Tavath nodded and sighed. He knew exactly what she hadn't said; murdering Conlan wasn't going to be easy for him to do and, unless he'd misread the men, there weren't many keen on actually doing the task either. Still, he decided, better to have lied to a Knight than suggest that most of the lads were ready to let him go for what he'd done. That would've just caused a bigger headache.
"Well," he said after a moment's pause, "If it's all the same, ma'am, I'd rather they stay here. None of 'em know where Conlan took off to, but were I him, I'd have headed over that way." He gestured to a long, low ridge southwest of where he stood with the Knight. "'Sides," he added, "Lad's likely scared an' the last thing I'm gonna want to do is corner a frightened mage with a score of spearmen. Don't want any of the boys getting...well, gettin' injured unnecessarily."
He looked back to the tussock and shrugged his shoulders. "If ye'd want to head that way now," he said with a hint of resignation in his voice, "I'd say we could make it there and cover a good quarter of the base 'fore nightfall."
He looked back at the night and inhaled sharply - he'd been so focused on the task at hand he'd forgotten the proper etiquette for greeting one of the Mordecai. He saluted quickly but sharply and bowed. "Sergeant Tavath Gunderson, ma'am," he said as he straightened. "Pleasure t' meet you."