Tonight was the gathering at Captain Jacobs's cottage. Officially, it was a final strategy briefing before Unit 18's deployment to the Iskadra fringe. Unofficially, Henry knew, it was a chance for the core members of the old squad to share food, drink, and friendship before their paths changed significantly.

As they walked through the twilight streets of East Aerion towards Jacobs's neighborhood, Henry glanced at Sophia. Her steps were light, her expression calm, yet he sensed an underlying determination. Her visit with Laura, hearing firsthand about the pregnancy, the excitement mixed with Jacobs' anxieties facing a long deployment at such a crucial time, had clearly settled something within her.

Reaching the familiar cottage, they found the door already open. Warm light spilled out, and they could hear laughter and cheerful greetings. Stepping inside felt like entering a place of cherished familiarity amidst the growing uncertainties of their world.

Some members of Unit 18, Lumos, Daniel, Melly, Torsan, were already gathered around the large trestle table, mugs in hand. Their faces showed a mixture of pre-mission focus and the pleasure of reunion. Jacobs stood near the hearth, talking quietly with Larm, Mia, and Egran, while Laura was in charge of a sideboard heavily laden with food and drink. Her presence offered a warm, steadying center amidst the room's masculine energy.

Greetings were exchanged, mugs refilled, and plates piled high. The initial conversation buzzed with congratulations. Jacobs beamed, a rare warmth spreading across his features as toasts were made to his impending fatherhood, with others offering well wishes.

Henry felt a genuine happiness for his Captain, his 'elder brother', starting this new chapter. This news, however, underscored the risks of the mission.

"So, Captain," Sophia began, steering the conversation gently towards the purpose of their gathering once the initial toasts subsided. Her gaze showed both respect and seriousness. "Laura mentioned this Iskadra assignment could keep you away for a month or more. That seems… extensive, even for pacifying trolls."

Jacobs took a sip of ale, his expression turning serious. "Aye, the timeline is lengthy."

He acknowledged the implied question in her tone. "We head for the Iskadra border region. Familiar territory for your studies, I imagine, Sophia?" He gave her that familiar, testing look.

"Naturally," Sophia replied without hesitation, the 'Living Dictionary' surfacing effortlessly. "One of the Four Great Deadlands. Infamous for its perpetual blizzards, extreme cold, territorial ice monsters… and," her voice dropped, acknowledging the shared history, "the place where the Divine Monarch Larsus met his end, expanding the cursed territory."

She looked directly at Jacobs. "But the mission parameters indicated the fringe region, targeting Ice Trolls. A high-difficulty D-rank assignment, perhaps, but surely not warranting a full month's deployment for a Rank 4 commander and a reinforced unit?"

Jacobs chuckled, shaking his head in admiration. "Sharp as ever. You got right to the point."

"I miss you already, Sophia!" Melly piped up from across the table, her teasing tone undercut by a flicker of seriousness. "We all do! Whenever a mission brief seems contradictory, Sophia always clarifies it. I spent half the night reading the Iskadra files after you mentioned it, and my head still spins!"

Daniel patted Melly's hand gently. "Sophia has other priorities now," he said, casting a pointed, teasing glance at Henry. "Responsibilities closer to home. We can't monopolize her expertise forever."

Amidst the resulting laughter and Sophia's blush, Henry addressed Jacobs directly, his concern mirroring Sophia's earlier question. "But truly, Captain, a month seems excessive if the primary targets are only Rank 2 and 3 trolls, even resilient ones. What are the specific tactical challenges?"

Jacobs sighed, leaning forward, the commander replacing the host. "The challenge isn't the trolls themselves, not directly. It's access."

He quickly sketched the situation described in the reports Daniel and Lumos had studied. "They inhabit a network of ice caves on a glacial island, protected by a fifty-meter-wide, fast-flowing river choked with icebergs. Standard crossings are impossible. Approaches are easily ambushed. The weather is brutal, unpredictable blizzards are common, and the surrounding tundra holds dangers far worse than trolls."

Lumos added, his voice low and serious, "Previous attempts at ambush failed. They retreat too quickly. Direct assault is hampered by their regeneration. It's a war of attrition we can't win conventionally without unacceptable losses or time commitment."

