Myvanwy and the House of Dragon Read online

  ‘What about Toby?’

  ‘Dad can keep an eye on him and I can practice on weekends.’

  Josh threw his hands in the air, ‘I’ll leave that decision up to you and Ben.’

  ‘You do want me to stay, don’t you?’

  ‘Of course I do, but I’m also prepared to wait.’

  ‘We’ll see,’ she told him.

  ‘We’d better go, I suppose. You be a good girl Molly,’ Josh said, and then took her outside again before they left.

  Clare mucked out Toby’s stall in the afternoon and then groomed and saddled him for some much needed practice. Josh watched for a while before going to checkout all the resources now at his fingertips. He wandered through the workshop, trying to garner ideas for the cave’s defence in case they were attacked, but nothing much leapt out. Then afterwards he walked through the barn to make sure it would accommodate the dragons when they came.

  His plan so far relied heavily on confusing the enemy. It would certainly be helpful against the first wave, which he assumed would be Ullric and Sandor, but the plan was incomplete. It was sadly lacking in punch power and would still leave Sehloho and his men to contend with afterwards.

  Clare found him seated at the kitchen table hours later, busily typing away on her laptop.

  ‘What are you up to?’ she asked, looking at the document onscreen. She scrolled to the top and read its contents, including the list at the end.

  Josh waited until she had finished, ‘Well, what do you think?’

  ‘Is that it? The entire defence plan?’

  ‘No, these are just a few diversionary tactics. I’m still missing a vital piece. So far it’s all defensive. I haven’t got any offensive solutions as yet and we can’t rely on hiding behind Myvanwy all the time. Ullric and Sandor will be armed to the teeth and intent on blasting them away.’

  Clare stood before him with her hands on her hips and looked at him incredulously. She grabbed his hand and led him to her father’s study, then taking a key from the drawer of his desk she opened the metal locker in the corner, behind the door. Josh knew instinctively what it would contain and his heart soared.

  She threw open the locker door to reveal her father’s two shotguns, each in a protective vinyl case, along with a .22 calibre rifle. Then going to another cupboard she opened it and handed him three boxes of shells.

  ‘How many do you think we’ll need?’

  Salvation was at hand. Each box contained twenty-five shells. There was enough to start a small war.

  He examined both shotguns, ‘Do you know how to handle one of these?’

  Clare nodded.

  ‘Which one do you prefer?’

  Clare reached across to the Over-and-Under shotgun and broke it. Satisfied that the weapon was safe, she locked the breech block back in position again. Josh was happy with her choice—it left him with the older traditional double-barrel shotgun. He broke his and declared it safe also, before replacing the cover and putting it back in the locker.

  ‘Do you know these are the best weapons for close fighting? They should give us the edge we need, while keeping the heat off Myvanwy and Sweet Pea,’ he informed her.

  Happy that the last piece of his plan was in place, he returned to the computer and entered the missing information.

  ‘What about the rifle?’ Clare asked.

  Josh shook his head, ‘A complete waste of time. You’ve seen the hunting rifles that Sehloho’s men use? A .22 calibre wouldn’t stand a chance.’

  ‘And what do you expect me to be doing?’

  ‘Good question. How about guarding the back door?’

  Clare thought for a moment, ‘By myself?’

  ‘No,’ he reassured her, ‘with a dragon at your back. Although we’ll have to go over the plan with Myvanwy and get her approval first.’

  He looked out of the window at the failing light, ‘Are you hungry?’

  ‘Famished,’ she said, and departed to freshen up while Josh went to look at the food on offer.

  The kitchen was a large open affair—a mixture of old and new. There was a wood stove still in place with a gas stove alongside, but Josh chose the convenience of an electric frypan. Ben had butchered a sheep to restock the fridge and freezer before he left, so Josh used the last of the lambs’ fry. He sliced and sealed it before smothering it in onions and tomato, then let it simmer while he prepared the rest of the meal.

  Clare walked in as he finished.

