The Shining One (The Swordswoman Book 2)

by Malcolm Archibald

  'She has Tuath and Igraine to protect her,' Bradan said. 'I think she will be as safe as any child in Alba, if not in the world. There is more than that.'

  'Is there?' Melcorka continued to busy herself with small tasks on the boat. 'I do not know. I do not know at all.'

  'You know well. We were invited to settle with Tuath and Igraine,' Bradan persisted. 'We chose not to.'

  'You are a wandering man; you cannot settle. You would feel constricted on such a small island.' Melcorka put in a wooden vessel for bailing.

  'You are an island woman; you would be at home there.' Bradan sighed and checked the sail for rents and flaws. 'And you would be close to Alva.'

  'You would not be comfortable,' Melcorka did not look at him. 'We could not stay here.'

  'We could have headed south to Cymri or the Saxon countries, or west over sea to Ireland, or northward to the lands of the Northmen, and on to Rus and Miklagard or…' Bradan nodded to the west, where the sea stretched past the limits of their imagination. 'Or out there to see what is beyond the horizon.'

  'We have business to finish,' Melcorka said. 'As long as this king of the selkies is stealing people, then Alva is under threat. And others.'

  'And so we return to Alva,' Bradan had a last look around the harbour, where a small group of local people watched them work. The bleak hills loomed down over them, bare and uncompromisingly rocky.

  'The time for talking is past,' Melcorka said, and began to push Catriona into the quiet waves of the harbour.

  'Then let us sail again.' Wading thigh deep in water, Bradan joined her, boarding the boat when they were properly afloat.

  'This whole business is centred on temples,' Melcorka said as she watched the land of Harris for what could be the last time. 'Your Abaris has his temple, the Shining One of Egil infested the temple of Callanish and now the king of the selkies has a temple on some remote island.'

  'That is so,' Bradan agreed.

  'Your quest and my quest are one and the same,' Melcorka said. 'You are looking for a man of knowledge in a temple and I am searching for some creature of the selkies in a temple.'

  Bradan nodded. 'We tried to find Abaris and instead found Egil; I wonder what we will find looking for the king of the selkies.'

  Melcorka gave him a level look. 'Hopefully we will end this career of butchery and murder.'

  There was a small cheer from the watchers as Bradan gave them a farewell wave, Melcorka hoisted the white sail, angled the spars to catch the wind and took hold of the steering oar.

  'There is nobody else I would rather be sailing with than you,' Bradan said as they cleared the harbour and Catriona raised her bow to the high swells of the Western Ocean.

  'I know,' Melcorka said. She did not say that the knowledge troubled her. She did not say that the responsibility for Bradan's emotions scared her more than any clash of swords. Nor did she try to voice her own feelings. She had never learned how to.

  They sailed west, away from the rising sun with the wind keen about their ears and the gulls screaming around them, wing-tips quivering and eyes hard and remorseless as they hunted for food. High above, dark grey clouds were ragged against a light grey sky, with no sun and precious little pity. Grey waves stretched to grey infinity on either side of the boat, breaking creamy-white against Catriona's bow and seething in vicious bubbles along their hull and in their wake until they merged with the vastness of the sea in which their mark faded into nothing.

  Melcorka held the tiller and stared out to sea. They were nothing out here. Specks in the ever-changing sameness of the ocean, unheeded morsels of bone and blood and muscle set in the sea, land-animals out of their element, or creatures returning to their proper home as long-forgotten memories of a far-distant past called them to the constant movement of salt water and depths that hid things of which they were mortally afraid. Yet Melcorka knew they were a part of a holistic entity whose surface they could barely scratch in the entirety of their lives.

  'West first,' Melcorka decided, 'we shall view your temple in the Seven Sisters and see if this king of the selkies is there; if he exists.'

  'We'll visit all these temples of the sea,' Bradan said, 'you to cleanse them of evil and me to seek the wisdom of Abaris.'

  Melcorka nodded. She touched the hilt of Defender and looked aloft, hoping to see a friendly oyster-catcher to guide her. There were none. Her totem-bird had deserted her for these last weeks and she felt alone and unwanted, save for this enigmatic man with his disturbing attachment to her. She brushed the thought away and concentrated on steering them westward into the infinity of sea.

