The Angry Mermaid 5 - - - Y Morforwyn Dicllon 5

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In which the Gangani trio escape Demetea with a new crewmember and arrive on Dumnoni shores.

The Angry Mermaid 5.
Or.
Y Morforwyn Dicllon 4

Mabina. The youngest daughter and Twin to
Drustan Her twin brother.
Grandpa Erin the twins grandfather.
Giana The twins grandmother
Caderyn The twins father.
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.)

All that night and the following day The Angry mermaid swept south as the four debated their next option. If the Norsemen had reached the lands of the Dumnonii then there would be no option but to skirt the dangerous shores and use Aiofe’s’ memory of the route to the Frankish lands. Their fears were not helped by Noden’s mood. The skies had darkened and the seas had built up into heaving, towering mountains with thunderous horses plunging down their lee sides. None of the three Gangani children had ever seen such huge long heavy seas but Arina had.

Often when out fishing she had lain in their boat and watched the huge swells rolling easily out of the western great sea where no land ever was. Provided the winds that had fetched up such great mountains of water were not following on, then the seas in themselves were not dangerous. The Demetae’s boats simply rode easily over the mountainous swells as the fishermen continued working their nets and lines.

This time however, an unseasonal summer gale had joined with the incoming swells and built a short breaking sea up on top of the rolling swell. Now the Angry Mermaid was pounding and rolling furiously in the combined frenzy of the south-westerly swells and the additive north-westerly crosswinds. The mermaid flung herself like a wild runaway horse as she breasted first one mighty swell then set her bow to the cross wind and slammed into the white horses that raced along the tops of the waves before plunging madly into the following swell. It was a wild ride and a sickening one but fortunately each of them had sailed the waters all their lives. The only difference being that now the waves were infinitely larger and they found it hard to comprehend the idea that between the might swells, they could not even see over the wave crests even if they had climbed the mast.

“What makes these waves?” Drustan bellowed to Arina between the rhythmic slow crashes of the angry breaking crests.

“Big storms, far, far out. Storms like our winter storms.”

“What; even in the summer.”

“They are far away; they say the seas are as warm as blood.”

“Who told you all this?”

“Travellers from the south,” replied Arina, “and sometimes after the winter storms we get all sorts of strange things cast up on the beaches. Trees that are nothing like our trees, great seeds and often strange birds and great swimming creatures with shining shells. There must be other lands beyond the great sea; lands that we will never see.”

“Well I should like to visit them one day.” Drustan remarked mainly to himself because Mabina then let out a cry.

“I think that’s land!”

The peered as one and concluded Mabina was right. A thin, light, grey strip of cliffs was showing up as the Mermaid crested each wave.

“We’d better stand off further out.” Drustan shouted mainly to Aiofe.

She turned and nodded.

“We have to round that headland and then change course to easterly. We mustn’t go too far out though. If I remember properly, there were off shore islands and reefs further out and they are a graveyard for plenty of ships.”

“Is that definitely the Dumnonii headland?”

“Yes. I’ve been there twice. You and Mabina were supposed to accompany Morgaran this summer if it hadn’t been for the damned Norse pirates.”

“We’ll have to clear that headland then. If we fetch up on a lee shore with these seas we’re done for.”

“Well if we’re going to do it, do it now, the closer we get, the more westering we’ll have to steer and the broader we’ll be on to this north-westerly gale.” Mabina added as she swapped helm duties with her brother.

Drustan glanced at Arina who nodded fearfully. She had seen seas as wild as this before but usually from the cliffs of her beloved haven. Weather as bad as this usually drove the Demetae boats to find shelter. She was surprised to find that these fearless Gangani cousins seemed only to be wondering their course and plan of action. They seemed to have every faith in the little craft Arina had been so honoured to give a name. Once more she looked aft disbelievingly as the craft surfed down the following sea and left a white line of foam still visible as it angled through the spindrift on the last but one wave as she raced along before the North-westerly gale.

Arina swallowed fearfully, ‘The boy Drustan was right; if they fetched up on the lee shore then they would be dashed to pieces!’ She looked again at the pale grey rocky land and finally built up enough courage to nod timidly.

“I think you’re right, we’d best make sure we clear the headland.”

Aiofe smiled at the girl and handed her some dried fish that had come from Arina’s own drying rack back were the poisoned pirates still probably lay dead. She took it gratefully and chewed it slowly to make it last. There was still plenty of food and water but it had to be eaten cold and Arina was missing the hot food. Still, when she balanced that with the idea that she was at least now free and amongst friends even if they were in danger, they were sharing that danger as equals. Not one decision had been made where Arina, despite only having ten summers, had not been consulted. She pressed up close to Aiofe looking for adult reassurance and the young woman reached around her child shoulders to reassure her.