"Which is why Command opted for a sustained campaign," Jacobs concluded. "Wear them down over weeks. But," he admitted, a flicker of frustration crossing his face, "it's a bleak prospect. Now…" His hard edge in his gaze dissolved, replaced by tenderness as he glanced towards Laura, who was listening nearby.

Henry understood the unspoken sentiment. A month, potentially longer, away from his wife during her pregnancy, this weighed heavily on the Captain. He saw Sophia exchange a brief, understanding look with Laura. The motivation behind Sophia's earlier whispered conversation with Henry became clear.

"Captain," Sophia requested formally, turning her attention back to the mission map Melly had retrieved, "may I review the detailed topographical surveys and hydrographic reports for the river section?"

Jacobs nodded, surprised but agreeing. Sophia bent over the documents, her focus absolute. Her finger traced the lines depicting river currents, ice floe patterns, and shoreline gradients. Henry watched her, recognizing the intense concentration, the formidable intellect at work.

After minutes of silent study, she looked up, her demeanor transformed by a spark of inspiration.

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She leaned towards Henry, close enough for a stray strand of her chestnut hair to brush his shoulder, and whispered rapidly into his ear, her finger subtly indicating points on the map only he could see clearly from his angle.

He listened intently. His initial skepticism faded, replaced by dawning surprise, then a slow, incredulous smile. It was audacious, unconventional, yet potentially brilliant. He registered the unspoken confidence in her posture, in the steady set of her jaw, and gave a nod of agreement.

Strengthened by his silent assent, Sophia turned back to Jacobs, her demeanor calm but imbued with a newfound certainty that silenced the surrounding chatter. "Captain," she began, her voice clear and steady, "what is the projected travel time to the Iskadra fringe?"

"Roughly five days each way by horse, assuming favorable weather," Jacobs replied, surprised by her direct question after her period of intense study. "Ten days total travel."

"And your plan for crossing the river, besides the temporary pontoon bridge idea you mentioned earlier?" Sophia pressed gently.

Jacobs shrugged, uncertain. "That was the best I'd conceived without seeing the terrain firsthand. Perhaps utilizing ropes and grappling hooks for an initial assault team, establishing a bridgehead…" He trailed off, the idea clearly flawed and risky.

"Captain Jacobs," her voice, though not loud, rang with a conviction that instantly commanded the attention, "I request permission to accompany Unit 18 on this mission." Murmurs of surprise rippled around the table.

"I believe," she continued, her voice unwavering, "I have devised a method to secure passage across the glacier river - reliably, safely, and swiftly. With proper execution," she met his gaze directly, "we can bypass the stalemate, launch a decisive assault within three days of arrival, and neutralize the primary troll dens efficiently."

She paused, then her voice dropped to a near-whisper as she added, significantly, glancing at Laura, "The entire operation, including travel, could be concluded in less than two weeks, allowing you to return home, where you are needed, much sooner."

A stunned silence gripped the room. Jacobs stared at Sophia, speechless. The audacity, the confidence, the implied promise… it was staggering. Then, a slow grin spread across his face, followed by a hearty, unrestrained laugh. The worry that had burdened him seemed to vanish. "By the Angels, Sophia! If you can truly pull that off… Forget consultant fees, I'll petition the Archbishop to make you a Saint!"

The tension broke, replaced by excited chatter and renewed optimism. "Did you hear that, Henry?" Melly gasped, a look of playful deduction spreading across her face as she pointed accusingly between Henry and Sophia. "That whispering earlier! Asking his permission first, were you? Still listening obediently to your husband even before the wedding!"

"A wife must consult her husband on such matters, naturally," Jacobs teased, grinning broadly and clearly enjoying the moment. "Though technically," he winked at Sophia, "you haven't tied the knot at the Cathedral yet. Still time to reconsider joining a more… intellectually stimulating unit?"

Mia, one of the newer members who had served with them on the Iskadra mission, laughed. "They haven't even had the ceremony, and it's already like this! After they get married, maybe Henry will bully Sophia all the time!"

