They've had quite a day doing their show, and then going on a long trek with Gnashrip and back.

Now, things in Cambete are slowing down.

Lindon Laru has a choice to make- now, with the sun low in the sky, or talk to the Orcs tomorrow.

If he goes today, he will find the Orcs gathered at their homes for the evening, except for those on guard duty (which the Orc he wants to talk to is not.)  They spend a lot of time eating and drinking, both of which they do to a greater deal than humans.  Dwarves can keep up with Orcs in this area, but generally not Humans and especially not Elves.

They don't gather into families like Humans or Elves do.  For Orcs, eating is a tribal thing, and they gather around their chief- in this case, Pugnant.

Perhaps it is a reaction to Orcish power struggles.  When the chieftain has his subordinates near, instead of off having dinner on their own, much less of an opportunity for them to plot against him.

If he looks for the Orc in the morning, though, he would most likely wake up a sleepy Orc in his lair.  Orcs stay up late and sleep late, and aren't exactly "morning people".

After having had someone repeat Gnashrip's name over and over until he could actually pronounce it properly, Lindon began his quest that very evening.  He started off with finding a sober orc guard and asking where "Gnashrip" could be found.

Lindon Laru pokes around the Orc quarters, which are fairly crowded and not very gentle on the nose, and eventually finds Gnashrip.

Most Orcs who are not guarding find other things to do in the evening- they are up late, and sleep late.  In the evenings, they are eating, and story telling, and arguing, and frequently drinking, which often leads to fighting as one Orc gets offended by the story being told by another Orc.

Orcs typically don't drink themselves into a stupor, though, they have a naturally high tolerance to things spoiled and fermented.

Gnashrip, though, is by himself, alone, looking anxious and fidgety as if he was facing a trial tomorrow.  He is busily carving religious symbols into the ground with a dagger- well, maybe religious symbols.  Who knows what most of those scribblings are?

He greets Lindon with a scowl.  But he recognizes Lindon as a performer.

"Most human I forget face," the Orc says.  "You... maybe performer people know how stand out in crowd.  Less forgetting.  Why would you come to me?  I do not see reason."

"My name is Lindon Laru," he said with a sweeping bow.  "I have come to ask for your help.  We would like to broaden our audience to attract more persons such as yourself to our show.

"In order to do this, we were hoping you might have some ideas.  Maybe be a part of it yourself."

Gnashrip is surprised for a moment.  Everything he know says "suspect tricks", and especially when there are Elves involved.  He is pretty sure Elves are involved in the performance.  But then, quite suddenly, he grins and laughs.

"You think I don't know!" he says.  "Pugnant wants to see, understand you.  But you are scared, you are not good enough.  So you come to me for help!  Ha, tricky, you cannot ask Pugnant, he will know right away you are frauds.  You cannot ask other Orcs, they will go to Pugnant.  Me... Pugnant knows if I go to him, maybe what I say is for me.  Maybe not listen.  Never listens to me.  So you go to one Orc Pugnant is not listening to!  Very clever you!"

He thinks about this.

"You want to know Orcish stories?  Stories of battles and strength, many stories.  I will not be on your stage.  That is... silly.  You came here, Pugnant wants to see you, you must obey chieftain.  Pugnant... Pugnant is chieftain."

Gnashrip's tone indicates some second thoughts here.  He sounds like he accepts this as fact, but is not that happy with it.

"No," Gnashrip says in a low grumble.  "I not stage hopping and singing like Elf.  I am Orc.  Orc stories are for us, you have you stories.  Pugnant wants see you, he must see you.  I will... I will do as chieftain says, when he sees.  But not help you!"

"You're probably right," Lindon agreed, nodding his head.  "The Chief should get all the credit for bringing these grand orcish stories to our performance.  I'm sure all of the warriors will like it and admire him for what he's done here in Cambete.

"We just didn't want to bother him with this since every orc knows the stories.  We'd just heard you were the best at telling them and came to you first."

He looked around the room, hoping Gnashrip might have second thoughts.  Giving the shaman a few moments to change his mind.