Myvanwy and the House of Dragon Page 3

  ‘But you haven’t even given it a try,’ Myvanwy cried. ‘You do understand my position, don’t you? I know Sweet Pea would be ever so grateful for your company—especially now that he’s been grounded the way he has, he’s of that age you know. I’ll do what I can to make your stay enjoyable. As to the question of food, there are fishing lines around here somewhere, so you can catch your own fish. There should also be enough berries and other edible food on the island to sustain you. And as for hygiene, you can bathe in the ocean and designate an area outside of the cave for ablutions. Preferably not near the entrance though, we are civilised around here.’

  ‘Then we are free to wander around the island?’ Josh asked.

  Myvanwy fixed her eyes on him, ‘Yes…but understand this. If you see or hear anyone while you’re out there, you must hide. For if you bring them here, you know what will happen, don’t you.’

  Josh nodded, thankful for the few concessions she had given.

  ‘Now do run along, I believe Sweet Pea’s film is about to end and he’ll want to play.’

  The teenagers turned and walked back hand in hand, each lost in their own thoughts.

  ‘Come,’ said Sweet Pea, ‘I’ll show you your new home.’

  Paradise

  The teenagers dutifully followed Sweet Pea on a guided tour of the cave system that had been home to the dragon family for hundreds of years. Soon they came upon a large singular dome-shaped cavern.

  ‘This is the Temple of Baal,’ Sweet Pea declared, triumphantly.

  ‘Who is Baal?’ asked Clare.

  Sweet Pea looked crestfallen, ‘He was my father—the greatest, fiercest Black Dragon of them all.’

  ‘What happened to him?’

  ‘He got shot down in some silly war. Mum says that every unknown thing in the sky was a target at that time. Let’s go,’ he said, and led them over to a passageway at the other end of the cavern.

  ‘This leads to the Well of Content.’

  On arrival he lowered his head and drank heartily from the pool.

  ‘The waters here are some of the finest, taste them.’

  Josh surveyed the pool before them and the moist rock face on the other side—the water seeping slowly from above to cool and filter it in the process. He knelt down and scooped some up to taste.

  ‘Very nice,’ he agreed.

  Sweet Pea continued the tour, breathing life into torches along the way. The track rose sharply and the trio cast shadows that danced eerily on the cavernous walls, adding greatly to the unease Clare and Josh already felt. Shortly they came out into the biggest cavern so far, and Sweet Pea stopped to set fire to a brazier near the centre.

  ‘This is the Cathedral. We come here to sing sometimes—the acoustics are great.’

  The castaways looked around the large cavern. Huge twin columns stood in the centre, created by water that had seeped down from above over thousands of years. It leeched calcites along the way to form the two original stalactites and their corresponding stalagmites until at last they had joined to become even bigger. The area around them was flat, with other smaller features dotting the perimeter. Small straw-like calcite decorations hung overhead to give the ceiling a chandelier-like appearance, illuminated by the fire below. The two were awed by all they saw and momentarily forgot their predicament.

  ‘There’s another entrance over there where the bats congregate if you’re ever hungry,’ Sweet Pea said, pointing.

  Clare screwed up her nose and shook her head energetically.

  He lowered his head to address the two, ‘Say, I never did get to thank you for coming to my rescue, and I really appreciate the work you’ve done on my wings.’

  ‘I’m glad we could be of assistance,’ said Josh.

  ‘And what about you?’ Sweet Pea enquired of Clare.

  ‘I wouldn’t have missed it for the world,’ she assured him.

  Sweet Pea seemed happy with her answer.

  ‘Come, there are other caves to see,’ he said, and then led them back to the Temple of Baal and into a small annexe there.

  ‘This was my nursery, and that’s the nest where I hatched,’ he said, pointing to a large nest made of woven tree branches, discernible now by the torchlight that streamed in from the Temple. The teenagers went over to investigate and were surprised to see the inside of the nest was jewel-encrusted, still with pieces of the egg shell that Sweet Pea had emerged from.

  ‘The happiest years of my life were spent here and in the Temple when Baal was alive,’ Sweet Pea said, reminiscing.

