It was dark. Melcorka woke first to find herself still enfolded in Bradan's arms. She smiled, enjoying the sensation more than she had thought possible, and eased herself free, placing Bradan in a position she considered comfortable. She looked down on his body for a long minute, stooped to kiss his forehead and walked naked to the door.
After the silence of the day, the clamour of the night was surprising. At first she could not work out what was making the strange burr-ing noise until she realised there were hundreds, no, thousands, of birds nesting on the island. In the wan moonlight, she could see birds rising and flying from underground burrows with their forked tails busy and their beaks open as they called to each other.
'Bradan,' Melcorka called softly over her shoulder. She looked at him again, momentarily admiring the clean, strong lines of his lean body. 'Bradan!'
He stirred, looked up at her and smiled. 'Mel?'
'We have company,' she said. 'Dress quickly. It is not friendly.'
Bradan joined her in seconds, waiting at the door while she pulled on her clothes and buckled Defender onto her back.
'What is it?' Bradan asked.
'The seals are gathering,' Melcorka said. 'In their legions.'
They watched as the seals dragged themselves out of the sea in tens and companies until the entire shore and most of the island was a mass of sleek black bodies. The birds vanished, sliding down into holes in the ground.
'Something is happening,' Bradan said.
'Perhaps it is us they are after.' Melcorka touched the hilt of Defender.
'Perhaps it is,' Bradan glanced behind him. 'I am not afraid when we are together.'
As the moon rose higher and then slid across the sky, the numbers of seals increased until they were barking at the very door of the temple. They made no move to attack Melcorka or Bradan.
'We'll wait here,' Melcorka said with a small smile. 'Anyway, it seems that we have nowhere else to go.'
An hour before dawn Melcorka noticed moonlight reflecting on something out to sea. 'There's a ship coming in,' she said.
'They would be well advised not to land here.' Bradan tapped his staff on the stone flagged floor.
The ship approached at speed with her wake arrow-straight on the sea.
'I see no oars and she is sailing against the wind,' Melcorka said. 'No ship can sail against the wind.'
'There is no mortal hand sailing that vessel,' Bradan crossed himself.
'Bel, perhaps?' Melcorka felt a shiver run down her spine.
'Bel is the sun god; there is no sun at night.'
'Is there a moon god?' Melcorka ran her hand over the hilt of Defender. She felt neither fear nor uncertainty. She was herself again, ready for whatever the world threw at her.
The ship came straight to Rona and moored a stone's throw away from Catriona. Despite the constant pounding of the sea it seemed to float effortlessly beside the low cliffs. Melcorka and Bradan watched a dozen small men disembark, followed by a long column of taller men in the clothes of islanders or coastal Gaels. All were round shouldered and with their heads bowed, chained together at wrist and ankle and walked as if in a dream.
'Slaves,' Bradan whispered. 'Caught by the Caterans to hand over to the king of the selkies.'
The column seemed to be endless as it wound out of the ship and up to the centre of the island, with the seals shifting back to allow them space, and barking and snapping at the prisoners .
'How did they get so many people in one ship?' Bradan asked. 'There is something uncanny here.'
'Oh dear God!' Melcorka said. 'There is Tuath! And Igraine!' She stared at them; Tuath, the great warrior was walking like the others with his shoulders bowed and no expression on his face.
'I cannot see Alva,' Bradan said.
'There she is, behind Igraine.' Melcorka touched the hilt of Defender. 'I thought we had ended this monstrosity when we killed the Osprey.'
'It seems not,' Bradan said quietly. 'Look, there is Eileen.'
At the end of the long column, Eileen watched. She had resumed her guise as a beautiful dark woman and laughed easily, loveliness disguising a heart of pure venom. At her side, smiling and touching her leg, walked Conall.
'That evil…' Bradan's grip tightened on his staff.
'Stay your hand,' Melcorka said quietly. 'We will free them somehow. They don't know we are here.'
'They are coming toward us,' Bradan said. 'They'll see us very shortly!'
There was nowhere to hide; the seals filled every inch of the island outside while the inside of the temple was stark stone.
