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.

The Angry Mermaid 95
Or
Y Morforwyn Dicllon 95

The following morning as agreed, Drustina’s Flotilla departed from Demetae. They sailed at first light and without giving any indication of their destination. Only Drustina and Carl knew their intended route and the Lioness had told her followers that she would tell them what their intentions were after they had cleared Vomit Point, (Pen y Cyfog.) This was to deny any Viking sympathisers in Demetae the chance to pass any advance warning of where the Lioness and her flotilla might next appear.

She had explained this the previous night to her companions and then told them that, if and when she revealed their intentions, each individual had the choice to follow her or return to Dumnonii. Finally, the flotilla drew clear of the tide rips and mill race that boiled past Pen y Cyfog then once all five ships were in safe open waters, she told them of her intentions to first make for Hibernia then take the circuitous route around the isle of Hibernia to enter the Northern Celtic Sea by way of the Straights of Kin. Her reasons were explained and she made no secret of the risks.

“If we are overtaken by any of the terrible storms that will soon be coming with the winter season, then all of you had better prepare for unimaginable seas. You have seen the great swells already but when the winter storms come, as they definitely will, you will see the anger of Nodens in all his fury. I can only say now that if you are afraid, then return to Dumnonii.”

A silence settled upon the ships as Drustina waited expectantly for the dissenters to emerge from their ranks. To her pleasant surprise and self satisfaction there were none. A broad grin spread across her face as she added.

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you. It will be bloody cold, bloody rough and bloody dangerous.”

The silence continued so she could only presume there were no dissenters. Finally she shrugged her shoulders and set the course for Hibernia.

Once again the square rig of Udris’s longship's sail served to hamper the flotilla’s progress into the westerly winds. Several times the flotilla was forced to make more southing than would ordinarily be necessary simply to enable Udris’s ship to claw its way past some dangerous looking headland. In two instances, when wind and tide made westing all but impossible for the Longship, the four Mermaids attached long lines and all but towed the longship into the wind. After three tiring days of back-breaking seamanship, the flotilla finally made the inlet of Corgheig.

It was just before first light and now it was the Irish Widow Bridgit’s turn to show her knowledge. She stood at the helm of The Angry Mermaid and indicated the salient points as the weak early morning sun began to cast shadows on the hills inland. Eventually a dark mass appeared dimly to starboard and Brigit explained.

“That’ll be the Roche. It’s the key to Corgheig but don’t get too close.”

Drustina nodded as she watched the easy waves heap up just enough to give a hint of the reef that extended a couple of hundred metres into the channel. In rougher weather, the larger waves would have broken to give warning but in the calmer gentle waves, lent shelter by the extensive western headland; the force of the great swells was ameliorated. As the light improved, Drustina smiled ruefully, the entrance to Corgheig could be more deadly in calm conditions than in a storm. Once alerted to the secretive shelf only a few feet below the surface she studied the obvious behaviour of the out-flowing tide that gave the best indication of the deeper water. Fortunately the wind had backed as well as eased and the more southerly component gave the flotilla an easy passage with a following wind into the harbour.

Despite the easy entrance, every companion’s eyes were peeled for evidence of Viking presence. To Drustina’s dismay there was a longship anchored well inside the inlet. She saw Brigit shudder and knew immediately that the widow was reliving some ghastly trauma so she gently rested her hand on the woman’s forearm.

“Fear not girl, as far as I see there is only one ship and so far they haven’t even responded. They don’t seem to be very vigilant and I’ll wager half the crew are carousing ashore.”

“Or plundering.” Brigit riposted.

“From our point of view, that’s better still,” Heliox added. “They’ll be too preoccupied to notice somebody is stealing their ship.”

“Aye, now there’s a thought,” Drustina grinned as she attracted Udris’s attention and mimed getting dressed.

Udris nodded and within moments, all his crew were wearing something akin to Viking jerkins. They hadn’t donned their helmets because the prearranged plan of attack was surprise. They looked like another Viking ship just arrived from sea. Simultaneously, Drustina and her captains quickly rearranged nets and lines to make their mermaid ships resemble fishing boats.

The plan seemed to work as Udris’s longship quickly approached to within yards of the Viking ship before they showed any concerns. The watch-keeper looked up sleepily from his comfortable seat on the stowed sail by the mast.

The first act of the Viking ship was to shout and ask for the new arrival to identify himself. This gave Udris time to use what little Norse he had and spread uncertainty as they soon approached to within a handful of metres. The Viking watch-keeper called out nervously.

“Slow down comrade, your approach is too fast, you’ll damage our planking.”

“Udris made some vague attempt to say his tiller was jammed and eventually the Viking watch-keeper became suspicious. Most Viking ships still used a steering oar, not a tiller.”

He drew breath to ask what manner of longship used a tiller and only then realised Udris was definitely about to ram him.