“Don’t worry Arina; the Angry Mermaid is a fine boat. Have you ever seen anything go so fast and yet stay so dry?”

Once more Arina stared out at the mountainous seas and nodded disbelievingly to Aiofe as the craft bravely fetched up to another towering crest and shouldered the crossing white horse aside as it plunged racing down the rear of the rolling mountain of water. She looked aft at Mabina steadying the tiller and marvelled at the stability of the craft. ‘There was a girl but two summers her elder and yet equalling all the competence of her twin brother Drustan!’

That same brother was at that moment checking the cordage and canvas but he felt Arina’s eyes boring into his back. He turned and seemed to read Arina’s mind.

“Don’t worry my Demetae cousin. Once this storm abates, we’ll have you trained to the Mermaid’s secrets. This is not the time to be learning though; Nodens is testing us and the Mermaid.”

Arina could have kissed the boy and even Aiofe felt a wave of affection for her younger brother for his having reassured the little girl. There was no room for passengers on this perilous passage.

Having agreed their plan, Drustan finished checking the linen sail and nodded to his twin.

“Can you try and bring her round a point to starboard, see how she likes it.”

Mabina cast a glance back at the seas and nodded as Aiofe warned Arina to take hold.

“She might roll and lurch a bit until we’ve reset the sail, just expect a change of motion.”
Aiofe stepped up beside Drustan to adjust the sail while Arina accepted Mabina’s invitation to come aft to the tiller. As she watched her siblings like a hawk, Mabina also explained to Arina how she was watching Nodens’ ocean to see that no surprises were sprung.

Once Aiofe and Drustan had tightened the port sheet the Angry Mermaid took the bit between her teeth and set off at an even faster pace. She seemed to fly at the seas and take every crest like wild horse but they were making the essential westering that would ensure their clearing the dreaded headland.

Once they were happy with the boat’s performance Mabina slung a loose turn around the tiller to ease the burden on her arms and shoulders. Drustan glanced back to see if she was happy with steering and when she nodded contentedly his eyes fell to studying the rigging. Aiofe watched her younger brother’s eyes flicking from boom to rigging to sail.

“What are you thinking little brother?”

“Oh nothing; well, nothing much;”

“Is it another idea for the boat?”

“Don’t know. Just thinking; anyway we can’t do anything about it now, not out here, not in this.”

They continued making westing for several hours until all were confident they had the sea room to clear the headland with plenty of manoeuvring room to spare. Such was the intercourse between the three siblings that it only took a brief exchange of glances from the trio to agree the change of course. Drustan and Mabina slackened the sail as Aiofe put the wind further astern to run free before the wind. Little Arina understood all the seamanship but she marvelled at the unspoken communication. Had the men folk of her tribe been so interconnected and co-operative instead of bickering and arguing as the Norse pirates approached from the sea then they might just have beaten off the raiders attack.

'However ‘it’s no use crying over spilt milk now,’ she concluded silently. ‘She was lucky to have been rescued by such brave and seamanlike cousins who at least spoke the same tongue.’

Once more she found herself cuddling up to Aiofe as the boat sped ever south. The older girl smiled and exchanged knowing glances with the twins.

‘After all,’ thought Aiofe, ’if the twins and I are uncertain of our fate; what fears must beset the poor Demetae child.’

Eventually, as the long summer evening began to finally darken, the storm abated. Summer storms were usually short lived. Soon they levelled with the perilous headland. Aiofe eventually recognised the next headland as it emerged into view.

“We’ll have to keep going south. There’s some bad reefs close inshore and also over by those islands to the west. Once we’ve levelled with the second headland we can turn due east. Morgaran told me that this is the very tip of our Celtic island.

“It will be dark before we reach that headland,” Mabina observed as she steadied the boat from a particularly steep swell, “and we seem to entering shallower waters.”

They all watched the seas starting to heap up and frowned fearfully. For all her remembered details of the route to Frankdom, Aiofe’s knowledge was not encyclopaedic. Suddenly Drustan spotted seven sharp rocks as their dagger-like points cleaved the rolling swells to create a boiling cauldron of destruction fine on the starboard bow.

“Oh Nodens arse!” Cursed Drustan as he pointed to the rocks and frantically screamed to Mabina. “Port sister, port for all your life! For all our lives!!”

Mabina could tell immediately by Drustan’s voice that this was no time for discussion and anyway Aiofe had now spotted the deadly trap and joined with Drustan as they desperately trimmed the sail to give Mabina scope. Mabina leaned desperately on the rudder to little effect and she called to Arina.

