( while it's likely that yakov is entirely correct in his assessment—both of the cliff, itself, and frankly aleksander's seeming lack of a sense of self-preservation—he is fortunate that the other man is also not the type to not recognize reason when it's placed before him.

even if he's beginning to suspect that the crew might be doing all that they can to slowly thin the number of newcomers through a series of increasingly difficult tasks. the rat warren, at least, was something he could strike at. )

If these herbs are as important as they claim, it might be prudent to look at ways to harvest them without risking life and limb.

( though, he's a soldier, not an engineer. the solution, itself, is best left in the hands of someone more knowledgeable. )