Swamped

Well. First off, might as well see what they know about your main problem.

"We've been having some troubles with a wizard lately. Real powerful one. You know anything about him?"

"Ain't seen a bounty on any wizards. So, nope. I don't pay attention to things that don't matter for bounties."

"How about his lackeys, then? They've got cloaks that conceal them perfectly in the sand."

The hunter seems to pause at this.

"Wish I had one of those," they say after a moment. "That'd make jobs out here a lot easier."

"And just what sort of jobs do you do out here?" Rider asks suddenly. He sounds lot more intimidating than you do, and you don't think he's even trying.

"Sometimes people run into the desert to get away. Which I imagine you Marshguards know all about, it's just these folk ain't quite desperate or nutty enough to hide in the swamp. So I chase 'em down. It ain't easy, but that's also why it pays good. Plus I don't get much competition from other hunters."

"So when I ran into you earlier, you were chasing someone?" you ask.

"Not quite. I'd just confirmed the desert got to 'em before I could. Was returning with proof. Client was going to pay triple for bringing 'em in alive, so I was looking for ways to make up for the loss. Then you came along." They chuckle. "That would've paid for good dinners for at least a week. Bah, but there was no way I could juggle a captive and bird-hunting. Well, lesson learned - next time, stick with the bounty in hand, even if it seems troublesome."

"There's a bounty on birds now?" you ask.

"On that specific one. You saw its feathers, right? How they're a little bit thicker and more yellowish at the end?"

"Why's that matter?"

"Because that bird is sacred," Rider says. "Blessed by Reth herself. That's why Hool despises it so much, isn't it?"

"I don't pay much attention to divine politics," says the hunter. "I just know my church is offering a fortune for its head. I could almost retire on that kind of money."

Well. You think that covers most of your questions, but maybe you've overlooked something.

Either way, you're getting real disgusted with this greedy hunter. You're going to have to think about how to deal with them soon.