Bilbo and Hooflepoof hardly have a chance to doze off before two strangers enter their camp: A Black Knight and a Goliath. They either don't see the adventurers in their makeshift beds, or more likely, choose to ignore them. The strangers sit down by the fire, wearily, as if they have just made a long journey and are appreciative of the rest. They pull some dried meats out of their packs, and a kettle, heating up some water from the river to make tea.

Bilbo quietly grasps his javelin, Hooflepoof his shortbow, Gourbain his shortsword, and Nars his crossbow, but none makes a move, and the strangers don't appear to notice them. Leosin gets up and approaches the fire.

"Mind if we use your fire?" asks the Black Knight gruffly.

"Not at all, help yourselves," says Leosin, as if they were not already doing so, and he could not likely prevent them anyway.

The Black Knight offers Leosin some tea, and Leosin accepts. "What are you doing out here in the mere?" asks the Black Knight.

"Looking for some rare mushrooms," says Leosin. "I'm a monk, I need them for a special ritual. What about you?"

"Bounty hunters," says the Black Knight. "Tracking a thief." He reaches into his bag, and pulls out a folded and bedraggled piece of paper, unfolding it. It is a picture of a Tabaxi, with some other details too small for Leosin to read in the firelight, and the word "REWARD" in large letters. "Have you seen him?"

"We're traveling with a Tabaxi, but he's not a thief. If you're tracking him, you've got the wrong guy."

"Well, we'll see about that," says the Black Knight. "Where is your friend?"

"He went out to explore, earlier today. I'm surprised he's not back yet, I don't think he'd want to spend the night alone in the mere."

"We will wait" says the Black Knight. The Goliath grunts.

Elfo, Elbolin, Karat, and Black Barry decide to head back to camp for the night. By this time their invisibility has worn off, so Elfo casts a new spell over himself, Karat, and Barry. Elbolin still has Hooflepoof's cloak. As they start to sneak back down the stairs, they hear the lizardfolk, who has been following Elfo all this time, calling out in a loud whisper, "Fidel! Fidel!" - the name that Elfo had given as his own.

"Stay here," says Elfo, "wait for me, I'll be back." As he leaves, he removes the Charm spell that he had placed over the lizardfolk.

The invisible group makes their way back down the stairs to the ground floor, back the way they came, along the long hallway, past the room of stinking Bullywugs, and back outside. They have about a half hour of invisibility left when they arrive back at the camp. There they see the two strangers sitting around the fire, sharing tea with Leosin.