Burr roused himself and began wandering around the base of the hill at each building in turn looking for any food that someone might share...

"Lunatic he may well have been, and I would probably argue that as well with the short amount of time we saw him, but something happened in that lake that took him down, I swear it.  Somehow he was pulled in that water and I sent my rope down.  Something that did not move like a person pulled on my rope and when it finally let go, the end of the rope was perfectly fine.  Something is in that lake."  She turns to look at Burr, still a bit unbelieving he got out unscathed and realizes he didn't come up with them.  She sighs and wonders where he wondered off to.

"Just so you know, there is a fourth of our party, actually the one that dove in a rescued your daughter from the watery grave as he is the strongest of us, but he is at the bottom of your hill I suspect, just so you know and he's probably hungry."  she rolls her eyes a bit.

Speaking of food, Zefla pulls out her own dagger, walks to the meat and copies the man's actions and enjoys the mutton thoroughly.  Licking her fingers, she adds, "Eva did a reading for us and our first task was to find a wolfs den in the hills overlooking a mountain lake.  You think your brother could help us?"

Giles eyes go wide and he follows in step with Zefla, pulling out a dagger and cutting off a portion of mutton, chewing and watching Luvosh intently to gauge his response.  He didn’t realize how hungry he was until he started to smell the food and watch her eat.  He chews and eyes the man, filling his stomach while he can.

Burr, casting your hungry senses about, you detect the unmistakable scent of roasting meat from somewhere up the hill, in the direction your friends and the girl had taken.

Luvosh eyes Zefla intently as she expands upon the narrative provided by Soren.  First, though, he responds about the wine.  "A shortage?  Perhaps.  There is wine to be found here, but little of any quality.  Many far flung farmsteads try to make their own, along with vodkas and beers, but the soil here is no good.  The wines are bitter and weak-bodied.  All except for those from the Wizard of Wines.  The vintners there, they have some skill, and they coax fine wines from the land."

"Or they did.  It has been weeks since we saw a shipment.  They made my favorite red, but now, nothing.  I thought perhaps the people of Vallaki had turned them against us... vicious xenophobe, that Baron of theirs, you know.  But if their own pub is running dry, then perhaps the winery has run upon hard times."

He shrugs.  "It is not so terrible for us.  I can send Arrigal and some wagons on a journey to fetch something... but it is a lot of work for a little wine.  Much better when there is a supply available on our doorstep."

He continues to handwave Zefla's concerns about the lake.  He remains curious about the wolves.  "A wolfs den in the hills overlooking a mountain lake... Hah!  What a funny quest.  And what is it she wants you to find for her there?  Is she looking to relocate her caravan to a place with a better view?" 

"My brother?  Perhaps he can.  But he is his own man.  He should be back today or tomorrow from the Tser Pool camp.  If you are still here, you may ask him yourself."

Burr followed his nose up the hill, when he reaches the top he nods to everyone and then inspects the roasting meat to make sure its actually what it smells like and nothing untoward.

Nature- 11

Soren smiles.  "Luvosh, this is Burr.  The one who physically pulled your daughter, who the bewitched fisherman had thrown overboard in a sack, out of the depths, rescuing her from drowning and from whatever spirits haunt that lake.  If I know him, he may be hungry.  Burr, this is Luvosh, Arabelle's sire."

"Perhaps we can return tomorrow to speak with your brother Arrigal.  As you can see, we are not... 'xenophobes', as you called the Baron of Vallaki?  This is the first I have heard of this 'Wizard of Wines'.  Are they an actual wizard growing and fermenting enchanted fruit?  The Vistani at Tser Pool told tales of a powerful mage who..."  (Soren pauses, realizing maybe he should skip the part with the battle against Strahd), "... Anyway, Perhaps there is a reason their harvest or winemaking has failed.  It would be interesting to seek them out if we were not already beset with other troubles and tasks."

"As for Madame Eva, she spoke in riddles.  I do not believe she wished to relocate her own territory to one near a wolf's den, but it was for some other purpose that she gave us the quest to seek it.  She did mention another related figure... 'Mother Night'.  Might you know who that is, Luvosh?"

Burr waves absently at Luvosh, " My pleasure. She's a great kid."

Unable to determine whether its a cow, horse or something more 'Barovian' he decides he's too hungry to care and begins stuffing his face.

((Do we know how far away the Wizard of Wines is?  Could we go to check that out and then return to meet up with his brother?))

Giles continues to eat, nodding when Zefla speaks up, saying “I felt it was well.  Something very strange below the waters pulled that man away.  I have no idea what it was.  Perhaps we could see this Wizard’s vineyard and find out why his magic is running dry.  How far is that vineyard, Luvosh?”

Burr, scent doesn't tell you much more than 'meat'... but after taking a bite or two you are quite certain it is mutton.

As the conversation continues, several Vistani follow Burr into the tent.  One looks from Luvosh to the bound and beaten man, until the former nods in approval.  He then goes and unties the man and drags him back outside the tent.  Another goes to tend to the fire and food, while the rest fumble around and try to look like they are cleaning or getting the drunk men and women back up and on their feet.

At mention of Mother Night, Luvosh's face takes a dark turn.  Then he answers, "A bad spirit.  Some of the Barovians would call her a god, the shade to the Morninglord's light.  I doubt that very much... but unlike the Morninglord she is real enough, and holds real power in these lands.  Nothing compared to the Darklord, of course.  But not a force you'll want to be reckoning with."  

