Wic had been silent briefly, nodding as Tuoni explained the nature of the Hortatum and Leaf affirmed her committment to protecting the valley. He's lost in thought for a second, before turning to Tuonia and shaking his head. "I doubt they have Sidereals in this force. With the Realm Civil War underway, Ayesha's opponents are distracted trying to stabilize the Terrestrial hegemony. And her group couldn't spare the hands to hunt down the Hortatum, which is why they commissioned us for the deed. As to how we turn this around..."

When in doubt, fall back on your beginnings, the first principles of trade that apply to all things. Wirric hums, trying to reframe their situation in such a light. "When the truth is against you, make your opponent doubt that truth. The Ahlati-Realm force believe that Wind has set up a monastery here and has started preaching to people. That's true, but they don't know it yet. Hence the expeditionary force." He looks between the group, tapping his fingers on his cane's grip as he continues to think aloud. "If we attack them before they reach the valley, it'll look like their information was a lie, designed to divert the local authorities attention and remove a significant amount of armed forces from the field. They might send another agent to be sure the locals haven't begun raising some kind of Solar army, but now Wind knows the nature of the threat, he can be ready for such spies. Take down symbols of the sun, pretend to be an Immaculate reestablishing Thousand Grains' old monastery, something like that."

The sorcerer glances back at the tree with a smile. There's enough iconography here to sell that lie passably well. The plan is starting to seem sounder as he keeps talking. "We'd need a second step though. Some kind of false threat for the two groups to turn their attention towards after the expeditionary battle is over. Something it looks like we distracted them from preparing for. Otherwise Kirighast will assume we were additional defenders of the valley and come back with a larger force intent on destroying this place. We have to do something to draw their eye and ire elsewhere."