This is a chapter where Drustina passes her wisdom to older men and foreign emmisaries who have yet to prepare and sign 'The Treaty of Hoek'.

The Angry mermaid 65
Or
Y Morforwyn Dicllon 65.

Mabina.... The youngest daughter and Twin to
Drustan... Her twin brother.
Grandpa Erin.... the twin’s grandfather.
Giana.... The twin’s grandmother
Caderyn.... The twin’s father.
Herenoie.... The twin’s wise and beautiful mother.
Morgaran.... The Twins oldest brother.
Aiofe.... The twin’s oldest sister. Famous for her beauty.
Tara.... The twin’s 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.
Astos & Amitor.... Minor royalty who govern Alexandria. King and Twin Queen.
Meronee.... Nubian Queen of Nobatia The northern Kingdom of the Nubians.
Horam.... The Egyptian master Boat builder.
Muraa.... King Astos’s male partner.
Tuk.... Makurian general.
Fantu.... Makurian Captain.
Irene.... Emperor Leon’s only child.
Leon.... Byzantine Emperor.
Zano.... Byzantine general who defeats the Bulgars with Drustina’s help.
Urthos.... The Gaul elected captain of the 4th ship. Ex Barbary galley slave.
Horus.... Horam the boat-builder’s son.
Sister Catherine.... Leader of the pirate nuns.
Guthrun.... Jarl of Bornholm.
Etheline.... Guthruns’ wife the countess of Bornholm.
Seripatese.... Drustinas’ mare
Capenda.... Taras’ mare.
Athun.... Gay king of Dark Age Denmark.
Queen Elthorn.... King Athuns’ Consort.
Iselda.... Athun and Brendigan, younger (middle) sister.
Heingist.... Drustina’s loyal Danish navigator and pilot.
Brendigan.... Athun’s older sister and consort queen of Svenland.
Bjorn.... The captain of the Palace Guard. King Athun’s partner.
Morgan and Amethyst.... Drustina’s twin children.
Dalcimon .... Queen of West Friesia.
Andrar .... Prince of West Friesia (Dalcimon’s son.)

Chapter 65.

The morning after the arrival of the Gauls, Drustina convened the first moot. She cleverly arranged for Queen Dalcimon to have the primary position in order to reinforce to the four other nations the notion of her pivotal role in creating a functional defence against the Norsemen.

At first the negotiations went badly. Each party was more interested in their own circumstances and tended to myopia when it came to addressing the bigger picture. After two days of seeming deadlock, Dalcimon was becoming impatient with the lack of progress. It seemed the Norse invaders could return again before a single defensive preparation had been completed. On the morning of the third day she became exasperated.

“Gentlemen!” Dalcimon snapped angrily. “While you sit around this table chattering and yet achieving little, there are volunteers working on all sides to create some sort of viable, defence ... stone walls, strong gates! What I need in the short term are men at arms to man the walls ... once they are built!”

There was a rustle of discomfort around the circle until finally; one of the Frankish emissaries spoke slowly.

“How short a term?”

“How d’you mean?” Dalcimon demanded.”

The Frank explained.

“We would have to maintain a garrison in the town throughout the vikking season. That is the months when they can put their warships to sea to go raiding far and wide. That means the late spring, summer and early autumn and that is the time when crops are sown, grown and gathered. Every tribe needs it’s menfolk during those months. We would be hard pushed to maintain a garrison or even one fourth of one. It would have to be a large garrison so as to enable patrols to be despatched while yet maintaining a guard in the town. We need advance information of their approach and that means many patrols. Men are slow afoot in these marshes. The paths are muddy and in many places the marshes are treacherous. Our estimates suggest that a garrison of two or four thousand men at arms would be needed to mount a rapid and credible defence against a Viking raid. They arrive without warning and in large numbers.

The lioness herself declares that they fought six Viking warships and each ship had approximately a hundred men. That means they can land a force of thousands of men if they have more ships. What town can defend against such a horde? The garrison would need to exceed the whole population of Hoek. The logistics are a nightmare.”

