Chapter ThirteenMelcorka woke to something sharp pricking her under the chin. She brushed it away. 'Don't bother me now, Bradan.'
It returned, sharper and more insistent than before. Something banged into Melcorka's ribs; hard.
'What?' Opening her eyes, Melcorka stared around her. Catriona was filled with copper-coloured, bare-chested men with their faces painted half red and half white. Melcorka struggled up, reaching for Defender, only for one man to stand on her wrist and another to tap her ungently on the head with his stone club.
The pain was acute. Melcorka cringed, clasping both hands to her head. 'Bradan?'
Bradan was lying on the bottom of Catriona with a gaggle of Dhegians around him. 'Melcorka!' Bradan shouted and rose, throwing off one of the Dhegians. The man staggered back
