They suffer a minor defeat. The weaponthanes' surprise at Thayla's ambush gives them a -3 penalty to all their actions. A -1 penalty is trivial for even starting characters' best abilities. This rule makes minor defeats sting a bit more. If a Hero would gain an Edge, Handicap, or additional Action Points in a contest, but the Narrator decides to resolve it as a Simple Contest, she gains a Bonus to her ability of half the Edge, Handicap or AP gain.
Spirits acting as followers get to count twice.
The Narrator decides to treat this as a Simple Contest. This rule allows those benefits to apply to simple contests. Devotees gain the ability to improvise new feats within an affinity, subject to normal improvisation modifiers. Devotees, with their deeper understaning, are able to modify their god's magic to better suit the situation. This rule is also more consistent with RuneQuest, for those who care.