'Who is that?' Melcorka asked.
'That is the mysterious one.' Kosala's voice shook. 'Nobody knows who or what he is, or even if it is a man, demon, woman or god.'
Melcorka ran her hand along the blade of Defender. She felt a thrill of unease. She had never been able to kill even one of these rakshasas, and now it seemed there were three of them to fight at the same time.
Bearnas' words returned: 'Use the steel from the west bathed in water from the north to defeat the evil from the south when the sun sets in the east.' What could that mean?
Melcorka looked around. The square had an opening on each side, a narrow channel through which the crowds surged when they came to this terrible place. The sun was dipping in the west, highlighting the hills of the Ghats and streaming along the channel between the houses. There would be no sunset in the east this evening. Perhaps this was not the day to defeat the rakshasas. Maybe this was the day to die.
Melcorka took a deep breath. She had always known that death was the ultimate end of any who chose the path of the sword. She would have liked a longer life; she would have liked to see the sun settle behind Schiehallion again… to feel the cool breeze of the Hebrides and smell the perfume of a peat-fire flame. She would have liked to rescue Bradan from his torment. Well, some things were not to be. She must face death as she had met life, with a smile on her face and a jest on her lips.
The high piping cut through the crash of elephants' feet on the ground. The oystercatcher landed on the head of the central elephant, ignored the mahout's efforts to dislodge it and pointed its red bill at Melcorka.
Melcorka frowned. What was the oystercatcher trying to tell her? The message was clear as it exploded within her head.
Why are you giving up? Are you accepting defeat so readily, even before the first clash of steel on steel?
Melcorka shook her head. Bearnas had provided the key to victory. All she needed was to find the lock that it fitted. A surge of hope chased away the gloom.
Melcorka stepped forward. She knew that the rakshasas had been playing with her mind. Depression and hopelessness were their prime weapons. If the rakshasas convinced their enemy that victory was impossible, then their battle was won even before the war began. Wars were won in the mind and the spirit, as much as in contests of steel and muscle.
'Where is Bradan?' Melcorka pushed through the crowd. 'I am here for Bradan!'
The elephants had halted in the centre of the square, with the light of the dipping sun glinting on their armoured shoulders. Dhraji smiled down from her howdah.
'Have you come to die, little girl?' Pearls glinted around her forehead and neck.
'I have come for Bradan.' Melcorka raised her voice. 'I am Melcorka of Alba and who dares meddle with me?'
'Oh, I dare, foolish child,' Dhraji spoke softly. 'Bhim dares, and my friend here also dares.'
Only then did Melcorka see Bradan. He stood at the edge of the square with his hands tied behind his back and a gag in his mouth. Two Thiruzha warriors held him.
'One bound man against three rakshasas with elephants,' Melcorka said. 'That's fair odds.'
Dhraji's smile did not waver. 'Bradan betrayed me,' she said. 'He has to die, but in dying, he has achieved something far more important.'
'What may that be?' Melcorka took a couple of practice swings with Defender. The blade sang as she hissed it through the air.
'He acted as bait to bring you here,' Dhraji said. 'Why do you think there were so few defenders at Kalipuram? I want to kill you myself, Melcorka, slowly and in public.' Dhraji spread her arms wide. 'I don't care about Thiruzha. I can get another kingdom anytime I like. I wanted to get you here.'
'Am I so vital to you?' Melcorka asked. 'I am only a poor girl from the western isles.' Striding across to Bradan, she pushed aside the guards. 'Run,' she said. 'Or die.'
When the first guard drew his sword, Melcorka killed him. The second fled. Melcorka cut Bradan free and removed his gag.
'Melcorka?' Bradan blinked at her. 'Where am I? How did you get here?'
'Dhraji is about to kill us,' Melcorka said. 'Run.' She looked around. Kosala stood at the edge of the crowd with his face set in defiance. 'Kosala, if you want to prove yourself as my friend, I charge you to look after Bradan. Take him to safety.'
'What about you?' Bradan understood the situation at once. He shook his head. 'I'm going nowhere.'
'Nor am I.' Kosala grinned at her.
'You're a pair of fools,' Melcorka said.
At that point, the elephants began their advance with slow, ponderous steps. Melcorka had no more time to argue.
I might not be able to kill a rakshasa, but I can remove its toys.
Running forward, she leapt as high as she could and thrust out, killing Bhim's mahout. The man fell, leaving the beast without any direction. It blundered sideways, barging into the central elephant, which reacted by thrusting sideways with its tusks. As the mahout tried desperately to control it, Melcorka hauled herself up the side of the first beast, slashed casually at Bhim and jumped onto the central elephant. The mahout ducked away, swung his iron goad at her and died as Melcorka decapitated him.
Realising that he was next, the mahout of Dhraji's elephant turned his beast sideways and made it reach for Melcorka with its trunk. Melcorka avoided the curling tip, jumped onto the elephant's back and killed
