Drustina sets out on the last lap to Egypt and the Nile

The Angry mermaid 26.

Or

Y Morforwyn Dicllon 26.

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)
Pilus King of the Capetani.
Shaleen Pilus’s queen and sister to Bramana.
Pedoro Lord Marshal of the Southern border region.
Lady Shulaar Lord Pedoro’s wife.
Taan. The scullery maid.
Isaar. Pedoro’s oldest son.
Ferdie Pedoro’s 2nd son
Sular Pedoro’s 3rd son
Gontala Pedoro’s youngest son.
Shenoa Pedoro’s only daughter.
Portega. Tyrant King to the west.
Portua. Portega’s grandson.
Jubail. Old Fisherman.
Mutas Magab’s younger brother and usurper.
Walezia King of Malta.
Alviar Megalomaniacal bishop of Carthage. (Hates Drustina.)
Ethelia Female healer who treats Drustina during her pregnancy.
Seripatese Drustina’s faithful horse.

A loud shout erupted from the merchant ship but the Angry Mermaid was already speeding away in pursuit of the carracks. She quickly overhauled them then Arina manoeuvred their ship to separate the pair with the skill of a lioness separating its chosen victim from the herd. Torvel turned to Drustina after watching the panic ensue aboard the selected carrack.
“What d’you intend to do with them?”

“Capture them.”

“Bloody hell Drustina, there must still be a dozen of them remaining on that ship how the hell d’you intend to capture twelve men?”

Drustina shrugged, nodded to Arina and called...

“Take her a little closer Arry; I want to make all my shots count.”

“Shit lady, d’you intend to kill them all?” Torvel protested.

“No lover, just thin them out so that their numbers are manageable.”

Torvel wagged his head and smiled as his lover loosed another deadly arrow. Another man on the carrack fell to the deck and Torvel watched in admiration. He was well aware of Drustina’s skill with a bow. He had seen her many times at the butts practicing and sometimes even occasionally defeating her famous sister Queen Aiofe with her famous long Celtic bow.
Aiofe’s ‘longbow’ had the greater range and accuracy but Drustina’s shorter ‘battle bow’ was every bit as deadly at the shorter ranges just before soldiers engaged in ‘hand-to-hand’ combat.

Drustina was demonstrating that skill now and another fell even as the carrack decided it might as well turn to face the Mermaid and make a fight of it. Arina was well used to these situations and simply manoeuvred the Mermaid around the carrack to keep her at the critical range allowing Drustina to keep up her attrition. The crew of the carrack cursed and screamed as more men fell. Eventually, the remaining officer fit to command cried for quarter. Drustina nodded to the wily Arina who was already bringing the Mermaid about. Torvel drew his sword and Drustina made hers obvious whilst still training her deadly bow on the attackers. As they drew close the three companions got a good look into the carrack’s deep well deck. There seemed to be no hidden crew so they decided to hail the man at the steering oar of the pirate vessel. Torvel bellowed across the water.

“Make a course to follow that fat merchantman you were so greedy to capture and don’t try any tricks!”

The acting captain obeyed immediately and as Alviar’s ship approached the port of Kastellt, the pirate carrack and the Mermaid fell in beside her. The captain of Alviar’s ship called across: “A hundred thankyou's sir! What ship are you?”
Drustina called back: “Did not your passenger tell you?”

“Who, the Bishop Alviar? He cannot speak sir; your arrow nicked his throat and cut his voice.”

“Oh I’m dreadfully sorry. I thought my faulty shot had killed him. And I’m a lady by the way!”

“Oh! Sorry ma'am. I will offer my full thanks for your assistance when we dock.”

Drustina hugged herself with silent ecstasy. Her arrow could not have done more good if it had been fired by the Goddess of war, Agrona herself.

When the three ships arrived at Kastellt, the three companions stood off in Mermaid while first the merchant ship docked to file his report. Then the shore authorities signalled to the Mermaid to release her prisoner and Drustina instructed the pirate ship to dock where indicated. As a troop of soldiers arrested the remaining crew, the Angry Mermaid finally returned to the same quay she had departed only that same morning. The captain of the port and the Captain of the guard eagerly awaited the Mermaid’s report so Drustina explained how her ship had been forced to alter course suddenly to pursue the pirate pair and she had been thrown off balance just as she released her bow. Hence the accidental stray shot.

