Kelpbone Steps
Tobin
“A tall boy about 1.4 meters high with a striped cap, rope-marked hands, and a bright grin.”
Tobin is a broad-shouldered fishmonger’s son who stands as tall as a doorway and likes to pretend he is calmer than he really is. He has a soft spot for Mira, but he often talks down to younger children when he thinks he is being sensible.
5 stories feature Tobin
Where you've met them
The Wind-Tangled Harbor
At Kelpbone Steps, the wind shifts hard against the harbor and turns every loose sail, hanging net, and drying line into a flapping tangle that blocks the steps and startles the smaller animals nearby. Something has to be done soon, because each gust makes the tangle bigger and more dangerous for anyone trying to pass.
The Splitting Breakwater
At Kelpbone Steps, a low rumble rolls through the coast just after sunrise and sends a slow crack racing along the shell-stone breakwater that protects the lower village path. The breakwater may not collapse all at once, but if nothing is reinforced quickly, the next strong wave could wash straight over the steps and the homes below.
Sails Gone Wild
At Kelpbone Steps, a gusty salt wind fills a row of drying sails and turns them into giant flapping kites, dragging baskets and buckets across the pier. The busy dockyard is at risk of getting tangled and damaged unless the runaway sails are brought under control.
Fog Over the Waterline
At Kelpbone Steps, a fog bank rolls in so thick that the boats at the harbor edge can no longer see the hand signals from shore, and one small skiff has drifted out of easy calling distance. The problem is no longer the weather itself, but how to get warning to someone who cannot hear or see the danger coming.
Mira and the Tide Rope Tangle
At Kelpbone Steps, Mira is helping sort market baskets when a loose mooring rope slips across the stairs and starts pulling a skiff away from the dock. She must choose quickly whether to call for help, grab the rope, or rush down to the waterline.