This chapter describes Drustan's experiences in Iberia with the Celtiberians.

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The Angry Mermaid.

Or.
Y Morforwyn Dicllon 9

Mabina. The youngest daughter and Twin to
Drustan Her twin brother.
Grandpa Erin the twins grandfather.
Giana The twins grandmother
Caderyn The twins father.
Herenoie The twins wise and beautiful mother.
Morgaran The Twins oldest brother.
Aiofe The twins oldest sister. Famous for her beauty.
Tara The twins second oldest sister. Famous for her grace.
Feidlim Twins aunt (Caderyns’ beautiful sister.)
Mogantu Twins uncle (Married to Feidlim.) Chief of the Gangani tribe.
Brun. Twins 2nd cousin and the Acaman clans’ blacksmith.
Feorin. Twins second brother. Also training to be a blacksmith.
Rhun Feidlims’ son and Feorins’ favourite 1st Cousin. (Both red-heads.)
Arina Child of a Demetae fisherman, (rescued by Aiofe, Drustan and Mabina.)
Penderol Dumnonii Minor chief.
Udris Young Dumnonii warrior.
Dryslwyn High chief of the whole Celtic nation. Dwells in Brithony.
Bronlwyn Dryslwyn’s wife (and queen.)
Magab The moor who taught numbers.
Eric Saxon galley slave rescued from Corsair pirates.
Carl Another Saxon galley slave rescued by Drustan.
Torvel Celtic galley slave rescued from the same captured corsair ship
Arton. Turdetani Chieftain Holder of Gibral Rock.
Carinia Arton’s wife.
Isobel. Arton’s adopted daughter.
Appotel King of the Turdetani Tribe. (Southern Iberia.)
Bramana Queen. (Wife of Appotel)

Eventually the pair reached the meeting hall and all stood respectfully as the king entered. The whole town was gathered except for essential guards. Even the town’s children were gathered at their mother’s knees for a visit by the king was a special occasion. Drustan felt a little overwhelmed by the sudden clamour as he entered but the king placed his arm around the boy’s growing shoulders and reassured him.

“Fear not lad, they love you as one of their own.”

Drustan spotted his beloved sisters seated at the high table and smiled with Satisfaction. Even the sweet little Arina had been granted the honour. The king sensed the boy’s relief and gladness at seeing his sisters so he spoke to the boy.

“Go and join them lad. Your seat is next to my Queen Bramana. Your sisters sit beside me.”

Drustan hesitated but the king reassured him.

“Go on lad, be seated, I’ll join you after I have made my formal entry. Don’t be afraid, I’ll talk to nobody. It’s an official welcome from the town."

Drustan broke away from the king but kept glancing back. True to his word, the king was talking to nobody and simply waiting for Drustan to reach his seat. Drustan suddenly realised he was keeping a king waiting and hurried to take his seat. Queen Bramana smiled as he nervously took his place beside her.

“Don’t be frightened, I don’t bite!”

“Sorry Miss, no, - uuhhm madam, no uuhhm- ladyship, - no uuhhm.” He spotted Aiofe on the other side of the King’s seat and she was angrily mouthing ‘majesty’! Drustan’s overloaded brain finally clicked into gear.

“Uuhhm Majesty, yes, your majesty.”

“Well done young man. Only four attempts. I’m impressed.”

Drustan fell silent, tongue tied with embarrassment and confusion. Fortunately the ceremonial drum set up a steady beat and King Appotel commenced his formal progress to the high table to commence the feast. Everybody stood except for Queen Bramana. Then the king took her hand and she rose then sat down simultaneously with her husband. The food followed and Drustan’s hunger made him a poor conversationalist. Queen Bramana was a bit miffed at first until her husband explained in a whisper about the boy.

“Treat him gently my beloved queen. The boy has had a hard year and he still trusts no-one. I have heard his story and seen such effects in others who have seen too much death but never in one so young. Mother him. There is too much responsibility on his shoulders. He feels responsible for the safety of his sisters and the failure to defend his family. Go easy on the boy. Besides, my good woman, can you not see the boy is starving?”

“That much is obvious,” Bramana replied as she watched Drustan’s jaw chewing metronomically. “There hasn’t been a word from his lips since he sat to eat. So why is that? His sisters are well fed and housed here at Arton’s palace.”

