The shallower water and sturdier footing make the rocks the better choice.

After walking down the moat a short ways, you come up to the assortment of rocks resting in the moat. Each one is soaked in the brackish moat water and appears treacherously slick. It's unclear whether you made the right choice - but the only alternative is to risk the crumbling drawbridge. The lesser of two evils it is then.

You take a cautious step onto the first rock, feeling its cool firmness underfoot. Even as slick as it is, your footing is thankfully quite solid. You manage to keep your balance as you shift your weight to the next step, and the next. A degree of confidence begins to build up, and it isn't long before you are halfway across, with only six stepping-stones to go.

But rather than step firmly onto the next stone, your foot sinks right through it without resistance! As you process what's happening, the "stone" pops - was it actually a bubble of moat-water?! You stumble into the water, and are stopped abruptly as your foot strikes the moat floor. Fortunately it's only waist-deep, but you can't shake the feeling that you aren't safe here. As though to confirm your suspicions, you see tendrils begin squirming under the water nearby, headed straight for you!

In the few seconds you have, you begin wading ahead to the next rock so you can at least get out of the water. As you do, you notice an opening in the moat wall closer to the bridge - a drainage pipe of some kind? One of the bars blocking it off has broken, so you could probably scramble up there to get out of the tendrils' reach. But would it be better to resume crossing the rocks to the other side of the moat?