There was a murmur of consensus and Dalcimon became frustrated. She threw her hands up in the air at the blanket of pessimism that seemed to envelope the whole meeting.

“Gentlemen, dammit! Are we simply to surrender the whole estuary to the Vikings without a contest?”

The meeting fell silent after her outburst. It seemed the Vikings had an infallible equation in their ability to hit hard and fast wherever and whenever they chose.

Drustina recognised a moment of theatre as the silence became oppressive. She slowly rose to her feet and waited as eyes turned expectantly. Having created her moment by remaining silent during the previous two days the emissaries were now keen to listen. After all, here was a warrior queen who had laid waste to six Viking ships. Drustina spoke softly for she knew it always behoved a woman to keep her voice low and talk softly when dealing with men.

“Well,” she paused for effect, “I think you have all recognised the nub of the problem and that is the mobility and speed the Viking raiders enjoy. Tell me gentlemen, what gives them that mobility?”

After a brief uncertainty several voices answered curiously; “Their ships.”

Drustina smiled and nodded as she continued.

“Exactly gentlemen, for two days I have listened patiently as you have talked at length about land-armies and the means to support them; land patrols and the difficulties marching through marshes, garrisons and their maintenance. It saddens me slightly that so far, not one of you has thought to tackle this threat BEFORE the Vikings can choose their landing place. Might I suggest you consider a waterborne force?”

After a pregnant silence Dalcimon spoke softly.

“D’you mean ships? Warships, like the Viking longships.”

Drustina nodded respectfully. It was a deliberate tactic of showing deference to Queen Dalcimon to reinforce her position as queen and sovereign of the estuarine realm.

“Exactly your majesty, ships, eventually a fleet of ships.”

After another pregnant silence one of the Friesian emissaries spoke up. Drustina sensed he was voicing everybody’s thoughts.

“But would not that be very expensive?”

Before Drustina could reply a second voice added.

“And a slow process; the Vikings could be back tomorrow!”

A general hubbub of agitated voices rose to a crescendo and Drustina struggled to bring order. Eventually, Carl’s deep measured voice brought the meeting to order. Carl did not suffer fools gladly.

“Listen! You fools. Listen to what her majesty Queen Drustina has to say. She has not finished yet!!!”

Eventually the babbling subsided as embarrassed faces turned attentively. Drustina drew a deep breath to emphasise her own impatience then she spoke calmly and in measured tones.

“Thank you Carl. I’ve a lot to get through and the last thing I need is to strain my voice every time I need to make myself heard. Right gentlemen here is what I suggest!”

Having finally achieved complete silence Drustina was able to talk softly with a lowered tone to her voice. She had long ago learned that a low, measured tone worked much better than a Harpies’ shriek when dealing with men,

“Now gentlemen; what I have to tell you is wisdom and fact going back to my first encounters with the Vikings when I was just a child of thirteen. I was one of twins, the youngest in a family of boat-builders who’s peaceful existence was shattered by the sudden and disastrous appearance of the Norsemen in what we Celts had always thought of as our personal sea. Within a decade whole cities and countries were first visited, then traded then invaded as these insatiable monsters sought to strip everything of value from our lands and take them back to their homes. That included slaves just as they were doing here when they captured Queen Dalcimon.

Their other tactic was to occupy the land as oppressors and overlords.

My own sisters were captured and destined for slavery but that’s another story. Suffice to say gentlemen, I was but a few summers old when the Vikings raided our home and I was extremely lucky to escape. In those days, we Celts had no answer to the sudden arrival of fast moving, well armed and powerful raiders on our beaches, up our creeks and into our harbours. Cymru is a small country and very mountainous. It does not support a large population so we were unable to maintain a standing army to meet the Viking threat. It would not have helped anyway, armies are slow to move around, and Viking ships are fast and powerful. They could strike anywhere, anytime but they were not after grain or land; they were seeking other riches. My country Cymru does have much mineral wealth. The Vikings came mainly to plunder our land of metals and maidens.
As I have said, I was a child then and knew nothing of war. It seemed to our scattered settlements that the Vikings appeared unstoppable; in fact the reality was worse, they were unstoppable ... utterly unstoppable! Just as in this last raid on Dalcimon’s realm, in my homeland the Vikings also appeared anywhere at any time and in overwhelming force. It is impossible to muster a sufficiently powerful army and meet them in the field. By the time the alarm is raised and the army mustered, the Vikings are gone with goods and women, whilst usually leaving the men dead.

