Battle of the mountain camp

3rd of Teragoth 861st Year Age of Air, Mountains
After waking we continued ease in search of this rendezvous. After while we found tower that note described as next waypoint and turned north. I wonder if we will regret not looking into the source of that smoke. Soon Babcha noticed some footprints, obviously from some small humanoid. As it might have been our halfling friend from Rusty Dragon I told others what Xaon had told us when we went to king. I do not think Babcha was best pleased. As such we continued north post haste. And did not we then get sight. On path was this giant bird thing with injured wing. Uthal and Babcha started approaching it carefully and threw some food down for it. Soon it left, I hope it is ok, and we headed north.
As it was starting to get dark we saw light from fire on top of ridge. We approached as quietly as we could, which was not easy as I could barely see anything. I heard some people calling out to each other and it seems like those footprints might have been gnome, who promptly got himself tied up.
Eventually inevitable happened and combat began. Uthal turned himself into giant spider, which brought back unwelcome memories, but at least he tried to tell me and when he picked me up and carried me on his back it made for easy way up hill. Nettle ran off by herself and I had no idea where Babcha was at this point. Turns out there was someone from empire who had this metal beast under his control. I loosed bolt at man but then beast attacked me. But with my help, Babcha and her wolf, which had been following us for some strange reason, managed to weaken beast, as did Uthal who landed killing blow with javelin. Then, with everyone around him, man surrendered.
Babcha then hurried off and when I caught up with her she was with another man, who I soon recognised as grokkel who tried to kill me and stole my things first night at Final Toll. And Babcha made him give it all back. We then returned with this other prisoner, who was acting very strangely, to Uthal and Nettle and searched camp.
Then we were accosted by halfling from Rusty Dragon, who was most upset that we had ruined his grand plans to infiltrate Black Roses. Yaga, what care I? we all then started trying to agree on who should get what. Seems little unfair to me that he should prosper from fruits of our labour.