One or more adventurers use social skills to negotiate their release by visiting with the village elders.
Primary Skills: Diplomacy, Insight.
[... DCs ...]
Secondary Skills: Bluff.
[... DCs, other options ...]
Gathering Gear
Regardless of the outcome of the skill challenge, the adventurers get away and meet up outside the village. They must now retrieve their gear. If they failed at the skill challenge, the halflings have been alerted.
That's really what it says, the adventurers get away. And, to be completely honest, looking at it again, yes, it is a combat that I want to replace entirely. I mean, if you're going to throw a battle at the party where they lose all their stuff and have to regain it, yes, low levels are where you want to do it, but this is already a good way in to the campaign and they've acquired a few Dark Sun friendly magical items by now. Well, I guess I wanted to get in to making my own encounters sometime.