"My apologies, my lady," Nathaniel says again to Ashton, though he feels bolstered with Velanna at his side. This is a bad knight he is long familiar with, and he can predict exactly the kind of good knight he needs to be. He does not say what or who he is apologizing for, but he wants the lady to feel like she has an ally in him. "You understand we have to ask certain questions so we can file our paperwork properly. Velanna and I are very concerned for our comrades. When was the last time--day and time of day, when you saw them, and did they stop in the village on their way out?"