Myvanwy and the House of Dragon Read online

He looked at it more closely, ‘I’d say fishing. Its net drum is empty, so they’d be resting and eating while their nets fill.’

  They watched a moment longer before turning to make their way down to the lighthouse on the Point, around the corner from the cave. Along the way they came across a blackberry bush growing wild. They tried its fruit and found them palatable, so picked some more before moving on.

  ‘We’re liable to come across anything,’ Josh told her.

  ‘The birds eat the fruit, then fly to the island and leave the seeds in their droppings,’ he explained. Nearby rookeries and gulls bore out his statement. He watched as birds burrowed into the soft earth above the shoreline.

  ‘They’re short tailed shearwaters.’

  ‘What are they?’

  ‘Mutton birds. They come to these islands to breed. The locals catch and eat them.’

  ‘They’re pretty safe from me then, I’d prefer to eat fish any day.’

  On the rocks below they could see seals basking in the sun. In one fertile patch of soil they discovered some mushrooms on the point of opening. Josh rubbed one, and when it didn’t turn yellow he cut some more with the knife and added them to the food bag. Further down towards the beach he noticed some onion grass.

  ‘Did you ever sit on the ground on sports day and eat the Plum Puddings?’

  ‘What are they?’

  ‘The seed of the onion grass,’ he said, and plucked one of the plump juicy green treats for her.

  ‘Evidently you can eat the bulb as well, but I’ve never tried.’

  ‘These are different, but quite palatable,’ she agreed, so they sat awhile to pick and eat them.

  ‘I don’t think we’re going to starve here, there’s food everywhere. There’s even some Bush Bees over there on that tree.’

  ‘You’re right. There’s also some wild oats, plus kelp and seaweed along the beach,’ Clare agreed.

  Once on the Point they circled the lighthouse that they’d pinned their faith on only two nights before. As it was fully automated the entrance was bolted and padlocked. Josh looked at the very top above the light. It bristled with antennae and telecommunications repeaters. He brought them to Clare’s attention.

  ‘It’s a pity we didn’t bring a mobile.’

  ‘Somehow I don’t think Myvanwy would have liked that,’ Clare replied.

  They walked back along the water’s edge, searching the high-water mark for any flotsam of use. Josh pulled some rope out of the matted seagrass and then a tangled nylon fishing line, complete with hook and float, while Clare gathered up more paper to store for later.

  Towards the end of their walk they heard the sound of a plane, so they scampered for cover until it passed from sight. On reaching the safety of the cave they found the two dragons feasting on mutton birds.

  ‘It’s getting really busy out there,’ Josh told them.

  Myvanwy stopped mid-bite, ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘There’s a fishing boat anchored off the other side of the island and a plane flew over a few minutes ago.’

  Myvanwy became alarmed and put her face close to his, ‘They didn’t see you, I hope?’

  ‘No way—we viewed the boat from the hill and then hid when we heard the plane.’

  She stared long and hard at him until satisfied, ‘You know it’s getting harder to remain here undetected these days.’

  ‘We’d never do anything to harm you or Sweet Pea,’ Clare assured her.

  ‘Thank you,’ Myvanwy said, humbly.

  ‘So what do you think of our little island so far?’

  ‘It’s great. A virtual paradise,’ Josh exclaimed, excitedly.

  Myvanwy looked at him askance, ‘And how do you feel?’ she asked Clare.

  ‘It’s really neat. I’m having the best time, and you should see all the food we found.’

  Myvanwy shook her head, ‘You two lovebirds, really! Our other guests didn’t like it one little bit.’

  ‘I don’t know, Mum,’ Sweet Pea chipped-in, ‘Reggie seemed to adapt really well.’

  ‘He was the seaman, wasn’t he?’ Josh asked.

  Myvanwy nodded, ‘But as I remember, it took a long time for him to accept his fate,’ she said, shaking her head again.

  ‘We’ll go for a walk and let you finish your meal. See you at midday, Sweet Pea.’

  ‘Which way are you going?’ Myvanwy asked.

  ‘That way,’ Josh said, pointing deeper into the cavern.