“Help me here girl. The tiller; pull on your side! Pull for all your worth!!”

Arina had also spotted the peril by now and she leapt to Mabina’s aid. As the tiller finally conceded defeat, the Angry Mermaid relinquished her headlong southerly dash and slowly, reluctantly came around to port. Drustan and Aiofe now turned to Mabina and their expressions gave voice to their fears. If Mabina turned too suddenly they could broach in the swells that were now beginning to break. It was a fine judgement between applying enough helm to clear the visible rocks and not applying so much as to broach the boat. As to any submerged dangers they could only trust to luck. Everybody’s eyes searched fearfully for easier, longer seas that would signify deeper, safer water. Then their eyes were drawn irresistibly to the seven vicious black teeth sweeping down their starboard side. The roar and crash of the thundering breakers terrified them and Drustan stepped aft in case help was needed with the helm. Mabina noticed his approach and smiled reassurance.

“I’m holding her but we’re in Nodens hands now.”

“Even as she spoke, there was a deafening roar as a huge sea swept over the rocks and broke on the east side into a welter of anger. The surf broke violently and poured green water into the Angry Mermaid. For several seconds panic ensued as the boat lurched and rolled sickeningly. Arina let out a scream of despair but the Gangani trio were made of sterner stuff. The wave had helped as well as hindered for it had pushed the boat to the east and away from the dreadful trap. They were free of the breakers but the boat still rolled and flopped sickeningly as the free water slopped dangerously in the very belly of the boat.

“We’ll have to bail her!” Aiofe shouted. “Quickly! All hands.”

Now they were clear of the rocks, Mabina had space to manoeuvre again and she cautiously tested the course until she reached the best compromise between the sail steadying the boat without capsizing it due to free surface water. Drustan looked up and smiled; ‘his twin knew what to do instinctively’.

With three pairs of hands bailing and the boat on a steadier course to give surer footing, they soon had the boat dry but it was now nightfall and there were no stars or moon.

“I vote we trim the sail and drift during the night.” Mabina suggested. “With the boat silent, we’ll hear any surf in these seas and have time to get away. Besides, these light north-westerly winds are blowing us clear of the headland now.”

“I agree,” Drustan replied, “but we’d best put out a drag to reduce drift, I want to be able to see the land in the morning. Nodens knows what’s out there to the west.”

“What of the tide?” Aiofe added.”

They all fell silent then Arina volunteered.

“It should be the same as our headland so at this time of the moon it should be setting south, at least until sunrise. I may be out by an eighth of the day though; we’ve come a long way from my village.”

A south setting tide would do for it took them away from both headland and the islands. For want of better information they settled on casting a drag over the bow and trusting to the gods. Not all trust was put in Nodens’ lap however, they posted double lookouts, two watched, while two slept. Aiofe was glad they had brought the child Arina along; it shared the burden of watches. During the night the unseasonal wind blew itself out completely and the wind backed around to a light northerly
zephyr. Aiofe and Mabina let Drustan and Arina lie on asleep as dawn’s fingers searched across the eastern sky. It was the familiar squeaks of a school of porpoises aroused them and the four leaned over the side to try and entice them nearer. The porpoises were more interested in the shoal of herring that had ‘shoaled’ under the boat and they were corralling them into a tight ball.

Soon the herring were leaping frantically around the boat as the porpoises circled tightly. Drustan had an idea and they quickly took the spare linen sail to make a primitive net. Then he and Mabina swam out from the boat and spread the square sheet on the surface. The herring seemed to think that this offered refuge from the porpoises and several dozen had leapt out of the water and straight into the sail before Drustan and Mabina had even finished spreading the sail out. Aiofe and Arina needed no further bidding and they hauled in the extended sheets to trap the precious fish in the belly of the sail. Before they knew it, the four had more fish than they knew what to do with.

As he and Mabina held the ends of the sail closed, Aiofe and Arina scooped out as many of the big fish as they could reach. Drustan was separating the smaller fry out of the sails’ belly and throwing them back into the sea so that they could eventually recover the sail. Suddenly he savoured the delight of a dolphin snatching a fish from his own hand as Mabina gazed enraptured from the other side of the sail.

“They’re tame! They’re friendly!” Mabina squealed as a porpoise nosed at her naked body and pressed its beak into her curved belly then probed her private parts.

She squeaked with a mix of fear and delight then copied her brother and offered a sprat to the porpoise. Drustan then felt the same knowing prod of the porpoise’s beak as it nosed into his male parts and squeaked excitedly. Soon the porpoises were surrounding both children expectantly and they shrieked with pleasure as they eagerly distributed the smaller fish to the school.