Her apology and her report were accepted, for the capture of the pirate ship was deemed of far more local importance than the injury of a foreign bishop. The pirates had been a thorn in the side of the authorities for a several years. The Bishop’s wound was ascribed to the misfortunes of war and pursuit. Arina however was pretty sure there was more than met the eye.

She approached Drustina as Torvel went ashore to exchange courtesies with the captain of the ship they had just saved. The first thing he had to do was convey Drustina’s apologies for the accident and explain that Drustina felt a little embarrassed about the misfortune. As Torvel met with the other, Arina quietly took Drustina to task as they tidied up the deck.

“That was an unfortunate shot,” Arina grinned.

“Yes. A terrible accident,” Drustina agreed. “Now the man will never be able to speak again.”

“Yeah! And never be able to preach again,” Arina smirked.

Drustina smiled and bent down to hide the smirk by ‘busying herself’ with folding the end of the sail.

Arina moved in closer as she sniggered privately: “Go on, tell me how the hell you did it. Nobody can be that accurate - close enough to cut a man’s voice box and yet not slice open his wind pipe nor spear his neck. Go on, explain.”

“It was just an accident. Honestly, a lucky accident! I’m sorry, just one of those things.”

“Yeah and the Goddess Dramas just happens to kiss my arse! Come on Drustina, this is Arina you’re talking to, your only remaining true female friend. I’ve been with you through thick and thin. How the hell did you pull off a shot like that?”

Drustina frowned. It would be much better if nobody knew the truth. She had wanted to murder the brute who had caused her to forsake her children. The arrow had been aimed for his heart not his bloody Adam’s apple. Even now, even after the man’s poisonous tongue had been stopped for good, Drustina did not feel safe. The man still had a poisonous pen, poisonous ink, and even poisonous paper ... but above all, he had a poisonous mind.

Even while the Bishop was being taken to a healer, Drustina was wondering how to finish the man. How to destroy the beast who had brought her so much hurt. The monster who had separated her from her beloved twins.

Eventually the Mermaid was shipshape and the friends decided to delay the restart of their voyage until the following morning. Besides, the captain of Alviar’s ship had invited them to eat with them as a way of saying ‘thank you’ for their assistance. Drustina did not feel up to it; the very idea of stepping on the same boards that her most hated enemy had recently trod was too much for her to stomach.

“You go,” she told Torvel and Arina, “I can’t face it. That butcher’s face haunts me all the time. I’ll turn in early here and take first watch in the morning when we leave. Give my apologies to the captain.”

Reluctantly, Torvel and Arina stepped the few hundred paces along the quay to the other ship while Drustina made pretence of turning in. Immediately darkness fell, Drustina slipped ashore armed with her sword, her dagger, her bow and other bits of equipment for creating mayhem and murder; notably some ropes. It was an easy job to find the hospital and locate the Bishop lying drugged in his bed while recovering from his wound. Hatred burned in Drustina’s heart as visions of her beloved twins floated before her. She looked down one last time at the face that had brought her so much hurt and made her decision with cold determination. An abiding hatred overwhelmed her and she could show no mercy!

Drustina took some lengths of cord while the comatose Bishop lay in a drugged stupor and she gently tied his hands and feet loosely to the sides of his bed. It was then an easy job to hold a pillow over the man’s face and suffocate him. The man struggled feebly for he was already drugged but he was, of course, unable to scream for his vocal chords were cut. It was a few short minutes before the man lay dead.

“Sweet dreams you bastard,” she whispered to the corpse. “Let us see if your God can resurrect you like that holy man you preach about. I always thought it was a pack of lies.”

She slipped the cords and tidied up the scene. By the forensic standards of those times, she left the scene clear of any evidence and returned to her beloved Mermaid. Torvel and Arina found her sleeping heavily whilst cuddled up to Seripatese in the little bow cuddy when they returned at the middle hour.

At dawn the news emerged from the hospital that the wounded bishop had died in the night, possibly from some breathing complications related to the wound in his throat.
Drustina’s story was not known by any in Kriti for the captain of the merchantman had only been employed to ferry Alviar back to Cypru. Alviar had been too embarrassed to reveal the real reason he had been ‘fired’. The captain had never met Drustina or the other crewmen from the Angry Mermaid so there was no known connection between Drustina and Alviar. Consequently, no suspicion fell upon Drustina’s shoulders and after speaking to the captain that following morning, she conveyed her apologies for her being too sick (with woman’s problems!) to attend the ‘thank you’ supper. The Angry Mermaid added some more victuals and water to her stores and resumed her passage to Egypt.