The king sighed wearily.

“He lives and dies for that beloved boat of his. I’ve offered him a personalised Toledo blade for its secrets but he still prevaricates.”

“Let me talk to his sisters. It’s no good trying to push the boy if he is uncertain and only trusts his sisters. The way to trade with the boy is through his sisters. I have already spoken at length with the maid Aiofe on several other issues such as the dangers of an unescorted sea passage through the western straits. Let the matter of the boat’s secrets rest for now. I will talk with Aiofe, Mabina and Arina tomorrow morning when we bathe. Let us enjoy the food and entertainment that Arton and Carinia have set for us. Enough of the boat for now, the boy’s head must be spinning with all the interest and intrigue surrounding its hull.”

King Appotel nodded resignedly. His wife Queen Bramana had always been a skilful negotiator. He conceded that she was probably right for the boy’s head had not turned once to show interest in their whispering as his jaws continued to wolf down the food. He conceded Bramana’s argument and turned to the pleasanter duty of talking to the maid Aiofe. Meanwhile Queen Bramana spoke over Drustans head and made polite conversation with Arton as Drustan continued eating everything in sight. Bramana smiled at Arton and glanced at the emptying plates.

‘Truly, the boy was starving!’

Eventually the boy’s apparently insatiable appetite was sated and he looked up ruefully as he realised he had not said a word whilst the rest of the feasters had followed the ordinary mores of good feasting manners. Talking between courses and entertaining each other with good conversation. He turned apologetically to Queen Bramana but she waved her hand indulgently.

“Don’t worry boy, you were obviously starving. Why have you not eaten with your sisters?”

“I could not leave the boat, - her secrets and all, -. If the corsairs garnish those secrets then we will have nothing to get us to Carthage and Aiofe’s betrothed.”

Queen Bramana smiled and wagged her head.

“My boy, I doubt that your splendid little boat even with its miraculous speed, could avoid the Corsair fleet in full battle order. It is reliably reported that the fleet stretches from one side of the Western Straits to the other; and all the ships within bowshot of each other. What you did to them the other day will only have heightened their determination to capture you and they have spies everywhere. Even in this town, I’ll wager.”

Drustan started with alarm.

“What!! Here; in the town!! But my boat, they might even now be, -.”

“Relax boy. She is the most guarded object in the town at the moment; better guarded even than myself and the king. I will speak with you in the morning about your plans for passing through the straits. From what I have heard, they are un-seemingly reckless. Come now let us enjoy the entertainment. Tonight you can sleep where you will, even back on your ship if you prefer.”

Drustan sagged with relief. Queen Bramana was a wise woman, wife and mother who knew just how to treat with impatient men and more importantly anxious youths.

By the time the entertainments and dancing was over it was past the middle hour but even so, Queen Bramana remained true to her word and she accompanied the youth Drustan back to his ship.

This in itself was a salutary act of respect and honour for normally Queen Bramana was rarely seen without her entourage and body guard. The honour however was lost on Drustan’s youthful ignorance. He had learned nothing of courtly ways in a childhood that had been prematurely ended by his sudden and premature propulsion into an adulthood fraught with travel, danger, responsibility and death.

A cursory check confirmed to Drustan that everything was as it should be and even the sharp witted Bramana did not notice his careful testing of the footboards with his feet around the mast pulpit to ensure that they had not been loosened or dislodged. The gold was still safe!

He thanked the queen profusely more as a youth of his mother than a subject of its queen and he promised to attend the strategy discussions the next morning. As he made his bed amidst the leather and linen sails the queen wagged her head uncomprehendingly.

‘What manner of boy was this that yet sported battle scars at such an early age and slept under the stars?’ She wondered as she returned alone to Arton’s palace.

At the morning’s conference in the meeting house, the town’s defences were to be discussed and reinforced, but the King also had another agenda. For the Turdetani and all the other Southern Iberian and Celtiberian tribes to move forward and trade with the rest of the middle sea nations, the Corsair threat had to be neutralised!

A crucial factor in these plans was to somehow wheedle the secrets of The Angry Mermaid from Drustan in order to build a fleet of small fast boats to act as outriders and messengers to the main Turdetani fleet.

