Alice & Alyssa Character Spotlight: Corbin

His name was Corrine, but then I looked it up, and it is actually a girl name. ;) Oops. So yeah, I changed it (hurriedly) to Corbin, which is a fine, upstanding boy name. Besides, I like the name Corbin better anyways, don't you? But to get back to the subject... *clears throat* I now present:

Corbin:

The Eager Younger Brother

Most Likely to Say Something Along These Lines:

“Can I come?” or “What are you doing?”

Description of Character:

Full of fun and adventure, Corbin has a personality similar to his older brother, Raynold. Always eager to help in any way he can, his dream is to become a farmer like his father. He hates to be left out of anything, and because of this he sometimes gets in trouble for sticking his nose in where it doesn’t belong. Naturally curious about everything, he tends to ask a lot of questions, which sometimes is a nuisance to those who don’t know his ways. If fact, almost everything that comes out of his mouth is a question, but his family doesn’t mind this, and even answers what questions they can.

Book Excerpt(s):

Alice sat down with a sigh of contentment, and Diana and Alyssa quickly followed her lead. The whole atmosphere of the stranger’s home was so welcoming, the girls felt at home right away. When their guide went to get himself cleaned up, he left the girls to the open stares of his younger brother, and the more concealed stares of the older sister.

“I’m Corbin,” The younger boy said suddenly, his blue eyes fixed on Alice.

He seemed to be waiting for her to say something, so she smiled and said, “I’m Alice.”

There was a silence. Then again, “I’m Corbin,” This time his statement was directed, along with a blue-eyed stare, at Alyssa.

She smiled right away and said, “I’m Alyssa.”

Another pause, then yet again, “I’m Corbin,” His statement and stare directed in Diana’s direction.

She couldn’t help a smile as well and said, “I’m Diana.”

Another, longer, silence before he spoke again. “Corbin means brave. I’m very brave. Are you brave?” he gave this question, along with another stare, at Alice.

She was at a loss for words at first. “Um… well, not really.” She smiled. “Sometimes I do something brave. But I’m always afraid when I do it.”

Corbin processed this for a few minutes, then, seeming to except Alice, he said, “You can call me Cor.” There was a shorter pause. Then, by way of explanation; “My brother calls me Cor.”

Suddenly he turned to Alyssa and would have undoubtedly repeated the scene again, but his sister came up behind him and placed her hand on his shoulder. That silenced any further talking from him for the moment.

“I’m Bettina. I hope you will forgive Corbin’s questions. We don’t have a lot of strangers here.” She spoke quietly, but with such a calm confidence, that the girls immediately felt that here was someone to respect. Although the older girl was barely taller than them, she seemed to carry herself with an air of superior wisdom.

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Raynold chuckled and strapped the food to Peace. Just as he was about to mount, a sleepy eyed Corbin stumbled into the barn and looked up into the face of his older brother.

“Can I come?” He asked after a loud yawn.

Raynold grinned and ruffled Corbin’s hair, making it stand on end. “Not this time Cor,” He answered.

“Why not?” Corbin wanted to know.

“Because how will Pa be able to harvest his crops if all his help is gone? He needs your muscle to bring in our food for the winter.”

“Oh,” Corbin replied. “I suppose I should stay then.”

“’Atta man, Cor,” Raynold replied with a wink at the girls.

The three of them stifled the urge to giggle, and quickly turned to their horses so that Corbin wouldn’t see their twitching mouths. They led the horses out of the stable and then mounted.