As the ship cleared Cape Krios on the western tip of Kriti, Drustina stood with one hand around Seripatese’s neck whilst wondering if she’d ever see her babies or her sisters again. Then she caught Arina’s tearful eye and realised the wrench must be even more brutal for the younger girl. She had no living family at all and only her two companions to give her succour. Drustina nodded her head imperceptibly and Arina got the message. Torvel was busy at the tiller but he noticed the interplay and glanced understandingly as the younger girl pressed into the embrace of Drustina’s spare arm.

‘Poor little kid’ he thought as Drustina turned to catch his eye.

“East by south is it, Dru?”

“Aye. Why not? This wind’s an easy wind and Sleipner’s tails look set for a few days of it. I don’t think we’ll have any bad stuff.”

“Well we’re used to it,” Arina ventured as she peered tearfully up from Drustina’s embrace, “we’ve sailed in a lot worse than this.”

“Yes Arry, but not with a mare for company. I don’t know how Seripatese will take if it gets too rough.”

“She looks happy there now with your arm around her neck.”

As if she understood Arina’s every word, Seripatese turned, stretched around Drustina’s bust, and nuzzled Arina’s shoulder. Arina giggled and the tears stopped.

“There, she agrees with me, see.”

Drustina smiled, reached over Seripatese’s withers and scooped a handful of corn from the box attached to the mast. Arina accepted some of it and fed it to the mare. The mare snuffled eagerly at the titbits and both girls smiled contentedly. It was almost as if they had gathered another member to their little clan. Then Drustina prepared the large palliace and gently urged Seripatese to her knees. The mare seemed to sense that it was for her benefit and lowered herself onto the cushioned mattress. There she might have to stay alternately standing and lying for three or perhaps even four days. It was a long way to the famed mouth of the great Nile River.

They settled down to a steady passage and the three of them savoured the easy, steady favourable north-westerly wind. On the third day they decided to stand off during the night because the low lying African coast was an invitation to disaster if a navigator approached too close in darkness without local knowledge. There was no definitive outline and without a moon to help them they could be in trouble amongst breakers even before they realised they were approaching a lee shore. In any case, they were in no hurry. They had no clear destination and no certain landmarks save the fact that the Port of Alexandria was still reputed to have a tall lighthouse at the entrance to the port - the famed Pharos light.

The following morning they found themselves in fog and they sighed impatiently as they felt their way very slowly through the eerie mist whilst listening for breaking seas and sounding for the bottom as they picked their way eastwards. Eventually, Arina found bottom at about fifteen fathoms and they hove to while they listened for the faintest noise of breaking seas. They heard nothing and decided they were over a very shallow shelving bottom and this caused them to conclude they must be over the off-shore deposition area of the Nile Delta. All day they probed through the fog using their vital lode-stone whilst cursing the bad visibility. They were little better off by evening despite Arina having armed her lead several times until she eventually found muddy silt particles in the sample tallow. They all examined it and concluded that it seemed to resemble the reports of the Nile Delta being rich black earth. As darkness defeated them again, they anchored for the night.

In the morning Seripatese awoke them with her whinnying. The wind had changed to a warm southerly air and she had smelt the scent of grass and corn growing on the rich delta farms. The warm wind had also dispersed the fog and Torvel was relieved to make out the faint, low-lying outline of the delta shore. He woke Drustina with the news.

“Well I’m presuming that’s Egypt but which way is Alexandria?” wondered a bleary eyed Drustina as she still rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

Torvel smiled indulgently. He had been up first to answer his call of nature.

“Uuuhmm - I’m thinking that might be a pointer!”

“Wha-! Oh, shit yes.” Drustina blinked disbelievingly. “By the gods, that bloody thing’s huge. I must have been blind or something!”

The three stood admiring the immense structure of the Pharos light, trying to estimate its height. They quickly gave up for they had no idea how far they were from the low-lying faintly visible shore line. There was no doubt in their minds however - the tower was definitely the Pharos. With renewed strength and navigational certainty they weighed anchor and picked their way cautiously inshore.

“What about sandbanks and reefs?” Arina asked.

“Just keep sounding darling, at least the bottom’s unlikely to be rocky. Look at those fields they must stretch for miles!”

“I think I can see the city now,” Torvel called down from his high perch astride the yard.

“So which way?”

