Auredhel frowned as Khoran rode ahead, and began to follow after. He stopped himself, however, and observed the rest of the party. They were moving to support the rogue, and, he reasoned, so must the bold wizard. He tailed Hugh, his footfalls sounding softly from the grass below. Staking out a hiding place within striking distance of the strangers- and an unsavory looking lot they were, too- the old elf waited for a space, observing. One of the men (the leader, he supposed) claimed to be working on behalf of a Lord Esmond, tracking criminals, indicating the young lady as his quarry. Auredhel had never heard of anyone called Lord Esmond, though he was not terribly familiar with this particular kingdom. The fellow could have been lying. Then again, maybe he wasn't.

Deciding that, above all, they needed a distraction, the mage laid his staff gently on the ground, and began to move his hands in strange, esoteric gestures. A student of arcana would at once recognize the workings of spellcraft. Further north, on the far side of the highwaymen, noisy stomping sounds emanated from a small copse of trees, followed by a belligerent roar. A troll, or a clever bit of illusion? It was a convincing bit of misdirection, Auredhel knew, but it was not perfect. A trained ear and a sharp mind would be able to discern the truth of the matter. He only hoped it would force these men to tip their hands, and reveal their true natures.