Hope had become quite good at reasoning things out, and it was clear to her that since she was the one who had stupidly allowed the dragon to discover her, it was her duty to try and better their condition. Had she obeyed Chester and exercised more caution, their existence on the island might have remained a secret. If the monster hadn't been searching for her it wouldn't have discovered the garden the small group of captives had been feeding off of, and, in a fit of rage, tore the earth up so badly with its sharp claws and thrashing tail that nothing but a few bent blades of greenery had been left standing. It seemed only fair, she had decided, that the one responsible for the dragon destroying their food supply should be the one to see they were feed. Thankfully, the dragon hadn't uprooted everything, and a few vegetables that grew underground had remained undamaged. The trouble was finding them before the dragon found her.

Their search for food had been easier before the beast had started to fly. For once the young monster took to the sky they had found themselves vulnerable from attack from both air and land.

If only the young dragon would go away and leave them alone! But it seemed intent on claiming the island for its own, as witnessed by the fact that as soon as it had located Garreth's cave it had planted his own massive form on top of its father's coveted pile of assorted treasures and trinkets.

"I've failed him," Chester had lamented, watching the older dragon as he stood at the bottom of the ledge gazing up at the cave's dark entrance, his cries of pain and frustration filling the air. "He brought me here to look after his belongings, and a sorry job I've done of it. He'll not be trusting old Chester to do his job anymore. I expect it won't be long before he takes me out over the water and dumps my old carcass in as the useless piece of junk I am."

But Garreth, who had never fully recovered from the wounds inflicted by his son in their battle over Hope, seemed to realize that his human guardian was incapable of protecting his treasures from his hot-blooded offspring. So Chester had been allowed to live. Howbeit, a very frightening and poor sort of existence it seemed to Hope; hiding from the dragon during most of their waking hours, and when they did venture out, it was with fear and hunger knawing at their stomachs.

Neither Hope nor Chester spoke of it, but both knew it was only a matter of time until they were caught by the young dragon. That is, if starvation didn't slay them first. After the garden had been ruined Garreth had brought an occasional morsel which he had dug up from what remained of the garden himself. Occasionally he would bring back some bit of food from one of his travels. But Garreth was old, and lately every time he returned to the island his son had hunted him down and driven him off. They hadn't seen anything of the old dragon for weeks now, and Hope secretly feared Garreth had given up, died, or been slain.

The girl had had nothing to eat but a little milk for two days. So it was that she had awoke before Chester and crept away from their lair with the hopes of finding a few vegetables still buried in the ravaged garden.

Yet, it wasn't mainly for herself that she sought food, but for her companion, Chester. The man had faired worse than she, for he was older, and since food had become scarce he had secretly given the young princess a larger portion of what they had been living off of, some honeycomb that Tid-Bit had led them to, a few late berries, and milk from the one remaining cow which Hope had hidden in a secluded valley on the other side of the island. But the cow was going dry, and the honeycomb was long gone. They must have more food, Hope determined, and they must have it soon, or they might as well feed themselves to the dragon.

Hope would have sought the advice of King Jakin, but the pixie was preoccupied with troubles of his own. Queen Atar missed their son, young Prince Timon, dreadfully, and was discouraged that her wing wasn't mending. Feeling responsible for her husband not returning to their people, who she believed in danger from the evil forces of a wizard gone mad, added to her melancholy. All these woes were too much for her gentle nature, and Tid-Bit's beautiful wife had gradually grown weaker and finally taken sick.

Not knowing what else to do, Hope had decided to return to the garden, or what remained of it, and see what she could find. Chester would have a fit when he learned that she had left while he was still sleeping, for the man seemed to feel it was his responsibility to protect her. Perhaps because she was all that was left of Garreth's 'treasures', or perhaps because he had a shepherd's heart, and wanted to protect the weak and defenseless from evil predators. Or, perhaps, it was just because he loved the young girl like the daughter he had never had. Whatever the reason, Hope was touched, but resolved. Greatly changed was the spoiled, over-weight, pampered young princess of Lark who the dragon Garreth had lifted off the palace wall and carried away from home and family. Sometimes Hope thought of her old life and her days of luxury and ease, but for the most part she was too busy trying to survive to dwell on her past.

