Jett Shadowfox materialized from the dense Tallenwood undergrowth not with his usual ghostly quiet, but with an abruptness that screamed danger. He moved low and fast, a fleeting shadow detaching itself from the deeper gloom, a fresh, bleeding scratch across his cheek highlighting the urgency in his sharp eyes. He reached the small, unnervingly silent clearing, breath misting slightly in the cool air.

  “Report,” Roland commanded instantly, voice low, hand already tight on his sword's pommel.

  “Found them,” Jett confirmed, voice clipped, economical, but vibrating with tension. “Goblin scouts. Four. Hundred yards ahead, maybe less. Directly on the game trail leading to Herbert’s boat location.”

  He scanned the tense faces. “Not a standard patrol, Sir Roland. They’re agitated. Noisy for goblins. Crashing through brush, overturning logs, jabbing at shadows. Like they’re searching.” His gaze flickered towards William, the analyst who’d predicted the army’s proximity, then back to Roland. “Definitely searching for something… or someone. Didn't feel random.”

  Searching party, not patrol, William’s internal processor flagged the anomaly. Deviation from expected behaviour. Query: What prompts dedicated search protocols in goblin units? Lost asset? High-value target tracking? Standard doctrine insufficient. This situation was accumulating dangerous outliers at an alarming rate.

  “They didn’t see me,” Jett continued. “Pulled back clean. Too close to risk engaging alone, or watching longer without backup. Given their agitated state… they feel like strays, close to a larger concentration. How close?” He shook his head. “Couldn't determine. But they are squarely between us and our river access point.”

  The news landed like a physical blow. Their desperate plan B, the treacherous Hammer Falls river route, was compromised before they even reached it. Herbert’s boat, their only potential vessel, lay beyond actively searching goblins dangerously close to an unseen main force.

  “So,” he stated grimly, the conclusion stark and unavoidable, “our insertion point is blocked by hostiles actively searching the area. And we are likely well within the operational radius of Virrerk’s main army.” He paced three tight steps, crushing damp leaves underfoot. “We’re caught. Between the hammer,” he gestured towards the deeper woods, “and the anvil.” Excellent metaphorical summary of our current strategic clusterf…, William thought bleakly.

  A heavy silence descended again, thick with the smell of damp earth and fear. The dappled sunlight filtering through the dense canopy seemed to dim further, deepening the sense of entrapment. Staying put wasn't an option, five travellers and hidden horses would eventually leave discoverable traces.

  Roland’s jaw tightened, knuckles white on his sword hilt. He looked directly at Jett, his voice tight. "Four scouts, agitated, poor discipline currently. Could they be neutralized? Silently?"

  Jett met his commander's gaze, considering for a tense moment, weighing the variables. "Difficult," he stated flatly. "Four is never quiet work, Sir. But their focus is inward, sloppy on their perimeter. If we use the terrain, coordinate the strike perfectly..." He gave a single, curt nod. "High risk. But... feasible. Possible to eliminate them without raising immediate alarm, if we're clean and lucky."

  Roland absorbed this critical assessment, the scout's cautious affirmation clearly shaping the options now crystallizing in his mind. He turned to address the whole group, his expression grim. "Right." He held up a mailed hand, ticking off points on his fingers, forcing them to confront the stark choices.

  “Option One: Strategic Delay,” he stated, voice level, controlled. “We withdraw, find a secure hide site. Jett monitors the scouts, tries to pinpoint the main force. We wait for an opening, hope they move on or get recalled.” He met each of their eyes. “Risks: Indefinite delay. Days, possibly longer. We haemorrhage time Neverus likely isn't wasting. Goblins could find and destroy Herbert’s boat. We could be discovered during the wait. Benefit: Lowest immediate combat risk.” Translation: Passive monitoring with high probability of objective becoming non-viable due to external factors (Time Decay, Asset Loss), William analysed. Low short-term risk, high long-term mission failure probability.

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  “Option Two: Surgical Strike,” Roland continued, raising a second finger. “We eliminate the four scouts. Swiftly, silently. Jett believes it’s feasible given their current lack of discipline. Immediately press to the boat location, assess, commit to the river.” His expression hardened. “Risks: High chance of failure in silent elimination, potentially alerting nearby forces. Encountering further patrols is probable. Catastrophic failure means immediate, likely overwhelming, engagement. Boat condition/river hazards remain critical unknown variables. Benefit: Fastest potential path forward, maintains mission momentum, proactive.” Translation: High-risk, high-reward infiltration. Success dependent on flawless execution of initial engagement and favorable downstream variables. Significant potential for cascading system failure.

