Dragor stays by Marcello's side.
[color=red]I have a feeling that this is going to get ugly...
Marcello gathers the villagers and then runs back to the Leader.
[color=red]Sir, They have reports that we are about to be attacked by another force coming up the road ( points to the other road). Will you help protect us?
Halvard will stay out of sight but will not let anyone be hanged or killed in the village. He also will not let any of the villagers see him if he needs to cast a spell.
Roberto comes out of his sanctum, wearing his armour, his helmet polished, his red cape fluttering in the breeze, his sword of Toledo steel sharp and gleeming in the sunlight.
[color=red]Madre de Dios, this is not how I wanted to deal with this.
Holy Virgin Mother, Saints Guadalupe and Fancisco, protect peace this day...
And if that is not the will of the Lord, then I pray that you guide my sword arm and my spell tongue,
So that I may protect the innocent, the faithful and the dutyiful.
Amen.
Ad Mortem Incurre...
Iolar is clearly torn and unnable to reach a decsion as to her action. She is clearly not looking forward to what seems like ineveitable bloodshed
What does she think of Roberto's little prayer? 
Aelianus watch the approaching mundanes from his laboratory. He thinks to himself that he has to intervene in order to save his village. Aelianus grabs his wand from his studio and teleports down to the village.
The leader of the men looks at Marcello when he comes running and tells them about the approaching army. I will have my men take care of these brigands. The leader begins to shout orders to his men who make preparations to meet the other force. They manage to secure the ford so they will have a significant advantage when the other force arrive.
What are the mages doing? Aelianus is in the village.
Roberto goes to the pirates and former pirates
[color=red]The forces of tyranny and opression threaten to destroy us this day. Who amongst you has the manhood it takes to stand at my side? Who has the heart needed to defend their families and their homes? Victory or Death, each has its own apportion of Glory. How will you be remembered? Come, join me!
Marcello whispers to Diodorus. [color=red]Let these two bloody themselves before we need to do anything. We will have better negotiations after the two sides are whittled down. Find Aelianus and tell him to not act unless the attackers break through. I will call loudly on God ot strike them down which might explain any fireballs or other magical things they do. And perhsps God will help us as well.
Still uncertain Iolar takes a moment to cast Voice of the Bjornear and then launches herself into the air circling over two groups of armed men , out of bowshot from the ground
Roberto has cast the following regiment of Mastered spells upon himself
InHe15 Shriek of the Wooden Shafts
InTe15 Howl of the Steel Weapons
ReIg25 Ward against Heat & Flames
As for his speech to the pirates, he looks around hoping Wirth will back him up, and if need be he will make a roll…
Pre +1, Leadership 2; and he will spend Confidence as needed.
Diodorus rush of to find Aelianus. Roberto tries to impress and rouse the pirates but gets only awkward looks back. No botch but neither a great roll so the confidence saves you from the pirates laughter and mockery.
As the soldiers have fortified the ford another force arrives on the other side, they are a slightly larger force. Outside of an arrows reach they stop and then some time passes. The recently arrived force then sends of some men up the river. Scouts one can assume that check the terrain for other ways round as a head on charge would be at best a pyrrhic victory.
The unease is clearly felt in the village.
I can spend two points of confidence Max, for a +6 bonus.
How low was my roll and what was the ease factor?
And no confidence is spent unless it causes the roll to succeed. Confidence is spent after the roll.
Note: I am not squirming. I just think you may have made an error. If the roll fails even if Confidence was added, then no confidence can be spent at all, and there is no saving me from the pirates laughter and mockery. Which would be rather foolish of them at this point, but I shall deal with that in my own way.
You are right I made a mistake with the confidence.
Ease factor of 12 (they are fighters and defending home but the soldiers are well trained, armed and in superior numbers) a roll of 2 with a minus for the gift. They are perhaps not laughing and rolling around on the ground but your speech did not impress them. Are the magi going to intervene in the two forcing battling out or are you going to just let the events unfold.
Iolar will after flying over the two groups to see what their deployments are will return and report to Aelinius and Roberto to see what to do . She is clearly not happy with the situation a threat to her home is bad but if she does anything it is likely to involve violence
There ya go 
I don't mind a fair failure. I just like to know how I failed and by how much, so I know where I need to improve.
I missed it by one stinkin' point 
, I need to improve my Leadership.
Roberto takes his place at the side of Aelianus, and shall follow his lead.
When she settles over by us, Roberto says "[color=red]Hold for Aelianus' signal. Do nothing unless absolutly necessary. Self Defense is usually a viable excuse if we must face tribunal".
Then he turns to Aelianus "[color=red]I was considering challenging their leader to single combat. Then again, this other force is closing in as well. Are the in opposition to this one, or are the reinforcments? We don't know.".
Iolar can report the following. The two forces seem to be hostile towards each others and the recently arrived force are making a futile attempt on finding a safe passage across the river. There is no such thing near the ford.
Time passes and as the other force see that there is no chance at victory it begins to withdraw and moves out of sight. This is after quite a while when the scouts has return and relayed information about the lay of the land.
The leader of the force returns with his men, leaving a few behind at the ford as a lookout. The leader sits atop of his horse and speaks to the village. [color=red]My mistress Adraina Van Brugge (just made up a name as I don’t have any list of Flemish medieval noble ladies) [color=red]has given me the task of collecting her taxes and ensuring her that this village is still loyal towards her. In a way to ensure that the village is loyal have been given the authority to recruit a few good men here that wish to go and fight for my mistress. The outstanding tax is 20 pounds of silver taken in goods or coin.
As the leader of the soldier speaks unease spreads through the village. Whispers amongst the men and women are.[color=red] Are they going to raze our home? Will they take our sons away? How could we afford such outrageous taxes? Will we starve in winter?
Once every bit of information has been told to Aelianus and the other magi Aelianus speaks. [color=red]Soldaes we must make a decision now. Should bend our back to these mundanes or shall we fight them? I can’t make this decision alone.
[color=green]Roberto: [color=red]I say we tell them this... :"We already paid our taxes, three times! Run along, go home and tell your mistress you have done your job well, and found a village three-times as loyal as any other."
[color=red]If we fight them what will we do next? Their leaders are not going to go away just because we drove off some troops. The only way we will win is with magic , what will the tribunal say when we kill a bunch of servants of the great nobles of Flanders with magic? I think we have to pay, our covenant is part of the mundane world and we will not be able or allowed to use magic to drive off everyone who comes to it