  Love Grows

  The teenagers detoured to pick up the torch and then walked off hand in hand, not stopping until they reached the Temple of Baal. Josh lit one of the wall mounted torches and then plonked himself down in the centre of the cavern. The flame spluttered and flared as Clare joined him on the cool sandy floor.

  ‘Just imagine how big and fierce Baal must have been. He would have sat right here where we are,’ Josh said.

  ‘He may have been formidable to some, but I think Myvanwy paints quite another picture of him.’

  ‘How do you mean?’

  ‘Well anyone who is educated, multilingual and reads poetry to the one that he loves, can’t be all that bad,’ Clare insisted.

  ‘I guess you’re right, it seems that dragons have had some bad press over the years. But he still would’ve been fierce, I reckon.’

  Clare conceded the point and pushed him down on the sand to kiss him.

  Josh didn’t resist. Instead he said, ‘And most likely he was putty in Myvanwy’s hands, too.’

  They kissed some more before continuing on to the Well of Content and beyond. On reaching the Cathedral they moved into the centre and shone the torch around before trying out the acoustics.

  ‘HELLO!’ Clare yelled, the two marvelling at the clarity of the echo as her voice reverberated off the walls and ceiling.

  Josh cupped his hands to his mouth, ‘CLARE, YOU’RE BEAUTIFUL AND I LOVE YOU!’

  His echo died away.

  ‘AND I LIKE YOU TOO, JOSH!’

  ‘Do you mean it?’ Josh’s voice was just a whisper.

  ‘Yes,’ she said, her voice barely audible.

  Neither wanted to spoil the moment and didn’t move for some time. They held hands while taking in the majesty of the place before finally retracing their steps.

  Sweet Pea was already in front of the television set waiting for the movie to come on and greeted the two on their arrival. The news segment screened and the teenagers looked at each other forlornly on hearing that the search for them had been scaled down. It wasn’t their own salvation they were thinking of, it was more for the loss and pain their parents must be suffering. Myvanwy sensed it and moved away from her vantage point at the rear.

  The film that followed was an old one that failed to hold their attention and yet it held Sweet Pea enrapt. Josh excused himself and went to the balloon basket in the main cavern. He retrieved a pair of pliers and used them to undo two of the overhead wires before taking them back to the television annexe. He attached a piece to each of the antennae and then shaped and placed them against the cavern wall. Clare and Sweet Pea watched as the last of the snow disappeared, to leave the picture crystal clear. Afterwards the teenagers stretched out on the floor of the cave—Clare with her head on Josh’s chest, while he rested and caught snatches of the remaining film.

  When it had finished, the trio went back to the Temple of Baal.

  ‘This is my favourite place,’ Sweet Pea announced.

  ‘Do you ever go outside in the daytime?’ Josh asked.

  Sweet Pea looked at him vacantly, ‘Not really. These days we are forced to search for food under the cover of darkness in order to avoid detection. In the early days we were hunted by knights and dragon slayers—sometime whole villages banded together against us. There are still hunters out there that want to bag a trophy and just imagine the media hype if we were ever discovered. If we didn’t go peacefully, the military would blast us out before taking our bodies back to dissect and study for years,’ he said, shudder
ing at the thought.

  Josh and Clare realised that the dragons were virtual prisoners also, in an ever changing world.

  ‘How come you have names for each part of the cave system and not the main cavern?’ Clare asked.

  The question took Sweet Pea by surprise.

  ‘When Baal was alive it was always called The Devil’s Coach House, but afterwards Mum wouldn’t have anyone speak badly about him and forbade its use.’

  ‘What about the guest quarters?’

  ‘That used to be The Gate House, but I wouldn’t mention either around Mum,’ he advised.

  ‘Can I touch you?’ she asked.

  ‘How do you mean?’

  ‘You know, run my hand along your back.’

  ‘Oh! By all means do.’

  Sweet Pea stood as tall as Clare, except for his neck and head, which he had to constantly lower in order to talk to them both—so he sat down in the sand to make her task easier. She ran a hand over his smooth flat scales, while taking in his burnished green colouring and row of saw-tooth spines, which ran from his head to the tip of his tail.