  When she saw them first, Melcorka thought they were nothing more than a collection of cliffs that rose sheer from the waves. They seemed to tower in perpendicular splendour from the frothing surf at their base to their heads in the clouds, seven islands that were inaccessible, remote and utterly unfriendly.

  'The Seven Hunters,' she sat at the tiller with the sail drawing clean and the wind whistling through their simple rigging.

  'Otherwise known as the Flannan Islands,' Bradan said. 'The men of Lewis and Harris say there is something uncanny here. Perhaps this is the home of the king of the selkies.' He looked upward and around, where the great cliffs denied any easy access. 'Although I can't think why even seals would want to live in this God-forsaken place.'

  'Or it could be where Abaris is remembered,' Melcorka eased the tiller around so they approached sun-wise, as was the custom out here in the west.

  'Duncan told me that the temple here is known as the Temple of Blessing,' Bradan said. 'Any mariner that lands here has to pray for luck.'

  'Aye; he would need luck to land here and get away in safety,' Melcorka said. 'This place is like the end of the world.'

  What was known as the temple was a small dry-stone building barely sheltered from the elements. They pulled Catriona out of the worst of the tide, secured her against the lunging waves with ropes and stones and walked to what was little more than a hut although it boasted the title of a temple. All around was the sound of the sea surging against the rocks and the raucous cry of seagulls screaming in the wind.

  'This is not the place,' Bradan said at once. 'There is not a vestige of wisdom in these islands, only the great rollers of the sea. And those.' He pointed to the dog-like heads of seals that were watching them from just off shore.

  'They have been with us this last four hours,' Melcorka said off-hand. 'They are only seals.'

  'Do you remember Finlay the boat builder?' Bradan said. 'He was related to the seals from his mother and wife. Now Egil speaks of the king of the selkies. These could be watching us as spies of the king.'

  'They could be,' Melcorka watched the seals as they bobbed beneath the waves, to appear again a few moments later, still watching. 'Or they could just be seals feeding.'

  'All the same, I would watch them,' Bradan said.

  'If they come too close I will fight them,' Melcorka patted the hilt of Defender. Suddenly she was desperate to draw her sword, frantic for the tension-release of action and danger. Fighting was easier than working out the turmoil of her hidden emotions.

  The interior of the temple was stark, rough stone walls and a flagstone floor, with no concessions to comfort. They knelt to pray, as was the custom, for they knew the old rule never to make a custom or break a custom.

  'There is no Abaris here,' Bradan said. 'There is only a sensation of waiting, as if for some future misadventure.'

  'Something will happen here,' Melcorka agreed, 'but not to us. If there is a selkie king here, he is not coming to see us, and there are no prisoners held here. There is no space for them.'

  Bradan stood up. 'We've wasted sufficient time here. We should be going.'

  As they left the Seven Hunters, still sun wise, the seals were gathering off shore. Their heads were always visible, their eyes wide, staring, nearly mesmeric as they watched Melcorka and Bradan board their boat.

  'There is something not right here,' Bradan said.<
br />
  'There is a lot not right here,' Melcorka agreed. She was reassured by the weight of Defender across her back.

  'Where next?' Bradan asked, as they hoisted the sail and headed into the great westerly swells. Catriona dipped her prow, tossing aside a great spume of spindrift as she thrust into the sea.

  'Sula Sgeir,' Melcorka said. 'There is another temple there, although I doubt that the island is large enough to interest your Abaris.'

  'It is a noted place for seals,' Bradan said. 'Perhaps the king of the selkies would make his home there.'

  'That is possible,' Melcorka said as she took hold of the tiller and settled down.

  The seals accompanied them on their voyage to Sula Sgeir, swimming alongside, diving, popping up their heads to watch and submerging again.

  'I have never seen seals remain with a boat for so long,' Melcorka said.

  'Yet you grew up on a west coast island,' Bradan placed a hand on his staff. 'I have never heard of seals attacking anybody so there is nothing to worry about. Even selkies only attack by deception.'

