Glancing at Bradan, Melcorka nodded. “That”s a fair deal, Chattan. You tell me all you know, and I won't even hurt you.”
“Do you promise?” Chattan asked.
“You have my word of honour,” Melcorka relaxed her pressure, allowing Chattan to move forward a few inches. “I've no reason to kill you now that Bradan is alive.”
Chattan gave a sickly smile. “The Butcher is touring all the lands of Cnut – that is Denmark, England and his other possessions – gathering a force of outlaws, mercenaries and cut-throats. He is going to invade Alba and the Jarldom and destroy everything.”
Remembering the power of Legbiter, Melcorka imagined how much harm Erik could do with an army of the worst type of men. “Thank you, Chattan.”
“What shall I do with him?” Bradan had the edge of his staff at Chattan”s throat.
“When I thought you were dead,” Melcorka said. “I wanted to kill him. Now you are alive, he does not matter. Besides, I have given my word not to hurt him.” She stepped closer to Chattan. “I have one question for you – where is the Lord of Dun Dreggan?”
“I already know that,” Bradan said.
“Do you?” Melcorka said. “In that case, we'll leave Chattan to the mercy of these good people. We won't hurt a hair of his little feline head.”
“I know where Defender is too,” Bradan probed inside Chattan's cloak and pulled out a bunch of keys. “Let's get her back.”
“You can't leave me here,” Chattan said. “You promised I would not be hurt!”
“Not so,” Melcorka said. “We promised not to hurt you, and we won't.”
As they left the chamber, they heard the roar from the freed prisoners and Chattan's high-pitched scream of terror. The cats' howling rose to a new pitch.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
“This way.” Bradan led at a fast jog. “Let's hope there are no cat-warriors here.”
“Let's hope there are,” Melcorka said.
Bradan grunted. “I see you're back to your normal peaceful self.”
“I've had enough of this place,” Melcorka said.
Astrid was at the door, wrestling with the lock. “You found her!” She seemed pleased. “I've been trying to get the sword so that I could help.”
“Is that what you were doing?” Melcorka pushed Astrid roughly aside. “Let me see.” She looked at the lock, banging it with the heel of her hand.
“Here.” Bradan tossed over the keys he had taken from Chattan. “Try these.” He looked over his shoulder, where a press of cat-warriors was approaching.
The first key did not fit, nor did the second.
“They're getting closer.” Bradan took up position between Melcorka and the warriors, although he felt that his staff was a poor weapon against spears. “Hurry it up, Mel!”
The first spear whizzed past Bradan, to clatter against the stone wall. He ducked the second, and then the warriors were running towards him.
“I'm in!” Melcorka said at last.
Astrid was at her heels, with Bradan retreating to the door to try to delay the warriors for a few vital seconds. Lifting a spear, he threw it at the advancing warriors, only to see it bounce uselessly from the wall. The warriors slowed down when they saw Bradan was unarmed, smiling now, with spears raised, confident of an easy victory.
“Ten to one? Come on, then!” Bradan challenged, hiding his fear, and then Melcorka was at his side, Defender in hand.
“Stand aside, Bradan!” Melcorka said. “This is women's work.” Her laugh rose as she stepped towards the cat warriors. “Cenel Bearnas!” she shouted. “I am Melcorka the Swordswoman of the Cenel Bearnas!”
The leading two cat-warriors were brave men. They stood to face this tall, dark-haired woman with the longsword and died for their courage. The second rank lasted a few seconds longer and then the cat-warriors were turning around in fear as Melcorka pushed forward, with Defender blocking spear-thrusts, slicing, hacking and killing.
“Fight me!” Melcorka shouted. “Cenel Bearnas!”
“Your woman is enjoying the killing,” Astrid said.
“My woman has saved our lives,” Bradan replied.
“As you saved hers.”
“It is what we do,” Bradan said, as Melcorka stopped her pursuit and turned back, spattered with blood but grinning fiercely.
“That's them chased away.” Cleaning Defender”s blade, Melcorka slid the sword back into its sheath. “Now we have to find the Lord of Dun Dreggan.”
“Down that way,” Astrid gestured with her thumb.
“I'm glad you came along.” Melcorka spoke with hardly any reluctance. “Lead on.”
Lifting one of the spears, Bradan thrust it through his belt.
“You are a man of peace,” Astrid said. “You do not need such a thing.”
“I am still a man,” Bradan replied. “I won't let Melcorka fight alone if she needs help.” He ignored Astrid's look of mixed disappointment and anger.
* * *
The Lord of Dun Dreggan sat as they had left him, with his company of warriors around him and his cat-face strangely sad.
“He does not look like a man who would awake a long-gone entity,” Melcorka said as they looked in from the shadows. “He looks like an aged giant, sunk in wine, mead and sloth.”
“I thought the same,” Bradan said. “Except for his face. Is that a mask?”
“Let's find out.” Melcorka unsheathed Defender. “Are you with us, Astrid?”
“I am not a fighter,” Astrid said.
“Then remain here,” Melcorka said. “Bradan and I have been in this sort of situation before.”
Striding past the staring warriors, Melcorka approached the Lord of Dun Dreggan, who barely stirred in his chair.
“I am Melcorka Nic Bearnas,” Melcorka said, “and I have questions for you.”
“Ask, Melcorka Nic Bearnas,” The Lord of Dun Dreggan replied, still without moving.
“Are you the leader of the warband that wakened the Cu-saeng from its slumber?”
“I was Ivar the Strong,” the Lord of Dun Dreggan said. “I brought my men from Norway to the coast of Wessex and up to this cursed land.”
Melcorka paused. It was not the reply she had expected. “Is this land cursed?”
Ivar, the Lord of Dun Dreggan, looked up, with his face more like a cat than a human. “Can you see me, Melcorka Nic Bearnas? Can you see what I
