The desperate, pounding rhythm of the oars finally won out. Looking back through the swirling river mist, William saw the last torch-bearing goblin figures on the bank shrink, their enraged screeches fading into the vast, oppressive silence of Tallenwood. They’d given up the immediate chase.

  Threat Assessment Update: Immediate goblin pursuit vector neutralized. Probability of short-term survival: Marginally increased. A collective, ragged breath seemed to shudder through the five occupants of Herbert’s overloaded, alarmingly creaky boat. Against the odds, primarily instigated by William’s own critical OpSec failure, they had escaped.

  Roland, however, allowed only a single heartbeat of relief. “Jett, keep those oars ready! Nobody relaxes!” his sharp command cut through the thinning adrenaline haze. His gaze swept the receding bank, then peered intently downstream into the clinging mist. “That scout will report our escape and direction. They know we’re on this river now. We’ve bought time, nothing more.”

  Julia, pulling her cloak tighter against the damp chill rising from the dark water, nodded grimly beside William. “Virrerk won't ignore this. He'll assume we're trying to bypass his main force, likely heading for Lumenar. Interception downstream is almost certain, either by dedicated pursuers or alerted patrols.” Her troubled gaze met William’s. Great, he thought bleakly. We've just upgraded our threat status from 'unknown anomaly' to 'priority target on predictable vector'. System status update: Actively hunted.

  Though the pre-dawn light was slowly painting the sky above the canopy in streaks of rose and grey, down on the river, visibility remained hampered by mist that coiled like spectral serpents, muffling sounds and blurring the banks into indistinct shapes. But the river itself was communicating its intentions clearly. The gentle current that aided their escape was undeniably quickening. The soft murmur grew steadily into a distinct, low roar rumbling from somewhere unseen ahead. The water’s surface, previously placid, now featured restless eddies and choppy ripples betraying submerged rocks and a changing channel. They were approaching the threshold. Hammer Falls.

  After a brief, hushed conference with Jett, Roland made the difficult call. “Slow our pace,” he ordered, shipping his own oar. “Use oars only for steering. I won’t risk hitting those rapids blind in this damned mist. We need full daylight. William needs to see hazards, Julia needs line of sight to shield.” Decision: Prioritize navigation accuracy over evasion speed, William processed. Increases risk window for downstream interception but significantly decreases probability of immediate catastrophic failure due to environmental hazards (rapids). Logical, if intensely nerve-wracking, risk mitigation.

  They let the quickening current carry them, Jett and Roland making small, precise adjustments with the oars to keep the patched-up boat centred. The waiting, after the frantic chaos of the escape, felt surreal, a pocket of tense calm suspended between the fading threat behind and the roaring promise of destruction ahead. They used the time, a flurry of hushed, purposeful activity confined to the rocking boat.

  Packs were re-checked, contents shifted, oilskin covers secured over anything vulnerable. Weapons were made ready. Roland oiled the hinge of his visor, Jett inspected his bowstring, Julia practiced the Reinforce spell her fingers flexing, Caspian clutched his amulets, reciting protective verses under his breath. William ran passive EMMA scans, trying to penetrate the mist, mapping the riverbanks as they became visible, logging the increasing turbulence. Rations were shared, cold, hard biscuits and dried meat chewed mechanically, doing little to quell the icy dread coiling in their stomachs.

  Roland directed William and Caspian in minor cargo adjustments. “Balance,” the knight grunted, sighting along the waterline as they shifted supply bundles. “Keep the centre of gravity low, even. Stability is paramount in rough water.” The boat settled slightly, feeling fractionally less precarious. Load balancing protocols applied. Increased stability may marginally offset hull integrity deficiencies. Every little bit helped.

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  Then came the final briefing, the assignment of roles for the chaos to come.

  “Julia,” Roland’s voice was grave, locking eyes with the mage near the stern. “You are our shield. This entire plan hinges on your Reinforce spell keeping this… vessel… intact.” He didn't mince words. “William calls the impact zones. Your focus must be absolute. Can you sustain it?”

  Julia met his gaze, her face pale in the grey light but her eyes resolute. She took a slow, deep breath, visibly centring herself, drawing on her inner reserves. “I am ready, Roland,” she stated, her voice quiet but firm, conveying absolute determination. “My reserves feel strong. The localized application is sustainable. Trust my magic, and trust William's calls. I will give it everything.” She glanced briefly at William, a silent acknowledgment of their critical interdependence.

  Pressure's on the primary sensor/effector loop then, William thought. No room for latency spikes or interpretation errors.

  “Caspian,” Roland turned to the prince, who sat near Julia, looking determinedly stoic despite his visible nervousness. “Your duty. Assist Julia. Keep her steady if the boat lurches. Ensure nothing breaks her concentration. And prepare your own Reinforce as you deem necessary.” He acknowledged Caspian's practicing. “You are backup. If Julia falters, or a secondary impact is imminent, apply your shield where directed. Its strength is secondary to its presence.”

  Caspian nodded sharply, hand tightening on his amulet. Redundancy system engaged (Low Capacity).

  “Jett,” Roland addressed the scout, positioned mid-boat, paddle now replacing his bow. “Secondary lookout, backup William’s calls. Primary paddle/oar support for manoeuvring if needed. Ranged response if any threats appear from the banks, unlikely in the worst rapids, but stay vigilant.” Jett gave a curt nod, eyes already scanning the churning water ahead.

  “I hold the helm,” Roland stated, moving to the heavy steering oars at the bow. “I’ll navigate the main channel, avoid what I can see. But my focus is forward. I rely on William for specific, immediate hazard warnings.”

  His gaze settled on William, positioned right at the prow, peering intently into the now rapidly thinning mist. “William. You are our primary lookout. Call out everything. Rocks, logs, boils, whirlpools, unusual currents, Herbert’s bloody river demon if it appears. Clarity, speed, precision. Julia needs as much early warning as possible to shift the shield. The integrity of this boat, all our lives, rests directly on your observation and communication.”

  The weight of that responsibility felt physical, pressing down on William's shoulders. Not just analysis now. Real-time threat detection, target designation, life-or-death consequences riding on every call. Role assigned: Primary Hazard Detection / Target Designation Lead. Key Performance Indicator: Team Survival Rate (Target: >0%). He activated EMMA’s enhanced visual processing module, feeding it a trickle of mana. MP: 130/136. System online. Processing environmental data stream.

  As the sun finally broke free of the horizon, burning away the last clinging tendrils of mist, the full horror of Hammer Falls began to reveal itself. The riverbanks steepened dramatically into sheer, weeping rock faces, funnelling the water into a much narrower channel. The low roar intensified into a deafening, guttural thunder that vibrated through the hull. Ahead, the river surface ceased to be water and became a churning chaos of white foam, standing waves, dark, swirling vortexes, and the jagged, black teeth of rocks slicing through the torrent.

  “Here it comes!” Roland bellowed over the roar, muscles straining as he fought to keep the bow pointed into the main current. “Hold fast! William! Report!”

  The boat surged forward, seized by the accelerating current like a leaf in a storm drain. It plunged into the first violent stretch of Hammer Falls, the roar consuming all other sound. Icy spray lashed William’s face, blinding him momentarily. The patched-up fishing boat groaned, timbers flexing alarmingly as the river embraced it in its furious, chaotic power.

  Hazard detected! William yelled, voice raw, barely audible above the din, pointing frantically with a trembling hand. Submerged rock formation! Ten meters! Port bow! Impact probability: High! Julia! Reinforce Section One! NOW!

  The real stress test had begun.