Melcorka Of Alba

by Malcolm Archibald

  'Yes, my Lady.' Bradan perused the board, wondering if he should allow Dhraji to defeat him, or if she wanted a real challenge.

  'I wonder how loyal you are?' Dhraji shot him a sideways look. 'I wonder how far I can trust you?'

  'You have always treated me well,' Bradan said. 'You have no reason to distrust me.'

  'We'll see,' Dhraji said.

  'How large is your realm?' Bradan asked.

  'It is not large yet, only a couple of hundred miles north to south,' Dhraji said, 'and from the coast, we extend as far as the Ghats.' She nodded to the now-darkening mountain range.

  'And how large is the Chola Empire?'

  'Much larger,' Dhraji admitted. 'It is hundreds of miles north to south and it stretches right across to the East coast and even to the island of Ceylon.' She smiled. 'But it is old and creaking. We are young and vibrant. We will raid and weaken the Cholas until their Empire collapses and then,' she clapped her hands, smiling, 'we will move in and take over.'

  'And then,' Bradan said, 'you will be Rani of the New Chola Empire, with all their lands and all their power.'

  'It will be Bhim's land, not mine. I am only a poor woman. What do I know about affairs of state?'

  'Everything there is to know, I wager,' Bradan said, 'and maybe more than has ever been written.'

  'You have a silver tongue, Bradan the Wanderer,' Dhraji said, 'but it is not that part of you I wish to exercise.' She stood up. 'Leave this foolish game.'

  The sun had long gone as Bradan lay awake in the great bed, with the distant noises of the city faint beyond the palace walls and the fluttering of moths and steady breathing of the leopard only a distraction. Bradan sighed, wondering if he could ever escape this silken prison, and wondered, as he did a hundred times a day, if Melcorka was still safe. Every time he asked a guard about Melcorka, they refused to answer his question, leaving him frustrated and worried. He had lost count of time since he first entered the palace. It was weeks, he knew; three weeks perhaps, or maybe four.

  He sighed again. If he could find Melcorka, he would try to escape with her and make their way to the Chola Empire, which might afford them sanctuary; or the Chola soldiers may kill them out of hand as spies of the Raja of Thiruzha.

  The haze drifted through the window and hovered beside the bed. Bradan half sat up; he had last seen that indefinable black-and-white mass when Melcorka had thrown away Defender. What was it? Brushing away a whining insect, he peered into the darkness. He heard the leopard give a low growl as if in warning, and the black-and-white mass moved toward it, settling on the leopard's head. The leopard sank down, instantly asleep.

  'What are you?' Bradan whispered. 'Are you friendly? Or are you not friendly?'

  The mass moved toward him. Bradan reached out, but his hand penetrated the mass, vanishing into the interior. When he withdrew his hand, the mass disappeared. Bradan heard a new sound. Something was scratching. It was not the scratching of a rat or a mouse, or even the leopard; nor was it the slight sound of an insect. Bradan lay unmoving on the bed, aware that something was wrong; something had changed.

  Asleep beside Bradan, Dhraji stirred, shifted, snored slightly and relaxed into slumber. She lay naked and serene, with her hair a black fan on the pillow and her eyelids flickering with dreams. Even in sleep, her mouth seemed to be smiling, as if at some secret joke, or with smug pleasure at the path her life had taken.

  The sound came again, this time more like a scraping than a scratching. Bradan lay still, his eyes hooded as he examined the room. Faint moonlight ghosted through the pointed windows, casting a gloss over the luxurious furnishings. Bradan sensed movement in the far corner, where Dhraji's full-length mirror stood. He shifted slightly, hoping his movement seemed natural. The leopard remained still, unmoving. What had that black-and-white mass done to it?

  There was definite movement there, a darker shadow among the shadows, a blurred shape against the window. Bradan distinctly heard the slither of feet on the ground. For a moment, he wondered if he should lie still; if the intruder was an assassin, then Dhraji thoroughly deserved death. He considered quickly; if he remained still and did nothing, and the assassin, if it was an assassin, killed the Rani, what was the possibility of survival?

  Not high.

  Remember what had happened to the completely innocent arch builders.

  Think of Melcorka. Stay alive, whatever it takes.

  'That's far enough!' Bradan rose from the bed, wishing desperately that he had a weapon. Even his old rowan-wood staff would do. As it was, he had only his hands, feet and voice.

