Swamped

You figure you might as well wait in the lounge. You head over there and decide to see who's around.

There's no one you recognize. One young knight over in the corner is juggling. There's two knights talking at the main table, evidently paying no attention to the juggler.

You head over to the juggler. He looks like he's in need of an audience, and you don't see a reason to interrupt a conversation anyhow.

As you approach, he smiles, flings the balls high into the air before catching them, then hands you two of them.

"Why don't you give it a try," he says.

"I've only got the one arm."

"Two with one hand is doable. Tricky, but why not see how it goes?"

Well, you weren't doing much of anything anyhow, and it'll give you a sense of if you can still throw. You toss one into the air, then attempt to toss the second one just as the first falls back into your hand.

That's the theory, anyhow. In practice, the first ball lands on the floor while you're still gripping the second.

"Good control on that throw, but you're going to need some practice reading the downward arc." He hands his third ball to you. "Give it another try while I grab that one."

You attempt it again, this time focusing on just where the ball is going to land. You manage to catch it, but not before you drop the one in hand, just as your companion picks up the other.

He grabs the second ball and looks up with a smile.

"Better! I've seen worse first attempts with two hands. We might get somewhere with this."

"Maybe," you mutter. "Er, if you don't mind, may I ask your name?"

"Why, you can ask whatever you wish! Whether I answer, though, that's another matter."

You can't help but chuckle a little.

"So what is your name?"

"Nathan Grinnes. Yes, that's really my family name. They were entertainers. I trained with them for a few years, but then I heard the call of the swamp and I had to answer." He takes the one ball you're still holding and starts juggling again. "Still, there's plenty of spirits that need raising around here, so I try to help out where I can. Sometimes, in the face of tragedy, we need to be reminded that there's joy in the world."

You've still got some time. You consider asking Nathan some more questions.