Nether Mountains
The orc armies had launched a surprise attack! Silverymoon had been besieged! This was the earth-shattering news that Tiff had given Leylin. Tiff was a Legend of the dark world, and the network under his control passed this information to him even faster than Cassley did.
Leylin counted on this news when he made the decision to abandon everything. After all, the so called martial law, the rules and nobility of Silverymoon, was built on the basis that it still remained. What about when it was no more?
Looking at the larger picture, even if the defence of the city was ultimately successful, the chaos of war would continue to spread. In times of such disorder, what were the deaths of one or two knights?
Given his power in the region, those in Silverymoon could still be forced by the circumstances, giving out numerous rewards for Leylin to send his troops out to ‘save the country in times of danger.’