A Quiet Strength
by Anon Allsop

-Part One-

-Eight-

Each day the young female spent in her sanctuary, high in the hills, brought new changes to her young life. She had managed to create traps, kill and eat several types of the small creatures that dwell within close proximity to her shelter. As best as she could figure, it had almost been a full month since she was deposited on this planet by her body's former owner. Even though she was stuck with this form, she didn't have to like it. Unused to the small frame and appendages that seemed to just be in the way, she could only tolerate everything that seemed to come with being a female.

She cringed each time she had to respond with the call of nature, it was so degrading and hard to accomplish being that she had spent most of her young life with quite a different outlook. She wasn't naive, she knew that at some point she would have a monthly visitor, all females do, and now that she was one... she could expect it any day now.

It had become much warmer now, the heat of the day would build until it almost grew uncomfortable in the animal hide that she was wearing. Often she would remove it and slip into the water to bathe, but only when the moon was out and never in daylight.

Tonight was one such night, it was warm and she had just finished eating half of a small creature that she had caught. As the stars high overhead began to dot the sky, she slowly slipped down to the stream below her shelter. There, she carefully made her way to the edge of the stream staying within the shadows.

Pulling off the skins she slipped quietly into the refreshing water. She felt along the underside of her arm where the skin had begun to chafe her tender flesh. The cool water helped to take some of the soreness away. As she slowly swam, she heard several voices.

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.

Introduction: We've heard about Simoné Simard Enescu as she is mentioned in two previous stories. It seems that a number of pictures of her in the altogether have shown up on several websites. She is a very attractive young woman. Now, it's time to learn a little more about the naughty Simoné.

The time frame of heart of this story overlaps the ending of Adam and the Three Wishes and the beginning of Howard and the Completed Pass; however, much of the story takes place many, many years before.

If you are not familiar with the series, you should read An Incremental Journey, Cynthia and the Reluctant Girlfriend, Cynthia and the Dumpster Diver, Cynthia and the Moment of Truth, Cynthia and the High School Years, Parts 1 & 2, Charli and the Man Cave, Adam and the Three Wishes, and The Football Player, His Friend and Their Wonderful Journey. Bobbie and the Glass Ceiling and Randi and the College Professor take place about seven years after this story.

Introduction: This is another story that fits into Part 2 of the Cynthia Chronicles. Chronologically, it takes place a little more than a year after the ending of Adam and the Three Wishes. There are some interesting parallels to that story; however, there are significant differences.

If you are not familiar with the series, you should read An Incremental Journey, Cynthia and the Reluctant Girlfriend, Cynthia and the Dumpster Diver, Cynthia and the Moment of Truth, Cynthia and the High School Years, Parts 1 & 2, Charli and the Man Cave and Adam and the Three Wishes. Bobbie and the Glass Ceiling and Randi and the College Professor take place about seven years after this story.

Introduction: This is another story that fits into Part 2 of the Cynthia Chronicles. Chronologically, it takes place a little more than a year after the ending of Adam and the Three Wishes. There are some interesting parallels to that story; however, there are significant differences.

If you are not familiar with the series, you should read An Incremental Journey, Cynthia and the Reluctant Girlfriend, Cynthia and the Dumpster Diver, Cynthia and the Moment of Truth, Cynthia and the High School Years, Parts 1 & 2, Charli and the Man Cave and Adam and the Three Wishes. Bobbie and the Glass Ceiling and Randi and the College Professor take place about seven years after this story.

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.

A young man, feeling totally unwanted by his family, runs away. He needs to find a way to survive, and eventually, he stumbles into an Op Rescue clinic.
Paige is adjusting to her life, and finds a little closure and peace.

Operation Rescue: In Plain Sight - Prologue
Operation Rescue: In Plain Sight - Chapter 1
Operation Rescue: In Plain Sight - Chapter 2
Operation Rescue: In Plain Sight - Chapter 3
Operation Rescue: In Plain Sight - Chapter 4
Operation Rescue: In Plain Sight - Chapter 5

[email protected]

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A young man, feeling totally unwanted by his family, runs away. He needs to find a way to survive, and eventually, he stumbles into an Op Rescue clinic.
Paige is taking steps to overcome her past, but not everything is working out as planned. Meanwhile, her pregnancy is progessing well, and she has a new friend in her mentor, someone very familiar with what she's doing.

Operation Rescue: In Plain Sight - Prologue
Operation Rescue: In Plain Sight - Chapter 1
Operation Rescue: In Plain Sight - Chapter 2
Operation Rescue: In Plain Sight - Chapter 3

[email protected]

A young man, feeling totally unwanted by his family, runs away. He needs to find a way to survive, and eventually, he stumbles into an Op Rescue clinic.
Pete completes his surgery, and then has to start learning to not live in fear, while the staff has to work with Pete to understand what really motivates him, and what his fears are. A new friendship seems to be developing.
(Counting the prologue, this is part 3 of 8)

Note - for some reason, the Prologue isn't showing up on the story list. If you go to my stories under the authors tab, you'll be able to find the prologue. I suggest you read it if you haven't; it sets the stage for Pete's feelings of rejection and his running away.

Operation Rescue: In Plain Sight - Prologue
Operation Rescue: In Plain Sight - Chapter 1

[email protected]

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.

Grogg
By Ellie Dauber
(c) 2002

A father uses the Medallion of Zulo to break up the relationship between his daughter and a boy he doesn’t like. And, as you’d expect, things don’t go exactly as planned.

This is an experimental story that alternates between the action of the story and a stream of consciousness by the narrator character. I'll be curious to see what people have to say about it.

Basically a 'filling in' chapter as Drustina makes her way unobstructed up the West Coast of Hibernia. The Munster men who act as her pilots can only advise her as far the estuary of the River Shannon for the kingdoms are divided tribally near this border and the Vikings are active in the Shannon estuary.

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.

Terry buy's a phone app from the SRU store after a night at the bar with his roommates but they find the app on his phone and show their true deviance.

Twenty Three — Part One
Man was making such a mess of the world in 2020, something had to be done, or womankind would be lost forever.

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.

My parents named me Julio, and I don't really know when it all began. I remember one time I was a little boy I had a dream that I'd turned into a girl somehow. In the dream I wore a pink dress and black Mary Jane shoes and white stockings, and my hair was long and curly. I remember going to the bathroom and peeing sitting down. When I was a little older, at twelve I think, one time during gym class a friend of mine was sitting next to me.

In this chapter the plotters Lefty Tip-toe and Bishop Celyn learn their sentences. Drustina gets married to Carl and is finally delivered of her twins.

This chapter is something of an interconnecting step towards Drustina's onward ambitions to recover her homeland Lleyn.

The trial of Lefty the Assassin is concluded and the two plotters are detained prior to sentencing.

Drustina eventually wins the arguments concerning her right to marry Carl but Bishop Celyn is enraged by Cardinal Craklow's use of political expediency to circumvent what Celyn believes to be rigid, biblical strictures about gender, faith and nobility. He plans to have the Cardinal murdered.

By a happy accident, the Pope's envoy to Consecrate the Saxon great Church in Winchester turns out to be Cardinal Craklow, the once Archbishop of Warsaw. Drustina cunningly uses her Pagan circumstances and faith to persuade King Ethelred to allow her to approach the cardinal on her own behalf instead of getting the King to advocate for her. The Cardinal's ship delayed because it is dis-masted by a big wave. Drustina is fortuitously on hand with The Angry Mermaid and she get's the Cardinal out of a jam. He is delighted to meet her again after her efforts in Pola.