You have already realised the unpalatable truth; the Vikings’ tactics are infallible, their ships are fast and deadly. Each ship can carry up to a hundred well armed warriors; a fleet can land an army!”

A fearful silence enveloped the meeting and Drustina deliberately paused to let her words take effect. After scanning the despondent expressions, she felt she had got their attention. It now remained to present her plan. She took a long laboured breath and finally explained.

“I mentioned just now that we must meet the Viking threat before it can materialise in force, before they can assemble on the beaches, before they can mount any sort of attack on the land.

You spoke earlier of the need to mount patrols; well in that you are all correct gentlemen. Intelligence is vital but that intelligence is almost useless if you cannot respond quickly. Now gentlemen the answer is seagoing patrols; consider this.
Seagoing patrols can spot a fleet a long way offshore. If our patrols are several miles offshore that means the Viking attacks will be detected much earlier thus they will have many miles to reach the shore and they will have to cross the gap at speed. Once they realise they have been spotted, a hard, urgent row will land them ashore tired and exhausted. What’s more our patrols will know where they have landed and once the Vikings are ashore, they will have to move slowly because they are heavily armed men. They walk much slower than their ships can sail.

The other advantage to water-born patrols is rapid communications over much greater distances. A fire arrow piercing the sky is a signal that is visible for many miles from one patrol ship to another. In a marshy forest men are invisible after a few hundred yards. Any information has to be conveyed on foot or on horseback through the trees. From a ship, that same signal arrow fired from a forest watchtower can again be seen many miles inland. Watch towers are cheap and easy to man.
So there gentlemen, you have your detection and intelligence much advanced and much improved. That is half the battle won. The next part is the more difficult but it is not insurmountable.

I come now to the response to a Viking attack.

Firstly I would explain how we managed to defeat the last raiding party. The main secret is the speed, manoeuvrability and smallness of our ships. That coupled with the obstructive size and bulk of the Danish Merchantmen enabled us to select our Viking victims and pick our moments to attack One of the trading captains among the Danish merchant-ships, knows these waters like a native because he has traded here for several years. He has local knowledge of the shoals and the currents so we were able to pick our location to fight the Vikings.

Gentlemen, if you have permanent patrols in and around the estuary, not to mention just offshore. The captains will quickly learn the natures of the shoals and the currents hereabouts. Am I making sense so far?”

There was a general murmur of agreement until one of the Gauls spoke up.

“But who is to build a fleet of ships; and so quickly as well?”

Drustina wagged her head.

“There is no need to worry about building the first ships. You already have a nucleus of six viking ships that we confiscated from the Vikings after we defeated them."

Dalcimon turned sharply at this news and gasped.

“But they are your ships! You won those fair and square in battle!”

Once again Drustina wagged her head.

“No. They are of little use to me. For one thing, my little ships are faster; for another thing, I have not the men to crew such ships. For that I would need six hundred men to man the six ships. Those are some of the biggest and fastest Viking long-ships I have ever seen and in another circumstance and in another battle they would have served my ends but now as I make my way home to my own land they would be a liability. They are warships and even thought they are good sea ships, they would struggle to make way in the wild winter storms of my western seas. They are for fast attacks and speed in calmer, summer seas.

When these raiders landed here it was mid spring and they meant business. I suspect they intended to settle here. Despite the marshy areas, the land is rich. Any man could do well for himself provided he is of a mind to work and bring the land into good hart.”

There was a murmur of approval at these last words and Drustina suddenly found an idea forming in her fertile mind. For the moment though, there were more pressing issues like protecting Dalcimon’s realm. She pressed on with the navy idea and finally turned to Dalcimon.