Sophia blushed deeply at the continued teasing, hiding her face playfully against Henry's shoulder. Henry, however, put his arm around her, pulling her closer, a look of pride on his face.. "Sophia requires no one's permission," he stated, though the corner of his mouth twitched in amusement. "She merely informed me of her intentions and instructed me to manage the household diligently during her brief absence. Sweeping, dishwashing, timely meals… my duties are clearly defined."

More laughter erupted, punctuated by applause for Henry's 'confession' and Sophia's embarrassed-but-happy expression. Before the discussion moved on, Sophia quickly penned a short, simple list, handing it to Jacobs. He glanced at the mundane items, then back at Sophia's smile, a bewildered but trusting expression on his face. He tucked it away without comment, signaling his acceptance of her request and her participation in the mission.

Later that night, returning to the sanctuary of their apartment, The comfortable silence felt different now. The Iskadra mission, previously a concern for his comrades, now involved Sophia. As the door closed behind them, Henry drew her close, holding her tightly, The reality of her impending departure for one of Tehra's dangerous regions weighed heavily upon him.

"Iskadra…" he murmured against her hair again, the name itself feeling colder now, tasting like frost and foreboding. "Even the fringe… Sophia, you must promise me, utmost caution. It's one of the Deadlands for a reason."

She leaned back, looking up at him, seeing the deep, genuine worry on his face, a fear that went beyond standard mission risks. She reached up, gently tracing the line of his jaw. "I know the dangers, Henry. The histories are a litany of failures and death. But my plan minimizes direct engagement with the environment until necessary. And I won't be alone. Jacobs, the unit… we will be careful."

"Still…" He couldn't shake the deep unease, the instinctive, protective urge that rose powerfully within him whenever she faced danger. He thought of the Four Great Deadlands, names whispered with dread even in hardened military barracks.

Iskadra, the eternally frozen waste, domain of ice monsters and killing blizzards, the place that had claimed the life of a Divine Monarch, Larsus, whose fall had reportedly unleashed energies that doubled the land's cursed expanse.

Baron, the festering sore poisoned by the alien 'Black Blood' that twisted life into unrecognizable horrors and drove intruders mad.

Purgatory, the gateway to abyssal demon realms, a fortress of evil so that even allied nations led by a demigod had failed to penetrate its depths beyond the fourth level.

Maelstrom, the sea of chaos, a nation-sized vortex from which no ship, no soul, had ever returned. Even the fringes of such places were steeped in peril, hostile to life.

Sending Sophia there, even with a plan, even with the squad, felt like tempting a cruel fate.

Sophia felt the conflict within him, the fierce protectiveness warring with his trust in her, showing in the fear on his face. She pulled his head down, kissing him deeply, putting all her reassurance and love into the gesture.

"If you are truly that concerned," she whispered against his lips when they finally broke apart, her breath warm, The way she touched his cheek was full of affection, yet her smile held a playful challenge, "then you have tonight, and tomorrow night, to… demonstrate the depth of your concern. Ensure I am thoroughly… reminded… of what awaits my return." Her voice held a definite invitation. "I shall miss you terribly for this half-month, after all."

He chuckled, a rough sound deep in his chest, the tension easing under her deliberate redirection, though the underlying worry remained.

"Enthusiastic encouragement," he repeated, a mischievous grin returning to his face as he remembered. "An investigator must always explore all avenues thoroughly…" He glanced meaningfully towards the wardrobe where she'd stored the small paper package. "Speaking of exploration… those new stockings you acquired? Perhaps a… practical demonstration… is required before you pack?"

Her laughter was a bright, musical sound that warmed the room.

"Always so observant! And yes," she conceded, slipping from his grasp with a playful smile, "perhaps a demonstration is indeed… warranted." She disappeared behind the curtain of the sleeping alcove, leaving Henry with a raised eyebrow and a slow grin spreading across his face. He had the impression that the warmth of their hearth would fiercely defy the anticipated chill of Iskadra for the next two nights.

The worry remained, a cold knot in his stomach when he thought of the Deadlands, but for now, the unspoken reassurance in her touch and her presence held the encroaching shadows at bay.

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