Drustina makes a landfall in Demetae at 'Aberdaugleddau' (Milford Haven in Modern parlance.) There she finds the situation fairly stable because the Viking's southwards onslaught has been forced back thanks to her previous excecution of Blue-face giving the Celts of Dumnonii and Demetae courage to stand up and resist the scourge. Drustina finds that the Southern Celtic Sea (St George's Channel in modern parlance,) has become a maritime 'no-man's-land' where a naval 'stand-off' prevails. She decides to 'skirt the issue for her first inscursion.

These are 'The Pinnacles' 20 miles offshore from Wales, (Demetae, in Drustina's times.) A veritable graveyard for ships in storms and darkness or fog. Today they are know as 'The Smalls'

The Angry mermaid 94
Or.
Y Morforwyn Dicllon 94.

Thanks to ‘Y-Gwynt-Cymraeg’, Drustina’s flotilla spotted the cliffs of her beloved homeland on the morning of the third day. The flotilla had been slowed by the old Viking ship but it made for a timely and safe daylight sighting of the headlands whilst they were still well out to sea and safe from the deadly pinnacles of rock that lay razor sharp and a few miles west of the entrance Drustina was seeking to find. The sight of the pinnacles served to confirm their location and that brought relief to all the commanders.

Having confirmed that their navigation had been accurate, the sight of the angry surf breaking on the rocks and the deadly tidal rips were no longer a source of danger and dread; they actually cast in Drustina’s heart a hiraeth. This was a deep longing of mixed feelings, yearning, joy, fear, anger, anticipation and excitement. She hailed Udris across the waves and screamed the word; Hiraeth!!!! He grinned widely and raised his arms in understanding. Gisela watched in bemusement then asked.

“What does hiraeth mean?”

Drustina wagged her head and pointed to the islands that lay to the east of the dangerous reef.

“It means I have a longing to see my homeland ... my hills, my rivers and woods; my islands and seas. Hiraeth, it’s a word that means a yearning or a longing. Now I see that land the feelings grow stronger within me.”

Gisela smiled uncertainly.

“I hope you’re not going to grow all soppy and emotional on me and the rest of the men. I don’t want you to take stupid risks because your heart starts ruling your head.”

Drustina wagged her head somewhat sadly.

“Ah, you wouldn’t know what hiraeth means. It’s such a deep rooted feeling it goes even deeper than the heart. Hiraeth is a special word for a very special feeling. Those feelings won’t rule my head but they do and always have ruled my heart. Fear not Viking maid, this Celt knows what she has to do but still is not entirely certain how she’s going to do it.”

Gisela nodded thoughtfully then replied.

“Aye; you can never be certain before a battle. The Godwin reefs taught me that.”

“You cannot blame yourself for that, blame your conceited captains who professed to know those waters. They should never have got themselves trapped between my ships and the Godwin sands. They were too arrogant and too confident. Just be thankful that those reefs were simply sand banks, what hope would there have been for you had you been swept onto rocks like those pinnacles.
Gisela studied the frightening thundering maelstrom around the pinnacles and shuddered as she nodded her head.

“Yes, but it was the bloody waves and the hidden sands that defeated us, not your ships.”

“It was my experience and the local knowledge of my pilot Heliox the young Gaulish fisherman that defeated you. If you learn one lesson about war my girl let it be this; battles are rarely won by might alone but by many factors ... preparation, intelligence, courage, moral, luck, weather, location and timing to name but a few. Now go and relieve Heliox at the helm, I wish to chat with him about Aberdaugleddau.”

Gisela felt a flush of pride that the Lioness now let her steer the ship and trusted her when approaching land or rocky dangers. She hugged herself with satisfaction as she accepted the helm from Heliox who remained impassive as he went to speak to Drustina by the foot of the mast. The order of entry had already been arranged earlier but Heliox needed to be warned about the possibility of tide rips that swirled across the entrance if the tide was flooding or ebbing strongly. She explained the local nature of the seas around rocky headlands that guarded the entrance.

“They call the entrance ‘Pen y cyfog’ or Vomit head to you because the seas get very violent when the tide is against the swell. That’s because many ‘first trippers’ get very sea-sick when they suddenly encounter the short steep waves when they are leaving Aberdaugleddau for the first time.”

“Well we’re all experienced seamen here,” Heliox observed. “But thanks for the warning; I’m thinking these seas are very unpredictable.”