To this end, Queen Bramana worked her motherly feminine wiles on the three sisters. The idea was put to them as ‘making the Straits safe to legitimate trading ships’. This was of course of direct concern to Aiofe who desperately wanted to meet with and marry her beloved Magab. The safer her passage, the faster she would get there without having to avoid pirate attacks. The girls were quickly convinced for both Mabina and Aiofe were now women and new fully of the awful fates that could befall them if captured. Queen Bramana was able to tell her husband that the first part of the negotiations seemed complete. The girls at least were convinced of the benefits to be garnished. It now only remained for them to find a useful bargaining chip to persuade their brother to render up The Angry mermaid’s precious secrets. Here King Appotel had the edge; in the Toledo blades he already had a bargaining counter.

After the first discussions were over the sisters joined their brother in the refectory. Bramana watched discreetly as she saw the girls talking animatedly with their brother. Mainly it was Aiofe arguing with Drustan.

“But brother, if we are too late getting to the Numidian city it is possible that Magab will presume me missing, either captured or dead. I must get there before the Winter Solstice, I simply must. The betrothal contract names that closing date."

“But that is several moons away! We have plenty of time.” Drustan argued.

“Not if we cannot fight our way past the Corsairs! And I for one refuse to countenance the chance of capture and rape. I would prefer to travel overland to Cartagena and sail from there.”

“Don’t be stupid. That would take months to organise and more months to travel. Besides who would escort you. You are not royalty to command armies to protect you.”

“Then I would go alone before I risk the corsairs. Everybody I have spoken to including two escaped women, have told me they are unbelievably cruel.”

Drustan flung down the bread he was chewing and cursed as he invited Mabina to a private audience far outside in a small orchard where nobody could spy.

“Do you not forget something twin sister?” Drustan asked in the softest of whispers as he made sure he was totally out of earshot.

“Forget what.”

“The Mermaid’s value.”

“That value is only her speed. Now that people know of her, somebody is bound one day to determine her dimensions. King Appotel might even be forced to determine her secrets if their whole nation is threatened. This war with the corsairs is coming to a head!”

“I’m not talking of those secrets sister. Dammit! Have you forgotten the other?”

“What other. She has no other secrets!” Snapped Mabina.

“Quiet girl. Not so bloody loud!”

“Why. What secrets. What secret is so important to you?”

Drustan almost screamed with frustrated anguish but he managed to suppress his distress and almost bit his twin’s ear off as he dragged her head to his lips, growled into her ear and forcibly reminded her of the Mermaid’s long hidden and obviously forgotten cargo.

“Have you forgotten the gold you stupid bitch? Only you and I know of it. It seems you have forgotten it!”

He released his twin and she gasped with shocked remembrance. Her jaw sagged and she drew back sharply as she finally remembered the precious cargo buried deep amongst the tightly packed ballast.

“Shit! I had forgotten all about it!”

“How could you forget such a huge responsibility?” Drustan croaked as he struggled again to not scream in frustration.

“Sshh! Walls have ears!” Mabina cautioned.

“Hence the orchard sister. Can you see anybody around?”

Mabina cast about and saw the face of Queen Bramana gazing down from the meeting room window. Unless the queen could lip read in Old Celtic Welsh there was little chance that she would have understood what passed between Drustan and his twin. However Mabina motioned discreetly to her brother.

“What are we to do then? King Appotel will need more boats like the Mermaid if he is to defeat the Corsairs.

“That I am prepared to give him sister, now that I know what’s afoot; but before I can let anybody run their measures over her we have to hide the gold.”

“So what to do?”

The pair sat in silence as they considered a solution. Mabina slowly formulated an idea.

“Could we not hide the gold under the water while Arton’s shipwrights garnish all they need?”

“That’s a good idea sister but how to mark the spot?”

“The harbour is not deep if we dive to the bottom whilst pretending to check the hull for problems we can hide the gold in a place we can return to if we mark it discreetly on the bottom.”

“We can do it this afternoon before I make up my mind. Go back to that Queen Bramana you are so fond of and tell her I am considering the nature of the trade. In the meantime I’ll bury the gold. There are only six bars and I’ll be diving on the hull for many dives under the pretence of a close inspection. I’ll hide the gold at the bottom of the quay wall below the dolphin she is moored to. That way I’ll be able to work under the Mermaid and nobody will be able to look down to see what I’m doing.”