  The shadow solidified and rose, and Bradan leapt on top of it, roaring.

  'Dhraji! Take care!'

  Bradan did not think. He knew he was no fighting man and any half-decent warrior could dispose of him with ease. He also knew he had the advantage of surprise and that Dhraji had guards within call. So he yelled as he lashed out with his balled fists and kicked out with feet toughened by years of constant walking. His fist made surprisingly solid contact, but the intruder fought back, with one hand around Bradan's throat and the other holding a wavy-bladed knife.

  'Dhraji! Get out of here!'

  Dhraji was also shouting, sitting up in bed as Bradan wrestled with the intruder. The door crashed open, and three of Dhraji's guards burst in. The first held a lantern aloft and the other two carried short, curved swords. Bradan just had time to see that the man he wrestled was small, lithe and dressed in black, before the guards reached them.

  'Kill him!' Dhraji screamed. 'Not the pale man! The other.'

  Without hesitation, the guards hauled Bradan away and chopped the intruder to pieces, hacking and slicing at his body as it lay supine on the floor.

  Kneeling naked on the bed, Dhraji watched. 'Good,' she said, nodding. 'Good. You may leave now.'

  'Shall we take away the body, your Majesty?' The guard with the lantern asked.

  'No, leave him there.' Dhraji said. 'Go now.'

  The guards departed without another word, leaving Bradan shaking beside the window and the late intruder lying in a dozen pieces amidst a spreading pool of blood.

  'Good.' Dhraji dipped her finger in the blood and licked it clean, smiling. 'I wondered how you would react.'

  'You wondered?' Bradan asked.

  'I hired this man.' Dhraji was evidently pleased with her own cleverness. 'I wanted to see if you would defend me.'

  About to say, 'I could have been killed,' Bradan changed it to, 'You might have been killed, your Majesty.'

  'Can you see a weapon?' Dhraji dipped her finger in the blood again, smiling.

  'Yes.' Bradan lifted the wavy-bladed knife the intruder had carried.

  'Oh.' Dhraji shook her head. 'He really was going to try and kill me. How foolishly brave of him. If I had known that, I would have fed him to my pet.' She kicked the leopard. 'He should have been my first line of defence. It was lucky for the murderer that you are brave and loyal.'

  'You know I care you for you, Majesty,' Bradan said.

  'I do now,' Dhraji said. She produced a curved knife from beneath the pillows. 'That fool was paid to shake me awake. If he had done so, I would have killed him. He knew that. I wanted to test your loyalty. I wanted to see if you would help him, or help me.'

  'Did I pass?' Bradan asked.

  'You know you did.' With the dead man's blood dribbling down her chin, Dhraji held out her hand. 'Come back to bed, Bradan.'

  * * *

  'Do you like them?' Dhraji held up a string of finger-nail-sized pearls before draping them around her throat. 'I know other women prefer emeralds and rubies and diamonds, but I like pearls.'

  'So I see.' Bradan sat beside the window as Dhraji paraded her pearls against her naked tawny skin, admiring herself in her mirror. 'How many do you have?'

  'Hundreds and hundreds,' Dhraji said. 'I send out my ships to capture the pearl divers of Ceylon, and use the divers to scour the ocean bed for them.'

  'How many do you want?'

&nb
sp; 'All of them,' Dhraji said. 'I want all the world's pearls.' She lifted one of the strings from around her neck and held the pearls up to the light. 'They are beautiful, are they not?'

  'They are,' Bradan agreed. 'That will be a lot of pearls.'

  'All mine.' Dhraji selected a long string and draped them around her hips, so they bounced and danced as she swayed around the room. 'I once said that I would dance for you,' she said. 'Do you like this?'

  Despite himself, Bradan felt his heart beat faster as he watched.

  I am betraying Melcorka. I should not watch this woman.

  'I like this,' Bradan said.

  Dhraji wriggled closer, with the pearls catching the light and her eyes dark and inviting.

  I have to do this. If I do not, Dhraji would kill me without a qualm and then what would happen to Mel?

  'Come closer.' Bradan smiled. 'Much closer.'

  'Are you not scared of me, Slave Bradan?'

  'Yes,' Bradan admitted freely.

  'That is as it should be.' Dhraji smiled as she further emphasised the sway of her hips. She danced closer, brushing against him. 'Soon, you will forget Melcorka, Bradan, as she has forgotten about you.'

