Swamped

You have some thoughts, but you want a second opinion. You turn to Grey, as you trust his expertise.

"Grey. I've got some ideas here for dealing with these rats."

"Yeah?"

"Well, we don't actually need to kill them. We just need them off the barge. We could frighten them, with a loud noise, perhaps..."

"And then they run into the base, where they might catch someone by surprise. No good unless we can spare someone to warn them."

You nod. Grey's got a good point there.

"In that case, we're probably better off if one of us draws their attention. It'll slow down the egg collecting, but if someone can run fast enough..."

"And what if they run into more rats prowling around the base?"

"That's less likely. Most of the rooms have been scoured, and the tunnels are under guard now that we've found the nest."

"I still don't like it, but at least our runner is a volunteer in this plan. I can't think of anything safer, though. If we were dealing with a smaller boat, we might be able to flip it over and knock the rats into the muck, but that's just not practical with the barge."

"Right. So we'll go with a runner, then." You look at your other four squad members. "I'd take on this risk myself, but I'm the only one who knows where the breeding grounds are, and we don't have time for me to explain the route."

"I'll go, sir," Grey interjects.

"I've seen you run, Grey. You're a good knight, but you're a slowpoke. So that leaves you four. Who's the fastest runner among you?"