They were talking about an imminent attack by a massive bandit army annihilating the village, at least according to the farmers. Cass was obviously not convinced about the threat, and was trying her best to calm the farmers down, largely unsuccessfully. When Allan was close enough to hear them clearly, the bailiff was explaining to the worried farmers that the Lord Commander will do everything in his power to keep the region safe. Which, though technically true, wasn't a real promise.