After some discussion, the adventurers decide they'd really rather not fight the rearguard, if they can find another way around, so they split up into a few groups: Elbolin, Gourbain, and Hooflepoof to start searching the cliffs to the left; Karat, Elfo, Nars and Beans to search the cliffs to the right, and Black Barry and Bilbo to stay with the wolves and keep an eye on the ponies and carts. Those staying behind are provided with invisibility potions, in case they are attacked. The searching groups set out to explore for other passages, staying far enough away from the cliffs to avoid being spotted by the rearguard.

Within about an hour, Karat, Elfo, and Nars spots a trail heading up to a small cleavage in the cliffs. Along the trail, but still quite far away, they see a group of four individuals coming down the trail toward them. Elfo immediately casts an Invisibility spell on Karat, Nars, and Beans (attaching him first to a leash), keeping himself hidden. Nars holds onto Karat's cloak, and they approach the individuals on the trail, who they find to be unkempt humans with beards and scraggly hair, wearing leather and furs, and carrying light weapons.

"Who are you guys?" asks Karat.

"Who said that?" one of them asks with a touch of alarm, but unafraid. They all stop on the trail, looking around for the speaker.

"You can't see me because I am invisible. My name is Karat. Are you members of the dragon group that was raiding Greenest?"

"Heavens no, we're just hunters."

"Can me and my group pass?"

"Sure, we ain't stopping you."

As the conversation continues, Karat learns that the hunters have a business relationship with the raiders, supplying them with wild meat from the surrounding areas. The camp, they say, is just on the plateau above the cliffs. They're not sure how many cultists there are, but judging from the amount of meat they're asked to supply, they estimate about a hundred or so. Karat gives each of the hunters 1 GP as a gesture of goodwill, which they gladly accept, and offer to get some meat sometime if they need some. Karat wishes them a good hunt, and they continue on their way.

Karat and Nars then go back to Elfo and Beans and tell them what the hunters had to say, and they decide to go up the trail and see what they can find out about the camp. As they reach the plateau at the top, the camp comes into clear view, and Elfo and Beans hide behind some rocks on the side of the trail while Karat and Nars creep around invisibly exploring the camp.

They are surprised that nobody seems to be guarding the entrance where they came in; the camp is fairly disorganized, with everybody feeling happy from the successful raid the night before, and tired from the late night. There are a number of tents scattered around, and inside they can hear kobolds and cultists recounting the most dramatic moments from the raid to their friends, and laughing and carrying on. Across the plateau on the west side of the camp, they see the main entrance; other than that, the cliffs seem to form a natural boundary that would make an ambush difficult. There are two hastily-assembled guard towers, one near the main entrance, and another on the other side on a higher shelf offering a good view of the entire camp, but if there are guards there, they cannot be seen.

The tents nearer the main entrance are rougher and decorated with animal skulls; kobolds are seen entering and exiting these tents. Toward the center of the camp, there are nicer tents decorated with dragon emblems; these seem to be mostly occupied by human cultists. Toward the back of the camp is a larger tent that is heavily guarded, by four guards and four guard drakes. Not far from that tent, between there and the trail at which they entered, there is a badly beaten-up monk chained to a pole. Also near the cultists' tents, there are eight people chained together, being directed by four dragonclaws to reset a tent which had apparently been knocked down by celebrating kobolds. There are two carts near the entrance to the camp, but they appear to be empty, and no loot is apparent.

Karat is very curious about what is going on in that large tent. She sneaks very close and tries to peek in, but it is tightly closed, and she can't see anything. Using Thaumaturgy, she makes her voice boom to say "One of the prisoners has escaped, come help to find him!", but the guards don't seem to think that is their business. She picks one of the smaller tents and induces it with a bright glow. The guards clearly see the glowing tent, as one of them elbows another near him and they point and  discuss it in low tones, but they are not distracted from guarding the tent. Very diligent are these guards.

So Karat and Nars make their way back to Elfo and Beans, and together they head back to the carts. By then Elbolin, Hooflepoof, and Gourbain have circumnavigated the plateau and they also find the trail. Hooflepoof, invisible in his cloak, also sneaks around the camp and observes much of the same as what Karat saw. Dusk is approaching, so they all meet back at the carts to discuss their plans.

They decide to have dinner and take a long rest, and then sneak back into the camp in the middle of the night to see if they can rescue Leosin Erlanthar, who they believe is the monk tied to the pole in the camp, and maybe the prisoners, who are probably villagers from Greenest.

Around 2am Hooflepoof, Bilbo, Elfo, and Karat head out to find the trail again (choosing to take the long way instead of the main entrance). Since Invisibility only lasts an hour, they wait until they are near to the edge of the camp before Elfo casts it over himself, Bilbo, and Karat, Hooflepoof already having invisibility from his cloak. As they tiptoe through the passage from the trail into the camp, they notice that four guards have been posted at that entrance for the night. They don't have any difficulty passing them, but they might have trouble getting anyone out of there who isn't invisible.