“Exactly, the tide rips start very suddenly and the chop can catch you unawares. Just look how the tide roars and sucks past those rocks.”

Heliox watched Gisela concentrating on the Mermaid’s progress. She was staring intently at the bigger rocks and her tongue was peeping out between her lips, a sure sign of tension and concentration. The Viking girl caught Heliox and Drustina watching her and she blushed but kept her concentration of the Mermaid’s approach. Heliox went to chat to the crew while Drustina joined Gisela.

“See now how the water is calm just there, that means there is upwelling probably caused by a sudden change in the bottom. If we were in a storm with big waves that patch could be a cauldron of violence and death. You are right to keep this far off the pinnacles. When the biggest pinnacle transits the north end of the small island with the flat grassy top then you turn east and steer between the flat topped smaller island and that bigger steeper one further inshore.”

“What are those islands called?”

Drustina shrugged, she’d never thought to ask; she knew them by sight and from memory and that was enough to ensure her ship’s safety.

“I don’t know; they are very useful markers on a clear day like today but a bloody menace in fog or storm or darkness.”

“The small one is very green on top.”

“That will be grass. Trees won’t grow because the wind and sea spray won’t allow it. The salt kills the trees.”

“So why not call it Grass Island because only grass grows there.”

“Call it what you like girl just don’t hit it.”

Gisela grinned then her eyes lit up. Drustina quickly smelt the cause for Gisela’s joy. Hot food was being served. By the time they had finished their meal the wind and tide had carried them close to

Pen-y-cyfog and the seas built up alarmingly. The mermaid ships rode the short breakers easily but the longer Viking ship had to struggle to avoid being swamped. Drustina could hear Udris urging his men to bail and she watched apprehensively until the longship erupted out of the last tempestuous breaker into the calmer water inshore of the traversing rip-tide. Once in Calmer water, the ships gathered together and volunteers joined Udris’s crew in bailing the longship dry. Order was soon restored and it remained for Udris to lead the flotilla inwards to approach the little village on the north shore. Udris had visited the Aberdaugleddau many times but they were never sure whether the Vikings had returned between each visit. Every time they arrived the visit was fraught with uncertainty and possible danger. This visit was no different.

After Drustina had last escaped with her sisters Aiofe and Mabina when they had rescued the Demetae fisher girl Arina, they had left the whole of south-western Demetae occupied by the Vikings. It was only with the killing of Blueface and his marauding band that the Celts had mustered the heart and determination to drive them out. Drustina’s singular act of bravery had been the trigger the Celts needed to stand up to the Vikings with some hope of success. Since driving the Vikings out of Demetae, the Dumnonii and Demetae had been trading regularly but cautiously.

Drustina’s flotilla kept their eyes and wits about them as they sailed cautiously up the Ria. The potential for attack was a serious worry for once they had passed the first narrows, the trees extended right down to the shoreline. As they passed a seemingly abandoned quay Udris explained the situation.

“That’s the village of Llanstad. The houses used to extend right down to the quay but they have moved further back into the trees for safety. Normally I would land here first before travelling further up the inlet. But on previous visits I traded in a different ship to this Viking monster. The villagers have obviously retreated to some sort of defence line because they think we are Vikings.”

“Is there any way we can enlighten them.” Drustina wondered.

“I am flying my banner. They should have recognised that.” Udris explained.

“Perhaps they think we are a Viking warship that has captured you and your flag.”

“My thoughts exactly,” Udris agreed, “one of us is going to have to step ashore.”

“I suppose I’d better do it. We speak the same tongue and I am a woman. When they hear my voice surely they’ll ask first and shoot later.”

“I hope so.” Udris concurred. “Things are always tense around here because it’s the southern limit of Viking depredations.”

Drustina shrugged philosophically and peeled the Mermaid away from Udris’s ship to quickly land against the abandoned quay. As she stepped ashore, her battle trained eye spotted a slight movement further back amidst the dense oak trees so she stepped to the edge of the timberline and called out in Cymraeg. For tense moments nothing happened then a voice called back.

“Who are you?”

She answered, “I am Drustina, the Lioness of Carthage. My companion on the captured Viking ship is Udris of Dumnonii. Do you know him? Is there anybody there who can vouchsafe for Udris?”

Another, deeper voice replied.

“Tell him to show himself. I am Caradric. Tell him that.”

Drustina raised her hand in acknowledgement and returned to the edge of the quay to shout.

“There is somebody called Caradric who wants you to declare yourself.”

