Rage and Rebellion (Histories of Havenhearth)

4.1 Gwinael

All next day the fourteenth were kept on the move, exercising with their new colleagues. Suspected they were constantly under the distant observation of the rebels in Charroux, the movements they were making, if spotted, would not convey any useful information to anyone. It would just appear to be random local movement- it might even cover up the new arrival of the other companies. If not, then the rebels might understand that the idea was to block the supply route. But even then, they wouldn't know when any attack would come. Meanwhile, the orders and maps were all passed out to the officers, who painstakingly went through them to ensure they understood everything planned.

The fourteenth were to take over the catapults to prevent their attacks on the narrow column through which the supply chain passed and then they would mount assault in the city itself, if required. The idea to stay under cover in daytime and travel by night seemed confusing to Gwinael- surely the rebels would notice that they had done so the next morning, and could predict that they would travel by night again? Or did they think they could actually keep an entire land protectorate entirely hidden in this way? Surely something like that would only work if it involved a single overnight? Instead, their arrival was to happen in the middle of the third night, under darkness. Maybe protectorate strategy was always based on hope and luck.

Gwinael's mother, Lainael Snowberry rode along the lines as they prepared for their first march at dusk. She was not to go with them, staying at field headquarters, so she wished everyone well. Gwinael caught her mother's eye, just for a second. It was an odd expression that baffled Gwinael- there was a worry in her eyes. Was it because her own daughter was headed into battle for the first time? Was she worried about the safety of her kin? Or was she concerned that Gwinael would taint the family name so to speak? Gwinael hoped it was more the former.

When it was fully dark, they started off, under a sliver of a moon. No horns, no drums, no horses this time, as quietly as a protectorate force on the march could be. Any major weapons pulled along by combattants. They marched through the night, no talking, no singing, towards the peaks, the fourteenth right at the back. The moon came out from its cloud cover, but it was a new moon and only blinked out small shafts of pewter light. It was quite a pleasant walk in fact.

Swords and knives were kept in their scabbards so as not to reflect any of the little moonlight that there was. Archers had bows at the ready for any other surprise night attacks. Heathtree made her way up and down the line of the fourteenth, muttering complaints about something or other under her breath. At one point her superior, the major officer and she walked together, and Gwinael overheard snippets of their whispered conversation, about Charroux a little, and about the major's husband, Rein, a most handsome man, whom Gwinael had spoken to once before they had set out for Cassion. "He must get so bored when I'm not there," but she said it in a voice that suggested she didn't really care that much. Rein remained on Gwinael's mind for the rest of the walk. Would she ever be able to find such a nice handsome man like that? Someone she could settle down with? She wanted to see him again- he represented a safe return to Tainland and hope for the future. But Gwinael would only return if the rebels were defeated and she survived the battles. It was a horrid thought, that she might not return to Tainland. She tried unsuccessfully to force him out of her mind.

A scuffling, sliding sound from somewhere off the path they were following broke her thoughts. At the same time, she heard a patter of fallen stones and a human scream, a cry of terror, first loud, then fainter as the other noises continued. Gwinael halted, calling to the others around her to stop as well, her hand on the hilt of her sword. "What was that?" Andri asked, a few people in front of her. "Do not draw your swords!" She said, mindful of their orders. "Let me go look," she crept towards where she thought she had heard the sounds. A hoarse cry of fear reached her ears again, but it was even more muted this time. Those ahead had apparently not heard, and continued with their march. She stopped suddenly when she realised that she would fall into a crevice if she took another step- fully Invisible unless you were a step away. The cry, now more a quiet moan, was coming from the crevice. She dropped to her stomach and crawled to put her head just over the edge. "Is someone there?" "Snowberry?" It was the voice of Fendel Heathtree. "I'm stuck! I can't move, get me out!" Gwinael started to sweat in the humidity of the night, whose moistness suddenly forced its weight onto her- she was scared too, having no real idea of what to do. An evil thought flashed through her mind: they were alone, and nobody knew what had happened. Heathtree had never made things easy for her, and she didn't seem like that nice a person. She would always endeavour to make things hard for new recruits, Gwinael thought: She could walk away, and Fendel would never terrorise another soul.
But of course she wouldn't. That would be murder and Gwinael thought that protectorate must be making her go insane for even having such a thought. But what if Fendel kept getting promoted? She would keep her mistreatment up until the end of her days. All Gwinael had to do was walk back to her line. And that's what she decided to do- to collect rescue ropes of course, a bit shaken by that fleeting moment of existentialism.
"I'll be back, you stay put," only just managing to suppress the ragged laugh at the unintended meaning of her comment. She crawled backwards, stood back up and made a note of where she was before running back to the small group waiting for her, the others getting further and further away in the night. She considered sending someone after them, but she knew where the planned stop would be, and they could catch up, or send a runner if required.