Rage and Rebellion (Histories of Havenhearth)

8.8 Wynemere

Wynemere barely slept. Sounds of battle not too far off kept her half awake, so that when she did actually doze off, it didn't feel like she had. In the morning she was the first one up and out of bed, quietly sneaking into the courtyard for a look around. It was therefore she who saw them first- a column of combattants, perhaps a hundred of them, some on horseback others on foot, who were making their way along the dirt track towards the farmhouse. She recognised a tattered Tainish banner immediately.
When the column arrived in front of the house, Cerys and Yarazhenya had joined her, the Wheatstone family and the sisters and their parents still in the house. A woman in charge revealed no surprise at seeing the three foreign women in a Cassioni farmer's house, but a younger combattant who walked next to her, perhaps Wynemere's own age, did. There was a resemblance between the two of them in their manners, colouring, and facial features.
The woman in charge gave a Tainish salute, then introduced herself asCommandaire Snowberry, responsible for the present operation to relieve Chevelles of the golden defenders. "And you are?"
"Brackenridge Wynemere, with Tainish marine protectorate, under command of Capitaine Tobina Subterfuge. These two are civilians, residents of Chevelles and we are accompanied by a spiritualist family who are still sleeping inside. You are a welcome surprise for us all."
"As is seeing you," the commandante returned, "I am pleased to learn that some were able to escape. And it will not be long until Angounesse is fully secure. Indeed, the news reached us that Nordmontline has also been secured."
"The defenders are all..?" Wynemere ventured a question.
"Defeated, yes. And removal and return to their homes is in progress, and justice for those whose actions require it will be had."
"Then I may return to my ship?"
"Yes of course you may return, indeed my daughter has just come from there," she gestured to the girl walking next to her, "you may have some remarkable stories to share.
If the farmer's hospitality permits, I would like for our company to rest here for awhile, it was a long night. And perhaps, Brackenridge, you would be so gracious as to join us for breaking fast?"
"Thank you commandaire. First I will bid farewell to my hosts, and will be honoured to dine with you."

Wynemere embraced the sisters for the first time, the older one's eyes brimming with tears. And then Cerys and Yarazhenya too. They were not sad to leave each other per se, they were thankful that they had crossed paths but the tears were more of relief that the entire ordeal was over. The commandaire, who has waited patiently through this, determined that it was time to resume her duties and took Wynemere off with he entourage. Wynemere noticed a lone figure on horseback on one of the hills.

When everyone was onboard they set off immediately and with little effort- the floodwaters, though receding, raced towards the gorges and the sea, carrying the two ships with them. However, the course of the river was unknown to them- the floodwaters had risen high enough to obscure the river's natural banks and Wynemere, back at the wheel was struggling to find her course. 

Some creativity was had in sleeping arrangements, given the additional passengers cluttering up the already cramped ships. And of course Hettenhausen was under arrest in one of the cargo stores, presumably to be used as a point of negotiation if the Petroviese did indeed show up. Wynemere was not quite sure what had happened, and she still had not shared the information she herself had obtained. It seemed of far lesser importance now, but she "Brackenridge, a word please," the capitaine interrupted her thoughts. "I don't like it."
"Capitaine?"
"I don't like it at all."
"What don't you like?"
"Hettenhausen. She seemed to switch sides," Wynemere wondered why the capitaine was speaking to her about this, but that seemed to be a running theme of this trip.
"Yes indeed,"
"Well I don't for one moment believe it was to help us. She must have had an ulterior motive don't you see?"
"Certainly, capitaine. We have much to learn." The woman would never trust anyone that was not Tainish.