“Tell the one-eyed-son-of-an-old-boar I’ll do that but he’d better have some decent beer ready!”

Drustina quickly grasped that this remark was some sort of code and she turned to carry the message back. She had no need. Caradric had obviously recognised Udris’s voice and the expression ‘old-boar’ had revealed that everything was okay on the ships. Already Caradic was hurrying across the tree line and onto the quay with his hand extended in welcome. He was not even waiting for Udris to step ashore for there before him on the quay, if the truth was being told, was the Lioness of Carthage, now deemed by many Welshmen to be the Celtic Messiah. He stumbled the last few steps and seized her hand eagerly.

“Are you truly the Lioness of Carthage?”

Drustina was slightly embarrassed by his feverish enthusiasm but she had to say yes, for she was exactly that ... The Lioness. He wrapped his arms around her in an ecstasy of what Drustina could only think was expectation. She staggered back with the enthusiasm of his embrace.

"Steady sir. You’ll have us both over the edge of the quay."

Her words were immediately proven true for the pair tumbled backwards as Drustina’s heel caught the very rope that moored The Angry mermaid. With a mighty splash the pair plunged into the water directly under the Mermaid’s bow. They surfaced spluttering but laughing as Drustina scolded the old one-eyed warrior before calling up to her crew.

“You stupid bugger; and don’t you-lot just stand there sniggering you silly buggers, throw us a rope!”

The rope duly descended and Drustina had no qualms about exercising her woman’s right to be first to climb it. She stepped nimbly over the rail and stood dripping by the tiller as she watched while Caradic struggled and grunted as he huffed and puffed his way up the rope. When he finally reached the rail he reached out for assistance and eventually Heliox reached out and yanked him inboard. He flopped off the rail and howled as he struck a thwart heavily with his foot. Drustina wagged her head and grinned just as Udris leapt across from the high prow of the longship. She grinned at him as she nodded towards Caradic.

“That’ll teach the stupid bugger to behave so impetuously. You’d better go ashore with him and find some dry clothes.”

Udris embraced his Demetae associate and they limped off into the trees while Drustina changed from her saturated jerkin and britches into a somewhat more feminine gown. She had no idea what sort of reception she might get but it was obviously going to be a friendly one and she wouldn’t need her battle apparel.

As she finished adjusting her gown and fastening her sword (she rarely went anywhere without it), a reception committee appeared out of the trees and she stepped ashore to meet them. Gisela and Heliox also invited themselves ashore but Drustina had no qualms about their reception. The reception committee quickly made them welcome and Drustina was soon gathering as much information and intelligence about Viking activities as she could. It was no secret that the Lioness counted the Vikings as her greatest enemies. Udris had spoken of her determination to recover her homelands during his last trading visit to Demetae after he had returned from the battles in Solanta.

As she expected, the Demetae couldn’t give much specific information about the Viking activities because they tended to avoid contact with the occupiers of Gwynedd and Hibernia. Occasionally a fishing boat encountered a Viking longboat but it was hardly worth the Viking’s while to steal their fish. Fish was cheap and plentiful in the rich northern seas. The Demetae’s lack of information only reinforced Drustina’s feelings that she would have to tackle the Norsemen head on and provoke confrontation. By late afternoon she had exhausted all avenues of information and she reflected ruefully that her companions were readily availing themselves of what hospitality the village had to offer. Most were drunk before nightfall. Reluctantly, Drustina located Gisela and advised her that she was returning to sleep under the bow cuddy of The Angry Mermaid.

“Why are you doing that?” Gisela asked.

“There’s too much booze flowing around here for my liking. There’s bound to be trouble by morning. If I were you girl, I’d also slip away now before any drunken morons take a fancy to you and try something stupid.”

“But they’re having fun ...”

“Now ... yes. Give it a couple of hours kid and you’ll soon see a difference. There’ll be tears, violence and then bloodshed before morning, mark my words.”

Reluctantly, Gisela followed Drustina down to the Mermaid and under Drustina’s guidance; they slipped the moorings of three of the mermaid ships and sailed them stealthily into the middle of the channel. There, she was not surprised to see Carl’s fourth mermaid ship already anchored in mid channel so she slid her three Mermaid ships alongside Carl's and made them all fast before lowering their combined anchors silently to the bottom. The soft bump of hull against hull alerted Carl from his light slumber.

“Who’s that?” He whispered.

