'Where are we going?' Melcorka asked.
'I don't know, Mel,' Bradan said. 'But I know that on the first opportunity, we're going to escape.'
'Are they taking us to my sword?' Melcorka gave an unnervingly high-pitched giggle.
'No,' Bradan said. 'They're not taking us to your sword.'
The warriors hustled them through a walled garden, where fountains splashed amidst close-cropped lawns and trees hung heavy with fruit. The atmosphere was of decadence and luxury, as brightly coloured birds hopped and chirped on the trees and a bevy of servants waited for orders. Two more female warriors stood in a corner, hands on the hilts of long, curved swords.
In the centre of the garden was an open, circular building with a pointed roof and walls of delicately carved stonework. Within this arbour, a man