His alarm call was but a second before the prow of Udris’s ship sliced straight into the mid-ship section where the Viking longship was most vulnerable. The force drove Udris’s prow into and then up over the port side of the Viking causing it to lurch and list heavily. Several of the waking Vikings were tumbled off their feet and Udris’s men were amongst them before they could properly respond. To confuse them further, the four mermaid ships emerged from the dawn light and immediately surrounded the anchored ship. The battle was over in minutes and Drustina took no prisoners, mainly because Vikings had a code of honour that required them to fight to the death. Additionally, Udris’s men had little love for the marauders who had caused so much despair for Celts throughout the west of Britannia. The last few Viking deaths were little more than summary executions.

In the aftermath, as they were determining the amount of damage to the Viking ship, Drustina had cause to reflect that it might have been expedient to take a couple of prisoners on the next occasion if they were successful. One could never tell if the occasional Viking might just give information in exchange for his life. However she could never be sure if the information was accurate or deliberately misleading. She couldn’t trust the Vikings, but she had to respect their courage and loyalty. Were they not such sworn enemies, she might even have found them staunch allies.

To everybody’s surprise, there didn’t seem to be much action ashore; no Vikings had erupted from the houses shouting and bellowing abuse, nor had any small boats full of vengeful Norsemen pulled away from the jetties. As the two longships were separated the crews assessed the damage and concluded the captured ship was in better condition than Udris’s old prize. She would also serve better as a decoy because she more accurately reflected current Viking designs. The commanders sat around wondering.

“So what’s to do Lioness?” Udris asked. “Do we add this ship to our fleet or sink it for want of sufficient crew?”

Drustina was pondering the question when Brigit spoke.

“Could we not find some Irish Celts who might be prepared to join us on your venture around Hibernia?”

“How would we be certain of their loyalties?” Carl demanded. “There will be plenty more bloodshed before this venture is over.”

“I’m sure I could find enough angry Irishmen who have suffered brutally at the Viking hands. There are plenty enough amongst my own kinfolk. King Forden is not the best of Viking rulers and we have little love for his rule in these parts.”

Drustina looked about the harbour at the wooded slopes and scattered tiny settlements.

“So where do we start?”

“Well, that village of Cobh is the biggest hereabouts. The city of Corgheig might also be a good source. It’s a few miles up that narrow inlet.”

As she pointed towards a narrow channel, Drustina had reservations. The narrows could serve as a deadly trap for any unwary ship and Drustina had insufficient men to sweep the shores and be certain of a safe uninterrupted passage to Corgheig. She glanced at Carl and Udris and Althred.

“What d’you think?”

Althred opined.

“Best we check out the mood amongst the shore-side villages first, here in the outer harbour. We still don’t know how many marauders remain ashore. It’s the safest option and we can’t be trapped that way. It’ll be best if you Celts do that bit, the local Irish Celts will trust you more than any of us Saxons.”

Althred’s logic seemed impeccable and a general consensus murmured around the flotilla. A plan was hatched and by noon three of the four Mermaids were visiting each tiny settlement to assess the mood. Carl and Althred remained aboard the two longships and retained one mermaid for extra defence in case the remaining marauding Vikings managed to muster some sort of retaliation from the little town of Cobh. By early afternoon, Drustina and Udris had garnered a mountain of valuable information and also gathered a host of fervent volunteers who could show they had suffered grievously at the hands of the hands of the occupying Vikings. When Drustina could point towards the captured ship and her own flotilla these suffering victims could at long last see a way forward to right the wrongs they had endured. Here was somebody who knew how to defeat the Vikings and did so. Her actions already spoke louder than her words.

By the time she had regrouped in the centre of the harbour Drustina and her captains had the makings of a plan. The presence of some local Irish allies now gave them local knowledge enough to search the shores for ambushes from Cobh up to Corgheig. Cautiously they formed a plan for two mermaids to set off up the narrow channel to the City while a score of men on either side checked that there were no Viking ambushes lying in wait along the shores. The plan was for Drustina and Althred to each take a mermaid through the narrows while Carl and Udris patrolled the shores with the assistance of the new-found Irish volunteers. The old Dumnonii longship commanded by Heliox was to follow with a company to intervene ashore if Carl or Udris met with Viking opposition. The other newer prize was to remain at anchor with the other two mermaids and pretend to be a Viking guard ship if any other Viking ships arrived. Gisela was left to act as a Viking, (which she was,) to talk to any newly arrived Viking ships and maintain the pretence for as long as possible in order to surprise the visitor when it approached close enough.

Drustina knew she was taking plenty of risks not least being the uncertainty of Gisela’s loyalty but in battle, leaders always had to take risks.

In the late afternoon the three ships set off up the channel to Corgheig.

As they entered the narrows at the narrowest point, Drustina encountered exactly what she had expected. Having been forced to react quickly and having lost a quarter of their force, the marauders had been forced to adopt a quick, desperate and therefore predictable plan. The first arrows erupted from the trees on the north-eastern shore as The Angry Mermaid entered the narrowest part.

‘By the Gods!’ Thought Drustina, ‘they have not even had time or foresight to use fire arrows. That will make things easier.’

