Jaenor was roused from his house, where he'd spent a few hours in fitful sleep. His body still ached from the battle with Draelusa, though Morgana's healing had addressed the worst of the damage.
"How many?" he asked the scout as he strapped on his gear.
"Perhaps fifty soldiers. Elite cavalry by their equipment and formation. And someone important at their center—the soldiers are arranged in protective formation around them."
Not an attack force then.
Fifty cavalry couldn't take a fortified village defended by five hundred soldiers plus Ba'narussa. This was an escort. Someone important traveling with appropriate protection.
Jaenor gathered his friends and headed toward the southern approach.
The militia and Brotherhood forces were already mobilizing, taking defensive positions while trying not to appear overtly hostile. Attacking imperial forces without provocation would create complications none of them wanted.