“So your majesty, I will make a gift of the six longships to you and while these Danish merchantmen and my comrades continue building the town wall, I will devote my time to building you a ship like my Angry Mermaid. Your devotees can then use it as a template. The timber can come from the woodlands hereabouts as men clear more land to put to the plough.”

Having demonstrated her generosity, Drustina then invited the tribal emissaries to make their contributions to the agreements. The representatives were not slow to recognise the advantages of a successful city and trading centre where several of the major rivers of their continent entered into the Northern Sea. It behoved each tribe to have a representation within an enterprise that held such promise. By the end of the week a series of agreements had been made. Sister Catherine was writing them up and Queen Dalcimon was studying them. She was impressed by the detail and discussed the agreements with Sister Catherine.

“There is a lot of stuff here; I never realised Drustina knew so much.”

“She’s had a lot of experience Dalcimon. Those titles she holds did not come easily. I was amazed how she dealt with the disputes and objections the emissaries raised.”

“But she is so young. I watched her dealing with the emissaries. She reminded me of our Lord Jesus confounding the priests in the temple of Jerusalem.”

Sister Catherine grimaced thoughtfully.

“Uuhm, I wouldn’t let Drustina uuuhhm hear you comparing her to Jesus.”

Dalcimon’s eyes widened wonderingly.

“Oh! Why?”

“Well uuhm, I shouldn’t tell you this but Drustina has had some bad experiences with bishops. She doesn’t much hold with the new faith but she doesn’t talk much about it. If I were you I’d not raise the issues of the new faith and don’t forget, she’s travelled through the holy lands. Drustina knows more than most about the land of Jesus but she still doesn’t talk about it. Just don’t go there with her. It was Carl and Eric who told me about her many journeys. Drustina never talks of them but she remembers the lessons she has learned from her travels like they were yesterday. Ipso facto, her acumen with the treaty she has drawn up between you and the tribes. You have to admit. She covered a lot of ground.”

“Yes. She was impressive.”

A pregnant silence ensued as Dalcimon tried to digest Sister Catherine’s words. Sister Catherine sensed that Dalcimon had an issue with Drustina’s seeming paganism.

During the weekend, Drustina excused herself from any duties and chose to go riding with her children and sister Tara. It was good to feel Seripatese’s powerful flanks between her legs again. Many times, Drustina and Seripatese led the others in a brief gallop whenever they came to open country. Usually such country was farmland but the Vikings had denuded the land of men to till the soil. Drustina seized the opportunity to instil in her children a hatred of the Vikings as they encountered many male bodies already half eaten by the foxes and dogs and pigs that now occupied the once rich farms.

“See children. Look around you at the dead men. This is what the Vikings do when they meet with the slightest resistance. Never give a Viking quarter for it is always his ambition to kill his enemies or die in combat himself. He kills the men and steals the women.”

When the Monday came around, the many hands were organised into securing the town of Hoek and refurbishing the six longships.

Drustina’s fleet of fast light ships were used to set patrols and train men to handle ships. Carl and Urthos took this task upon themselves while Eric busied himself with organising the town’s defences.

Drustina and Horam took to building the first fast ‘Mermaid’ class of ship to form the second wing of Dalcimon’s new navy. On the Tuesday, the emissaries made their farewells and took home copies of the treaty to their various chiefs and kings. Dalcimon stood with Eric, Catherine and Drustina as they watched them depart.

“D’you think they will honour the treaty; all of them that is?” Dalcimon wondered.

Drustina shrugged.

“By the time any single tribe has gathered enough forces to break the treaty of the five countries; the others will have got wind of the plans. News travels fast when ships are light and speedy. And you will have a lot of Mermaid class ships before this year is done.”

“How so?” Dalcimon asked.

“I have treated with the Danish trading master. He is making a single voyage to the Icieni tribe in Dane-law on my account. There he will buy hard oak timbers to build better ships for you. Horam has the skills and also the tools he traded from Svenska. You will benefit much by having him train your apprentices. He will build you an excellent fleet.”