  Josh took the opportunity to check out his wings. They appeared to be okay and the sling still providing full support.

  ‘What are the spurs on your wings for?’ he asked.

  ‘They can be used for both fighting and climbing.’

  Josh turned his attention to Sweet Pea’s head, covered in scaly armour plating along with his mouth full of razor-sharp teeth. He was impressed by the two tusks above the flared nostrils and assumed they were for ripping, while the horns on top of his head would be for frontal assaults. Sweet Pea’s huge eyes intrigued him as well. They were dark and piercing, protected by two large brows that came together each time he asked a question and then parted again on understanding or when surprised.

  ‘How come you don’t have the same bronze colouring as your mother? Do you take after Baal?’ Clare asked.

  ‘Mum seems to think so. She says that green scales run in his family, not that I mind at all, it means that I’m able to blend into the foliage more easily at night.’

  Clare continued her close inspection, checking his claws, plus the webbing on his feet and behind his forelegs.

  ‘Do you swim at all?’

  ‘Occasionally I accompany Mum on dives hereabouts—she’s always on the lookout for more treasure.’

  ‘That python you tangled with the other day, where did it come from?’ Josh asked.

  ‘From the sea. We have to be constantly on guard against them. If you had looked more closely you would have noticed fin-like featherings on its tail.’

  ‘Thanks for warning us. It’s bad enough having to worry about sharks, now we have to watch out for sea creatures as well.’

  ‘Would you rather I hadn’t told you?’

  ‘Probably. What about snakes, are there any on the island?’

  ‘There might still be one or two left, but I’m afraid we ate the rest.’

  ‘What do you do with yourself all day?’ asked Clare.

  ‘Well, Mum usually hunts of a night time. Sometimes I join her, otherwise I just hunt locally. We eat on returning and usually sleep until midday. In the afternoons she tutors me in language and history, although lately we’ve been touching on some of the classics in literature. She got me the television to use as a learning aid.’

  ‘Where did she get it?’

  ‘From a fishing boat that ran aground. They’re always coming to grief in these parts.’

  ‘You’re not going to learn much from watching films.’

  ‘Oh, no. I mainly watch the geographical programs and foreign language films. Mum lets me watch the others as a reward. But you’re wrong about not learning from them. You’ll find that art imitates life and there is an element of truth in each plot. I pick up on what is in the hearts of men as well as their traits and mannerisms.’

  ‘Why bother, if you can read their minds?’

  ‘True, but with a good actor you don’t have to. They highlight a character’s strengths and weakness, and if you watch their eyes, their soul as well.’

  ‘Are there many dragons left in the world?’ Josh asked.

  ‘No, sadly we’re in decline. There are small pockets in most countries of mixed and varied lineage. It gets harder each year to exist undetected. We’ve been extremely lucky here so far.’

  Josh looked at the time.

  ‘Do you mind if we go catch a fish for tonight’s supper?’

  ‘No, by all means go. I’ll stay here awhile.’

  The teenagers made their way back to the main cavern where Myvanwy sat reading.

  ‘Ah, the two lovebirds—off fishing are we? I left some bait for you over there before dumping the carcass.’

  ‘Thanks, but why didn’t you tell us it was a sea creature and to be on the lookout for them?’ Josh demanded.

  ‘Hrmmmphf! Would it have made any difference?’

  ‘Not really, but at least I’d be better prepared if something occurred in the future.’

  ‘Why Josh, I do believe we’re having our first quarrel,’ Myvanwy said, putting her face to within inches of his.

  ‘How about a kiss to make up?’

  Josh looked at her dubiously.

  ‘You’re not going to toast me, are you?’

  ‘Tut-tut, trust Josh, trust.’

  He lent in and kissed her dutifully on the cheek.

  ‘There now, that wasn’t all that bad, was it? Now run along you two and don’t stay out too late. Oh, and watch out for sea creatures!’ She picked up the book of poetry again and chuckled as she read on.

