Dmitri sat on an old log and pulled out some rations while Ajari and Essel debated some issue about logging a forest or some such nonsense. Apparently, the Druid and her boyfriend were offended by something Essel said and had apparently stormed off. Dmitri just chewed on the jerky as he tried not to listen.
He considered the combat with the massive animated tree the day before as the jibber-jabber continued. Things in that encounter worked out well and so Dmitri was feeling emboldened to take on the next challenge. Eventually, the party packed up and Lord Septos issued the orders for the next task: Exploring and charting the immediate area to the southwest. It was good to explore again. This step was the first in settling the region. Who knows, maybe some day an inn or a farm might be built on this very spot. This would please Erastil.
The trees grew denser and so the party was forced to lead their mounts on foot. On the second day, Dmitri smelled a campfire. He and Ajari scouted it out to find signs of a struggle near the source, about a day old. A young boy (Nyron) was attempting to hide nearby but Dmitri spotted him. Ajari attempted to calm the young lad but Dmitri thought his inhuman appearance may have had the opposite effect.
After returning to Lord Septos, the boy explained that he was sold by his Uncle (Welmin) to pay off a gambling debt to a man from Mivon named Kygar. The boy also reported that Kygar had been taken 
by some strange but large gnome-like creatures.
Dmitri lead the party along the obvious tracks. Again, he and Ajari scouted ahead to find the creatures resting with a prisoner, hanging from a tree in a large sack. Lord Septos approached them and Ginny translated. They refused to submit and a fight ensued. For some reason, Lord Septos attempted to flee although his horse would not comply. He abandoned his steed to set out on foot and ran as fast as possible. This was very unsettling for Dmitri. The party still managed to slay the creatures although a third one did appear with a snipe attack, hidden in the trees. Eventually, all three were slain and Kygar was rescued. Lord Septos returned after the fight. Dmitri assumed that some source of witchery must have been involved.
After some discussion, Lord Septos deemed that Kygar was innocent of any crime. He was gifted a generous sum of gold and asked if he would be willing to act as a source of contact in Mivon, should we ever have the need to go there.
The group set off again and found the elven ruins that Narthropple claimed were in the area: a 
fast fey creature. It’s gorilla tactics proved effect initially, up until it was cornered, disarmed and slain. Ginny found a small vase full of gold and gems.
The stinger was the worst part but fortunately the anti-toxin seemed to work. The rest of his companions took action, an entangling spell to attempt to trap it, some solid blows from Ajari’s bow, magical missiles returning stings of their own, and finally Septos’s blow from charging on horseback with his lance. But it still didn’t go down. It had Dmitri in its talons and seemed about to escape so it dropped him. More arrows and the massive beast hit the ground. It was over. Dmitri crawled out from behind it and raised his thumb into the air… not sure if his companions were too worried but just in case he wanted them to know lived.