With shields raised to form two turtles the Angry Mermaid entered the channel with Althred’s ship and paused to return fire to distract the Vikings hiding in the trees. Further downstream around a bend the old Dumnonii longship landed Carl with two score of men who rapidly stalked through the trees to flank the pre-occupied ambushers. Meanwhile the old longship joined Drustina and Althred to add firepower from the narrow channel. From the southern shore Udris could only fume and watch because there was still no certainty that there were no Vikings on the opposite shore.

The battle raged mainly with arrows amongst the trees and along the shore until eventually the sheer weight of numbers and arrows decimated the poorly prepared Vikings. When Carl waved from a rock on the shore, Drustina deemed it safe to land ashore while Althred crossed to the other side to discuss the situation on Udris’s south-western shore.

This time Carl had captured two prisoners and kept them separated so that interrogations would expose any obvious lies. They would not be able to collude while being held captive. Drustina and Carl quickly started to question them for the evening shadows were drawing in.

By asking predetermined questions born of long shared experience, the two veterans Drustina and Carl were able to reasonably asses what was truth and what was lie.

Back aboard the ships, the four commanders talked at length about the next day. As darkness overtook them they took two ships above the narrows and anchored out of bowshot from the shore. Drustina returned back to the other ships to share intelligence and possibly sneak ashore into Cobh and check on any remaining Viking numbers. She was pleased to learn that no other ships had arrived and when she asked for two volunteers to accompany her into the darkened town she was surprised and pleased when Gisela and Brigit stepped up.

“I speak Irish and Gisela speaks Norse, we are the obvious choices. Besides, my value as a pilot is not necessary now; there are plenty of Corgheig men who can guide you past the Hogshead and all the way to O’Neill country.”

“Who are the O Neill’s?” Drustina asked.

“They used to be the most powerful clan in all of Hibernia but the Vikings have trimmed their wings considerably. They were forced to pay homage to Forden the Norse King in Bail ar y Claidd and they have resented it ever since. You should find a good ally in the O Neill’s.”

“Well, I’ll cross that river when I come to it. For now, let’s see what we can find out in the town.”

They took a small rowing boat that one of the villagers had supplied and landed ashore half a mile upstream to the west of the town. Drustina naturally led with sword in hand as they crept carefully along the unlit road. Once they had to slip off the road as an innocent farmer was returning late from the market with a couple of cattle in tow Fortunately he did not have a dog with him and the three women simply had to stand back quietly in the shadows as he plodded past wending his way home.

“It seems to be quite peaceful.” Gisela whispered.

“Why shouldn’t it be?” Brigit replied. “He was just going about his everyday business. The trouble starts when the marauders come demanding food or worse, ‘taxes’. That’s when it gets dangerous. Why should an honest man give up his hard earned wealth and property when some thieving thug comes waving a sword?”

Brigit’s logic seemed unassailable to the young inexperience Gisela but Drustina simply smiled un-noticed in the dark while she kept her counsel. As a leader who had sat on that uncomfortable ‘throne’ of leadership and responsibility, Drustina knew there were times when taxes, fair legitimate taxes, were inescapable if a community was to benefit from it’s common-wealth. Roads and sewers were two particular examples Drustina could bring readily to mind but she had encountered others like schools and hospitals; built by kings but manned by good-willed volunteers and charitable people.

They soon came to the edge of the town marked by the first illuminating light shining through the crack in the doorway in a modest little hovel. In the pitch blackness of the cloudy night the tiny sliver of light seemed to glare like a beacon until compared with the brighter candle-lights that burned further into the centre of the town. There, there were even the occasional torches burning in iron frames above the junctions of the busier streets. Despite these welcoming lights however, the darkness served well to hide any certain identity and the three women passed easily along the busier main street as anonymous women going home from the market.

That same market square was now silent save for the several inns and the larger town hall where several men were gathered.

Drustina noted that they were not preparing the night watch so she wondered what they were about. She turned to her companions and murmured.

“Stay by me, let us learn what they talk of.”

They paused as group and Drustina was not surprised to hear them talking Norse. She understood enough to learn they were discussing the day’s events from the capture of their ship to the disappearance of the sortie they had sent out to ambush their original attackers. The remaining small group were obviously afraid and it showed in the loud voices they used to debate their next move. They were also concerned that their number had been reduced to a dozen and they were anxious for the next Viking trade ship to arrive the next week.

Then one of the men noticed the women loitering.

“What do you bitches want?!”

Brigit replied in the local Celtic Dialect for Corgheig.

“We seek any old or rotten vegetable from the market stalls. Our children go hungry.”

“Bugger off you witches. The rotten food is on the midden pile where the dogs and crows pick over it. Go and search there. Leave us to talk about men’s affairs.”

Having established how many Vikings now occupied the town and when reinforcements were likely to arrive; Drustina was satisfied with her night’s work. They decided to return to the skiff they had hidden and plan their next move.
~~oo000oo~~

Below is the Character list.

http://bigclosetr.us/topshelf/fiction/44661/angry-mermaid-ch...