—"

Nico, who'd come out from the door, sneezed behind him.

The chief stopped entirely, and he turned very slowly, only to see his youngest child standing behind him. The one who was explicitly forbidden from coming on the trip.

The same one his wife believed to be at home.

The chief's eye twitched so hard Nico thought it would stay like that forever.

"Nico," he said in an eerily calm voice, "why are you on my ship?"

At that same moment Kael burst through the doors, breathing heavily, sweat pouring down his face. Turns out this werewolf did not have unlimited endurance.

"Wait, Chief—"

The chief looked more confused. "Wait, Kael, what's going on—"

The older werewolf's grip had loosened slightly during this turn of events, which was exactly why, during a strong breeze, the map slipped from his fingers.

The music in the background took a dramatic turn as everyone watched in horror as it fluttered... fluttered... and plopped into the ocean.

The silence that hit was deafening.

Then absolute chaos.

"OH MY GOD! GET THE MAP!"

"IT'S SINKING!"

"WHY IS IT ALWAYS US?!"

The map had probably disintegrated by then. The chief inhaled sharply and pointed at two wolves.

"We're taking Nico home right now before his mother skins me alive!"

"Wait, Dad!" Nico yelped, stumbling forward. "I have a solution!"

"The only solution is how much trouble you're going to be in when we get home."

"Chief, we can't just—" Kael started, but the chief cut him off.

"Of course we can." He snapped, already dropping two canoes into the water. "I have one job... one job." He muttered angrily.

"Dad, please listen!"

The chief paused for a moment and turned to look at his young child.

"Yes?"

"What if I told you I memorized the map?"

"I would say that you are insane."

"But it's true though."

Then it hit the man. The meaning of what his son had said finally sunk in.

"You... memorized the map?"

"Yes! Back at home, because I was planning to stow away on your ship, I decided to study the map! I wanted to be helpful if I ever got caught."

"Technically, you brought yourself in..." Kael said under his breath.

"Hush!" the chief snapped. "So... you can bring us to Micah."

Those words tasted like victory on his lips.

"I can," Nico said, puffing out his chest.

The chief walked forward and lifted his son into his arms. "Nico. You are our first symbol of hope! Show us the way!"

"Yay! I'll be fisherman now!"

"Not quite. You're still going to be punished the moment we get back home."

"Awww, come on."

"But for now, you are important. My little sailor."

The chief hugged his son tightly as the music swelled back into a cheerful rhythm.

"We shall feast tonight!"

He placed Nico back down.

"You have to follow rules still. Do not try to jump into the water because I will not get you."

"Aye, aye, Captain Dad!"

For the first time in weeks, they had direction. They had a symbol of hope. And they had a... child leading them.

What could possibly go wrong from there?