'They won't fit in here,' Melcorka said, and started. 'Look at that!' She pointed to the ground immediately outside the temple. The hole was small at first but enlarged as they watched until it was ten feet square, with a flight of stone steps descending into the depths.
'That must be the lair of the selkie king,' Melcorka said. 'That must be where they hold the captives; come on, Bradan before they get here!'
Melcorka dashed down the stairs, with Bradan on her heels. Down and down; the steps descended deeper and deeper into a blackness that was tangible and a stench that grew thicker with every step.
'Where are we headed?' Bradan probed ahead of him with his staff. 'There is no end to this.'
'Wander down, Bradan the Wanderer,' Melcorka said, grimly humorous. She glanced over her shoulder. 'The prisoners are about a hundred paces behind us. If you can see anywhere we can hide, tell me.'
The staircase was only wide enough for two people side by side, with a hideous drop on the left into unknown darkness. To their right was solid rock, smooth as glass and slimy with damp.
'We can't stop or they will bump into us,' Bradan said. 'Let's hope we reach somewhere soon.'
'In here!' Melcorka hissed.
The passageway was so narrow that Bradan had not seen it as it shafted off at right angles to the staircase to burrow deep into the living rock. He followed Melcorka, ducking his head away from the low ceiling.
'That will do,' Melcorka said when they were about ten paces in. 'Now let me squeeze past you so I am nearest the stairs.'
A group of the small selkies walked past first, and then the head of the long column of prisoners. They walked without expression on their faces, heads down and shoulders hunched as they dragged their feet from step to step.
'Dear God,' Melcorka breathed. 'I know these people. I know all these people.'
'They are all from Ulvust, Tuath's island,' Bradan said. 'The selkie king, or maybe even Egil must have taken every person on the island.'
They filed past; men, women and children, each one with the same blank expression on his or her face, each one moving without thought, monotonous, rhythmical, unhuman.
'They are in some sort of trance,' Bradan said. 'They are enchanted.'
'It's that little monster Eileen,' Melcorka said. 'She's put them under some sort of spell.'
'Here comes Igraine.' Bradan said.
Igraine was no different from the others, her face a mask and her body limp and bowed, her spirit broken.
'Get ready…' Melcorka ordered and as Igraine walked past she darted out, grabbed her around the neck and dragged her into the passageway. Igraine did not resist; her feet continued to move even as Melcorka passed her over to Bradan. 'Look after her!'
Tuath lumbered past next. Stretching out, Melcorka grabbed hold of his sleeve and dragged him in. He did not protest but came in like a child, although he was so bulky that he filled the side passage.
'Move up, Bradan!' Melcorka hissed to Bradan. 'We've no room.'
Bradan moved deeper into the dark, taking Tuath and Igraine with him. Melcorka waited for Alva, swearing softly when she saw the child was too securely held.
'Where is Alva?' Bradan asked.
'I could not get her,' Melcorka was as close to tears as she had been for many years. 'She was between two of these selkie creatures.' If I killed them, the others would notice.'
'We'll follow them,' Bradan pu
t a hand on her shoulder. 'We'll get her free.' Despite the narrow passage, he managed to get his arm around her. 'We will.'
Melcorka took a deep breath. 'I want to kill every one of them.'
'If that is what it takes,' Bradan said quietly, 'that is what we will do: hush!' He pulled Melcorka closer and put a hand over her mouth. Eileen moved past them, seeming to glide down the steps without touching the stone. Conall was at her side, his right hand and all his attention busy on her body. Bradan removed his hand from Melcorka's mouth. 'First, we shall have to get Igraine and Tuath out of their enchantment.'
Melcorka nodded. 'And how do we do that?'
Bradan shook his head. 'I have no knowledge of that sort of thing.'
Melcorka glanced out of the side passage. 'I'm going to follow Alva,' she said. 'You stay here with these two.'
'We should all stay together,' Bradan said.
'I'll come back for you. I can't let these creatures take Alva.' Melcorka touched his arm. 'You keep quiet and keep out of trouble.'