The fun was such that they repeated the exercise with the spare linen sail a second time but this time Arina and Aiofe savoured the joy of doing the feeding and they offered all the captured herring, - big and small, to the porpoises.
Then the mood of the porpoises seemed to change. The clicks and squeaks became more rapid and urgent as the porpoises started to dive and circle frantically.

“What’s got into them?” Shouted Mabina.

“Don’t know, something’s upset them,” Drustan replied, “they’re going deeper and gathering down below there’s a, - Ahhgg! Shit! Out of the water, now!”

Aiofe and Arina needed no second warning; all were familiar with the dangerous denizen’s that lurked in the depths. They scrambled out of the water even as a lethal torpedo shape streaked past the Mermaid then disappeared as fast as it had come.

“Was that a shark?” Gasped a disbelieving Drustan.

“Yes and that’s what frightened the porpoises look they’re coming back.” Aiofe observed.

As her words ended the porpoises arrived collectively just outside the linen sail and the four sailors were stunned to see that they were supporting a smaller baby porpoise that had obviously suffered some sort of wound. It was squeaking and clicking desperately as the adults struggled to keep it afloat.

“D’you think it needs help,” Mabina wondered.

“How?” Wondered Drustan.

“Well they seem to be holding it up with its head out of the water. If we supported it in the sail then they wouldn’t have to keep bumping it and nudging it. It doesn’t look very happy being pushed and prodded and that’s a bad bite on its fin. It’s almost hanging off.”

“So what d’you intend to do Sis?” Drustan mocked, “Sow it back on?”

“If I can, yes. They gave us all these lovely fish; at least we can try to return a good deed.”

Drustan turned to Aiofe as he often did when he was unsure of something.

“What d’you think big sister?”

“Can’t do any harm but who’s going back in the water?”

Bravado prompted the boy to take the plunge and the girls stared in amazement as the porpoises actually encircled their brother clicking furiously as if they realised help was at hand for their precious youngster. Drustan gently coaxed the baby and its mother into the sail then the girls tightened the lines and the sail formed a comfortable cradle. Mabina was into the sail even as her brother slipped back into the water and with her powerful sail needle she quickly had the split dorsal fin reattached to the root on the dolphin’s spine. Drustan frolicked with the porpoises and squealed as the water beasts constantly nuzzled his belly and his private parts. He blushed when Aiofe pointed out that they seemed unduly curious about Drustan’s manhood.

Reluctantly, Drustan crawled back aboard as Mabina was finishing the last stitch to the young porpoise’s dorsal fin. She gently ‘tested’ it for stiffness because Drustan had pointed out that the porpoise’s dorsal fin had exactly the same function as the Mermaids dagger board. Satisfied that they had done all they could, the four lowered the lines and the sail floated lazily on the water as mother and baby carefully swam free. The four looked with satisfaction as the pod remained around the boat clicking and squeaking with evident gratitude.

“Job done sisters,” Drustan grinned, “but we can’t stay here all day. Time to be making headway.”

Reluctantly, the four set course and the dolphins stayed with them. Eventually the porpoises seemed to tire of the pleasure and the sailors bid them farewell. Next they finally set course to round the southernmost headland, for the seas were calmer, the huge, long, rolling, mountainous swells had eased and the passage was set fair for Southern shores of the Dumnonii lands. It was still a fine, clear sunny morning with plain sailing.

Noon found them approaching the southernmost headland and the four wondered what awaited them on the other side. Aiofe had described a wide deep inlet with a single largish town and several small settlements on the banks. The inlet led deep inland just like Arina’s haven and Aiofe remembered it as a well sheltered, deeply wooded estuary with plenty of excellent places to anchor with deep sticky mud. However, with the Norsemen having already destroyed Arina’s happy peace the four had no idea of their reception. As they made the easting of the southernmost tip of the headland they encountered the vicious chop of the ebbing tide race that fought the incoming westerly swell and the northerly cross-wind. The sea turned white with rearing horses that tossed the Mermaid violently but the tightly hauled reach kept her steady and the heavy load of fresh fish kept her stable.
The fish might prove a useful trading commodity if or when they found a congenial settlement. Despite the boat’s lively movement, Arina, the fisherman’s daughter, was busily gutting the fish and a long pennant of gulls trailed aft of the Mermaid. Mabina had never fished for a living and they marvelled as the girl of just ten summer’s fingers flashed expertly to flick entrails after entrails to the following gulls.

