WARNING: Other players should not read this until Chapter 1 is complete.
Kebrin looked up to Garoway as a father figure, so he was absolutely delighted when the cunning old Harper first covered for him with Oswina and then invited him to listen in on such important, such adult, conversation.
“It must be very serious business, indeed,” he thought to himself as he watched the introductory meeting break up, “if both Garoway, a Weyr Harper, and Brychan, seasoned Captain of Ista Hold’s beautiful flagship, are both concerned about it. And something big enough for another Weyrwoman to fly in for? That’s nearly unheard of, except for mating flights and hatchings – of which this is neither. What in the world is going on?!?“
The moment Kebrin thought he could slip away with little notice, he did so. He ran as fast as he could to fetch Harper Garoway’s guitar – and, after a moment’s hesitation, a padded case containing a familiar tenor flute – without obviously being winded when he returned to the Living Cavern. Fortunately, Garoway wasn’t a dragonman and the Weyr was far more than half empty, so his quarters weren’t too far from the Living Cavern and Great Hall.
Garoway’s recent admonitions to be more circumspect and thoughtful still echoing in his ears, Kebrin paused before re-entering the Living Cavern to decide what he was going to do. Captain Brychan must be a well-traveled and worldly man, so his first instinct was to question him about places he’s seen and things he’d done for days and days, but he knew he shouldn’t. He desperately wanted to indulge his curiosity about people and places beyond Ista Weyr, but he knew that Garoway would undoubtedly try to get information out of the Captain, too, and he was even more desperate to not get in his friend’s way. The thought of disappointing his best friend, especially when he’d just gone out on a limb to treat Kebrin like an adult, made him wither a little on the inside. Almost as bad, who knew how long it would be before Garoway would treat him like an adult again if he messed this up? Months? Turns?!? He silently swore to himself that he would prove himself worthy of the trust that his friend had placed in him.
Trying to be clever like his friend, Kebrin walked slowly back into the Living Cavern to give himself time to scan the room. He tried to approach Garoway and Captain Brychan so that Garoway would see him first, and hopefully say something or otherwise indicate what he wanted him to do. If Garoway didn’t say anything or give any subtle cues, then Kebrin silently approached the two of them with Garoway’s beautiful guitar and stood or sat inconspicuously nearby, mimicking whatever the Harper and Captain were doing, while hungrily listening in on their conversation.
OOC: If asked, Kebrin will gladly play Garoway’s Guitar (Hobby Instrument – Guitar 14; +2 to all Reaction rolls) or accompany Garoway on his guitar with the flute he also picked up, thinking it’s inconspicuous and good for many nautical songs (Hobby Instrument – Tenor Flute 14; +2 to all Reaction rolls).
Kebrin desperately wants to ask Captain Brychan about what’s going on in the Weyrleaders’ conference room right now, but is old enough to know better. He’s still young enough to be sorely tempted, though.
Only if invited, he will ask Captain Brychan relatively safe – but honest – questions, such as:
- How long will the Cormorant be docked at Ista Weyr? If the conversation seems to be going especially well, he will try to work up the nerve to ask if anyone – meaning himself – might be allowed to see the Cormorant up close before they set sail.
- What kind of cargo does the Cormorant usually carry, and to where? What’s the most interesting/exotic?
- What’s the furthest you’ve ever traveled from Ista Hold? What are some of the most impressive sights you’ve seen?
- How long have you been Captain of the Cormorant? How much time do you and your men spend at sea, as opposed to at home at Ista Hold? What ships did you captain before the Cormorant, and what were they like?
- What’s life like on board ship? This is followed up with very practical questions like, ‘How do you prepare food on board a ship, which is basically a floating torch, without catching everything on fire?’, ‘What do your men do for fun while at sea?” and the ever-popular, ‘Where does everyone sleep?”
Anyone paying even halfway attention to Kebrin’s questions will quickly realize that he’s an extremely intelligent young man who’s genuinely curious about anything and everything – and dreaming of traveling to see all the different people and places that he’s mostly only read about in books thus far.