  ‘It smells good,’ she said, and disappeared briefly to get a bottle of red.

  After the meal they washed the dishes and moved to the lounge room to watch a DVD before retiring for the night.

  Myvanwy found them dozing peacefully.

  Incoming! she warned.

  Josh felt for Clare’s hand and held it, What do you mean?

  Well as you know, Liu Fung has been keeping an eye on things for us, so as to lull Ullric—not that it mattered much, because he has been playing the same game. She’s also been tracking the junk they were using. It seems that after they left, it made its way down to the south coast of New Guinea and across to Cape York Peninsula. Since then it has been working its way down the east coast towards us.

  Josh sat up in bed, Where is it now?

  Off the coast of New South Wales, in Jervis Bay. It’ll be in our waters within the week.

  What about our ‘friends’, what are they doing?

  Nothing! Absolutely nothing. But you can bet as soon as the junk arrives they’ll be here, ready to board it.

  That seems to be their plan then. They’re banking that we haven’t followed the junk.

  Well it doesn’t matter now, even if they find out we know, they’re committed. Have you given any more thought to our defence?

  Clare put the last piece in the puzzle this afternoon. Ullric and Sandor are history, Josh assured her.

  Good! What about Sehloho and his crowd?

  We’re still working on it. How about we bring your visit forward to Tuesday night and hold a war council instead?

  Sounds like a good idea.

  Make sure you thank Liu Fung for us. Tell her we won’t be about in the astral until this thing is over, said Josh.

  A wise move. Okay, I’ll see you later.

  The telepathic link was ended, followed by an awkward silence. He felt a hand reach for him and then lips that sought his. Clare was right of course. There was nothing they could do for the moment except live life.

  Josh was up before dawn, sitting in front of the computer with a mug of coffee in hand and staring at the list of things they would need. He revised it ceaselessly, replacing intricate ideas with simpler alternatives that wouldn’t stuff up on the day, while paring the list down to complement materials already on hand at the cave.

  They would have to buy one or two items, even though there were similar objects in Ben’s workshop. There would be too many awkward questions afterwards if things went missing or were broken. That was assuming they both survived. Clare stirred from her slumber behind him. Satisfied with the revised list, he saved it and woke her with a kiss as the rooster crowed.

  Unfortunately for Josh he had to work that day, but at least they had the luxury of a few more peaceful hours together. Clare still had a week of her school holidays left and chose to stay at home. After breakfast Josh drove over to his house and left the car there before catching the bus to the city.

  At lunchtime he went to the nearest hardware store to purchase the extra items on his list and also get his house key duplicated. Then after work he caught the bus back to the house and fed Molly. While there, he took a sports bag from the wardrobe and emptied it to make way for his new purchases, then on the way to Ben’s place he stopped off at a supermarket and bought a packet of balloons: some citrus disinfectant, milk, sugar and cheese.

  Darkness had already fallen by the time he reached the farm. He stepped out of the car cautiously and used all of his senses to determine the area safe before entering the house. Then once inside he
bolted the door and relaxed somewhat, knowing that what he was experiencing was natural paranoia and that Myvanwy would advise them the moment the situation changed.

  Clare was waiting for him with dinner already on the table.

  ‘Did you get everything?’

  Josh shook his head, ‘We still have to get a battery.’

  He put the groceries down and handed her the key.

  ‘What’s the bag for?’ she asked.

  ‘It should be easier for Myvanwy to carry.’

  ‘Why not Sweet Pea?’

  ‘I suspect he’ll have his claws full of wool.’

  They both laughed and sat down to eat.

  Clare spied the disinfectant.

  ‘We already have some in the laundry.’

  ‘It doesn’t matter. I’ll use this to spray the barn and then air it after the dragons have been in there, otherwise the animals won’t go near it.’

  She nodded knowingly, ‘We can pick-up a battery tomorrow morning.’

  ‘Will the stock be alright if we have to spend a few days away?’

