You strap on your gear and creep out from your leaking hut and avoid the obviously faked festivities meant to draw you away from the real action. Serendipitously, the loud noises of the villagers helps reduce their ability to hear your armor and weapons clanking as you swiftly move from shadow to shadow, up until you stop short of some lantern lights illuminating the eastern part of the village where Zephia found the boat landing. Sure enough, there are four boats being laden with ceramic jars from the villagers, but being collected by rough-looking men and women armed with short, curved blades. The villagers are in turn receiving a number of closed, wooden chests. You see the two Black Earth Clan elders speaking with the taller of the armed boatmen, but can't make out what is being said.