  ‘So how old are you now?’ Clare inquired.

  ‘Seventy-five.’

  ‘Then how old is Myvanwy?’ Josh asked.

  ‘She’s hundreds of years old,’ Sweet Pea confided.

  ‘How come you never breathed fire on the Python like your mother did?’

  ‘I was caught napping. The Python had already wrapped itself around me and it was all I could do to yell out,’ he said, indignantly.

  ‘I really shouldn’t show you this next cave, but you would only find it some other time,’ he added, pointing to an adjacent alcove.

  Josh and Clare got the surprise of their lives. Even before they entered they could see the alcove awash with light. Then once inside they saw that it was filled with huge piles of gold coins, artefacts and gemstones of all shapes and size. There were red ones as big as duck eggs, green ones as well, along with other smaller ones.

  ‘My father was quite a collector and now it’s all Mum’s,’ Sweet Pea explained, adding, ‘she guards it zealously.’

  ‘There must be more treasure here than in the Tower of London,’ Josh said, amazed.

  ‘Exactly!’

  ‘Where did he get it?’

  ‘Oh, here and there. Some of it came from around these very islands. Did you know there are over two hundred and fifty wrecks in these waters alone?’

  Josh nodded, ‘Yes, so I’ve heard.’

  Sweet Pea turned his head slightly, ‘Oh, oh. Mum is calling, we’d better go.’

  ‘Did you hear anything?’ Clare asked.

  Josh shook his head, ‘No, nothing,’ he confirmed.

  They made their way back to where Myvanwy sat waiting.

  ‘Ah, there you are. I’ve refurbished the ‘guest room’ for you,’ she said, addressing the teenagers, and then led the way.

  On arrival she pointed out the main features, ‘There’s fresh straw for your bedding and also some items that belonged to your predecessors, which you might find useful. Well, we’ll leave you to get settled in. You may want to catch a fish for your supper afterwards. Come along, Sweet Pea.’

  When they had gone Josh and Clare looked around dismally at their new abode. It was a smaller cave just inside the main entrance, empty except for two bales of straw that sat next to an old seaman’s chest, and another wooden box with a collection of kitchen utensils inside. Josh could see the remains of a fireplace in the centre of the cave.

  ‘At least we’re not chained up,’ Clare said, as she examined a length of chain embedded in nearby rock.

  ‘Check this out,’ Josh said, as he lifted the lid on the seaman’s chest. Inside they found two blankets neatly folded on top of a seaman’s kit that had seen better days, plus an old family Bible. The teenagers glanced at it briefly before looking further around.

  ‘Here’s the fishing gear,’ Clare exclaimed, ‘there’s a spade and a candle as well.’

  ‘Good. We’ll need those,’ Josh said, as he tested the breaking strain of the cod line. Thankfully it was still serviceable. He took a knife from the utensil box and grabbed the spade.

  ‘Let’s get some bait and go fishing.’

  They went back into the main cavern and over to where Myvanwy sat with her book.

  ‘Well, how do you like it so far?’ she asked.

  ‘Bit of a culture shock. We could use the torch and those matches if you don’t mind, to light the candle if we need it,’ Josh explained.

  ‘Hrmmmphf! No funny tricks.
’

  ‘Scout’s honour. We’ll also need some python for bait if you can spare some.’ Myvanwy gave Josh the torch and matches before making herself comfortable again, intrigued by his adaptiveness.

  ‘Thank you,’ he said, and walked off in the direction of the dead python.

  ‘It’s huge,’ Clare said, as she inspected the carcass—its coils thicker than a man’s trunk.

  ‘It’s a pity such a magnificent beast had to die.’

  ‘Don’t shed too many tears over it. It got that big by eating a lot of others who were less fortunate and don’t forget that we were next on the menu,’ he reminded her, as he carved a slice of its flesh. Clare shuddered at the memory of only a few hours ago.

  When finished, they deposited the torch and matches in their quarters before going outside the cave.

  ‘Where do you think we should locate the latrine?’ Josh asked.

