Trapped in the Swamp
The soldiers finally understood their leader's plan.
Crane had been a soldier for only 3 years, but he had been a hunter all his life, he lived and strived for survival so close to beasts that he understood a lot about their ways and hierarchy also.
When the hints being left by the marauders became too much, his brain worked as intended as he quickly deduced that this was a deliberate leading.
If he followed blindly, he would fall into a sure-death trap.
The easiest option here was to not follow the hints again and retreat, but they could not, the mission was that they should rescue the commissioner by all means which meant that they needed to do it even if they had to die.
Crane had no intentions to die though, this was why he improvised his plan. By now, he already guessed that the marauders were a tribe and their lair was probably here, so his planning was on how to confront them.
After thinking hard, he thought of the night idea.