  Josh collected the bait and line before going outside with Clare. They walked to the beach in silence, the roar of the ocean filling their ears. Then once at the water’s edge they climbed out onto the rock ledge, preferring to lay and absorb its warmth as the warm wind played over them—their troubles soon forgotten as they held each other and kissed.

  ‘Have you ever been fishing?’ asked Josh.

  Clare shook her head, so he baited the hook and cast the line out before handing it to her.

  ‘You’ll feel when a fish is interested,’ he told her.

  ‘Each nibble or bite will be telegraphed up the line and when it’s hooked it will try to swim away.’

  There was a jerk on the line in her hand.

  ‘I can feel something already.’

  ‘Wait until he’s on and then pull him in.’

  Moments later Clare landed a large parrot fish and not long after that she brought in a leather jacket, so Josh cast out further for her. He cleaned the fish while waiting and put some of the offal in a separate plastic bag for use as bait the next day.

  Looking at the high-water mark he deduced that the tide was going to affect the quantity of fish they caught and that maybe they’d have to vary their fishing times if they wanted to eat.

  ‘I’m going to have to do something about some more clothing,’ Clare told him.

  ‘See what’s in the seaman’s chest.’

  ‘Okay, I’ll do that tonight while you cook the fish.’

  On the way back they collected more wood for the fire before refilling the water bottles. They filled extra ones as well, for use in cooking and washing. The report on the television later came as no surprise. The search for them had been called off, although both parents remained positive, despite the move. It was heartening news for the teenagers.

  Josh set the fire and lit it as Clare rummaged through the chest. She stopped occasionally to try on different items of Reggie’s old kit and finally paraded her attire for him to see. He abandoned his cooking duties for a moment to admire the seaman’s top and canvas pants she wore.

  ‘What I really need is some underwear,’ she complained.

  ‘None there?’

  ‘Not really.’

  ‘Can’t you make some?’

  ‘I suppose I could, but I’d need some elastic.’

  ‘Why not use tape or cord to keep them hitched?’
>
  ‘Now that’s a good idea. I’ll have to ask Myvanwy for the needle and thread.’

  ‘There should also be some in the seaman’s chest. They always come with a housewife in them.’

  ‘I wasn’t looking for one. I’ll go and see.’ Clare ran back to look and returned moments later with an old sewing kit. She smiled broadly at the new-found possibilities it held and thanked Josh for his inventiveness. When the meal was ready they sat down to eat and took the leftover fish back for the two dragons afterwards. While there, they informed Myvanwy about the project.

  Darkness had fallen and Josh watched the womanly shadows flicker on the wall of the cavern as Clare changed into her night attire by candlelight.

  ‘You’ve got a nice figure,’ he said.

  ‘Were you watching?’

  ‘Not really, just your shadow on the wall.’

  ‘Oh. That’s good, because this tracksuit doesn’t do a thing for it.’

  ‘Did you really mean it when you said you liked me?’

  ‘I don’t know. I mean, the way things are now, yes. We hardly know each other and yet we’ve had the most incredible time together. I really don’t want it to stop.’

  ‘You know, that’s exactly how I feel,’ Josh assured her.

  ‘I hardly know anything about you. How old you are or what you want to do with your life?’

  ‘Well I’m seventeen and before all this I wanted to be a banker. It sounds boring I know, but there would be a few incentives along the way and it would leave me free on the weekends to do the things I really like.’

  ‘And what’s that?’

  ‘Camping and fishing. Maybe ballooning or boating. Whatever turns me on really. What about you—surely a girl as good looking as you has a boyfriend out there?’

  ‘I haven’t had time for boys. I divide my time between Toby and Dad.’

  ‘And what do you want to be later?’

  ‘Just a secretary—nothing fancy.’

  Silence followed and Clare looked down to see that Josh had fallen asleep. She closed her eyes and soon joined him.

  The next morning the teenagers swam and frolicked in the shallows. Afterwards they lay on their towels and watched the array of birdlife wheeling overhead as the sun dried their bodies. They stayed on the beach for another hour before dressing and going in search of more food.