“Right brother. Consider it done. I’ll keep the king and queen occupied while you go about it.”

Drustan returned to the Mermaid while Mabina returned to the meeting house to explain Drustan’s absence.

“He’s gone to have a think your majesties. Give him space and time. The boat means everything to him and he’s trying to decide what to trade. While he is thinking he will be inspecting the underwater hull. He often meditates best when he’s busy.”

As she said this, Mabina turned to Aiofe for confirmation for it was true. Aiofe nodded as the king replied.

“I’ve offered him a sword made from the best steel in the world. What more can he want?”

“I don’t know my lord king. Who knows what my twin will decide. I know he’s more or less decided to part with the boat’s secrets but he feels the price must reflect the true worth.”

“He’d best be reasonable. We need the boat’s secrets and time is pressing.”

Bramana turned and smiled at her husband.

“Patience dear spouse. The boy is nervous and unsure of his trading skills. Be generous with him. That boat is priceless.”
‘If only you knew how priceless!’ Mabina thought as she smiled inwardly then mentally scolded herself for ever having forgotten about the gold. ‘It just shows what sort of a year my brother and I have had that I should forget such a vital fact.’ Some of the gold would make an excellent dowry for their older sister if she ever got to meet Magab. But then, if they declared the gold to Aiofe then others would know of it when she offered a dowry.’

Mabina decided not to mention the gold to Aiofe or Arina unless and until the Mermaid arrived in Carthage. After some more talk she excused herself from the discussions. Mabina could add little to the talk of the town’s defences and she decided she would be better employed helping her brother by distracting the guards. She skipped down to the mermaid and found her brother already stripped to his loin cloth as he made pretence of inspecting the boat.

“Hello brother,” she called as Drustan surfaced, “have you sorted the issues yet?”

“Drustan was relieved to see Mabina; she could easily distract the guards with her maidenly charms and perfect smile. Blue eyes and golden hair would also help for Mabina had an exotic air to her as far as the darker brown- eyed Turdetani guards were concerned. All eyes were soon on Mabina as she practised her newfound feminine wiles and Drustan immediately slipped the bars into a dirty brown bag and silently plunged to the bottom where he found a perfect niche deep in the submerged harbour wall to hide the bars. He surfaced with care and made a note of the hidden location referenced to the mooring dolphins and a large conspicuous stone set at the top of the quay wall. Drustan had successfully hidden the gold and marked the place well in his mind’s eye. This done he made a further pretence of checking the hull then noisily declared his satisfaction as he surfaced for the last time. He dried himself off and returned with his sister to the meeting house.

“Well have you made up your mind young man?” Queen Bramana asked.”

“Nearly, I want to talk to my older sister.”

“Gosh you’re a difficult man to please Drustan. Aiofe’s over there talking to the King and Lord Arton.”

With his usual brusque and unsophisticated manned Drustan didn’t even excuse himself from the queen’s company as he stepped across the hall to capture Aiofe’s attention. Mabina wagged her head resignedly but Queen Bramana smiled indulgently as she spoke to Drustans twin.

“Patience dear girl, he’s still but a boy and with lots on his mind.”

‘You can say that again,’ Mabina reflected silently, ‘my brother must have been worried sick about the gold since leaving Fon all that time ago.’ A year and some several moons she calculated as she guiltily remembered that she had totally forgotten about the priceless cargo in all the adventure and dangers they had faced since that awful day.

“She apologised to Queen Bramana for her brother’s ill-mannered ways but Bramana just smiled as she watched the boy walk straight up to the Appotel and Arton without any sign of deference or obsequiousness.

“May I talk with my sister please?”

The king turned slightly startled that a mere boy should approach so boldly until he recognised Drustan. He grinned as he acknowledged the boy.

“Ah! It’s Drustan Scar-arse. Well my boy, does your sister wish to talk to you? We are discussing important affairs of state concerning the town’s defences. You sister has some useful pointers about conflict and that’s rare indeed in a maid.”

“I would still talk with her please. This is important to me, - and her.”

Lord Arton shrugged and spread his hands in apparent despair. It seemed that the boy had no tact or diplomacy whatsoever. The king glanced at Arton and wagged his head as he granted consent for Aiofe to leave his company.

“See what your brother wants young lady. He seems to find it pressing.”

