The Dragon's Lair (36 page)

I don't suppose Megalodon is a friend of yours,
Char had joked.

Amariel's voice in reply was as cold as Ven had ever heard it.

Megalodon has no friends. Even the pilot fish isn't his friend
.

Ven took slower breaths, trying to keep his heart from beating too loudly. He looked as far to the right as he could by just moving his eyes, but he couldn't see Char. He could feel him, however, because the spidery fronds of the reef coral were shaking violently, just like Char did whenever he was really frightened.
He must be leaning against it,
Ven thought.
Good, then at least he's still behind me
.

After what seemed like forever, the hazy light appeared again. Ven looked up and could see the very end of the enormous tail fin, waving back and forth as the beast moved beyond the reef, heading out into the darkness of the depths again.

He squeezed Amariel's hand in relief.

"Thank goo'ness
he's
gone," he heard Char mutter behind him.

"No joke," Ven agreed. He smiled at the merrow, only to lose that smile an instant later when he caught the look on Amariel's face.

She was staring behind him, her eyes even wider.

He glanced over his shoulder.

At the edge of the light, he could see the giant shadow turning.

"The pilot fish," Amariel whispered. "It's seen us."

READER
'
S GUIDE

The Lost Journals of Ven Polypheme
THE DRAGON'S LAIR

ELIZABETH HAYDON
Illustrations restored by
JASON CHAN

ABOUT
The Dragon's Lair

The third installment of Ven Polypheme's adventures again features passages from his "recovered" journals as compiled by acclaimed fantasy author Elizabeth Haydon. Gifted with a highly curious mind, Ven travels through a world populated by myriad clans and creatures, from human to Gwadd to Lirin to Nain, and from dragon to mermaid. Each group possesses its own wisdom, and the discoveries Ven makes as he travels among them gradually fit together to create a fascinating, often deeply insightful worldview. Here Ven leads his friends, Char, Clem, Ida, Saeli, and Amariel, on an adventure to carry out King Vandemere's mission to stop a fire-setting dragon and end the feud between the Nain and Lirin peoples. With the Thief Queen in constant pursuit, Madame Sharra's frightening fortune troubling his mind, incessant squabbles among his friends, and a mermaid's secret tucked in his pocket, Ven makes the difficult journey and is rewarded with an amazing discovery about dragons, stories, and, most importantly, about the true meaning of friends and family.

ABOUT THIS GUIDE

The information, activities, and discussion questions which follow are intended to enhance your reading of
The Dragon's Lair
. Please feel free to adapt these materials to suit your needs and interests.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Elizabeth Haydon, the daughter of a U.S. Air Force officer, began traveling at an early age and has visited many countries of the world. She is a skilled herbalist, harpist and madrigal singer, an anthropology and folklore enthusiast, and a professional editor of educational literature. An accomplished fantasy author for both adult and younger readers, she lives on the East Coast with her husband and three children.

WRITING AND RESEARCH ACTIVITIES

I. Curiosity and Secrets

A.
Throughout the novel, Ven uses words such as "itching" to describe the curiosity that motivates his actions and ideas. Peruse the novel to find other words or phrases associated with curiosity. Make a brainstorm list of words, phrases, and images that suggest curiosity to you. Go to the library or online to find a definition of curiosity and a list of quotations related to this term. If desired, create a "curiosity collage" of words, quotes, drawings, and other relevant images.

B.
Write a short essay describing a time when you were very curious about something, such as a birthday gift you thought you might receive or your grade on an important test. How did your curiosity affect your behavior? What was the outcome of the situation? Invite friends or classmates to share their curious essays.

C.
Divide friends or classmates into two groups to debate the following question: Is curiosity a good and helpful quality or a dangerous thing?

D.
As the character of Ven, list the pros and cons of keeping Amariel's secret from your friends. Discuss your list with friends or classmates. Vote to see whether most of them agree or disagree with Ven's actions. Ask them to explain their votes.

E.
With friends or classmates, discuss some other secrets at play in
The Dragon's Lair
(Hint: What secret does King Vandermere keep from Ven?). How might secrets and curiosity play a role in real life?

II. Merrows, Kings, and Dragons

A.
Use watercolor paints, colored pencils, or other art media to depict the interior of Garnax's cave, Saeli's hidden home, or another key setting from the novel. Make your creation as true to the text as possible. Share your results with friends or classmates. Discuss the similarities and differences in your visual interpretation of these settings with those of other students, being sure to consider choices in color, texture, organization, and scale of the works. Then draw what your "lair," hidden room, or secret cave would look like if you could make it anything you wanted.

B.
Divide a sheet of paper into two columns headed "River King" and "King Vandermere." Create a comparison chart of the two kings, being sure to consider each man's style of leadership and their sense of commitment to those whom they rule. If desired, add other leaders to your comparison chart, like King Alvarran the Intolerant and Garson, the leader of the Nain. How are they different? How are they the same? Compare the characters of Mrs. Snodgrass, Tuck, and McLean the Storysinger.

C.
Create a character guide to The Adventures of Ven Polypheme. Include characters from
The Dragon's Lair
and other books in the series, if you have read them. Design a page for each type of being, such as human, Nain, or Gwadd. On each page, list the names of characters of this kind, descriptions, sketches, and other information as desired. Make an illustrated cover for your guide.

D.
What is the true identity of Scarnag? In the voice of the character of Ganrax, write the story of your first night alone in the cave. Or write about your feelings after your meeting with Ven.

E.
Go to the library or online to learn more about the mythology of dragons or merrows/mermaids. Use your research to create an illustrated, informational poster about your chosen creature. Be sure to include a paragraph describing how Ganrax or Amariel is similar to, and different from, the dragons or mermaids from your research. If desired, add a reading list of famous dragon/mermaid stories and songs to your poster.

