Learning is fun! (Downtime - Stedd, Bubbles & Faye)

Stedd was not considered an intelligent boy. Living aboard a ship - he had spent most of his childhood doing the same thing, with the same faces. But this did not mean that he had not lived. Stedd knew things many others didn't. He knew the best bait for catching crabs. He knew how to make a 3 course meal with fish as the only ingredient. And he knew a secret language...

There had been another fisherman: very squat, bearded and fiery tempered. He did not know common (or refused to speak it) and instead made very hard, guttural noises to indicate what he wanted. When Stedd approach the others about this, they stated: 

"What does it matter, he works hard, just like you should be doing" - quickly followed by a smack. 

But it mattered to Stedd. He found it fascinating. He spent a good portion of his childhood copying the squat man. He would not stop until he could anticipate the squat-man's noises for every object, action or description on the ship. Eventually, the two of them began conversing using these noises. This had been the closest Stedd had come to a friend (though the more he learned, the more he discovered the short-man in fact found Stedd very annoying). 

When Stedd escaped his servitude, he vowed that one day he would have real friends, and that he would teach them this secret language. 
He found companionship with a Tiefling girl who went by Bubbles and an Elf called Faye. He knew that they were in fact disguising their real names, but to him it did not matter. They had journeyed together, fought together and most importantly they seemed to put up with his unshakable fish smell. 

So he got to work teaching them. He started with the basics (curse words) until eventually they could hold basic conversations. It wasn't until a rumour sent the trio to Vorsthold when Stedd realised the truth.

Accompanying Milo Brightmane (also very short), Stedd discovered an entire civilisation of short - yet very powerful looking people. Suddenly Bubbles approached them and spoke their secret language - and the short people responded. Short humans are their own race. His friend Milo, and the fiery man from the ship, were not short-men but in fact Dwarves (indeed, Milo was actually quite tall for a Dwarf it seemed). Had Faye and Bubbles known this the whole time?! Did they know that Stedd did not know?! Stedd decided it better not to ask.

His disappointment at his own ignorance was quickly overshadowed by the majesty of the civilisation, and the wonders of using the secret language  Dwarvish to interact with outsiders. 
The trip was not just a learning experience for Stedd. With many weeks in the pub learning (and drinking), the trip to Vorsthold and the discussions on the travel back home: Stedd was confident that Bubbles and Faye were now fluent. 

Stedd vowed to head home and research the races of the world (is halfing a race, not just an insult!?).
Stedd was not considered an intelligent boy...