Aiofe bowed courteously and stalked to where her brother stood waiting by the door.

“Must you be so rude brother? That is the king I was talking to!”

“This is more pressing. I need your advice and it concerns the king’s business.”

“This would be the Mermaid’s secrets then I presume.”

“I’m prepared to trade those now but I want a decent return. He had promised me a Toledo blade but I think I can get him to grant us each a blade. I have held his in my hand, they are superb weapons.”

“And what would we sisters want with swords. We are not much trained in sword play.”

“If you want to see your betrothed prince you’re going to have to travel with the battle fleet. It’s the only safe way to get to Carthage in time for the winter solstice. That means they are going to have to build a small fleet of smaller escort craft like the mermaid, swift and manoeuvrable. That is going to take a couple of months. Time will be pressing by the time Appotel is ready to set forth. You girls can use that time learning the rudiments of swordplay. You might well need it if the Corsairs break through the battle line.”

“And what will you be doing?”

“Firstly I would travel to Toledo. The Iberians don’t know that I have much knowledge of forging iron. Brun taught me much while my older brothers were learning the sword. You know how they always scorned me for my lack of size and light weight. When we are bespoke for our swords I will study their steelmaking arts.”

“What! Must we travel to Toledo with you?”

“What else can you do? Sit here and make tapestries or something.”

His sister snorted derisively then nodded. drustan continued.

“You will garnish more knowledge travelling with me to Toledo plus you will be better known and there might be news of Magab. Mabina thinks the idea sound.”

“So that’s your trade then, bespoke sword for us all in return for the Mermaid’s secrets.”

“I’m more interested in their steel-making but don’t let that be known.”

Suddenly Aiofe had an insight into her younger brother’s cunning. His real trade was the Mermaids secrets for the Toledo steel-making secrets. She smiled knowingly then acceded to his wishes. The girls would definitely accompany him to Toledo.

“Very well, Toledo it is, but we’d best be mounted and not trundled along in some slow old coach. A horse is much swifter.”

“We three ride, I don’t know about Arina. She was only a fisherman’s daughter,” Drustan observed, “she may not be able to come.”

“Ask her. It’ll take a couple of days for you to explain the Mermaid’s secrets to their shipwrights. She can learn the rudiments of riding in that time. She is young and light so the journey will be no hardship.”

“Can I trust Arina’s education to you? We must tell the king of our trade. Come on.”

Before Aiofe could say more Drustan had already returned to the king’s side. He stood there looming at the man’s arm until the king was forced to acknowledge the boy. He did not hide his irritation at the boy’s inconsiderate impetuosity.

“What is it now Drustan!” Appotel demanded.

“We are agreed. I have a trade for the Mermaid’s secrets.”

“And what is that? The moon; the sun; the stars?

“No.” Drustan replied briefly; ignoring the king’s sarcasm. “It’s nothing like as expensive as that.”

“So what is it boy?”

“Swords. Quite simply sir. Swords. One each, bespoke and tailored to my and my sister’s arms and we would go to Toledo to be measured for them. That is the fastest way to get them.”

The king’s eyes widened with surprise.

“Is that it? Is that all? Just four swords.”

“It’s all I want. The secrets of the Mermaid are priceless to you. She is easy to build and you will be able to produce a whole feet of her sisters within two moons. The only fear I have is that you have no Welsh oak. We must find what alternatives you have here.”

“We have Iberian oak.”

“Very well sir, bring what you have to the building yard tomorrow and we will compare all the types of woods. There are several loose floorboards in the Mermaid’s pulpit bilge. We can compare timbers like for like.”

Lord Arton gasped at the boy’s brusqueness. ‘To have the cheek to order the king about!’ He shook his head disbelievingly but Appotel simply smiled. The boy was right. ‘In two moons they would be lucky to add but two or maybe three capital ships to their fleet, but ‘Mermaids’ they could build aplenty! Besides they had warships enough to hold their own against the Corsairs.

The fast, nimble Mermaid escorts might well give their force a naval advantage!’

“Leave it my Lord Arton. Indulge the boy. His skills and Ideas will be sorely needed in the days to come.”

“But your majesty, the boy is rude and brusque and ignorant!”

“The boy is also clever and brave. Indulge him. There is a greater picture but we must first defeat these damned Corsair pirates.”

