he had caught up to him.
The gnome turned around with a crooked grin. “Are you ready for games now?” he asked.
“No,” replied Riyan as he came to a stop before him. “We’re sorry we didn’t believe you before.”
“I’ve discovered a certain amount of patience is required when dealing with your kind,” he replied. Mr. Tinton glanced over his shoulder to Seth who had the good grace to blush.
“Yes,” Riyan said, “I’m sure you do. But we were wondering if you could help us with something?”
“And what would that be?” he asked.
Riyan removed his pack and proceeded to retrieve the wine bottle with the crest. Once he had it in hand he held it up for Mr. Tinton to see. “We are interested in finding out where the winery is that produced this,” he explained.
Taking the bottle from him, the gnome gave it a once over then turned his gaze to Riyan. “Where did you get this?” he asked.
“An acquaintance of ours who is a trader,” he replied.
Mr. Tinton gave the bottle another brief examination and then handed it back. “I haven’t seen many of those,” he told them. “One usually doesn’t find them this far north.”
“North?” asked Bart. “As in north of the Moran Tribes?”
“Something like that,” he said. “The crest on the bottle is that of the Orack Tribe. More specifically, their ruling family.”
“Would that be the family of The River Man?” questioned Chad.
Mr. Tinton turned his attention to Chad and nodded. “I’ve heard they were thinking about opening trade with the north. But what with all the recent hostilities, such now seems unlikely.” Turning back to Riyan, he said, “If by chance you do manage to procure quantities of guerloch , send some my way. I’ll make it worth your while.”
“ Guerloch ?” asked Bart.
“That’s what was in the bottle,” he explained. “A very special brew that is highly prized.”
“It isn’t wine?” asked Kevik.
“In a way, I suppose you could call it such,” Mr. Tinton said. “I’m not sure what goes into the making of it, but I’ve never known it to have any sort of harmful effect.”
With the wine bottle securely back in his pack, Riyan asked, “You wouldn’t know where they make it do you?”
“No, sorry,” he replied. “That’s a closely guarded secret of the Orack.” Just then one of the gnomes whom they earlier mistook for children came to him and whispered into his ear. Nodding to the gnome, Mr. Tinton turned back to Riyan and said, “I’m sorry, but I must see to something. If you’ll excuse me.” Then without further ado, he turned and followed the other gnome as it quickly departed.
Riyan stood quietly in thought as he watched Mr. Tinton walked away. Definitely not what he had thought a gnome to be. Turning to Chad, he could see the same thoughts were running through his mind.
“So now we know,” Chyfe stated.
Riyan turned toward him with a questioning look.
“The River Man,” Chyfe clarified. “He is involved in some way with the key.”
“Maybe,” Riyan replied.
“We don’t know that for sure,” Soth reasoned. “Just because the crest of his family bears some resemblance to the coat of arms we are looking for doesn’t necessarily mean there’s a connection between the two.”
“Don’t forget, Durik was interested in him for some reason,” Chad explained.
“That’s true,” agreed Riyan.
“This does mean one thing though,” Bart announced.
“What?” asked Soth.
“We’re going to have to pay a visit to the Orack Tribe to find out how the River Man is connected in all this,” he explained. And with that they turned about and headed back to the inn. Outside, snowflakes were beginning to lightly fall.
“Great,” groaned Riyan. By the following morning, there was another foot of snow on the ground with no sign of stopping.
Chapter Four
___________________________
Off and on for a week the snow fell. Then just when blue sky peeked through and they
The gnome turned around with a crooked grin. “Are you ready for games now?” he asked.
“No,” replied Riyan as he came to a stop before him. “We’re sorry we didn’t believe you before.”
“I’ve discovered a certain amount of patience is required when dealing with your kind,” he replied. Mr. Tinton glanced over his shoulder to Seth who had the good grace to blush.
“Yes,” Riyan said, “I’m sure you do. But we were wondering if you could help us with something?”
“And what would that be?” he asked.
Riyan removed his pack and proceeded to retrieve the wine bottle with the crest. Once he had it in hand he held it up for Mr. Tinton to see. “We are interested in finding out where the winery is that produced this,” he explained.
Taking the bottle from him, the gnome gave it a once over then turned his gaze to Riyan. “Where did you get this?” he asked.
“An acquaintance of ours who is a trader,” he replied.
Mr. Tinton gave the bottle another brief examination and then handed it back. “I haven’t seen many of those,” he told them. “One usually doesn’t find them this far north.”
“North?” asked Bart. “As in north of the Moran Tribes?”
“Something like that,” he said. “The crest on the bottle is that of the Orack Tribe. More specifically, their ruling family.”
“Would that be the family of The River Man?” questioned Chad.
Mr. Tinton turned his attention to Chad and nodded. “I’ve heard they were thinking about opening trade with the north. But what with all the recent hostilities, such now seems unlikely.” Turning back to Riyan, he said, “If by chance you do manage to procure quantities of guerloch , send some my way. I’ll make it worth your while.”
“ Guerloch ?” asked Bart.
“That’s what was in the bottle,” he explained. “A very special brew that is highly prized.”
“It isn’t wine?” asked Kevik.
“In a way, I suppose you could call it such,” Mr. Tinton said. “I’m not sure what goes into the making of it, but I’ve never known it to have any sort of harmful effect.”
With the wine bottle securely back in his pack, Riyan asked, “You wouldn’t know where they make it do you?”
“No, sorry,” he replied. “That’s a closely guarded secret of the Orack.” Just then one of the gnomes whom they earlier mistook for children came to him and whispered into his ear. Nodding to the gnome, Mr. Tinton turned back to Riyan and said, “I’m sorry, but I must see to something. If you’ll excuse me.” Then without further ado, he turned and followed the other gnome as it quickly departed.
Riyan stood quietly in thought as he watched Mr. Tinton walked away. Definitely not what he had thought a gnome to be. Turning to Chad, he could see the same thoughts were running through his mind.
“So now we know,” Chyfe stated.
Riyan turned toward him with a questioning look.
“The River Man,” Chyfe clarified. “He is involved in some way with the key.”
“Maybe,” Riyan replied.
“We don’t know that for sure,” Soth reasoned. “Just because the crest of his family bears some resemblance to the coat of arms we are looking for doesn’t necessarily mean there’s a connection between the two.”
“Don’t forget, Durik was interested in him for some reason,” Chad explained.
“That’s true,” agreed Riyan.
“This does mean one thing though,” Bart announced.
“What?” asked Soth.
“We’re going to have to pay a visit to the Orack Tribe to find out how the River Man is connected in all this,” he explained. And with that they turned about and headed back to the inn. Outside, snowflakes were beginning to lightly fall.
“Great,” groaned Riyan. By the following morning, there was another foot of snow on the ground with no sign of stopping.
Chapter Four
___________________________
Off and on for a week the snow fell. Then just when blue sky peeked through and they
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