  And then her revenge will be one step closer to completion.

  Bradan did not know from where the words came until he saw the black-and-white haze hovering just within the window.

  Revenge for what? Bradan stretched out a hand to touch Dhraji as she bent toward him. 'Fear can be an enhancement in certain situations, my Lady.' And I will never forget Melcorka. I will get her back to herself and then we shall see how dangerous you are, my vicious little beauty.

  'Enjoy me, Bradan,' Dhraji said as she straddled him, 'for there is red war ahead. The Chola Empire will seek to retaliate for our raids.' Her smile broadened. 'There is blood and gore and death on the horizon.' It was evident that Dhraji enjoyed the prospect.

  Chapter Seven

  'To invade the land of Thiruzha, Rajaraja of the Chola Empire had a choice. He could send a fleet up the coast and attack our city of Kollchi, where we all stand now, or he could send an army through the passes of the Ghats.' Bhim spoke impressively slowly. 'Instead, Rajaraja has done both. He has attacked Kollchi and sent an army to the Ghats.'

  'So here we are.' Dhraji and Bhim stood in the Council Chamber, with the war leaders and shipmasters gathered around them and two of Dhraji's guards standing sentinel at the door. Bradan stood with his back to the wall, awaiting Dhraji's orders, listening to everything and trying to keep as low a profile as possible. The Thiruzha warriors looked a handy bunch, some with scarred faces as souvenirs of previous battles, and all with long, slightly curved swords at their belts. Bradan was happy to note that Dhraji's leopard was not with her.

  Bhim spread a large map of Thiruzha over a low table. 'Come closer,' he ordered. 'My spies have informed me that the Chola Raja, or Rajaraja as I shall call him, has gathered a strong flotilla and will send it up the coast to Kollchi, here.' Bhim jabbed his sword into the map and the watchers all nodded, as if they needed reminding where their own city was.

  Bhim looked around at his mariners and warriors. 'At their present speed, the Chola fleet will arrive in three days.'

  The nautical men of the audience grunted and looked at each other, evidently worried about the lack of time they had to prepare to meet the threat. Bhim raised a podgy hand to regain everybody's attention.

  'In the meantime, Rajaraja has also gathered an army to force through the Rajgana Pass in the Ghats.' Bhim drifted his sword across the map to a dark pass marked in the east. 'Here.' He stabbed down. 'We estimate that the Chola army will take two weeks to reach Rajgana.'

  Dhraji, resplendent in tight blue trousers and a transparent top, with three rows of pearls around her neck supplementing her pearl head-dress, clapped her hands and spoke for the first time. 'So, gentlemen, Rajaraja's fleet will come here in a few days. We will defeat them and then we must gather our army and force-march to fend off the Chola army at the pass.'

  The lords, chiefs and seamen nodded. One middle-aged man raised his voice. 'We are not sufficiently strong to defeat the Chola fleet, your Highness. We have only three days, barely enough time to load up the ships with all we can carry and run.'

  'Who said that?' Dhraji asked, smiling. 'Who gave that opinion?'

  Everybody shuffled away from one man, who stood erect beside the map. 'We can raid and burn, Rani,' he said. 'We cannot fight against the entire Chola Empire. I am only thinking of the good of your people, Your Highness.'

  'Tell me what you advise, Chera.' Dhraji stepped beside the man and rubbed her hand over his arm. 'My, you are strong, aren't you?'

  'We could load up everything and sail further up the coast before the Chola fleet arrives,' Chera said.

  'We could do that.' Dhraji pressed her near-naked body against him, lowering her voice to a whisper as she smoothed her hand over Chera's chest and stomach. 'Do you think that is best?'

  'Yes, Rani.' Chera was looking nervous. 'I don't want to think of you in danger.'

  'That is good of you,' Dhraji said. 'Is your brother not also a ship's captain?'

  'Yes.' Chera's finger shook as he pointed to a tall, clean-shaven man with a sizeable green-and-red turban.

  'Good. Do you agree with your brother, Dee?' Dhraji asked.

  Dee looked from his brother to Dhraji and back, evidently reluctant to make a decision. 'No, Rani,' he said at last.

  'Do you think Chera is a coward?' Dhraji asked smoothly. 'He is strong and muscular, and he looks brave. Is he brave?'