Realizing that she couldn't stay hidden forever, Hope gathered up her nerve and crawled out from under the bush. She inspected the sky above carefully, and was relieved to see it contained only a smattering of high wind swept clouds. There was no sign of any dragon, near or far.

The beast, she knew, preferred to do its hunting at night, for it had the eyes of a cat and could see just as well in the darkness as in the light, making it easier to sneak up on its prey. The cattle which had dotted the valley had been gradually devoured. She feared that soon the beast would turn its full attention on its search for human flesh. There was always the possibility that it had caught nothing during the night, and was up and about, waiting for Chester or herself to expose their presence and satisfy its craving for food, which seemed to be growing by leaps and bounds as it grew in strength and size.

Rushing out onto the clearing Hope dropped to her knees and begin digging furiously, unmindful of the dirt that soiled her tattered skirt and got under her fingernails. In a matter of seconds she had unearthed three fair sized carrots. Afraid to remain out in the open longer, she scrambled to her feet and glanced skyward. Her heart sank as she saw a red dragon among the clouds - but it was very far away - almost too far to make out. Thinking she would have time to reach the safety of the woods before she was spotted, Hope started to run.

Confident that it had been the young dragon she had seen returning from a trip away from the island, Hope didn't look around to make sure she wasn't being watched. She was unaware of the yellow eyes rimmed with red that stared, unblinking, as she hurried back to her friend with her few precious roots. She didn't take note of the large form that rose from the high rock it had been perched on, silently keeping watch over the land, waiting for the young girl with the bright red hair to return to the garden in search of food.

Hope ran straight through the woods, unmindful of the creature that flew on silent wings above her, following the glimpses of red hair with golden highlights that were occasional visible in amongst the clearings in the trees below.

Fearing discovery Hope and Chester never stayed in one place long, but moved from one makeshift dwelling to another. The latest was a collection of bleached washed up logs that they had collected from the beach and constructed into a shelter, of sorts. The simple dwelling provided some protection from the elements, but more importantly, it offered them concealment from the young dragon. The structure was at the edge of the woods, and near the great lake that surrounded the island, so they didn't have far to go to quench their thirst or wash up - as Hope insisted upon doing every morning and evening.

She spied the bent old form pacing up and down along the beach and felt a twinge of guilt for causing him such anxiety.

"I'm all right, Chester!" she called out reassuringly. Waving the orange roots over her head she added happily, "See what I brought you!"

The look of relief that came to the old man's face was quickly replaced with indignation. "Where you been, Hope? Not to the garden! Don't you know it ain't safe? And keep your voice down! Suppose you was heard?"

"Don't worry, Chester. The dragon is miles from here. I saw him myself, high in the sky. He can't hear us. And, from where we are, he can't see us either."

Hope's confident statement was no sooner out of her mouth than a shadow passed overhead and a heavy figure landed on the beach in front of them.

An angry hiss came from its pointed snout as it threw its head back and spread its wings outward. With slow deliberate steps the dragon advanced toward the two startled humans.

Dragon's Claw Book One
Price $12.95  
    by Charles M. Clark
(Browser Readable E-Book on CD-ROM contains Music & No Sound Options)

FROM THE BOOK STORE

Prince Adam returns home to find his father, the King, gravely ill, some say dying. Feeling unprepared for the duties of kingship, and unhappy about a proposed marriage between himself and a rather plain princess, Adam makes a plea to the Powers that be for guidance and help. Adam then falls into a deep sleep and awakes in an unfamiliar land full of sinister foes and wild men. Yet it is one of these wild men that takes Adam under his wing and teaches the young prince what it takes to be a real leader. Charles M. Clark has written this book for older children and teens, but older folks enjoy it as well. All Antelope Publishing's fantasy books are browser readable and come on CD-ROM. The CD-ROM contains TWO books. One book with music and special electronic enhancements, and one book without, for times when a quieter read is desired. For more information about browser readable e-books CLICK HERE

The Making of a King
Price $9.95  
    by Charles M. Clark
(Browser Readable E-Book on CD-ROM contains Music & No Sound Options)

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