  “Option Three: Strategic Rerouting,” Roland finished, raising a third finger, his voice grim. “Abandon the northern river access. Turn southeast now. Attempt a wide flanking maneuver through deeper, uncharted Tallenwood.” He looked directly at Jett. “Aim to bypass the main concentration entirely, seek river access further south below Hammer Falls, or continue overland.” He scanned the group. “Risks: Unknown terrain hazards. Significantly slower travel. High probability of getting lost. Goblin army might still detect or intercept us on different ground. Success entirely dependent on Jett navigating blind. Benefit: Avoids immediate known threat concentration.” Translation: Complete strategic pivot. High uncertainty, extended timeline, increased logistical/navigational strain. Avoids primary known threat vector but introduces numerous unknown threat vectors.

  Roland lowered his hand. “There is no 'safe' option,” he stated flatly. “Each courts disaster differently. We choose the risk profile we accept. Now. Light is failing.”

  The ensuing debate was brief, sharp, constrained by urgency.

  Julia argued, predictably, for caution, Option One. “A direct strike feels reckless, Roland. We don’t know what’s just beyond those trees. Alerting them could bring down hundreds. Waiting, gathering more intel via Jett, is prudent.” Her worried glance flickered towards William.

  Caspian, surprisingly, argued firmly for Option Three. “Sir Roland, our objective remains Lumenar. Option Two hinges on too many unknowns, the boat, the rapids, Herbert’s monster. If we eliminate the scouts and then find the river impassable, we are trapped deep in hostile territory. Detouring now, while arduous, preserves the possibility of reaching Lumenar, even if delayed.” Strategic focus trumped tactical gamble.

  William listened, EMMA rapidly processing the arguments, layering probabilities, assessing risk factors against their objective: Reach Lumenar urgently. Option One: Death by delay. Initiative lost. Option Three: High uncertainty, massive time cost, unknown dangers potentially worse than known ones. Swapping one bad probability matrix for another, larger, undefined one.

  That left Option Two. Aggressive. Risky. But proactive. It addressed the immediate, known obstacle while preserving the fastest (theoretically) route. Feels like deploying a critical patch immediately based on limited testing during a major system outage, versus waiting days for full regression testing while the system burns, William thought. Sometimes, calculated velocity is the optimal path, even with high failure risk. He also knew which option best utilized his own limited skillset, analysis informing a precise action, rather than prolonged stealth or navigating unknown wilderness.

  “Sir Roland,” William spoke, his voice steady, analytical. “Option Two carries significant immediate risk, certainly. But Option One concedes initiative entirely, we wait, they dictate. We lose irreplaceable time, and likely the boat anyway. Option Three introduces massive uncertainty, unknown terrain, unknown hazards, potentially longer exposure, while Virrerk’s main force likely manoeuvres unimpeded on better ground. It might simply delay inevitable contact under worse conditions.”

  He focused on the core calculation. “Neutralizing those four scouts now is a quantifiable, localized risk. Jett assesses it as feasible. Success preserves the river option, our fastest theoretical route. Failure… likely forces us towards Option Three anyway, but after losing time and alerting the enemy.” He turned his gaze to the scout. “The critical variable is silent elimination. Jett, you noted they were agitated, searching, not maintaining discipline. Does their distraction provide the tactical window needed?”

  All eyes swung to Jett. The scout considered, weighing his earlier observation against the inherent danger. “Possibly,” he conceded after a moment, meeting Roland’s gaze, then William’s. His voice was low, certain. “They were focused inward. Sloppy perimeter. If we move smart, use the terrain, coordinate precisely…” He gave a single, sharp nod. “It’s possible. High risk. But possible.”

  Roland surveyed his team. Julia’s worry, Caspian’s strategic concern, Jett’s cautious affirmation, William’s analytical conviction. The weight of command settled on him. He took a deep breath, the scent of smoke and damp earth filling his lungs. “Option Two,” he declared, his voice leaving no room for further debate. “Surgical strike. We eliminate the scouts, secure the river path.”

  He turned to Jett. “Lead us. Stealth approach. Coordinate the takedown. Julia, William – you support Jett and me as directed. Caspian, maintain rear position, defensive posture only.” His eyes hardened. “Silent. Fast. No mistakes. Let’s move. Now.”