Saga Cryptic

[Gill55]

7a Sheep and ducks returned home. How do you parse Merino
16a Restaurant charge pound to gain unlimited cutlery (7) corkage??
5d. Cleaning so long reduced colour (8) ?n?e?i?g

[Toorak]

16 yes - (f)ork inside cage

[Gill55]

Thanks Toorak, getting there. Any ideas about 7a and 5d.?

[Toorak]

5d (b) leaching suggested by the winner on another thread

[Gill55]

I have ?n?e?i?g if 7a is merino, 10 fusilier and 13a tipi ??

[Spicerack]

valeting

[Toorak]

That looks good spicey

How does that affect your letters for merino gill?

[Maxymax464]

Valeting and merino can't both be right. The 2nd letter of 5d has to be the same as the 5th letter of 7a.

[Spicerack]

Vale= farewell
ting(e)=reduced colour

Could be something else.

[Toorak]

Valeting seems to be correct - vale (so long) ting(e)

Merino seems to be wrong

[Gill55]

I got merino from another thread toorak but couldn't parse it so must be something else as valeting looks good to me.

[Toorak]

What crossers do you have for it now gill?

[Gill55]

sorted toorak. 7a is oorial. Thanks.

[Spicerack]

Wouldn't have got that. Hard, innit.

[Gill55]

Taken me all day to finish it !!

[elliemay1]

IMO not a great clue, Lair (home)

[Gill55]

once I knew oorial related to himalyan sheep the clue made sense.