Sadly in these violent days of piracy and war, visitors were rarely welcome and strangers even less so. It did not help that the Mermaid had an unusual configuration that in some ways resembled a Viking war ship with its high narrow prow but a more seaworthy trading ship’s broad, rounded stern, ‘like a fat chicken’s arse,’ Morgaran had laughed until he had seen her paces. The secret of her speed however lay in the deep broad fore-hull where the mast was stepped and then the long easy taper to the wide stern. The underwater shape totally belied the upper-works and that was the happy accident that gave the mermaid her uncanny and inexplicable turn of speed.

Eventually the mermaid clawed her way clear of a tide race that locals had always avoided because of the force and the unnecessary effort that had to be expended to defeat it. Their slower boats had invariably been swept up or down the long channel that bordered the southern shore of the Romano-Celtic Island. Far better to await the turn of tide and use it to advantage. The mermaid’s crew however new nothing of the local tides and each leg of their escape was proving to be an adventure despite Aiofe’s’ knowledge of past voyages. She could not be expected to remember everything.

The Angry Mermaid’s successful transit of the unfavourable tides had not gone un-noticed ashore. Several shiploads of heavily armed men in leather tunics and iron helmets were lurking in a narrow inlet. Malicious eyes looked enviously at the unusual craft as it sped through the choppy seas with almost ungodly speed and agility. Preparations were swiftly set in hand to pursue the intruder and find out more about it. It was to be the Norse raider’s first overt act of piracy in their declaration of war against the Dumnonii settlements.

The raiders had only arrived that early morning themselves and they had hidden in the narrow inlet behind the headland while scout parties had been sent inland to check out the native defences. Now those scout parties had returned that very noon time to report and gloat about the unpreparedness of the settlements ashore. Here was a fine harbour and several comfortable settlements including a small town to be taken in one afternoon. The Vikings believed they had found Odin’s pot of gold.

It just remained to first capture the impudent little craft that had appeared so unexpectedly and then boldly sped past their trap. They did not want their presence announced too early. Shock and surprise were vital tools in the Norsemen’s strategy.
The Viking long ship that had been pre-prepared to intercept any ship approaching the sound erupted out of the inlet and set off in hot pursuit as the sweeps beat a frantic rhythm to catch their prey. Aiofe gasped when she spotted the long low profile sliding menacingly out from behind the tall rocks.

“By the gods, look at that bloody black sail with the red flame! They’re Blueface's raiders!” She screamed.

The others turned as one to follow Aiofe’s gaze and various curses erupted as one.

“Damn it! Have they spread this far south?” Drustan cursed.

“Don’t know little brother. She’s a fast one though. Look at those sweeps going!”

“We’ll not beat her on this tack.” Mabina cried as she measured the long-ship’s furious pace.

“So where do we go? Is the town taken?” Arina wondered.

“I can’t see any other longships inside the estuary.” Drustan shouted after he had shinned the mast.

“Any smoke, any other signs?” Aiofe called.

“No. Not as far as I can see. Just people moving as you’d expect.”

“Celt or Viking?”

“Can’t say. Just people.”

A nervous mood settled upon them as they stared fearfully at the pursuing long-ship and debated what to do.

“Why are they after us then? Why don’t they attack the town?” Mabina wondered aloud. “Surely there are richer pickings in the town!”

“Perhaps they’re not strong enough to attack the town. There’s only one ship.” Aiofe reasoned but with little conviction.

“So why then, do they chase us?” Arina cried again. “We’ve got nothing, just a load of fish.”

Mabina and Drustan exchanged knowing looks for only they two knew of the gold and silver that had been sent with them to pay for the ships, not to mention the large cache of copper lying deep in the belly of the boat. Even Aiofe had not learned of the treasure lying buried under the load of slimy slippery fish. She thought the covered weight was stone ballast.

“We’re still a prize little cousin.” Cautioned Aiofe. “You know how fast we go. They must have seen us rounding the heads so now they are greedy and want our secrets.”

“And they’ll get them if we carry on this reach. We are too close hauled.”

“But if we pay off we’ll not reach the town. We are too far to warn them.” Aiofe cursed again.

“By the gods, would that we could close this bloody northern wind.”

“It’s no use,” Mabina cried, “we’ll not beat her unless we pay off and take a broader reach.”

“And then we’ll never make the sound,” Added Drustan, somewhat unnecessarily. “What d’you propose big sis?”

“Let’s head more easterly along the coast. We can just about hold them on a broad reach and they can’t keep that pace up forever.”

“Then what?” Mabina demanded.

“I don’t know,” Drustan confessed, “once we are free of them then perhaps find a horse ashore and one of us ride to the town. Find out what’s going on; find out if the town is Celt or Norse.”