“Leave the Pharos to port but steer to pass close. It marks the east side of the entrance at the end of a long breakwater. There’s a smaller tower marking the western side of an even longer wall.”

Reassured, Drustina set a bit more sail and the Mermaid picked her way with more certainty. Before entering the great harbour, they slowed right down. Although the area of harbour enclosed by the long breakwaters was vast, with plenty of room to manoeuvre, there was nothing to be gained by revealing the Mermaid’s secrets of speed and manoeuvrability. Eventually they reached an empty stretch of quay and they carefully approached, hoping to gain berthing instructions. Shortly thereafter, a man on a horse trotted up and motioned to them to dock. Seripatese called eagerly and the horse ashore answered. Drustina smiled and turned to Torvel: “Well those two seem to understand each other. Let’s see how good the man’s Latin is.”

Drustina called and the man answered clearly as he explained exactly how and where to set the ropes. Once the Mermaid was fast, the mooring master presented himself and Drustina declared the Mermaid’s particulars. The man’s eyes widened with respect as Drustina declared her passage history and he scanned Torvel and Drustina’s fair hair before his gaze fastened on Arina’s lustrous red locks. Arina’s hair still shone after four days at sea being doused in salt spray.

“Celts by God. The King will be interested to meet you; the Pillars of Hercules you say!”

Drustina nodded and the man invited them to bring Seripatese ashore: “I’m sure your horse will savour a run to stretch her legs.”

“Yes sir. Yes, she will indeed. My companion Arina would ride her out to the fields for some fresh fodder if you please. I’m sure one of the many farms we saw as we entered would sell us some fresh food for her.”

“They’ll be glad to,” the mooring-master replied as he studied Seripatese with a knowledgeable eye.

“Nice mare that, where does she come from?”

“She’s of the Camargue marshes in Gaul but King Appotel of Iberia granted her to me as a trade for services rendered.”

The mooring master watched appreciatively as Arina rode off along the quay to some farm houses just beyond the root of the western arm of the breakwater.

“She has an intelligent eye and a lovely nature. If I could breed from her I would pay you handsomely for her foal. I have a fine horse and other mares back at my home farm. I breed horses as a pastime.”

“That sounds interesting sir.”

“Very good. I’ll report your arrival, you are a new visitor and the King will be keen for any news.”

Drustina had one last request: “Have you any labour to help us clean up my ship? I’m afraid my mare is not so clever as to clean up her own shit.”

The man smiled: “Have no fear. Horse shit is welcomed by all the farmers on the delta. There’ll be a farm-hand along shortly.

That’s a goodly pile.”

“Yeah, and it stinks!” Torvel added.

“Why didn’t you dump it overboard?”

“As you said sir, it’s valuable stuff.”

“Now there speaks a farmer not a sailor. I’ll be back when the Pharos sets the third flash of the post meridian. You’ll see the great reflector now flashing its eighth ante meridian signal. There is a list of dos and don’ts posted on the harbourmaster's wall. The port charges are also listed there as well. See you later if the King doesn’t invite you to go up and see him. Oh, and by the way, I’ll mind your ship. I’ve got several mooring men to watch the quays.”

The mooring master laughed and departed as Torvel and Drustina set about tidying up the deck.

“Seems a cheerful kind of guy,” Torvel remarked as Drustina and he sluiced down the stained woodwork where Seripatese had necessarily done her business.

“Yeah let’s wait and see. Early days yet. Ah, here comes Arina with Seripatese. I swear my little mare shits more every day.”

“Ahh, go on! You know you love her, you wouldn’t be without her.”

Arina arrived with a large bundle of fresh fodder across Seripatese’s back and she tethered the mare to a ringbolt set in the stone quay. Once the Mermaid was cleaned up they decided to go for a stroll in the city, when they returned there was a courtier waiting on the quay and feeding Seripatese from the bundle of fresh fodder.

“Ah. Good afternoon, you’ll be the crew of this ship?”

“We are sir and who might you be?” Drustina answered

“I’m the Deputy Chamberlain. The King requires your attendance and asks of any news you might have to offer. You are required to attend at the dinner when the sixth post meridian signal is flashed from the Pharos. That’s also when the fire is lit in the lantern for night signals.”

“What, all three of us? Who will guard our ship?”

“It was unguarded when I arrived here. Where were you?”

“Looking around the city. Besides it was daylight and the mooring master happens by pretty often, he said he’d look after it or have his men keep an eye.”