III. Journeys

A.
As the character of Ida, Clem, Char, or Saeli, write a series of journal entries describing: Why you decided to join Ven on this adventure; your attitude toward his new friend, Amariel; your hopes or fears for the journey; your feelings at the journey's end. Then write similar thoughts from Amariel's point of view.

B.
Imagine you live at the Crossroads Inn. Write a short essay including your name; your clan (human, Nain, or other); how you came to the Inn and whether you live in Mouse Lodge or Hare Warren; your feelings about the place, your housemates, and Mrs. Snodgrass; and your relationship to Ven. In the character invented in your essay, join friends or classmates in a roleplay conversation in which you debate joining Ven on his mission for King Vandemere. What do you think of Ven? What has he told you about the journey? What are the risks of staying at the Inn versus joining Ven?

C.
Like Ven, try keeping a journal in which you record interesting things you have learned. For several days or weeks, write down thoughts, discoveries, memories, and ideas you have about your school, community, and life in general. Compare your writings with Ven's entries throughout the novel. What conclusions might you draw about the act of keeping a journal?

D.
Over the course of the novel, Ven learns important lessons about friendship and family. Make a list of at least three of these lessons, choosing those that seem most meaningful to you. Illustrate and post the list in your home or classroom.

E.
Reread the epilogue. Write a short essay explaining why you think Elizabeth Haydon chose to include this information and what it might mean for the next installment of the series. With friends or classmates, create a brainstorm list of the adventures you hope Ven will next take and the questions, problems, or mysteries you hope will be resolved.

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

1.
What does the preface of the story tell readers? How might these opening paragraphs lead readers to expect this book will be different from other fantasy stories they have read? Does the preface seem to provide fictional or nonfictional information? What gives you this impression? What do you hope to discover in the chapters which follow?

2.
What does Ven tell readers about himself in the opening pages of
Chapter 1
? How is he different from other Nain? What are his thoughts about magic? How does Ven feel about adventuring? Who is the surprise visitor in
Chapter 1
who changes Ven's thoughts about wanting some rest before his next adventure?

3.
What task, or tasks, does King Vandemere assign to Ven? Whom does Ven decide to invite along? What are his reasons for inviting these friends on his journey? Who does he leave behind and why?

4.
Why does Ven think Amariel ought to join his group? Had you been given Amariel's choice, would you have forfeited your cap for the chance to see life on land? Why or why not?

5.
Ravens are a recurring image in
The Dragon's Lair
. What do these birds represent? What actions or plot elements of the story are affected by ravens?

6.
Who is Madame Sharra? What does she tell Ven? What effect does her reading have on Ven's thoughts and actions? How would you feel if someone read such a fortune for you? What special gift does the mark on his hand bring to Ven? Would you use such a gift? Why or why not?

7.
Why doesn't Ven tell his friends the truth about Ameriel's identity? How do Char, Clem, and the others feel about the merrow? Have you ever kept a secret because you believed it was in the best interest of a friend? What effect did this have on your friendship with this person, and with others? What advice might you have given Ven about keeping this secret?

8.
What does Ven carry encased in Black Ivory? What treasure of his grandfather's does he also carry in his pocket? How do these objects impact his journey?

9.
In the opening of
Chapter 9
, Ven cites a Polypheme family expression "He's had one too many turns at the forge." What is the meaning of this expression? How does it apply to Ven? How does Ven's realization of his misunderstanding of the situation between Amariel and his other friends foreshadow the larger lesson about friendship and family he will learn from Ganrax?

10.
How does Ameriel help the group when they encounter the River King? Does this change the others' attitudes toward the merrow? Why or why not? What does Ven learn about the dragon from the River King? What deeper lesson does the River King teach Ven?

11.
What is Saeli's gift? How does she make the group vulnerable? How does she help the group make a discovery? What sort of wisdom do Saeli and the Gwadd folk impart to Ven?

12.
After Tuck, Clem, and Char help some Lirin fight a fire, what does Ven learn about Lirin attitudes toward Nain? What is important about the Lirin man's comment at the end of
Chapter 12
that states, "If someone asked me a few years ago, I'd have said that both dragons and Nain were nothing but made-up creatures in children's stories"?

13.
In
Chapter 13
Amariel finally smiles. How does Ven feel about this? How does this signal an unhappy change in the merrow? Whom do the ravens seems to most want when they attack the wagon once again? What decision does this cause the group to make?

14.
As they head for the Gwaddlands, what is strange about the landscape? How does the milk taste? What is important about this experience? What has happened to the Gwaddlands? What do her friends think of Saeli's home? How does the food taste there?

15.
Why is Ven finally forced to reveal Amariel's true identity in
Chapter 16
? Does this improve the relationship between Ven and his friends? Between Ida, Clem, and Amariel?

16.
How do Ven's dreams affect his actions in the story? Are the dreams realistic or symbolic? How do the dreams help readers better understand Ven's character?

17.
As they approach Scarnag's lands, what surprising reaction does Tuck have to Ven's removal of the dragon scale from the Black Ivory? What danger is posed by the Lirindarc?

18.
What are Ven's thoughts on prejudice, or being treated badly, in his journal entry of
Chapter 18
? How do these observations help Ven to better understand Ganrax's struggles at the end of the story?

19.
Describe Ven's encounter with King Alvarran. What bargain does he make with the king? What are his considerations about using his power to alter Time at this point in the novel?

20.
What does Garson tell Ven about Scarnag? Is his story correct? What else worries Ven as he travels to the dragon's lair? How might these worries be related?