  Melcorka watched the seals, shrugged and looked away. 'They are not ferocious beasts; they are not like bears or wolves and we have faced them before. I am not concerned about a few seals.'

  'Perhaps you would be concerned about a few dozen,' Bradan said. 'There must be at least fifty of them here.'

  'They are in the sea,' Melcorka said. 'We are on a boat. They cannot board us and we will not be swimming. We are as safe as if we were in our own house.'

  Bradan nodded. It was a few moments before he replied. 'We do not have our own house,' he said.

  'Wandering men like you do not make roots,' Melcorka replied at once. They exchanged glances and looked quickly away, each unable to articulate their thoughts.

  They were still at sea when night fell so rather than chance landing in the dark they hove- to, put out a sea anchor and made themselves as comfortable as they could within the boat.

  'The seals are getting noisy,' Bradan said.

  'Let them,' Melcorka tried to sound unconcerned yet she kept Defender at hand as they settled down for the night.

  During the day they could ignore the barking and squealing of the seals. At night the sounds seemed exaggerated and far more sinister. The noise continued throughout the hours of darkness until a cold sliver of moon rose to ghost silver light over the sea.

  The seals were all around them, bobbing round heads with dog-like snouts.

  'They are getting very close,' Bradan warned.

  The sudden jolt took them by surprise as Catriona was almost lifted from the water and driven a dozen yards to port.

  'What in God's name…' Melcorka looked over the side where a press of seals were preparing for another attack on the boat.

  'Seals don't do that sort of thing,' Bradan said.

  'These seals do.' Melcorka unsheathed Defender. 'I would guess that the king of the selkies knows we are coming for him and is warning us off.'

  'That might be so,' Bradan said. Leaning over the side, he prodded at the seals with his staff. 'Begone, you creatures of the sea. There is nothing for you here!'

  'Except death!' Melcorka said. 'Go now, and leave us in peace.'

  Perhaps the words and threats were sufficient, for the seals withdrew twenty yards, where they clustered in a huge shoal, calling to each other and contemplating Catriona through wide round eyes.

  'We have to stand watches,' Melcorka said, 'like we did during the Norse invasion. You try and sleep and I will wake you later.' She watched as Bradan lay in the bottom of the boat, pulling his cloak over him as protection when an occasional rogue wave burst on the prow and showered him in spindrift. For a moment she watched him lying there, so dependable and yet so vulnerable out here on the water, and then she turned her attention to the seals.

  There were upwards of a hundred gathered in a large shoal that swam round and round Catriona yet never moving nearer than twenty yards. Most remained close to the surface, with the occasional bolder spirit diving deeper and passing underneath the boat to emerge on the far side.

  'I will be glad when the dawn comes,' Bradan said as he joined Melcorka on the rowing bench.

  'As will I,' Melcorka said.

  'The moon is waning,' Bradan nodded upward, 'and what is happening there?' They watched as a group of seals parted from the others and swam away toward the east.

  'It was almost like they are off on a quest of their own,' Melcorka said.

  'Or summoning reinforcements,' Bradan said. 'Get some sleep while you can, Melcorka. Things may not be so quiet tomorrow.'

  'You take care,' Melcorka lay on the bottom on the boat, feeling the residue of Bradan's body heat on the planking as she pulled her cloak over her face. 'If there is any danger, don't face it alone.'

  It felt strange yet familiar to lie on wooden planking and listen to the slap of the waves only a hand's span from her face. Island born, she had no more fear of the sea than she had of the land; she was home wherever she was.

  And the seals? There was nothing she could do about them, so there was no gain in remaining awake to worry. Melcorka closed her eyes. Sleep came easy, dreamless and untroubled.

  'Melcorka.' Bradan's voice was soft. 'Breakfast.'

  Melcorka woke at once, instantly aware where she was.

  'An apple,' Bradan said, temptingly, 'cold oatmeal porridge, cool water from Harris and the wing of a chicken, cold and welcome; it is a breakfast fit for heroes.'

  'And we are both heroes,' Melcorka demonstrated that she had not lost her appetite. With cloud hiding the moon it was too dark to see any of the seals she could hear out there, barking mournfully all around them.

