There shouldn't be any penalty at all for fleeing (save the surviving enemies being restored to full health and mana) because it seems like you can often get into fights without seeing them coming, and apparently you can't even know the LEVEL of the enemy unless your INT is high enough. One level makes a big difference, and you can wander everywhere with nothing to stop you from entering an area too high a level for you.
Your logic makes no sense. Why would henchmen complain about you running away from a fight instead of sending them in to get killed.