Alone in the tunnel, the stairs seemed darker to Melcorka and the soft fall of her feet echoed in the pitiless nothingness. There was another sound far below, a soft rumble of running water that increased the deeper into the earth she ventured. Now worried in case Alva was spirited away forever, Melcorka ran downward until she saw the tail-end of the prisoners in front of her, with Eileen and Conall ensuring there were no stragglers.
The stairs ended abruptly with the passageway levelling off and stretching into the unseen distance. Following the end of the captives, Melcorka walked along a narrow ledge beside a broad canal through which dark water swirled, with occasional ripples and sinister splashes.
There were more noises ahead. Low moans, the clank of metal and the barking yowl of seals. Melcorka grunted, pulled Defender from her scabbard and strode forward. She was ready for whoever or whatever came out of the dark.
'You're not taking my Alva,' she muttered. 'You can't have her!'
Defender's strength and skill flowed through her, strengthening her resolve to rescue Alva and destroy the selkie king, however powerful he may be and however many selkies he could command. With Defender in her grasp, there was no doubt in Melcorka's mind. She was Melcorka the Swordswoman and nothing would stand in her way.
The clinking of metal on metal increased. Melcorka stopped; there was a man chained to the wall at her side.
'Who are you?' Melcorka asked softly.
He said nothing, staring into space and chained by wrist and ankle to staples in the rock.
'Can you hear me? Nod if you can hear me.'
The man did not move.
'Enchanted then,' Melcorka said to herself. She stepped on, and saw another man, and then another. The entire wall was lined with men, chained by wrist and ankle. There was an occasional woman and even a few children, but most were men of all ages from teenagers who had never felt the kiss of a razor to old grey-beards who had survived sixty winters or more.
'So here you are,' Melcorka mused to herself. 'The selkie king's store of prisoners; well you will have to wait until I have freed Alva.' She strode on in silence; aware that Alva would not hear her if she called out. She peered at every prisoner she passed, looking for people she knew, hoping to find Alva. The faces stared back at her through sightless eyes, with slack mouths and blank expressions.
'I will find you, Alva,' Melcorka said. 'I promise I will find you.
The corridor broadened out into a vast cavern, with ethereal light coming from an unseen source and stalactites in a thousand different sizes descending from an unknown height. Small waterfalls poured noisily into the cavern or disappeared with a terrible sucking into black holes so the whole place echoed with the sound of moving water. Chained men lined the wall along which Melcorka walked, while the major water channel ran down the centre, dull and black and wicked with menace.
Melcorka hugged the shadows at the spot where the cavern began, watching as the last of the new group of prisoners was herded toward the wall and their chains were stapled into the rock. Conall walked along the line of prisoners, smiling, humming to himself, patting the occasional face, turning around to speak to Eileen, who walked at his back with her left hand fondling him. Eileen stepped into the broadest part of the cavern, standing on the lip of the water channel and shouted something that was part way between the bark of a seal and the call of a man. There was a sudden rush of water emerging from the channel, water that solidified into the form of a huge seal.
Standing in the shadows, Melcorka saw the seal transform itself into a tall, dark haired and stark naked man. Eileen smiled to him, waved her hand and he was immediately wearing a silk leine and a dark cloak.
'You are the king of the selkies,' Melcorka said quietly to herself. 'You are the cause of all the trouble.' She touched the hilt of Defender. 'As soon as Alva is free, I am going to kill you.'
The selkie king lifted a hand and two more seals emerged from the channel, shook themselves dry and quickly transformed into a man and woman. Again Eileen waved her hand and both were fully dressed, or, Melcorka reasoned, both had the appearance of being fully dressed.
The selkies spoke in that strange mixture of barking and human speech and walked along the array of chained men, pointing to three of them.
'Dinner time,' Melcorka told herself. 'These poor devils are going to be eaten.' She watched, unwilling to interfere until she knew where Alva was. With Eileen, the smiling Conall and the selkies between her and most of the captives, she was unable to inspect them.
The selkie king poked his finger into the chest of the smallest man and shook his head.
'What does that mean?' Melcorka wondered to herself. She had not long to wait. The king lifted the man with his left hand, opened his mouth in what could have been a yawn, then bit into the man's throat. There was a long scream, some barking from the other selkies and the selkie king casually tossed the dead man into the channel.