  ‘Yes. The dams are full and as long as we put enough feed out they should be good for two or three days.’

  ‘That’s the problem, we don’t know the outcome or if there will be casualties.’

  ‘Are you worried?’

  ‘Not really. That reminds me, it’s my last night with the Venturer unit on Thursday, so I’ll have to attend. Hopefully it’ll all be over by next week.’

  ‘We’ll have to ask Myvanwy if we can visit on the next long weekend, what do you think?’

  ‘If all goes well, yes. That would be in June, wouldn’t it?’

  After the evening meal was finished they put the groceries away and settled back in the lounge room with the fire going. Clare watched the television, while Josh drew a plan of the island and another of the cave system itself. He passed them over for her approval. She gave them the nod and they discussed the expected direction of the assault, position of the enemy, plus the cave’s defence—marking and entering each in the legend beneath.

  When satisfied with the plans Josh went to the computer and scanned them in, ready for the council the following night. After that he busied himself making several short rope strops, by splicing an eye in each end. When finished, he put them in the sports bag along with the shotguns, shells and cartridge belts that Clare had produced. Happy with their preparation so far, they retired to bed.

  Myvanwy contacted them a little later.

  Any change? Josh asked.

  Status quo, she informed them, although the junk appears to be making exceedingly good time.

  What are we looking at, the weekend? Clare asked.

  At the least, she replied. We’ll pick you up as soon as Ullric is on the move. You don’t want to be there when he lands, and it will give us time to prepare.

  How is Sweet Pea coping?

  He’s eager, just like any other male his age. He doesn’t realise that we’re up against seasoned foes or perhaps he does and it doesn’t matter—either way it’s a worrying time for a mother, Myvanwy complained.

  Lighten up, Mum. Dad would have had these dudes for breakfast, Sweet Pea lamented.

  That he would my son, that he would, she agreed.

  So how is everything your end?

  Fantastic! We’re just getting a few things together for tomorrow night. It looks like we’ll have to pack our bags for a short stay after that, Clare surmised.

  I guess we’ll see you tomorrow then. I’ll give you plenty of warning, Myvanwy said, and the link was broken. The teenagers kissed and held each other as they drifted back to sleep.

  Josh woke early as usual the next morning and lay there going over the plan in his mind, but he couldn’t fault it. On leaving the bed they showered and dressed before a breakfast of fresh eggs and bacon, followed by coffee. Clare decided to spend the day in the city, so she put Toby in the paddock furthest away from the barn and then accompanied Josh when he left for work. They swung by a service station to buy a battery before parking at Josh’s house and catching the bus.

  The morning was a blur, punctuated by lunch together. Clare returned to Josh’s place late in the afternoon. She drifted off to sleep while she waited, leaving Molly to greet Josh when he entered the house. When he did, he woke Clare and sat at the desk.

  She yawned and rubbed her eyes, ‘I was thinking, maybe we should have some food on hand for our guests?’

  Josh shook his head, ‘It’s a war council not elevenses, besides, there’s food to go in the next paddock over. How about you, do you fancy a hamburger tonight?’ Clare nodded and got ready to leave. They put Molly out the back again and went in search of something to eat.

  When they reached the farm, they sat at the table to eat their impromptu meal and washed it down with a coffee. Both had been on edge all day and there were still a few hours yet before the dragons flew in. Clare realised the situation and wondered how she could diffuse it.

  ‘Have you got everything ready for tonight?’ she asked.

  Josh nodded, so she held up a CD that she had bought that day. He recognised it as one that Myvanwy had ordered and followed Clare into the lounge room, both of them relaxing on the sofa as the opera played out. When it was finished she kissed him and watched as he departed to start his preparations for the night. She lingered a few more minutes before following.

  Josh went up to the barn and turned the lights on, then hauled everything they would need, up there. The laptop and printer were set up on the workbench, complete with CDs and DVDs. He also made sure there were marking pens on hand and a couple of bales of hay, so there would be somewhere to sit. Clare helped with the preparations and then turned the lights off when they were done. Both returning to the farmhouse to have a coffee and wait.

