Keeper of the Hearth

By Claire Locke

Hidden from view but ever-vigilant, Koth, the Keeper of the Hearth, is tasked with protecting the children of the house from the evil creatures that lurk within the chimney stack. Aided by his best friend, Rhyming Sid, a mischievous and agile Rath Dragon who communicates solely in rhyme, Koth works tirelessly to keep the home safe.

On most days, the friends contentedly munch on bark and playfully chase the relatively harmless Monsoots and Mortar Mice that inhabit the chimney. However, when peculiar sounds emanate from the top of the chimney, Koth and Rhyming Sid make a startling discovery: a Skillius has taken up residence in the loft.

Concerned for the well-being of the children and their own safety, Koth and Rhyming Sid set out on a perilous quest that will put their courage and wit to the test as they devise a plan to banish the malevolent Skillius from the house. But as they soon learn, even the best-laid plans can go awry, leading to explosive confrontations with their feathered adversary.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers
• Release date: Jun 21, 2024
• ISBN: 9781035811441

Claire Locke

Claire Locke is married and the mother to two young boys and a Rhodesian Ridgeback. Claire’s writing inspiration is drawn from her son’s wonderfully wild imaginations and the creaky old house in which they all live. Claire has worked in various roles within Local Government for over 25 years and now leads Strategic Property and Regeneration and Climate Change delivery across three District Councils. Claire is also a Trustee for the charity Forces Support, which provides practical support to bereaved military families and veterans.

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Claire Locke is married and the mother to two young boys and a Rhodesian Ridgeback. Claire’s writing inspiration is drawn from her son’s wonderfully wild imaginations and the creaky old house in which they all live.

Claire has worked in various roles within Local Government for over 25 years and now leads Strategic Property and Regeneration and Climate Change delivery across three District Councils. Claire is also a Trustee for the charity Forces Support, which provides practical support to bereaved military families and veterans.

Copyright © Claire Locke 2024

The right of Claire Locke to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by the author in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers.

Any person who commits any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library.

ISBN 9781035811434 (Paperback)

ISBN 9781035811441 (ePub e-book)

www.austinmacauley.com

First Published 2024

Austin Macauley Publishers Ltd®

1 Canada Square

Canary Wharf

London

E14 5AA

For my wonderful sons Henry and Archie, who inspire me with their amazing imaginations and make me so proud.

To my husband Morgan and my Mum, Pauline for their love and encouragement in the writing of this book.

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Epilogue

Chapter One

Danger in the Darkness

The sound was so loud; it was almost deafening.

Thump, thump, thump.

They must be able to hear it. Frozen with fear, he crouched motionless, hoping he was hidden by the shadows. Hidden that was, if it wasn’t for his heart beat hammering in his chest, thump, thump, thump. He’d been caught out in the open, he couldn’t believe he’d been so foolish. He should have known better; he’d had years of experience evading danger. He dared to suck in a breath but even that sounded loud. Any movement, any noise could give away his position. He was desperate to get away, to escape and find a hiding place, somewhere he felt safe, but he couldn’t move.

The scream broke the silence. The shrill sound echoing off the walls.

Found you! It felt like his heart actually stopped, he honestly thought that was it, they’d seen him and it was all over but with a squeal of excitement Archie unearthed his older brother from a pile of blankets on the sofa and ran off to hide. Henry was too grown up for this game so he huffed and puffed as he started counting to twenty. He slowly walked back out of the room, knowing it was a complete waste of time as Archie usually hid in the same place every time.

As the boys ran off and the sound of counting grew fainter Koth allowed himself to breathe out slowly and a smile crept onto his face. He scrambled back into the log pile and sat there chewing on some gnarly brown bark. Exhausted from his morning adventures, he must have fallen asleep, feeling safe and comfortable amongst the familiar timber. Sometime later Koth suddenly awoke, immediately alert to the sounds around him. There it was, that familiar scratching, as they made their way down. Koth listened, trying to work out exactly where they were so he could launch an effective attack.

Monsoots, dark as night, with soot coating their thick black fur and small beady eyes. Tiny but with sharp claws and sharper teeth. Short but strong legs and slim paws with needle like claws, they moved faster than the blink of an eye. They relied on their speed and their ability to blend in, in order to feed and to escape from Koth. Monsoots feed on energy, they eat fire and seek out other sources of energy to feed upon but they don’t risk coming out in daylight, they might be seen and their survival has been as a result of their ability to stay hidden. Hidden for centuries but growing in number. Hunting, hiding, building their strength and the Monsoot colonies. Like any animal that had survived for so long, they have evolved, adapting to their changing environment.

Koth sighed, considering his next move. He knew that Monsoots were not particularly intelligent so they don’t outwit their predators, they simply try to out-run them. Koth was fast too though and, he reflected, rubbing the side of his head, had a far bigger brain! The trouble however was that the Monsoots tiny size helps them, allowing them to squeeze into gaps in stonework where larger creatures, simply can’t fit. As creatures that feed on fire, their survival could easily have been threatened by the invention of central heating as very few houses have real fires now, so they’d had to adapt their food source. However, a Monsoot was still happiest with an open fire, all those cracking logs and dancing flames and the Monsoots in this house had the luxury of an open fire and a wood burner, so here they truly thrived. Despite this the greedy little critters still posed a threat, particularly in the spring and summer months when the fires didn’t burn.

That was why Koth was here, to protect and defend but it was a constant battle and it was getting harder. Koth was a Keeper, an ancient breed of small dragon-like lizard whose purpose was to act as guardian to children, protecting them from unseen dangers, creatures that lurked all around. Koth was stationed in the hearth, the stone base at the bottom of the chimney where fires were lit. As Keeper of the Hearth, his name had been shortened to Koth.

He crawled out of the log pile and opened his outer eyelids – allowing him to see shapes, in light and shade. Whilst his sight wasn’t as good with only his outer eye lids open, it had one strong advantage – his eyes appeared closed, the browns and golds of his scales blending into the log pile, no movement or blinking, nothing to tell them where he was. He paused, crouched low and stared up into the gloomy chimney. He could hear hundreds of claws scratching on the stone.

As they came closer, he rushed out at the Monsoots and they started running. The hard part now was not catching them or disappearing them, it was dealing with the number. They ran in every direction, a flash of activity, the older more experienced Monsoots, weaving from one side to another, like a rugby player quick on his feet. The younger ones, the trainees, tended to panic particularly on their first run down. It was laughable really, they could often be found running round and round in circles, soot blind, unsure which way was up and which way was down! Catching them was easy but he didn’t have the heart to disappear them. He knew he should, as the trainees would grow up and then cause him real problems but it seemed wrong when they were just small confused creatures trying to do what they had been taught. He felt they should have a fighting chance, particularly as they didn’t grow teeth until they were older so they posed no real threat until then.

The adults were very different, vicious and determined, they would seek out the fire they craved and bite anyone who got in their way. In winter the fire would be lit and they fed from it, so they had no need to venture any further but as spring arrived, the trouble started. And so, it was that Koth found himself chasing the Monsoots and driving them back up the chimney. He did catch one adult and squeezed it until