The water parted with a swirl in the water as a seal surfaced, grabbed the body and hauled it away. All that remained was a twist of blood on the surface.
The king barked again and Eileen stepped to his side, smiling. Walking together they inspected the wall of prisoners. He looked at a couple, lifted the chin of Olwen, shook his head and walked on.
'What are you looking for?' Melcorka asked. 'Oh dear God.'
The selkie king barked again. He stopped, lifted Alva up with one hand and stepped back toward the centre of the cavern. Holding Alva by the left leg so the child hung upside down with her hands trailing on the ground and her hair hanging loose, the king's smile broadened. When Eileen gave a small nod, Conall crouched down to Alva and, horribly, ran his hand over her, fondling as if she was some sort of pet animal.
That was enough for Melcorka. 'You can let her go now,' she said loudly, and stepped out of cover. She felt the power of Defender thrilling through her.
At her words, the king and his two companions turned around, mouths open and teeth showing in a snarl. Eileen stepped back, with Conall giving a shrill yelp as he retreated.
'Put her down,' Melcorka said. 'Put that girl down!' She lifted Defender above her head, savouring the sword's strength that surged through her, fighting her anger so she could fight with a clear head, aware but uncaring that there were seals sliding out of the water channel behind her.
The selkie king barked at her, his mouth elongating to show his teeth, large and sharp and vicious. He dropped Alva, and Melcorka reached forward, scooped up the child with her left hand and pulled her behind her. She was so concerned with Alva she did not recoil when the king lunged at her with an arm that evolved into a taloned flipper. The talons ripped Melcorka's cloak and raked across her ribs, drawing quick blood.
'Change her!' Melcorka felt the king's words rather than heard them; they seemed to form within her mind.
Eileen pointed to her but nothing happened. She was not changed nor placed in enchantment. Her mind was as clear as before.
'I am pr
otected from your sorcery,' Melcorka held up Defender in a second of triumph.
'She is not!' Eileen said quietly, pointing to Alva. 'She will be my slave.'
Alva's shape began to alter: she grew a covering of sleek black skin; her body lengthened, her arms became flippers and her face elongated. 'No!' Melcorka tried to cover Alva, hoping to shield her from the spell. She heard Eileen laugh and then writhed in sudden agony as the king raked his claws across her shoulders. Lifting Alva, Melcorka pressed the child's little body against the blade of Defender and watched her transmogrify back into a human.
There were other selkies around her, a dozen or more rising from the water, baring their teeth, barking, altering from seals to humans with some retaining their seal-faces or growing sharp-clawed flippers.
Clutching Alva in her left hand, Melcorka slashed at the selkies with Defender, felt the shock of contact as the blade hacked through one of them and saw the spurt of blood.
'Kill her!' That was Eileen.
'No!' The selkie king over-ruled her. He had barked, yet Melcorka understood the language. Why was that? It must be some power of understanding that passed from her close contact with Alva when she had momentarily altered to a seal. He barked again. 'I want her as my own.'
'You can't have me!' Melcorka shouted. She did not know if her words came out in human speech or as the bark of a seal. She only knew she would not be altered into anything other than her own shape and form. 'I am Melcorka! Why are you attacking us?'
'Stop!' The selkie king commanded and his followers immediately withdrew, to stand in a black-pelted mass at the edge of the channel. They stared at Melcorka through round eyes as they held up their taloned flippers and bared bright teeth.
Still shielding Alva, Melcorka took a step backward, holding Defender one- handed. 'This girl has not harmed you. I have not harmed you except in defence. This fight can only result in more deaths for your people and for ours.' She felt the strain of speech and wondered anew in what language she was conversing. 'Free these people and I will leave here without harming any more of you!'
Eileen lifted her hand, but the selkie king silenced her with one wave of his flipper. 'Foolish woman! Your people have waged war on us ever since time began! The island I cleared was filled with men who hunt my kind. They wear seal skin, eat seal flesh, kill my children and hunt my women.'
The Shining One (The Swordswoman Book 2) Page 24
