[h3]Jordan Forthey[/h3]

	There was a new man - nearly as tall as Sir Yanin, maybe slightly taller than Sir Freagon, probably somewhere close to between the two in age (with nightwalkers living longer, anyway), fit and apparently unharmed, though dressed a bit less impressively than either of them. 
	For some reason, Jordan's mind automatically wanted to describe him as a ranger, even as the man scrutinized him and he, in turn, made note of the apparent armaments he carried. Probably a primary archer, reasonably capable swordsman, and [i]three [/i]daggers? Either he was liable to use them in a way that could result in them being temporarily lost - throwing them maybe? it was not like smooth blades were particularly prone to getting stuck - or there was something that differentiated them, material maybe... 
	Jordan simply clenched his jaw and listened as Quintin delivered his initial report. 

	So there was probably at least (26) thirty bandits - safer to round up a little in any case - and they would probably be there for some more hours, maybe leaving the next morning, seeing how they were comparatively numerous but didn't look like they were preparing to pack up ... an hour ago, seeing that Quintin would probably have taken something like an hour to come back if he wasn't running most of the way. The knights and their respective squire and page had horses, too, but trying to chase someone down, especially once they got to some road that didn't leave obvious discernible tracks would be nigh impossible. 
	And there was maybe seven people on his side for certain (counting himself, Sir Yanin, the nightwalkers, Nabi, Caleb and maybe Quintin), which was something like - seven, fourteen, twenty-one, twenty-eight - four to one? Well, as the saying went, you'd need to be an absolute moron if you wanted to fight fairly four to one. With luck, they might be able to take between four and eight out from distance - the patrols, perhaps - before someone raised an alarm, but then all chaos would break lose and they'd still be three to one ... and they'd have to keep Bren alive, too, not just themselves. Regardless of what they had needed him for, right now they had no means of figuring out how intent they were on not actually killing him. Who knew, maybe they already had what they wanted and the healer was only a burden? 
	If only they could get him out without engaging the bandits, somehow. 
	
	"If I may?" It was Madara, who had followed them outside, speaking out first. She appeared to have stopped a slight distance behind Jordan, quietly assessing the newcomer and his words. 
	By all means, she was an attractive woman - the tall, hourglass, vaguely socialite type of attractive -, but something about her just told you that she could [i]literally[/i] smell weakness, weren't nearly as defenseless as her profession and apparent lack of proper weapons let on, and maybe also that you shouldn't look at her for too long if you weren't up to her standards, whatever those were. 
	"Yes, go on?" the squire agreed after a brief pause, glancing at the half-palanter over his shoulder. 
	"Could we move this discussion to to the Fadewatcher station? I have unfinished business there, and it'd be most unkind to keep a man with a broken jaw waiting while you make whichever preparations you deem necessary for this upcoming endeavor, don't you agree? I will lend whichever additional aid I can before you depart; my pending tasks aside, I would be ready to come with as soon as I've taken possession of my remaining implements and medicine. Either myself or lady Deo'Irah I'd recommend coming along with you - as I expressed just earlier, anyone injured might have a handful of minutes, not an hour."

	"Right. Well, most of my and Sir Yanin's stuff is there, and probably the deigan's in addition to yours, too, so we would have to briefly drop by there, anyway -," and it was technically on the way to their destination -, "so I guess I don't have an objection. We should pick the best equipment we have for the task and set out as soon as possible; best guess it shouldn't be more than maybe dozen, twenty minutes?"
	"I shall see what I can do within that time," the half-palanter asserted, but not without - somewhat peculiarly -adding, "And, mind, anyone who deems discourse in the station not to their preference could, perhaps, wait for us behind the resident healer's lodgings."
	The nightwalkers would likely have anything useful on the horses they rode in on, so that only left... "Nabi, do you have anything you might need to bring along that's not currently on you?"
	"And, er, Jaelnec?" he continued, "Could you call the others and tell them where we are going? I have a feeling sweeping the rest of he house might be not that necessary anymore."
	It was highly probable it'd be pointed out that they didn't really finish checking [i]all[/i] of the building regardless, sooner or later.