Appotel turned to Drustan and extended his hand.

“Very well lad. It’s a deal; a trade.”

Drustan shook the king’s hand and immediately made to leave.

“Where are you going now boy?” Arton demanded, once again irritated at the boy’s cavalier dispensation with the King’s august company.

“Back to the dock my lord. To take my boat around to the building yards. Your shipwrights must first learn her secrets before they can copy her. There will be templates and jigs aplenty to make before work can start on building her sisters. She must therefore be slipped and cleaned.”

King Appotel wagged his head and could not suppress his smile. He was growing to like the boy Drustan. ‘Would that his beloved Bramana could bear him a son as bold and courageous as this one. So far it had been all daughters albeit beautiful, affectionate and loyal girls.’ Appotel desperately wished for a son.

He watched the boy trotting down to the dock and turned to Lord Arton as Aiofe and Mabina approached showing all the respect and deference to King Appotel. After apologising for their brother’s seeming ill-breeding they chatted about Drustans agreement about the swords then Aiofe turned to look down into the harbour. She saw the mermaid’s familiar mast and sails moving behind the warehouse.

“Oh by the Gods! Where’s he going now?” She wailed as she imagined her brother set forth upon another wild irresponsible venture.
Both Arton and Appotel smiled as they reassured her.

“He’s going nowhere my dear maid. He simply moves the Mermaid to the building yards where our shipwrights can learn her secrets. Mermaid is to be slipped.”

“Slipped?” Mabina wondered.

“Yes my dear. We don’t have those strange immense changes in the sea level that you have on the Western Sea. We pull our boats out of the water to repair and refurbish them. Mermaid is to be slipped immediately. Your brother is going to watch and learn.”

With a sigh of relief Aiofe excused herself and returned to discuss the forthcoming journey to Toledo with Queen Bramana who hailed from central Iberia.

Mabina requested that she be allowed to join her brother. Appotel wisely agreed for he knew of the twin’s equal capacity and authority when it came to the Mermaid. Mabina changed her beautifully embroidered gown for a pair of britches and several female heads turned censoriously as they watched a girl, no less, in boy’s apparel skipping down to the building yards. Drustan showed no such disapproval as he turned to greet his twin.

“Hello Sis, come to see how it’s done?”

Mabina nodded as she immediately started to study the hauling arrangements.

As captains and owners of the mermaid, the twins had full authority to attend their vessel’s slipping and both of them peppered the building yard master with questions. As the sleek and unusual taper began to reveal itself out of the water, the shipwrights all gathered curiously and the flow of questions reversed. Drustan now had to answer their questions as profiles were taken and templates soon fashioned. Eventually the mermaid stood free of all water and Mabina eyed her protectively. Whilst their beloved little ship seemed desperately unhappy to be separated from her natural environment, namely the water; her graceful lines appealed to Mabina and she had chance again to adore her brother’s handiwork. She had no chance to praise him though for he was surrounded by shipwrights demanding his attentions. Instead, she fell to checking the caulking and ties which being from Lleyn, meant they were Fon copper from The Paris Mountain mines. Even so she was forced to back away as labourers were already scaling the barnacles off her hull.

The next morning when Mabina returned, she was immensely pleased to find the mermaid’s hull spotlessly clean and free of all growths. Drustan was away discussing timbers with the King’s forester so the Yard master unusually approached Mabina, a mere slip of a girl.

“You are so lucky to have all copper nails. We will not be able to bless her sisters with those. You must be very fortunate to have access to so much copper.”

Mabina explained about her Miner cousins who owned and operated the Paris Mountain Copper workings in Northern Fon. Her cousins supplied copper and some other non ferrous metals but she did not mention the gold or silver that were each a tiny by-product of the copper smelting. Then she explained that her side of the family built the ships from the oak they grew in groves around their village. Tearfully she revealed how all this and her family was now lost to them with the brutal Norse invasions. The yard-master gently reached out, placed his huge arm around her shoulder and pulled her to him like some protective father.

