The Girl with the Changewing Cloak (RTTE Fanfic)

Twenty

Swiftstrike's POV (at a request by @Viggo_Ghost):

Where was Freya?

I paced in the tight cell, my claws barely marking the metal. Snarling, I scratched at the wood beneath my claws.

I had to get out. I had to find Freya. I had to get free!

Whacking the bars with my tail, I poured my anger into my strikes.

"This one's fiesty, ain't it?" Narrowing my eyes, I turned to the pair of humans. In that moment, I wanted nothing more to sink my jaws into their flesh, despite having a diet of boar.

"Yeah, but the blasted thing can't reach us from behind the bars," the other sneered.

I felt some of my fight fall upon hearing those words. It was true, but having it said as such a blunt statement doused my spirit like water on a flame. Stuck in this cell, I was no more than a picture. A glimpse into what dragons could be.

"The beast's under our control."

Laughing, they continued on. I felt my wings droop as I barely bothered to follow them with just my eyes.

'Under our control'

The worst part was that he was right.

**

Freya's POV

I shifted uncomfortably on the changewing. He reminded me so much of Swiftstrike, with his powerful wingbeats and steady flight. The thought of her, alone and trapped in a cell, filled my stomach with guilt. Pushing loose strands of hair back, I tried to focus. Feeling miserable wouldn't help.

Atali was flying silently beside me, avoiding eye contact.

"Hey," I tried, turning towards her.

Without reacting in the slightest, she continued forwards.

"It doesn't have to be weird."

She snorted, casting a glare at me. Sighing, I settled back into position. There was no way I could make this less awkward; the sooner this mission finished the better. After a while, we dismounted. As we walked, slight breezes of icy air ruffled through our clothes. I did not comment.

Vaguely humanoid shadows against the wall caught my eye.

"Hunters to our right," I whispered Atali. She gave me a small nod, flattening herself against the wall. The hunters would round the corner in three, two, one...

"Now!" she ordered, and I leapt out. I ran behind the small group, hitting the back of one's head. The helmet absorbed the damage. The hunters turned to me, but I wrapped up my cloak. The changewing fired as I distracted them with kicks.

Before long, we had knocked them unconscious.

"Nice," I commented, but she just tutted and eye rolled. Ignoring the sting of rejection, I stroked the changewing's nuzzle and mounted him again.

I hadn't named the changewing as I didn't want to get attatched, knowing that it was my assosiation that had ultimately led Swifstrike to her capture. My heart lurched with grief and guilt. Knowing Ryker, he'd treat her like the dirt beneath his boot - then force her to perform his own bidding.

Taking deep breaths, I calmed myself, focusing on the task at hand.

With few words exchanged, Atali and I released dragons and took out hunters, but didn't see either Ryker or Swiftstrike. With each cell we opened, I grew more and more desperate. I shuffled awkwardly in the saddle, picking at seams - much to Atali's disapproval. But quickly we had already gone through our allocated chambers, so we headed towards the centre. All we could do was hope the others had been more successful.