Dalcimon frowned briefly.

“Am I to deduce from your words that you will be leaving us?”

"Once Hoek is secure and I am satisfied you have enough ships to serve your realm’s defence, then yes I will.

“I wish I could keep just a handful of your men to see me and my womenfolk through this coming winter.”

Drustina released an earthy laugh and grinned at Eric knowingly. Dalcimon caught the interplay and asked.

“Where’s the comedy?”

Drustina explained.

“When my men joined me in the Bulgar wars it was a foregone conclusion that if we won those battles, these men would continue travelling home with me. Some were my original companions and freemen others were Emperor Leon’s slaves.

We all agreed that we would be free to part company when we finally arrived in the Northern Sea. The men who choose to travel further with me are mainly the northern warriors who were enslaved by the Emperor Leon. I won an agreement from the emperor that if we defeated the Bulgars all the men who joined my band would become freemen. There are Gauls, and Celts and Saxons and Frisians and Franks among them but all have stood shoulder to shoulder with me in our battles. They long ago learned to put aside tribal enmities and stay together as one loyal band.

Now we have arrived in this northern sea, the Saxons and Friesians will probably choose to return to their homes though many are technically homeless. It has always their intention to return to their Saxon homes when we reached these waters. I’m quite sure that some of my homeless Saxon men will be willing to take over the farms and the widows whom we rescued from slavery. Furthermore, many of the men who married the Sister Catherine’s nuns will be looking for places to put down roots. My sweet lady Dalcimon, have no fears; I am sure that many of these men and their attractive intelligent wives will be only too pleased to become citizens of Hoek and help you rebuild your shattered community. Furthermore, they are all tried and proven warriors in addition to having their various journeyman skills before the originally left their homes. What is more they are Saxons and brothers in blood to your Frisian neighbours. They even speak the same language so your neighbours will find no cause for enmity. Their own people are but two days further up this great river. That is the best I can offer you dear Queen, my resources are necessarily small.”

Drustina reached out and squeezed Dalcimon’s shoulder as a tear escaped the Frankish lady’s eye.

“You have done more than I could have hoped for. I am forever indebted to you. Whatever I have is yours.”

“All I want is that you treat all your new citizens with respect and equality. They are every-one of them freemen and freewomen. If they offer you their fealty you must return the favour with justice and respect for their free-men rights. Believe me Dalcimon if you win the respect of my comrades ... note I call them comrades for that’s what they are to me, then you will enjoy some of the tightest allegiances and loyalties a queen can ask for.”

Dalcimon looked up into Drustina’s cold grey eyes and marvelled at the unexpected compassion. She chewed her lip thoughtfully before observing.

“You are a remarkable woman Drustina. To have seen so much, done so much, travelled so much and fought so much. I would have expected a hard-hearted, demanding general; but no, instead I see a woman full of compassion, a builder, a planner, a conciliator. After the hardships you have endured ... and your scars tell me they have been many, I am amazed you have any softness, any kindness left to give.

For one so loving and yet so strong and brave, I cannot understand why you are so much at odds with Jesus and his bishops; his disciples. What awful torment must you have endured that so set you against Jesus’ teachings?”

Drustina gave a long sigh as she fought with the devils inside her. After a thoughtful pause, she almost decided to reveal her duality but then decided against it. The hurts she had endured at the hands of Christian bishops had left scars even deeper than Blue-face’s sword. As the debate swung back and forth in Drustina’s head, Dalcimon waited expectantly. Then Drustina’s fearful anger won the argument and Drustina decided not to reveal her duality.

‘Christians always seemed to see it as some sort of flaw, some sort of weakness ... some sort of ungodly curse They just could not see that it gave Drustina a dual perspicacity that enabled her to see further and understand more than many, many other leaders.’

She knew there was no need to make any revelations for she would be gone before the Summer was over. Sailing Westwards again in her ceaseless endeavours to win back her childhood home. For the remaining months of that Summer, Drustina pitched in to help with every aspect of building and developing a successful trading city at Hoek.

~~ooo000ooo~~