  Dee closed his eyes as sweat broke out on his forehead. His voice dropped to a whisper. 'Yes, Rani. He is brave.'

  Bradan breathed as softly as he could in a room that had gone very quiet. He could hear voices rising from the city below and even the rustle of a bird's wings as it flew past the window.

  'Your brother says you are brave,' Dhraji said to Chera. 'Are you brave?'

  'Brave enough.' Chera evidently knew there was no escape.

  'Prove it to us.' Dhraji's smile did not falter.

  'What? How can I prove my bravery?'

  'Jump out of the window.' Still Dhraji's smile did not falter.

  The room was five storeys above the square. Chera stepped back, with Dhraji still smiling. 'Jump out of the window,' she ordered, 'or I will have four elephants pull you apart an inch a day in the square.'

  'No!' Chera looked at his colleagues for support. When they stepped further back, he pulled out his sword and rushed at Dhraji. 'You evil whore!'

  Nobody moved. The seamen and warriors seemed frozen in horror as sunlight glinted on Chera's curved blade. Even the guards appeared paralysed. Dhraji continued to smile. It was instinct that forced Bradan to thrust his foot forward. Chera tripped and staggered, which gave Dhraji's guards sufficient time to rush from their position against the wall and remove Chera's sword. They held him securely on the ground, awaiting Dhraji's orders.

  Dhraji had not moved. 'Strip him,' she said pleasantly, 'and hang him by his left ankle outside the window. He can sun-dry there for a day or two until I decide how to execute him.' She looked at Bradan and nodded, once. 'That one was not a test,' she said and watched as her guards suspended Chera from the window, as she had ordered. None of the men lifted a finger to help.

  'Now, here is what we will do,' Bhim continued, as if a naked man was not slowly swinging outside the building. 'Our ships will meet Rajaraja's fleet in the open sea. We will harass them and attack the stragglers and the loolas, their scout ships.' Bhim looked around to ensure that everybody was paying attention.

  'We will strike, kill, withdraw and strike again. We will not oppose the Chola fleet in an open battle. Our job is to thin their numbers and unsettle them.'

  The shipmasters nodded. They were raiders and slavers; they understood tip-and-run fighting.

  'When we get within half a day's sail of Kollchi, we will break off and sail home.' Bhim's grin restored some spirit to his audience. 'We have so
me surprises for Rajaraja's men here, and I'll need your nautical fighters to man the walls. We will put out the boom and hold them in our harbour, with fire and steel.'

  Bradan nodded. It was an excellent strategy. He began to have a little respect for Bhim.

  'We will defeat them. No fleet can breach our defences, island and city,' Bhim said. 'What is more troubling is the Chola army. Our border fort at Rajgana is only lightly held, so we need to send reinforcements to the pass.'

  'We have a week to defeat the Chola fleet,' Dhraji said. 'Don't let me down.' She pulled Dee close to her and patted his cheek. 'Can I trust you, Dee? Can I trust you, knowing what I have done to your brave brother?'

  'You can trust me.' Dee did not look as Chera struggled desperately outside. With all his weight suspended on one ankle, the strain would already be becoming intolerable.

  'Good.' Dhraji kissed his forehead. 'If you stay loyal, I will make it easy for your brother. If you let me down, then you will join him. I rather like the idea of having two brothers decorating my house.'

  Ignoring Dhraji's words, Bhim lifted his voice. 'Thank you all, gentlemen. You may go and prepare for war.'

  The ship captains and war lords filed out, leaving Bradan alone with Dhraji and Bhim.

  'You did well, Bradan.' Dhraji eyed him. 'That is twice you have intervened to save me. You deserve a reward. What shall I give you? A slave girl, perhaps? Or some golden trinkets? What do you desire most?'

  'Your Majesty,' Bradan salaamed to Dhraji, 'I crave a favour from Bhim'

  'You are my wife's slave.' Bhim's eyes were as smoky as Dhraji's leopard's. 'Your favour is remaining alive.'

  'He has proved his loyalty twice now,' Dhraji said. 'The first time, he thought to protect me from a night assassin and he saved me again today. Let him speak. He is an intriguing slave.'

  'Thank you, My Lady.' Bradan salaamed to Dhraji and then to Bhim. 'You may not recall, Bhim Raj, that when I was captured, there was a woman with me.'