  'Dawn.' Bradan gestured east. 'Bel is coming.'

  Melcorka looked at him. 'There is no Bel,' she said. 'That is the old way, long gone now.'

  'There are no People of Peace,' Bradan countered, 'yet we have met them. Seals do not attack people, yet they attack us. There is no longer certainty within me, Melcorka; that is why I wander to seek knowledge; that is why I want the truth.'

  The fog came without warning, dulling sound and negating vision as they hauled in the sea anchor and raised the sail.

  'That will be useless unless we have a wind,' Bradan pointed out.

  'It will act as a mark for others to see us,' Melcorka said. 'I think we may welcome company on the sea today.' Taking her place on the rowing bench, she thrust out the oars. 'We head north and east for Sula Sgeir,' she said, 'and the next temple.'

  As the sun rose, it tinted the fog crimson, so it seemed that they were sailing through a curtain of blood. Melcorka crossed herself, shaking her head. 'I have never been a very religious person,' she said, 'or very superstitious, but there are so many omens and strange things on this quest, Bradan, that I share your uncertainty.'

  Bradan nodded, hauling on his oars. 'We have started now, so we must continue and follow wherever the sea-road leads, be that Abaris or the king of the selkies.'

  'One or the other,' Melcorka said, 'we are set on our course and there will be an end.'

  The seals remained with them, an escort of bobbing heads and sleek bodies, of watchful saucer-eyes and the occasional gaping mouth of long, sharp teeth. As the sun rose, it burned away the fog so they had a clear vision of the sea, populated by seals as far as they could see.

  'I hope you know where we are going,' Bradan said.

  'I hope so too,' Melcorka said. She looked around her; the sky was blank; there were no friendly oystercatchers to guide her. For a moment she felt near despair; the oystercatcher was her totem, her good-luck and her guide. Without it she was alone. Except for Bradan. She looked at him; he was the sole constant in her shifting world.

  'What's that?' Bradan pointed ahead. 'It is like a waterfall, except it is upside down.'

  Melcorka blinked at a great gush of water erupted from the sea, thrust skyward for a few seconds and then fell back down. No sooner had the first dissipated than another burst up. 'I do not know,' she
said, feeling for Defender. 'It is exactly where the island of Sula Sgeir should be. Maybe the king of the selkies is sending a message to the seals.'

  'Maybe he is.' Bradan said. 'There are plenty here to heed it.'

  Melcorka grinned, 'well Bradan, we have fought Norsemen, mermaids and Caterans; let's see how good the selkies are!' The sudden recklessness surprised her as she pulled harder at the oars, now determined to face this new threat. She was Melcorka the Swordswoman and nothing, man, beast or demon, would scare her. 'Come on Bradan!'

  'I'm here,' Bradan grinned back at her abrupt change of demeanour and matched her pull for pull.

  'There is Sula Sgeir,' Melcorka rested at the oars, looking forward as that cascade of water erupted upward again. 'I doubt that a selkie king would make his dominion there.'

  'It is a bit small for even a selkie to plant his throne,' Bradan agreed. The island was nothing more than rock, pierced with caves and covered with sea birds. They approached sunwise, searching for a place to land with the seals accompanying them, keeping to their habitual twenty yards distance, diving, surfacing, barking, and watching them through wide eyes.

  'According to Duncan,' Bradan said, 'there is a small tidal beach under the cliff near the isthmus where the northern half of the island joins the southern.'

  The pebbly beach was barely visible between the suck and surge of the tide, so Melcorka had to judge their landing to the second, and then urge Catriona onto what she could see of the beach.

  'Out! Quick!' she ordered, and hauled Catriona up the steep slope. 'We need our muscles now; there is a shelf above our heads.' They looked back, where the sea had retreated only long enough to prepare for its next onslaught.

  'Up we go!' Standing on shifting shingle, they used the force of the wave to help propel Catriona upward, and then pushed her the final few inches to the ledge. Turning her upside down, they secured her against the wind with heavy rocks and clambered up to the surface of the island, just as the ground opened up in a high spout of water.

  'A monster…' Melcorka reached for Defender, but stopped when the water subsided and pattered beside them and across the rocky ground.