Stolen (HTTYD)

Chapter 5 - Captured

For the first time in her life, Dart was scared. Strange brown walls seemed to press against her from all sides, she was trapped in a cage and muzzled. Panicking, she thought through her options. She couldn't blast the cage for she was muzzled and it was too strong to force open. She could try to pounce on them if they opened the cage, but she didn't think she could take on all the guards. That left two options, look menacing or look cute so they would let her go. 

Unfortunately, while she was the oldest of her siblings and bigger than both them and the humans, she would be unlikely to terrify a large group of armed humans from the cage. To make matters worse, she was at a stage between the Short-Wing and Broad-Wing where her features were disproportioned and she was neither as cute as her siblings or as menacing as her parents. Still, she gave it her best shot. She stood up on her hind legs, giving the guards the most innocent look she could muster.

"That won't work on me again," said Ivar, "besides, the other dragon was way cuter."

"Look at it! Tryin' to be cute, but it just looks like a fat dumpling with tiny wings and legs!" jeered another guard, prodding Dart's gut. The guards all laughed and threw more insults at Dart, which she luckily couldn't understand, for an ego is a very fragile thing. She did, however, get the gist that they were not exactly praising her. What makes them hate dragons so much?, thought Dart. Growling at her captors, she curled into a ball. She didn't let them see her face as she cried herself to sleep.

...

The wind buffeted Ruffrunner's wings and cut like icy blades into his tail wound as he struggled through the storm. The blurry silhouette of his older brother slowly receded into the distance. 

Ruffrunner had always taken pride in that he tried. Even though he lost races and playfights against his siblings, he knew he had tried to the best of his ability. But even though he tried to push through the pain in his exhausted wings and injured tail, tried to fight the raging torrent of wind and water to go as fast as he could, he knew that his will could not surpass the limitations of his body. He was a year younger than Dart and Pouncer and would never catch up to the head-start Dart's captors had. But he also knew that you have to keep on trying, even if you are beaten before you start. He would never forgive himself if he lost his sister.

With this in mind he put on a burst of strength he didn't think he had in him and caught up to Pouncer. But that was only the first step. Ahead, a Viking longboat cut effortlessly through the water, fuelled by the brutal winds.