  Myvanwy made contact just after midnight and ten minutes later the two dragons landed beside the darkened barn. They followed the teenagers inside, Josh shutting the barn door afterward, to shield them from prying eyes when the lights were turned back on.

  ‘Glad you could make it,’ he said, addressing Myvanwy.

  Then he turned and stared wide-eyed at Sweet Pea.

  ‘What’s the matter?’ Sweet Pea asked, indignantly.

  ‘Nothing. It’s just that you’ve grown so much since I saw you last. You’re looking more like your father every day.’

  Sweet Pea stood a little taller, ‘Do you think so?’

  ‘Still status quo?’ Clare asked Myvanwy.

  She nodded, ‘They’re inching their way towards us as we speak.’

  ‘Okay,’ Josh said, as he moved over to the workbench. The dragons watched on as he removed the wireless modem and powered-up the laptop. He brought up the document he had been working on and printed out several copies, while Sweet pea looked on mesmerised.

  Josh handed them a copy each and went through the outline of his plan. He pointed to the sports bag and explained that most of what they needed was either in there or back at the cave.

  ‘As you can see, there are two entrances to the cave, so we need to cover both. That means two teams.’

  Myvanwy rubbed her chin, ‘These distractions of yours…?’

  ‘Explosions. Ullric won’t know what hit him.’

  ‘Hmmm, that’s a pity. What about Clare, does she know how to use the killing sticks?’

  ‘The shotguns? Yes.’

  ‘What about Sehloho?’

  ‘I expect him to be on the hill supervising both entrances. He’ll send his men in for sure and we’ll be waiting for them. Their high-powered rifles won’t be as effective inside the cave, so we should have them outgunned.’

  ‘And this final part, run us over that again.’

  ‘If things go according to plan and we defend the cave system successfully, then I think Sehloho will try to escape from the island. I have a plan to blow up the junk, but it depends largely on how well dragons can swim underwater.’

  ‘How do you mean?’ Myvanwy asked.

&n
bsp; ‘How long can you hold your breath underwater?’

  The two dragons looked at each other and smiled, ‘How do you think we get our treasure? We go deep and stay as long as it takes,’ she assured him.

  ‘That’s what I thought,’ Josh replied. He put a piece of wood in the vice and took a drill from the bag to demonstrate what was needed.

  ‘A piece of cake,’ Myvanwy confirmed.

  ‘So what do you think of the plan overall?’

  ‘It sure beats anything we can come up with. All we have to work with is horn, tooth, claw and fire.’

  ‘Why don’t we just blow up the boat before it gets to the island?’ Clare asked.

  ‘It would be the logical thing to do, but we want them there on the island, away from public scrutiny. There will be no prisoners and no mercy,’ Myvanwy decreed.

  ‘I can live with that,’ Clare replied.

  ‘How many are on the boat?’ Josh asked.

  ‘I’m not sure, I’ll ask Liu Fung later, she’s the one watching.’

  Sweet Pea moved closer to the workbench to view the laptop.

  ‘So this is a computer?’

  Josh reached over and put a CD in the drive. Music played as the skin graphics danced over the screen. He ejected it and replaced it with a DVD while Sweet Pea looked on, and then switched to camera mode, to show the young dragon’s face on screen.

  Sweet Pea looked sideways at Josh, ‘What about the Internet?’

  Josh picked up the wireless modem and explained its purpose before inserting it into the port.

  ‘Is there anything specific you would like to know?’

  ‘Everything! Would this work back on the island?’

  ‘There’s a relay transmitter on top of the lighthouse, although it could tag us.’

  ‘Is that a problem?’

  ‘It could be, but for every problem there’s a solution.’

  The two of them discussed the intricacies of the computer while Myvanwy looked on. She shook her head in dismay.

  ‘I fear technology will overtake us and soon we’ll go the way of the dinosaurs,’ she complained.