Drustina has to resume her voyage before the risk of winter storms compel her to stay in port. She sails for Dumnonia but is beset by fog that makes for an interesting skirmish when she encounters a single Viking patrol.

Drustina finally makes her farewells to Connacht and resumes her circumnavigation of Hibernia. On the passage north she finds more bloody evidence of Norse duplicity.

Our heroine once again finds herself advocating for one of her sisters as Earl Gorvan tries to force the issue of his contracted betrothal to Una.

After sorting out how and why the giant Viking jarl escaped, Drustina enjoys a relaxing bath with the rest of the ladies but not without first having to explain her duality.

After much preparation and planning, Drustina finally arrives at the scene of the main battle whilst it is in full flow. Her trebuchet proves to be the winning formulae and as the evening shadows are beginning to lengthen, she saves the day for the Hibernian defenders of Limerick.

The following day, whilst searching for her husband and battle companion, she is told of the missing treasures stolen from the Maigue Abbey. She reluctantly agrees to help the monk find the treasure and her good deed earns her and her men an unexpected reward.

Drustina gets involved in a war of attrition with the Viking invaders of Hibernia by plaing a game of 'Cat and Mouse' amidst the various islands and rivers that comprise the estuary of the river Shannon. She achieves a spectacular success at the little town of Askea where the island crossing and rocky gully proves to be a perfect place to set one of her cunning traps.

The Island at the town of Askeaton where the battle was fought. Though Drustina's fight predates the castle and the present abbey.

River Deel in full flood. A dangerous and treacherous river.

Battle plans rarely survive first contact unless scope for a swift and orderly withdrawal is factored in at first instance. Drustina's initial plans do exactly that. First she must try and measure the enemy's capacity and quality on sea and if possible, on land. She has not the resources to tempt the Vikings to land troops ashore early so she cannot fully determine what she must face in the final analysis.

Drustan Meets King Dal O'Dalgliesh but even while she is made welcome, the Vikings appear offshore. Fortunately the Connacht tribes have made some reasonable plans for their defences and the Vikings are not aware that the Lioness and her forces have added immeasurably to those plans.

http://www.westernyachtclub.com/chartsbundle/CHARTS/1819.htm
http://www.westernyachtclub.com/chartsbundle/CHARTS/1547.htm
http://www.westernyachtclub.com/chartsbundle/CHARTS/1548.htm
http://www.westernyachtclub.com/chartsbundle/CHARTS/1549.htm
http://www.westernyachtclub.com/chartsbundle/CHARTS/1540.htm

Drustina Briefly kidnaps the Bishop Brendon and his two theological supporters but she avoids using actual force or sword to cenvey her message that Queen Marag should be reinstated to her throne.

Drustina and her flotilla arrive in Cork Harbour where they encounter a Viking Warship anchored off the little town of Cobh. They are compelled to destroy it or capture it before they can safely proceed up the inlet to the main city of Corgheig. (Cork)

A simple Map of the outer harbour of Cork in Ireland. Cork is further up to the west of the narrow inlet. Next map next chapter.

Drustina continues on her journey towards the Celtic sea to access the Viking supremacy. On the way she stops in at Bohor on the Val to renew old alliances and acquire a pilot navigator with recent knowledge of the current Viking threat.

Drustina and her companions complete their 'tour of inspection' to ascertain the general preparedness of the Saxons and Mercians to combat the Norse threat. Finally they return to Winchester to witness the marriage of Ethelred the Wessex king to Sonala the Mercian Princess.

Drustina continues on her tour of Edrinor's Mercian kingdom as she assess the Viking threat. The recapturing of a Viking held village for the Mercian King enables Drustina to send a sharp clear message to the Viking King Harald Cold-blood.

BAD NEWS

Firstly I have to tell of a disastrous situation that has hammered me since Friday the 4th. At 8pm that night after taking my wife into A&E because of some cognitive disorders I learned that she has a large brain tumour. Today I might learn what the prognosis is.
Needless to say, my time on BC will be severely curtailed as I come to terms with this disaster. At present my beloved wife and I are completely at our wit's ends. We cannot plan anything until we get the results of tests that should be commencing some time this week.
This chapter 88 of Angry Mermaid might be the last for some time. I'm living in hope.

Chapter 88 deals with Drustina's continued involvement with the Saxons in Wessex, especially where her and their interests in defeating the Vikings coincide.

The trial commences and Bishop Celyn gets himself into a jam.

Chapter 81 addresses the issues Drustina faces when she finally decides to marry Carl.

King Ethelred wants her to marry as a Christian so as to sit properly with his new-found Christianity and the church in Wessex. The chapter explores the conflicts between Drustina and the Christian Bishop Celyn who objects to Drustina's Satanic duality and her paganism. Only the intervention by the visiting Papal emissary Cardinal Craklow surmounts Bishop Celyn's resistance.

In allowing for Drustina's Pagan beliefs to be accommodated within a Christian marriage ceremony, Cardinal Craklow lays down the foundations of the church's future expedient accommodations with paganism whilst striving to spread their gospel. Such accommodations are illustrated by the incorporating of pagan festivals like midwinter solstice with Christmas and Vernal equinox (Spring plantings,) with Easter. This festival changed later with the advent of the Gregorian calendar.

Drustina receives a summons to attend King Ethelred's court to resolve some issues concerning her pregnancy. She keeps her baby's paternity a secret to avoid any complications concerning the baby's potential rights to claim the Viking throne. Later she discovers her love for Carl and agreement to marry wins her some unexpected bonuses in her quest to regain her queendom of Lleyn.

In this chapter Drustina returns from her spying trip but finds the essential information lacking. She still is not absolutely certain where Harald Cold-blood, the Viking king will land his invasion fleet. There is no other option than to try and tempt him into her prepared killing ground but the risks are high because certainty of success is low. She will have to sacrifice some ships (but not the crews)to get Harals to land on Selsey Bill. Then she must carefully prepare the killing grounds.