Talk of wine draws more of his attention.  "Hmmn.  That would be interesting.  If you could secure us another shipment, that would put me doubly in your debt."  He strokes his beard.  The he turns to the one stoking the fire.  "Tivol - you've made runs to the winery, yes?  Can you tell these four how to get there via the straightest path?  They do not know the forest trails... they will want to keep to the roads."  As the man rises from the fire, Lugosh looks back to Giles.  "It is less than a day's walk from here.  Tivol will tell you how to get there."

The young Vistani eyes you all with a neutral expression, but he provides directions as he is instructed. 

He describes a crossroads immediately past the western outskirts of Vallaki.  He calls it the 'Tsolenka Crossroads'.  Go past that, continuing west on the Old Svallich Road.  Two hours or so later, there is a larger crossroads, with paths leading in all directions, large and small.  He calls this the 'Varesti Crossroads'.  There will be a signpost there, and it will indicate the Wizard of Wines is to the south.  Take that south road.  It will lead higher through a cleft in the mountains.  Through that pass continue.  On the other side you will come to the Luna River.  Do not cross the bridge there.  Instead, turn west at a small crossroad just before the river.  There should be another signpost there for the Wizard of Wines.  Follow that road west until it ends.  There you will find the winery, on the southern slopes of those same mountains you just passed through.  You can't miss it.  He says on foot, you could expect to make it there around nightfall if you left soon.

Another errand.  Thought Zefla, but being doubly in this man's debt and not only that, but some wine to boot.  She could definitely do for some wine.  She watches the ones that have arrived, seeing if any are giving off a vibe that would make her want to chat them up.

Insight 7

She lets the words sink in about Mother Night... so if they got this treasure from Mother Night, then not only would they have Morgantha possibly after them, but this one as well... But hey, if it helped to get them home..

She half listened to the instructions that the young vistani gave, figuring she could figure it out, but his last words stuck in her mind.  "Nightfall?  Would we be allowed to stay there overnight?  I've heard that travel during the night is ill advised."

Burrs face is glistening with fat and his mouth his indeed full of mutton as the others talk, he is intrigued by the winery talk and though he doesn't stop eating he does nod along with Zeflas words.

Soren shivers.  He remembers Madame Eva's words.

... a powerful force for good and protection, a holy symbol of great hope. Look for a den of wolves in the hills overlooking a mountain lake. The treasure belongs to Mother Night. Retrieve it from her grasp and it will light your way...

How many enemies must we make in this land?  The darklord and Rahadin, Morgantha, the spirits under the lake, and now Mother NIght...

Rousing himself, he adds, "I agree, Zefla.  I too do not look forward to arriving at an unknown destination around nightfall.  Perhaps we may leave early tomorrow morning?  Meanwhile, today, once we're done eating here and while the daylight lasts, we might continue our search to the north."

Soren looks to the others for their opinion.  Much more tentatively than Burr, he ventures to try a bit of the cooked meat...

The young Vistani chuckles.  "Yeah, you probably don't want to get caught out after dark.  But as for lodging at the winery, I can't tell you.  You'd have to ask the masters of the vines there."

Zefla:

 The meat is good enough.  It is barely seasoned, if at all, but it is fresh and hot and unspoiled.

" Can you put us up for the night here?", Burr suddenly blurted out as he swallowed a mouthful of mutton.

Giles nods and says “Agreed, if you will allow, may we stay the night and travel in the morning?  We truly appreciate your *cutting mutton*… hospitality!”  Giles smiles, licking his fingers.  He does a small bow to Luvosh and his daughter.

"Sir, if you don't mind, I'd like to confer with my friends here."  Assuming Luvosh has no issue, Zefla takes her friends over in a huddle away from earshot.

"Alright, its still mid afternoon, right?  And we are right outside Vallaki.  I don't see the need to stay here or asking him for any more hospitality.  The people here are obviously taking his lead, but what if he turns on us?  He doesn't seem the most even keel of people, and then I worry we will no longer we welcome guests.  I'm good with figuring out this wine situation, but as Soren suggested, maybe check out the countryside a bit more, then head back to the inn we were staying at last night.  Then in the morning check on the wine situation and when we get back, maybe his brother will be here for us to question.  Thoughts?"

[Its still late morning, or noon/lunch at the latest.]

"Yes, I agree with Zefla," Soren says quietly once the group has privacy.

"Whether because of Baron Vallakovich's... 'xenophobia' and pretense that he and his monstrous henchman Izek are shutting the darklord and all his allies out through their draconian measures....  whether for that reason or some other, the Vistani here seem far more suspicious than the ones at Tser Pool, if not overtly hostile, despite Luvosh being in our debt.  Did you have a reason for wishing to spend the evening in their tents, not-Father?  The Blue Water Inn seemed a welcoming place to spend the night for everyone, we can ask Urwin Martikov to confirm that he too is having supply issues from this Wizard of Wines and ask what else he knows of the winery.  I can even ask the ravens that roost upon his roof if they have seen anything amiss."

He looks uneasy for a moment.  "Though in my case, with the witch Morgantha cursing my sleep, I will spend the night within Saint Andral's in the hopes that the Morninglord's protection shelters me from her predation... in the meantime, let us continue our search for wolves northward."

Burr shrugged: he didn't care one way or the other, he could sleep in a ditch, hayloft, cot or featherbed.  It was all the same to him.

At Father Giles' question, Lugosh seems taken aback and the other Vistani all look to him for a response.  "Ah... well.  You brought my daughter back to me.  I cannot deny you shelter.  It would be shameful.  Still... there are many hours before nightfall.  Unless you plan to remain here all day, why not 'play it by ear,' as they say.  If nightfall brings you back to us, I will see you have a roof over your heads."