[h3]Freagon, Irah and Lhirin – Forest north of Borstown, south of Bandit Farm[/h3]
[I]“Nooo!”[/I] Weriz whined in Irah's mind, and though it had no physical form she would be able to tell that the angel wanted to squirm uncomfortably. [I]“I do not... I do not want to hurt anyone! I hate this! But... if it is what you need...”[/I] A hint of guilty anticipation sneaked its way into its voice. [I]“I suppose I have no choice. It is not as though I can help it.”[/I]
Their side of the incursion was – at least in a purely pragmatic sense – rather uneventful, as the sheer literally horrifying power of the swaigh made advancing on the farm quite easy. Freagon seemed bored as ever, showing no reaction to bandits entering the area of effect around them only to abruptly stop dead in their tracks, drop their arms down their sides and stare slack-jawed into the distance as they were trapped in their own minds. He also did not seem affected in the slightest by simply walking up to these defenseless people to dispassionately slit their throats; he did not appear to take any pleasure in doing so, but he also treated the act of killing as casually as doing laundry.
In Irah's head she would feel Weriz continue to moan and whine about how much they did not want to do this, all while she could also feel it radiating perverse pleasure at the dread it was spreading and violence it was causing. She knew and would be able to tell that Weriz' reluctance to and remorse for hurting others was real, but she also knew very well that the angel involuntarily took great delight in doing so, which it in turn endlessly regretted.

[h3]Jaelnec, Nabi, Yanin, Jordan and Madara – Forest north of Borstown, south of Bandit Farm[/h3]
“Two, with her help, definitely,”  Quintin answered Yanin's question of whether he and Nabi would be able to quietly take out a patrol. “Three will be a challenge.”
He glanced at Jaelnec, apparently considering for a moment to suggest that the young nightwalker stand by in case they needed a third, but then his eyes went to the squire's hauberk and he reconsidered. He also shot an even briefer glance at Jordan, but figured that since he was Yanin's charge, this was Yanin's plan and that Yanin had not suggested Jordan participate himself, he was not suitable either.
Otherwise people mostly just accepted and confirmed the orders given by the Fadewatcher lieutenant and went to get in position to get started. Quintin and Jaelnec both removed their cloaks and left them on the ground behind some brush, sacrificing the camouflage and warmth – the latter of which was rather unnecessary on this warm summer day – they offered to ensure that they would not be in the way or make unwanted noise. Quintin also put on his helmet and gauntlets, and deposited his bow into the holster at his hip to have his hands free for melee combat.
Vela seemed to pause briefly, scanning over the party before her with sharp eyes inside the shade of her facial exoskeleton, with her gaze lingering on Madara for a moment. She looked the half-palanter up and down, noting the lack of a ranged weapon – or any weapons at all – and armor, and how she had not been assigned to any of the teams Yanin had formed out of their party. The penin noblewoman did not say anything, however, but merely turned away, walked over to a nearby tree and – in a way that would have been impossible for a heavier and weaker species – jumped nearly three meters vertically, catching a branch at the apex of her jump, and swiftly and silently perching herself on it with her crossbow at the ready.

The weird, vaguely scarecrow-like form that now housed the Angel of Mercy known as Kinder turned to Yanin at his question. She awkwardly raised her arms in front of her and looked them over with the dots of light that represented its eyes for a moment.
“It depends on how active I need to be, of course,” she told him hesitantly, “and your definition of 'lasting'. I think I will be able to move for around fifteen to twenty minutes, but I will be able to continue inhabiting the disintegrating vessel for up to an hour. You will just have to carry me at that point.”

When the patrol finally came around, they moved to dispatch it prior to the main assault. The one Quintin went to was wearing a hauberk and a helmet that covered the entire head except the face, though that was hardly enough to give the former bounty hunter pause. He sneaked up behind his victim as quickly and silently as he could, and though the bandit did hear him and start to turn around, this only happened after it was too late for him to notice anything to raise the alarm or save himself. Quintin rushed up and seized the man's head, roughly pressing his gauntlet-clad left hand over the nose and mouth, while his right drove one of his daggers up beneath the bandit's chin, through his mouth and up into his brain. Though his body spasmed briefly, his death was all but instant.
Once Nabi had taken care of her part of the patrol, Quintin gestured for the rest to approach the farm.