Wine Cellars: meanwhile back at Heck ridge Mountain....

Heck Ridge

It is a brisk morning at Heck ridge, a bit too brisk most would say. Seems winter weather is grasping tightly to the Duchy with a vice-like grip.  A sleepy-eyed dwarf conducts a bed check of the elder dwarves and makes a startling discovery!!!!

an unslept in bunk

"Ma!" the cry echoes through the stone halls,  "Ma! is Tobi in the hall with y'all?" Drem Hammerhand practically tumbles down the steps into the breakfast hall looking about and counting the heads of those already present for the morning meal.

"Lemme see, there's Irdle, Warren, Chen Chan, Bonk, me.... !!! Ma! Ole' Tobi done gone and wandered off agin'!" 

Ma Double-Chin calls out from the kitchen, "Alright you know the drill, Dren you check the baths and the poop-chutes, you know Tobi falls asleep there sometimes. "

Dren makes a sour face and gripes, "Aw Ma, I always get the chutes, can't Warmen do it!"

"I said Chutes and baths Dren, now git!!" a wooden spoon smacking the dwarf in the back of the head. "Warmen you go check the entry hall and make sure the doors are still locked, the rest of ya's spread out and cover the rest of the hold, get more short-beards if ya needs to."  Ma placed her hands on her hips and looked over the collected dwarves still seated at the table midway through their breakfasts. "I said get's to lookin' or there won't be no beer with lunch!" 

With a collected sigh and much grumbling under their beards the dwarves stomped out of the hall to seek the missing elder clan member.

A few moments later Warmen was heard calling out.  "Ma! The front door's open. Looks like it's been that way all night."

"Aww dang!" came the collected cry of the dwarves as they stopped searching the hold.

Where did Ole' Tobi wander off to? How upset will Warmen get? If you want the answer to at least one of these questions then look forward to the Tale of the Never Ending Winter!!