Torvel did a quick check and confirmed that nothing was missing. The Chamberlain nodded with satisfaction and offered to post a guard. As they had become guests of the King, they were entitled to the King’s protection and hospitality. The Chamberlain handed them a pass to the palace and left. Drustina turned to Arina.

“I haven’t got a decent gown have you?”

“No and I stink of horse shit. We’ll have to go back into town.”

“And I suppose that means I’ll have to guard the ship until the palace guard arrives.” Torvel sighed. “You’d best hurry, it’ll be dark soon.”

The girls needed little encouragement and returned immediately to the market whence they’d come. At the fifth signal from the Pharos two guardsmen arrived and Torvel explained the situation. As he did so the mooring master appeared as he made his way home.

“Will that horse be tethered there all night?”

“Unless her mistress releases her, yes.”

“So I’d better wait then.”

“You seem keen to get your hands on her.”

“I’ll be honest sir, I do. She’s a damned fine mare. I dearly want to put her to my stallion.”

“Well she’ll be back shortly. We’ve had an invite to the palace. These guardsmen will be attending the ship.”

“Good. I’ll wait if you've no objections.”

Torvel nodded agreeably and they chatted while the guardsmen settled on the packed sails.

“So it’s her, the woman who’s actually the captain, not you?”

Torvel nodded dismissively. It was always best to play down such an unusual circumstance. The mooring master persisted: “How did that come about, is she royalty or something?”

Torvel nodded again, thus giving no more than the minimum information. He was not about to give away Drustina’s secrets.

“So what brought you to Egypt?”

“Ivory mainly.” Torvel replied sticking to their pre-prepared story. “That and seeking to establish new trade routes.” Torvel continued to keep his answers to a minimum.

“Ivory? What d’you want to know of ivory?”

“It’s her favourite commodity. There are openings for its use in the north. Decorative and for making instruments.”

“Instruments? What sort of instruments?”

“Navigation mainly. We need to refine our methods, especially if we are to trade through the Pillars of Hercules.”

The mooring master nodded. That at least was plausible and if these Celts were prepared to trade beyond the Pillars of Hercules then they would surely bring much knowledge and advancement with that trade. Such trading would benefit the traders and city of Alexandria enormously. Little was known of the northern iron but much was talked of it and it's wonderous properties.

With his curiosity about the voyagers satisfied they fell to talking about horses and breeding. The guards joined in with them and they chatted at length until Drustina and Arina returned.

“You took long enough girls.” Torvel grinned.

“We were shopping, what d’you expect? Besides we also had to find a bath-house. It’s late in the day for ladies to bathe and we had to bribe the attendant. I’ve also bought you a new tunic, that one’s filthy.”

Torvel frowned, he still stank from the voyage so he had the girls turn a blind eye while he took a dip in the harbour just to freshen up and remove the bulk of the horse shit still clinging to his body from cleaning up after Seripatese.

As Torvel bathed, Drustina struck a deal regarding the stabling of Seripatese until they had leave to sail the Mermaid up the Nile to the Nubian Kingdoms. The mooring master had a stud farm just outside the city. After fixing the stabling arrangements, they fell to chatting about Drustina’s plans to sail up the Nile.

“Why d’you want to go up there?” The mooring master wondered. “There’s plenty of ivory coming down the Nile.”

“I want to see some of those fabled animals of Nubia.”

“We’ve got those too. We have a famed menagerie in Alexandria.”

“I’ve also heard they have queens who lead their armies.”

“Oh yes, that’s true. There was the famous Queen Amanitare, she lost an eye in battle and there have been plenty more since her. But we are at peace with the three kingdoms now.”

“All the more reason to travel. Until I visit their kingdoms I won’t be sure of spotting all the trading opportunities.”

“Well if you do find trade and wish to return down the Nile with cargo you know there is a river tax to pay if you are not an Egyptian or Nubian ship.”

“So, there is still profit to be made. Ivory is a valuable cargo plus all the spices and oils to be found in the hot climes. Besides, it will benefit Egypt if the trade is established.”

The mooring master nodded agreement as Torvel emerged from the water.

“Well I’d best be going and I’ll take the mare now if you’re agreeable. I’m keen to see what foal she produces.”

One of the guards was also a keen horseman and he was interested in the white Carmaque mare. He also lived near the stud farm so he accompanied the mooring master home to his small farm while a change of watch enabled the other guard to escort the trio to the palace.