“First shed the shadow,” Aiofe finished, “if they can row like that it’ll be a long time before we rid ourselves of those wolves.”

“Double back when it’s dark,” Arina suggested timidly.

“Not a bad idea little cousin, Drustan smiled, “we’ll make a warrior of you yet.”

“I don’t want to be a warrior; I want to be a queen.”

The three siblings smiled as Mabina added.

“Queens have to fight for their throne if they are not born to it. Were you born to be a queen Arina?”

“No. I’m just a fisherman’s daughter.”

“Then your fight will be hard and probably very long. Queens don’t give up their thrones easily.”

“Then let’s start now.” Cried Arina with a courage she did not really feel.

The others smiled again but Mabina felt Arina’s little hand join hers and tighten on the tiller while Drustan hauled just that bit tighter on the main sheet. The Angry Mermaid like the mixed blood racehorse she was, leapt even faster across the shallow offshore waves and soon they had the measure of the failing long-ship rowers.

As victory reached down from the gods to reward them, darkness fell and they doubled back as soon they felt safe enough to do so. Drustan looked up at the sail they had blackened with the soot from Arina’s fire and thanked the stars that they had thought to do so. A black sail with black masts was all but invisible in the stygian blackness of the new moon. Now however, they had the danger of the dark to contend with; speeding along on a broad reach towards a rocky shore was an invitation to disaster even though there was a deep, broad open river mouth to aim for. Even Aiofe knew little of these waters for her trips to Frankish lands and Gaul had taken her south of these coasts after rounding the great rocks were land seemed to end.

I the darkness all eyes strained desperately for the slightest tell-tale of broken water or crashing surf that would have betrayed the dreaded rocks but as dawn broke they found themselves back almost where they had been when the Norsemen’s trap had been sprung. They breathed a sigh of relief as the broad sound opened up to invite them and they found themselves resting easy on their heels for the first time since leaving Arina’s home. As they entered the smoother waters of the sound, The Angry Mermaid finally stilled her restless galloping and aching calves found comfort on the steadied deck. It was only then, as the dawn’s light spread westwards that the four realised their troubles were far from over. Speeding northwards from their temporary lair, the Norsemen’s fleet was thrashing up a welter of white water as their long sweeps beat a frantic pace to catch the town of Bohor and the surrounding hamlets unawares.

“We must raise the alarm!” Arina shrieked as fear lent panic to her torment, “these brutes know no mercy!”

“But how?” Cursed Aiofe.

It was now Drustan’s turn to smirk as he burrowed under the cold slimy fish to eventually unearth the giant, verdigreesed horn that he had determinedly stolen from the Viking lookouts who had occupied Arina’s humble home.

“I knew this would come in handy, help me clear the mouthpiece.”
Mabina leapt to help her twin and they quickly cleared the horn’s throat of slime and fish-scales.

“Have you enough breath to blow that brother?” Aiofe asked.

“I can but try.”

Aiofe frowned as Drustan bent to the huge horn and blew for all he was worth. It was useless; his juvenile lungs simply did not have the capacity. Then Aiofe tried and failed as did Mabina. The three of them cursed then watched fascinated as Arina stood to the mighty horn.

“You have to tremble your lips like this." She explained timidly. "Those evil bullies showed me when they were posted as lookouts in our family home.”

So saying, the little ten-year-old girl embarrassed her older cousins by slowly building up the vibrations in her lips to finally match the horn’s harmonics until a long sonorous wail escaped the mighty bronze maw. The trio howled with joy and clapped furiously as the sound rolled and thundered across the broad inlet.

“Bravo, little cousin, Bravo! Bravo!”

Arina continued repeating the haunting groan and within minutes figures appeared swarming from the houses whilst hurriedly girding their loins for war.

Arina finally rested from her exhausting endeavours and smiled.

“Well! They know what a Viking lookout horn sounds like now. That’ll set them to battle and bloody quick!”

“Let’s bloody hope they don’t mistake us for a Norsemen’s ship. The Mermaid’s prow has an uncanny resemblance.” Aiofe cautioned.

“Well let’s give them the message loud and clear,” Mabina concluded. “There seem to be less settlements further up the sound. Arina when you get your breath, start that horn again and warn the whole bloody river.”

Arina needed no second bidding and she bent to again as the trio set to manoeuvring the Mermaid further up the river where the channel progressively narrowed. Soon crowds of celtic menfolk started appearing on the banks shouting at the foursome.

“You’d better speak to them Sis,” Drustan suggested. A woman’s voice won’t be a threat.
Aiofe grinned condescendingly.