“Your wife, lover boy. There’s too much revelry going on ashore for my liking. There’ll be arguing and possibly worse by morning, mark my words.”

“Are you sleeping with me or in your own ship?” Carl asked as he assisted the girls in securing the ships in one group.

Drustina turned to Gisela and asked.

“Are you happy to sleep along aboard here?”

“I’d have preferred company but being as you’re right alongside I should be okay.”

Drustina smiled softly and gently kissed the Viking princess.

“Thanks. I’ll be right next door not twenty feet away. We’re safe here, there’s half a mile of water between us and the village. If any of those idiots want to find a bed, they can all cram together on Udris’s old longship.”

Once the four mermaid ships were securely moored and anchored, Drustina hopped nimbly across to Carl’s ship and snuggled up with him under the bow cuddy. Drustina savoured the shared warmth as she spooned into Carl’s embrace. It wasn’t long before Carl and she felt a little body inveigling itself under the same woollen skins.

“I’m cold.” Gisela explained.

Drustina tutted irritably while Carl grumbled but they allowed the girl to stay. There was a late summer chill to the air.

True to Drustina’s predictions, morning found a score of bruised and bloodied faces stumbling painfully around the quay but fortunately no serious blood had been shed. No swords or knives had been drawn apparently and that was a minor miracle in itself. Udris reckoned the score had been about even and honours were shared. He called across the ria to alert Drustina and beg them to bring the ships back. After ascertaining that order was restored, she and Carl brought the ships back and soon food was being prepared.

'What was it with Men?' Drustina silently wondered as she, Gisela and Carl ate before attending to bruises and cuts.

An hour later, a deputation arrived from the village demanding reparations for broken furniture and assorted other damages.

Drustina was not prepared to get involved in any sort of investigation so she stood back and let the village elders argue the toss with Udris and the other drunken idiots. It was noon before agreement was reached. Drustina spent the time wisely asking more questions about Viking activity and writing down notes about confirmed sightings, activities, dates and locations. By the time the flotilla was ready to sail she had already discussed plans with Carl about the way forward with their expedition and investigations.
It seemed most of the Viking activity was concentrated around Hibernia as King Forden, the Viking overlord of Bal ar y Claith, reinforced his hegemony over the lesser Irish chieftains. Very little Viking activity had been seen on the eastern side of the Celtic Sea.

Further north however in Eire and Lleyn, the Vikings still ruled with blood and iron. Their grip was too tight to take any foolhardy risks. Drustina decided to make a detour around the western coast of Hibernia. Carl looked at her thoughtfully.

“Do you know those waters Dru?”

She wagged her head and shrugged.

“No. But I do know you can sail right around Hibernia and enter the Celtic sea from the north, that’s the way the Vikings come.”

“But won’t we be exposed to those huge seas come the winter?”

“If my guess is right, we’ll get around the island before the worst of the autumn storms are upon us. Though truthfully Carl, I don’t know. Once thing of which I am certain is this. The Vikings will stop and search every ship coming from the south and that means we would have to fight every time we encounter another sail. My first objective is to sound out the Irish Celts and determine how much support I can look for from that quarter when push comes to shove. I’m thinking the southernmost and westernmost parts of Hibernia will be less oppressed by the Vikings and they’ll be more inclined to resist the Vikings if they can see some sort of hope. I intend to become that hope.”

“Okay Dru. I can’t think of a better strategy so Southern Hibernia it is then. When do we sail?”

“Tomorrow morning. It’ll give these stupid idiots time to sober up and possibly repair some of the diplomatic damage done by the stupid oafs. I’m going ashore with Udris and the girl to meet the village elders and try to smooth some ruffled feathers.”

Carl nodded and set to getting the flotilla ready by purchasing and checking victuals. There were still a few hung-over heads but they got no sympathy. That evening Drustina returned with an Irish woman who had been widowed by the last Viking depredation into Demetae. She claimed to have some knowledge of the waters around Corgheig and the Hog-head peninsular. For want of a more knowledgeable pilot Drustina had agreed to give the woman a passage back to her homeland and further if she found her homeland no longer to her liking. It seemed that because of the new ‘one-god’ religion nobody had been prepared to take a widow across the Celtic Sea to occupied Hibernia. She was hysterical with gratitude when Drustina offered her the pilotage deal. Her name was Brigit.

~~oo000oo~~

Below is the Character list.

http://bigclosetr.us/topshelf/fiction/44661/angry-mermaid-ch...