The ambush
Black feathers? Yes, he said something about seeing black feathers before the bandits ambushed them.
Aldrich didn't know what exactly that meant but he had a hunch that it was somehow related to how the bandits had access to information that they should not have.
While the party remained hidden and quiet the bandits bickered with each other and Aldrich nodded to himself when he was sure that the bandits did not have any more reinforcements.
He noticed that the party was getting impatient and some of them like Emma, Frank and Helen were sweating excessively. Even then, he didn't give the order to attack yet.
There was a time for everything.
Not long after, the sound of horse-hoofs and turning wheels reached the vicinity at which point half of the bandits went into hiding a in the thickets.
Aldrich smiled and motioned for the group to begin moving ever closer to that group of three bandits. The bandits had all their attention to the carriage that was closing in quickly.