Brienne had been quite reluctant when Arya had ordered her to command the eastern edge of this fight. She had sworn to protect Arya, and she didn't like being away from her side. Arya sat her down and told her how important it was not to let the Zon destroy the railroad's last connection or cut off supplies and troops from reaching Brandon's Rest. Arya said, "You know just how important it will be to have a strong commander over the mixed troops there, and Jon and Jack have sworn to my safety in the upcoming naval battles."
Brienne went to work setting up a base camp and small log defenses throughout the area they were covering. She took stock of her people and divided them into scouts and shock troops. They all devised scouting paths and methods of dealing with large or small enemy incursions into the area. They were going to be hit-and-run attackers, with defensible spots set up to withstand large groups. Mostly, Brienne expected an overflow from defeated Zonian troops running away from a botched assault on the city of Deepwood Motte. Since they couldn't risk telepaths out in the field, they set up runners to bring messages back to base camp. Regular patrols were sent out to secure the rail line. They fell into a routine long before the assault began. Hassan assured her that his men would kill any straggling enemies who came into the area and stand strong if they encountered a large group of enemies trying to end-run Brandon's Rest.
Drena was happy to see 1000 men show up to bolster their hold on the Sea Dragon Point. They came by small boats from the docks of Deepwood Motte, which also offered a way to escape if their group was overrun. They began constructing a small pallisade as a defensive fallback. Drena sent out patrols to reconnoiter areas where Zonian troops might appear and to familiarize themselves with the routes stragglers might take. One of the trade ships from Deepwood Motte had been tasked with collecting and dropping off a new balloon team, along with all the ammunition and crew required. When the new balloon went up, they truly had some backup against encroaching troops. The balloon was raised at night, and by morning, there were Zonian ships within range of the balloon's rockets. As the 20 ships from Brandon's Rest rounded the point, the balloon opened fire. Within a few minutes, three slinger ships close to the balloon were ablaze. The 20-ship Brandon's Rest fleet spread out and opened up on the ships of the northern Zonian line. As the southern Zonian fleet line turned to engage the northern attack, ships from King's Landing, Bravvos, and the Iron Islands attacked them.
Much further out to sea, the Portsmith and the wilding's ships attacked the few guard vessels that were tasked with protecting the fishing ships. They captured 3 and sank 2. Their crews and soldiers were locked in cages in the hold, and the prisoners were freed. One young tree-kin wind user grabbed a knife and killed one of the Zonian soldiers when she was freed. She said the man had raped and beaten her several times. The wildings laughed and let her keep the knife. A Portsmith crewmember admonished the woman for being brutal, and she snarled at him. A wildling slapped the Portsmith crewman in the shoulders and said, "There's nothing for it, she's one of us now. You can take the others to Brandon's Rest, but this one is a wildling now." A curious look crossed the young woman's face; she didn't understand the words, but she seemed to agree with the wildlings cheering her on. By then, a translator from the Portsmith had come on board and was explaining things to the former prisoners. The 5 troop ships that were fishing to feed the Zonian troops were also captured. One was sent to Deepwood Motte, one to Brandon's Rest, and 3 went to the wildlings, to feed the troops of Westeros and beyond the wall. Arya had raised some concerns with Tyrion over the fact that the wildlings might sell their captive Zonians as enslaved people in the wildling territory. Tyrion had just smiled.
But now Arya was standing on the deck of the Sovereign, casting disruption magic against a Zonian assault ship that had managed to come alongside her. The blasts were shattering Zonian sailors who were attempting to board the Sovereign. Arya's black glove crackled with the magic, and the Zonians who had seen her work began to throw themselves overboard rather than face that death. The assault ship was quickly captured, and a skeleton crew began sailing her back to Brandon's Rest. Word came that the fishing fleet was under control, and so the northern and southern Westerosi fleets began withdrawing. Both fleets withdrew in such a way as to guide the Zonian ships into the gunfire of the forts north and south. The Zonian ships soon withdrew from fighting.
As the reports came in, Tyrion smiled. He said, "15 ships captured, 35 sunk, 350 left."
Jun Wei raged when the reports came in of the loss of the fishing vessels and so many ships on a subterfuge action by his enemies. He would exact revenge by slaying every Westerosi soldier when they took this city. "Take no prisoners!" he screamed at the departing troops.