Sarah is safe, but we don't know what happened to Ma or the kids yet"

"Gotta find 'em..." Jib almost lulls off to sleep again, falling forward before catching himself and grimacing. "Ooh...my head."

The peaceful settlement of Calling Horns is picturesque against a painted sky as you approach. These days sunset is coming earlier, and the place is well into suppertime when you arrive.

The twin halfling kids (Yebin and Tebin) are happily eating some porridge and sweet water at the Inn, where Nhek is regaling them with some ghost stories. 

Lady Hawkwinter and her squire are saddling up in the stables, and preparing to depart. 

“You should at least stay until sunrise. Get a good nights sleep in an inn while you still can.” Angel says to the Knight and squire while they are at the inn. 

"We must away," says the knight. "We've lost enough time already. We could use a good member of the Order along with us—what do you say?" She asks Angel. 

"No thank you. My friends need me as much as I need them. So, I'd rather stay here with them." Angel says to the knight. 

Ink will approach Nhek, provide details about what he could surmise about the Town's kidnappers, his suspicion that they might be a barbarian tribe and the idea that they might be willing to associate with, or, perhaps more realistically, live in proximity without escalating to battles to, a stone giant clan.  Then will ask for his knowledge about the local clans, if any might fit that description and, if so, where they typically live and/or congregate.

The overly-large Nhek muses as Ink explains the situation. 

“To my knowledge, there’s number of tribes what would be active in these parts,” he says, absently scratching his ear. “But as for tribes that would deal in kidnapping...unless something’s changed in the last couple generations since my grandpappy told me those stories, that’d be the Red Tiger tribe. Probably. There’s the Elk Tribe, but they’re pretty flighty around civilization. And there’s the Griffon Tribe, which my grandpappy was from, but they were more the pillage-and-raid, leave-em-dead-on-the-ground sort of barbarians. My grandpappy was lucky—woman whose village he raided took pity on him when he took an arrow in the chest, and from a fellow barbarian to boot. Betrayal and all that. He never did like telling that story. Anyway, she nursed him back to health, won him over, and it was happily ever after for them! Well, unless you count the fact that he was always looking over his shoulder...something about tree ghosts, talking bows....he’d always tell me, (Nhek adopts a very thick accent here) ‘anytime you see a talking weapon, my boy, run the other way!’ Ha, did he like to prattle on. It was story after story. One time he told me about a wrestling match that lasted 4 days, and only finally ended because his opponent fainted for want of water. Only he told it with such detail that it felt like I was experiencing the entire thing in real-time...complete with the lack of water! Which reminds me, the river that flows near here, great for drinking. Have you tried it?”

Meanwhile, Papa Jib has fallen asleep on a chair downstairs in the inn, after a cleansing bath and a full meal. 

"Any idea where the Red Tiger tribe can be found?"

Quote from Hardcopi >>

"Any idea where the Red Tiger tribe can be found?"

Nhek's story makes you glad that you've already finished your dinner. 

The inn has filled up now with locals, all of whom are excited to have the giant-killers back in town. So excited, in fact, that none of them allow you to pay for your own meal, and are arguing with each other over whose tab to put your room & board on!

"I sawr'em first, I should get'ta pay for um!" says a short man with a long nose. 

"Don't be so selfish! Let us split the bill!" a mustached, portly man in work clothes replies.

Meanwhile, a few young ladies and strapping lads are trying to sit with you, eager to hear stories of your recent exploits. One of them, a fair-haired fan girl, is the most inquisitive. "That knight that was in here said you saw stone giants, but that you ran away...is that true? What were they like?" 

"We decided that seeking clues that may save our friend's family was more important than battling stone giants to the death."

Ink will inquire more of the Red Tiger tribe not only from Nhek, but also from people who are recent arrivals from abroad.

He'll suggest to the fan girl to ask Marav and Angel about it as they both fought the giants up close.

Angel is not used to such attention from individuals of his same age. It’s honestly quite embarrassing. He’ll get some food in him and then excuse himself out attempting to hide somewhere with Scappy and Cade. 

Stealth: 23

None of you seem to have noticed during the commotion that Marav slipped away. As the fair haired girl asks about them running away Marav walks back in. A blood red hawk on his shoulder. He walks up to the group and stares down at the girl. "The knight wishes to murder them for who they are, I say that is wrong. They did not attack the village and did not deserve to die." Marav turns to Rip. "I..." he hesitates and glances at the falcon, "we can find them now I think. We need to rest though, tomorrow we hunt for your children."

He whispers at the falcon, his voice guttural and almost screechy, the party recognizes that he is speaking with animals again. 

//Scappy? Poor dog, no one knows his name.//

The poor fan girl backs away from the half-orc with the blood hawk on his shoulder. "O-ok, I was just wondering, I'm, ah, going to get home now. Sorry to bother you." And she makes for the door.

Quote from Hardcopi >>

He whispers at the falcon, his voice guttural and almost screechy, the party recognizes that he is speaking with animals again. 

Quote from jr_el_leon >>

Ink will inquire more of the Red Tiger tribe not only from Nhek, but also from people who are recent arrivals from abroad.

"Well, looks like we'll have to go back out and just do it the old fashioned way..." remarks Ink.

 "Umm, Marav - where did you get the blood hawk?"