“Why has your voice broken then brother?”

“Use your best, baritone, bro!” Mabina sniggered.

“Ha, - ha. Very funny, I don’t think,” riposted Drustan as he yelled ‘FRIENDS ‘at the top of his boy soprano lungs.

“The crowd fell silent as somebody who obviously had authority raised his sword to quell the tumult. Then he bellowed his question.

“Who are you?”

“I’m Drustan ap Caderyn ap Erin of the Gangani. We bring warning of the Norsemen’s attack on the town.”

“You blow a Norsemen’s horn!”

“We sound an alarm. Go and see for yourselves.”

The leader was obviously a man of wit and he immediately sent half of his clan racing south to reinforce the town of Bohor.
He now recognised that the little boat with but four souls aboard, and three of them girls at that, presented little threat. He lowered his sword as The Angry mermaid finally deigned to approach the wooden jetty. Even so Mabina spilled the wind and hove to several ship-lengths short while Drustan dropped a modest stone anchor over the wall. The four sailors had little to protect themselves and the tumultuous crowd were all armed.

“Why won’t you come alongside, we can speak!” The leader called. “I am Penderol, leader of the Val clan of the Dumnonii.”

“We can speak from here, and then everybody can witness as we have to shout.”

“Why so? You can trust us.”

“We trust no-one we’ve been betrayed twice yet,” Drustan lied.

Aiofe nodded agreement and silenced Arina’s protest

“Quiet cousin. Drustan’s being cautious. He’s right; we can trust no-one in these dark times.”
Penderol the chief shouted across the water.

“Besides bad news, have you brought anything else?”

“What d’you mean; bad news,” Drustan replied angrily.

“The damned Norsemen.”

“Instead of wasting breath here, go and help your brothers down at the river’s mouth.”

“And then the other Norsemen attack from the land.”Penderol riposted.

Drustan turned to Aiofe in puzzlement.

“What other Norsemen?”

The girls all shrugged bemusedly for none of them knew of any other raiders. Drustan called back to the chief.

“What other raiders? We know of no others.”

“That butcher, Blueface Carl!”

Drustan was none the wiser but Aiofe gave a shudder and a fearful curse.

“That’s the brute who murdered grandmother! Rermember that sail, Black with the red flame. That's Blueface's emblem. He has a brutish blue scar from eye to jaw and his men call him Blueface.”

“Then he must have passed us when we were resting in Arina’s house!” Drustan reckoned.

“But why would he be coming so far south?” Mabina wondered.

“Greed. He’s looking to conquer more land.” Finished Aiofe.

“They won’t stop until they have stolen all the land,” Arina observed tearfully, “no land, no tribe is safe.”

“You may be right there cousin,” Drustan finished. “This thief must be stopped.”

“How?” Asked Aiofe. “Just look at their faces, they all fear him, this Blueface; and the Dumnonii were never the bravest of warriors.”

Drustan turned to study the crowd gathered on the jetty They certainly wouldn’t have instilled fear in a Viking long-ship crew. Mostly inshore fishermen and farmers. He called again to Penderol.

“Where is this Blueface?”

“He landed two days hence on the north shore and marches south; already he holds the tressilian narrows, where the water ends.” The leader replied.

“So why have you not faced him?”

“The leader Penderol fell silent. In truth they had decided to wait until men came from the town of Bohor but now that the four children had brought news of the Viking raid from the south, the Dumnonii realised the pincer trap they were caught in. They would have to face the dreaded pirate and his raiders immediately to the north while the town of Bohor looked to its own defences in the south. The leader talked earnestly amongst his men and then shouted to the Angry mermaid.

“How many men can your boat carry?”

“About a score, but we are loaded with fish we hoped to trade.”

“We must empty the fish and get as many men to the Malpas narrows as we can. We can set up some sort of defence there.”

The Angry mermaid’s crew had to trust to the man’s judgement for they had no idea of the local topography.

“What does your boat draw?” Penderol called out.

“About three quarters of an arm, she is shallow but fast.” Replied Mabina.

The Dumnonii men looked at each other wondering how so shallow a boat had weathered the last two days of gale. The boat seemed to be a freakish shape, a very hodgepodge of strange features. However, they were not about to question the boat’s abilities, clearly these people were of the Gangani tribe from their Dialect and if that little boat had weathered the passage then it would certainly cope with the calm, upper reaches of the Val especially with such a shallow draught. Urgently, the Dumnonii men pleaded to use the boat. Reluctantly, Drustan and Mabina agreed. There was no other option if they were to even think of somehow stopping Blueface’s raiders. After a brief exchange of views, the Angry Mermaid’s crew reluctantly agreed to bring the boat alongside, discharge the fish and then provide transport for the Celtic warriors to ‘The Malpas’ wherever that was.