Mabina savoured the attention and dried her tears on his rough leather working jerkin. Eventually she recovered from her weepy spell and they fell to discussing practicalities as Mabina described some of the tricks and procedures her family used in their boat construction. Whilst unlike Drustan, she had not actually worked on the manufacturing techniques back home on the family’s slips at Lleyn; she had certainly watched and learned for she had a sharp eye and a keen mind. She had however, helped Drustan a lot with his building of the mermaid as his own pet project and he had discussed all his ideas with her. Mabina knew almost as much as her brother about the Mermaid’s construction but she was a little vague about his ideas and principles. In Drustan’s absence however, she was able to supply sufficient information to please the shipwrights. When Lord Arton and his King visited the yards at noon they were amused and surprised to see Mabina, the fourteen-year-old maid, now as pretty as her older sister, sitting on a pile of undressed timber sharing rough bread and rougher wine as she chatted unconcernedly with the shipwrights and the yard-master.

Arton turned to Appotel and smiled before the shipbuilders had realised who the two cloaked visitors were.

“Just look at her. Every bit as bold as her brother but much more sociable. She’ll be a maid to weave a special magic one day.”

Appotel nodded and smiled as he removed his hood and revealed himself to the men and the maid. Shocked, the whole yard staff and Mabina stood as one for Mabina was much more attuned to courtly manners than her uncouth brother.

“Good progress Master Faahn.” The King addressed the yard master as he cast a satisfied eye about the yard. Already the templates had been fashioned and the first keel was being shaped. And all this in one morning. A glance at the stranded mermaid revealed all the chalk shape lines and strange numbers that the Yard-master and Mabina had drawn as they decided how best to extract the mermaid’s shape. The King walked up to the numbers and frowned as he turned to Mabina.

“These are the figures your sister spoke of, Magab the Nubian’s way of doing sums.”

“Yes your majesty.”

He then turned to the yard master.

“Are they useful numbers?”

“Not yet to me your majesty but the girl exercises a unique skill with them. I am minded to learn them. She garnered answers to problems that I would have had to take to Aeron the priest. He would have taken several hours or even as much as a day to complete this single sum with the Roman numbers.”

He tapped his huge bony knuckle on a complex sum that Mabina had just that morning solved by casually scribbling the numbers with chalk on the Mermaid’s newly scraped hull. All the shipwrights had stopped by to study the sum and wonder as Master Faahn continued.

“And she was quicker my lord king. Her figures are certainly a better way once you master her ways with the tricks of multiplication and division.”

“Is that the opinion of you all?” Appotel addressed the assembled shipwrights.

They replied as one with a resounding ‘yes’ as Appotel’s eyes fell benignly on Mabina’s self effacing smile. Then he turned again to Master Faahn.

“Can you spare her this afternoon?”

“For now my lord, yes. We have plenty to be going on with.”

Appotel turned to Mabina.

“Well young lady, not so much a sorceress as a mathematician. You’ve certainly impressed the ship builders and they are a skilled, secretive trade. Sadly we have further need of your skills for before we travel to Toledo, you will have to leave behind as many instructions as you can. Can I ask you and your brother to write down all you think necessary to build the first ship?”

“How long will we be away your majesty?”

“I don’t know. A moon perhaps, maybe a moon and a half. It depends upon the roads and how long it takes for you to be fitted for a bespoke sword. We’ll be travelling on horseback not by carriage so the journey will be swifter but less comfortable.”

“I’ve never ridden in a carriage your majesty so it’ll be no hardship to go by horseback. Besides, it’s no less uncomfortable than a sea voyage. Horseback is fine by us. The little girl Arina. I presume she’s skilled enough to ride now, is she?”
“Queen Bramana says she is coming as well, her family is from near Toledo. Her brother is a senior chieftain and her older sister is consort to king Pilus. They will be pleased to meet up. It’s journey well worth making for these Toledo weapons are fine tools.”

“A family get-together,” Mabina finished.

“Indeed young lady. It will be a joyous affair. Bramana’s sister has several daughters about your age and younger, plus sons a little older than you. King Pilus’s children of course.”
Mabina was always up for a party and she smiled inwardly. Boy’s, especially princes, were of great interest to her fourteen summers. Besides, it was an opportunity for more travel and more adventure. She agreed without further question and Appotel smiled with satisfaction. Mabina had been the last perceived obstacle. The journey was arranged for the next but one day and the twins would have their work cut out leaving instructions and plans for Yard-Master Faahn. That evening and the following day, Drustan and Mabina remembered and wrote down everything they could while Aiofe and Arina made preparations for the journey.