  He finally identified a spot some distance from them that sloped down and away—then went over to dig a hole for the bush toilet.

  ‘Is that it?’ Clare asked.

  Josh put the spade in the pile of dirt he had made, ‘I’m afraid so.’

  ‘How does it work?’

  ‘Each time you use it, cover the excrement with a spade full of dirt.’

  ‘What about paper?’

  ‘We’ll work on that next,’ he assured her.

  ‘Okay, you go on ahead while I try it out.’

  Josh walked down to the water’s edge and scrambled up onto a huge rock ledge. He baited the hook and flaked the cod line out on the rock before casting. The water was deep and it didn’t take long before something was nibbling at the bait. He could see Clare as she walked along the foreshore and then as she washed herself on reaching the sandy part of the beach. The nibbles ceased, so Josh brought the line in to check the bait. It was gone.

  He baited up again, then cast out even further and let the line settle. A fish struck, so he played it for several minutes before bringing it closer and landing a small shark. He dispatched it quickly and tried again. By the time Clare had returned he had two nice-sized fish to show for his efforts.

  ‘Look what I found,’ she said, and proudly displayed a black garbage bag with some plastic bottles and a collection of paper inside.

  ‘It’s all flotsam. I also recovered the tracksuits and your backpack that we left in the clearing earlier.’

  ‘That’s using your noggin. I guess that solves the toilet paper problem as well,’ Josh said, as he filleted the fish. ‘Have you got a small plastic bag in there at all?’ Clare produced a polythene bag and he put the fillets inside. ‘We’ll have to explore more of the shoreline another day. There must be heaps of other serviceable stuff around.’

  They made their way back inside the cave to deposit the catch in their new abode and then taking the torch and two empty bottles, went in search of Sweet Pea in the television alcove.

  ‘You’re back so soon?’ he said, on seeing them.

  ‘Thought we’d check out the news before we eat,’ Josh replied, as he adjusted the reception again. The teenagers sat in front of the set as the news began, oblivious of Myvanwy who watched from the entrance.

  The teenagers shared top billing along with a pile-up on the freeway. There were several sightings, but nothing definite, and afterwards the impassioned plea from both parents aired again. Josh and Clare sat glued to the set until a new story took its place.

  Josh turned to address Sweet Pea, ‘We’re going to the Well to get some drinking water before we cook supper. Do you want some fish as well?’

  ‘Yes, I’d like that, thanks.’

  The two moved off in the direction of the Temple of Baal and used the torch in the darkened passageways.

  Clare shivered on arrival, ‘It’s rather imposing, don’t you think? It’s as if Baal is still here—I can feel him watching us.’

  ‘Yes, he’s certainly stamped his presence here.’

  They continued down the passageway until they came to the Well of Content. Once there they drank heartily from the pool and then filled the bottles before going back.

  Darkness had fallen as Josh retrieved the broken branch from the clearing and took it back inside. When the fire was set he gladly sat back and let Clare cook the fish, using a frying pan from the utensil box. When cooked, they ate two pieces each and put some aside for breakfast the next day. Afterwards they lit the candle and went in search of Myvanwy and Sweet Pea, to offer them some as well. Both dragons ate readily and thanked them for their kindness.

  Once back in their quarters they looked about for the best place to sleep. The most obvious place was the rock ledge before them, which had been smoothed out for that purpose by their predecessors.

  ‘You sleep there and I’ll stretch out by the fire,’ said Josh.

  The suggestion startled Clare and she grabbed his hand impulsively, ‘No way. The ledge is big enough for the both of us, and our strength does lie together. Besides, I’d feel so much safer.’

  ‘You’re not still worried about the dragons, are you?’

  She looked about at the other signs of habitation, ‘Maybe not, but even they’re not safe here it seems.’

  Josh could see her point. The last twenty-four hours had been full-on, with no end in sight.

  They broke open the bales of straw and spread them on the ledge before placing both blankets on top. Afterwards they changed into the tracksuits using the light of the fire to see by and then climbed between the covers. Both turned to watch the shadows as they danced around the walls of the cave until at last only the glowing embers of the fire remained.