Once decided, it was but a few minutes to complete and to everybody’s satisfaction, over two dozen men were able to enter the boat. Wondering eyes cast about the Celtic men as they studied the strange features and novel innovations until Penderol turned to Mabina who seemed to be the main helmsman.

“Little maid, your craft is strange. Strange but fast, I am impressed!”

“Mabin smiled briefly as she followed the chief’s directions and the Angry Mermaid leapt to her task. Within a quarter an hour, to the Celt’s shocked disbelief, they had landed on the shore at the Malpas junction where two arms of the Val conjoined.

“Can you repeat this journey little maid?” Wondered Penderol.

“How many times, how long have we got?” Asked Drustan.

“I don’t know; I don’t know how far south Blueface has marched this morning.”

“Well you’d best hide and send out scouts while we bring more men.” Aiofe observed.

“My thoughts exactly woman,” Penderol replied.

Aiofe cast about the boat and spoke quietly to Drustan.

“Well little brother, you wanted a fight, will you stay here while Mabina and I return?”

Drustan suddenly felt very ‘un-brave’. Standing amongst grown men he began to realise how small his thirteen summers were. Nervously he swallowed then nodded uncertainly as he spoke softly to his older sister.

“I suppose I must. It means one more fighting man in the next load. Leave Arina behind at the jetty next time then it will be two extra men.”

Aiofe nodded and talked at length with Penderol before attending to the boat. Drustan wished he knew what Aiofe had been talking about. Then, without more ado, she and Mabina quickly sped south again to collect the next load. On the shore, Drustan tested his Viking bow then tried to wield the mighty sword they had collected in Arina’s roundhouse. The bow was useable, Drustan’s arms were used to carpentry and he had some strength in them; enough to draw the bow but nothing like enough to swing the mighty sword. Penderol smiled indulgently as he asked to try the sword and then deftly hefted it above his head in a dazzling series of strikes and swings.

“This is not a bad sword boy, how did you come by it?”

Drustan was sensible enough to tell the absolute truth. Their gaining of such excellent weapons by any means was saga of bravery enough for a young boy to tell.

“I stole it.” Said Drustan. “My sisters poisoned two pirates who were holding Arina as a slave and we stole their weapons. The other sword and bow are still on the Angry mermaid.”

“Well lad, it’ll serve better this day in my hand for it’s too heavy for you. Here take my long dagger, it will serve you better. Stay close to me and if we see this day out, I’ll teach you this sword so you are ready for the day you are a man to swing it.”

Penderol made a few more mighty passes over his head and smiled with satisfaction, the sword was better even than his own and he was a clan chief. If what the boy said was true, and there were two such swords then perhaps he could persuade the foursome to part with one.

While the Angry mermaid was ferrying the second contingent, the Celts made preparation to ambush Blueface’s march. Drustan being small and fast was posted as lookout with strict instructions to return directly to the ambush area immediately upon spotting Blueface’s approach.

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The Angry mermaid 5 - - - Y Morforwyn Dicllon 5

Seems that everybody wants or needs that ship.

    Stanman
May Your Light Forever Shine
    Stanman
May Your Light Forever Shine

Kudos

Bev,
This is a wonderful story (as have been the others of your's that I have read) You seem to have some definite knowledge of wooden boats, the sea and the dance of the two. Gracious, my heart was racing, it was as if I were in that (cat rigged?) vessel and I was surprised that I wasn't wet when I finished. Great work. I have built them and I have sailed them and I lived on my boat (sadly gone now). Wonderfully evocative writing. Thank you and may Aeolus and Neptune smile upon you as you dance with wind and wave.
Joani (ex of "Wind Dancer")

Loking forward to more

Anouther fine chapter. Thank you.

I really enjoyed the porpoise seen here. I have seen many up close yet none ever came that close. It would be fun.

I remember Drustans earlier "stomach pains" and am looking forward to how you put it all together.

James

Fungi

When my children were 16 and 14 we took them to Dingle bay where we all four swam with Fungi the famous wild dolphin who swims with the tourists.
We had a fabulous time and my wife, who is not a strong swimmer was held up by Fungi until the boat circled round to lift her out of the water. That dolphin was amazing.

They truly are fantastic creatures.

Beverly.

Growing old disgracefully.

bev_1.jpg

Excellent story

I have read a number of your previous stories and have been impressed with your writing. This story blends in knowledge of the era and a good understanding of sailing seamanship. Thank you for your efforts and I look forward to future installments.

Bev