Hidden in the bushes across the road, to the west from the camp, the adventurers discuss their plans in whispers. Elbolin asks Karat if she has any spells for invisibility; she does not, but Elfo does. So they have Elfo cast invisibility on himself, Elbolin, and Karat, all of whom have darkvision. Elbolin circles around the north side of the camp, Karat circles to the south, and Elfo goes across the middle. They agree to meet back here in a couple minutes, while Bilbo, Gourbain, and Nars stay to keep watch over Noohar and Selvek.

Karat crosses the road (which goes approximately north, with the camp on the east side) to the south, and checks on their horses, who are grazing there in a small clearing. They seem to be unthreatened, and calm. She sneaks around there for a few minutes, checking and reassuring them and looking out for any threats, and seeing nothing, tiptoes back toward where the rest of the group is hiding.

Elbolin crosses the road to the forest to the north of the camp, and there he sees more than a handful of cultists hiding in the bushes; he estimates there are about a dozen. He looks for Leosin among them, and doesn't see him, though he can't be certain because he doesn't have a very clear view. As he is watching, one more cultist arrives, sneaking in from the north. With a few whispers the cultists group appears to confer, and then they start moving clockwise around the camp, remaining quiet and concealed in the bushes.

Elfo crosses the road directly toward the camp, stopping to check on the cart as he passes, but he sees nothing amiss. He checks around the tents and the campfire, still finding nothing. On the east side of the camp he sees the tree Black Barry climbed, and he climbs up to join him - but on his first attempt to climb, one of the branches breaks off and he tumbles to the ground. Elbolin sees the cultists stop when they hear the crack of the branch, and wait and watch for a few minutes before proceeding. Elfo tries again, more carefully this time, and without too much difficulty reaches the branch where Barry is waiting.

"Have you seen anything?" Elfo whispers.

Barry silently points out the cultists in the bushes.

Elfo watches for a couple minutes, then decides he should report back to the group (not being aware than anyone else has seen the cultists), so he quietly climbs down the tree.

Karat hasn't seen anything, so she returns to the group and tells them that she saw nothing, so she's going back to keep an eye on the horses. Elbolin also makes his way back to the hiding place on the west side of the road.

Hooflepoof remains hidden, watching the camp from about 60 feet down the road to the south, where he is hiding with Jamna Gleamsilver.