  ‘Do you think we’ll wake up in the morning and find that this is all a dream?’ Clare asked.

  ‘Somehow I don’t think so, no matter how fantastic it might seem. The very fact that you’re asking me, makes me think that you don’t either.’

  ‘Are you stressed about it?’

  ‘I would be if you weren’t here.’

  ‘Me too, I mean, that’s the way I feel. Besides, if it were a dream, you’d be kissing me right about now.’

  Josh smiled and leaned over to take in the mirth on her face and gleam in her eyes, just visible in the glow of the coals as he kissed her.

  ‘You’re just doing that to confuse me, aren’t you?’

  He laughed, then lay down with his back towards her and closed his eyes.

  Sleep came swiftly and deeply. Only then did Myvanwy use her fiery breath to light a torch and consult her book of poetic works. She found the one that she wanted and reflected over it for some time before finally moving. She approached the python and took a small portion of its flesh for Josh to use as bait the next day. Then she grabbed the carcass by the tail and dragged it through the cavern towards the entrance, paying particular attention not to wake her weary guests. Once outside she held it in her claws and took off into the night sky. She flew far out to sea before dumping it and then continued on in her search for more food.

  Clare woke first the next day and lay watching Josh as he slept. Finally she dragged a piece of straw across his face to rouse him.

  When wide awake he took stock of his surroundings.

  ‘Well, it wasn’t a dream—we’re still here. Care for a swim?’

  He stretched on rising and gathered up some of the paper, while Clare retrieved the towels from the seaman’s chest.

  ‘I’ll meet you down at the beach,’ Josh said, and detoured in the direction of the bush toilet.

  Clare had already stripped down to her briefs and entered the water by the time he arrived. He did the same and then joined her as she frolicked in the shallows, both lying on the towels afterward to dry off in the early morning sun.

  ‘Are any of these islands inhabited?’ Clare asked.

  ‘A few of the bigger ones are. Surely you’ve heard of Flinders and King Islands.’

  ‘Who hasn’t?’

  ‘The main group of islands are called the Furneaux group and the early European inhabitants
were called, ‘Banditti.’ They were a mixture of ex-convicts, deserters, sealers and fishermen. Legend has it they stole women from either side of the Strait and were guilty of every sin in the book—including luring passing ships onto the rocks, so they could plunder their cargoes.’

  ‘Did they get away with it?’ Clare asked, wide-eyed.

  ‘Well as you can see it’s isolated and back then, lawless as well. They were left pretty much alone. Mind you, it’s not like that anymore. Those practises died out a long time ago.’

  ‘I should hope so,’ Clare said, indignantly.

  ‘I wonder if they were ever aware of the dragons in their midst,’ Josh said, as he stared off into the distance.

  ‘So what are we doing today?’

  ‘We’ll have breakfast first and see if Myvanwy has anything in store for us, if she hasn’t, then we can go for a walk to see what other food is available on the island.’

  ‘Sounds good, I suppose we’d better go.’

  After breakfast they went in search of Myvanwy, but found her and Sweet Pea still fast asleep, so they went off to explore the island instead. Josh took a large stick that he’d saved from the branch—to use as a walking aid, and fend off trouble if they found it.

  ‘Watch out for snakes,’ he warned.

  ‘Do you mean pythons?’

  ‘No, the smaller ones. I doubt that the python came from around here, but you can never be sure.’

  They climbed to the top of the hill, from where they could see the entire island. It was smallish and kidney-shaped. The land rose sharply on their side to fall away gently on the other three until it met the water again. A fishing boat rode at anchor in the bay.

  Clare sighed as she looked down on salvation, ‘What do you think Myvanwy would do if we went down there?’

  ‘She’d come after us and silence us for sure, one way or another. I certainly don’t want to put it to the test—how about you?’

  ‘I guess you’re right, at least we’re not chained up. She won’t keep us forever though, will she?’

  ‘I don’t think so. We’ll just have to wait and see.’

  ‘What is the boat doing here, anyway?’