Jett returned from his scouting mission as silently as he'd departed, a wraith emerging from the emerald depths of Tallenwood. But the usual calm detachment in his eyes was replaced by a flicker of concern, a subtle tension in his posture that spoke volumes. The silence of the forest, previously a source of unease, now felt charged with impending danger.

  "I found them," Jett reported, his voice low, his words clipped. "Four goblins, about a hundred meters ahead, just off the path we were taking."

  He paused, his gaze sweeping the group, ensuring everyone was paying attention. "They weren't patrolling, not exactly. They were… searching. Rushing around, agitated, like they were looking for something, or someone."

  This was a significant deviation from the goblins' previous behaviour. The raiding parties in Sharwood and Oakenfall had been focused on disruption, on causing chaos. These goblins, however, seemed to have a different objective, a specific task that consumed their attention.

  "They didn't see me," Jett continued. "I retreated as soon as I confirmed their presence. But I couldn't get closer. It was too risky. They were clearly part of a larger group, and I didn't want to alert the main force. But it is hard to tell how far from the larger group they were."

  The implications were clear, and deeply troubling. The path they had intended to take, the direct route to Herbert's boat, was now blocked. Not by an insurmountable obstacle, not by a sheer cliff face or a raging torrent, but by something far more dangerous: the vanguard of the Goblin King's army.

  The problem, as Roland immediately pointed out, was their proximity to the main goblin force. Herbert had described the mooring point for his boat as being near the northern end of Hammer Falls, the section of the river before the treacherous rapids. This was precisely the area where William's analysis, and Jett's scouting, suggested the Goblin King's army was concentrated.

  "We're in a tight spot," Roland said, his voice grim, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. "Getting to that boat means getting closer to the goblins, potentially walking straight into the heart of their army. And if they discover us, if they raise the alarm... we'll be overwhelmed. Five against an army – those aren't odds I like."

  A heavy silence descended upon the group, the weight of their predicament pressing down on them. The seemingly simple plan – reach the boat, navigate the river, avoid the goblins – had just become exponentially more complicated.

  They needed to make a decision, and quickly. The sun was already beginning to dip towards the horizon, casting long shadows through the trees. Every minute they spent deliberating was a minute lost, a minute closer to the goblin army, a minute further away from their objective.

  Roland, ever the pragmatist, laid out their options, his voice calm and methodical, despite the urgency of the situation.

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  "Option one," he said, holding up a finger. "We wait. We stay hidden, observe the goblin movements, and hope that the main force moves on. Jett can continue scouting, providing us with updates. If the coast clears, we make a run for the boat."

  He paused, considering the drawbacks. "The problem is, we don't know how long we'd have to wait. Days? Weeks? And there's no guarantee the boat will still be there. The goblins might find it, destroy it, or even use it themselves. And every day we delay is a day closer to Neverus achieving his objective, whatever that may be."

  He held up a second finger. "Option two: we take out those four goblins. Silently. Eliminate the immediate threat and push forward towards the boat. It's risky, but it's also the fastest way to reach our objective."

  He frowned, his brow furrowing in thought. "The danger, of course, is that we might encounter more goblins, a larger patrol, perhaps even the main army itself. We wouldn't have the element of surprise, and we'd be forced to fight our way through. And even if we reach the boat, we have no way of knowing if it's even seaworthy enough for the rapids, let alone capable of navigating them."

  Finally, he held up a third finger. "Option three: we abandon the river entirely. We detour further south, deeper into Tallenwood, attempting to outflank the Goblin King's army and reach Lumenar on foot."

  He looked at each member of the group in turn, his gaze lingering on Jett. "This would be the most dangerous option, at least initially. We'd be venturing into uncharted territory, with no guarantee of finding a clear path. We'd be relying entirely on Jett's skills to keep us hidden, to keep us alive. And we'd be racing against time, trying to outpace a much larger, and likely faster, force who will be travelling on much better terrain."

  He lowered his hand, letting the weight of their choices settle upon them. "Each option has its risks, its potential rewards. There's no easy answer, no guaranteed path to success. We need to decide, quickly and decisively, which gamble we're willing to take."

  The discussion that followed was intense, but focused. Julia, ever cautious, initially favoured option one, arguing that patience and observation were their best weapons. She pointed out that a direct confrontation, even with a small group of goblins, could be disastrous, especially if it alerted the main army.

  Caspian, surprisingly, advocated for option three. He argued that reaching Lumenar, establishing contact with the elves, was their primary objective. Even if the boat was lost, even if the river proved impassable, they still needed to fulfil their mission. He believed that a longer, more arduous journey on foot was preferable to risking almost certain capture or death.

  William, his mind racing, analysing the probabilities, the potential outcomes, found himself leaning towards option two. He understood Julia's concerns about a direct confrontation, and he respected Caspian's focus on the ultimate goal. But he also knew that time was of the essence. Waiting for the goblin army to move was a gamble they couldn't afford to take. And abandoning the river entirely meant losing a potentially vital escape route, a way to bypass the main goblin force and reach Lumenar quickly.

  "Option two is the riskiest in the short term," William admitted, "but it offers the greatest potential reward. If we can eliminate those four goblins silently, we can reach the boat, assess its condition, and potentially use it to our advantage. Even if the rapids prove too dangerous, the river itself might offer a faster, less conspicuous route through the forest."

  He looked at Jett, seeking his expert opinion. "Jett, those four goblins… do you think we could take them? Quietly, without alerting the others?"