You breathe a heavy sigh of relief as a huge grin briefly dares to show on your face. Then it disappears as fast as it appeared. No use dreaming of freedom just yet you need to get free first.
You pick yourself up off the dirt, careful not to kick the food bowl you'd eaten out of for the last few days. The dragon isn't far from you but the distance between the two of you seems impossibly wide with your rattling chains. If only it had been rope...
There's no-one around that you can see but you can hear the bandits well enough. Beyond the line of sharpened poles is the rest of the camp. By the sound of it they struck rich today. Shouting, clashing blades, smashing glasses and singing- all the usual sounds of a party. But just below that you can hear low voices discussing something in private. Not all of them are so distracted. Which means you need to keep quiet.
You look down at the chain that binds your feet and realize that's so much easier said than done. For a second you think about clawing your way over with just your hands before thinking you could do without scraping the skin of your back off on the rough ground. Maybe if...
Spreading your legs wide, you take up the slack in both hands. You take a step that's almost silent then, carefully make your way over to the wagon. Bent over, you probably look ridiculous to anyone watching but it's just the dragon and that's lowest on your list of things to worry abo-
You bite down hard on your tongue as rock buries itself in your bare foot and pain shoots up your leg. TROLL SPIT! That hurt. Gingerly, you feel around this time before you lower your foot and do your best to keep your weight on the uninjured one. Carefully, one step at a time you make your way over, grimacing every time your left foot goes down. But then you're at the wagon and the dragon trussed up on top of it.
“I need you to help me first.” You say. Can you cut through this with your claw?” It’s awkward for the both of you but after a few minutes of shuffling, curses and suppressed chain clanks you manage to position yourself on the ramp attached to the front of the wagon so that its front claws can slice through the chains on either side. The shackles remain in place but you can worry about those later. For now you can move around without the tell-tale rattling and restricted movement and that’s all you need.
Now for the dragon. You examine the restraints attached to the wagon in the pale moonlight. The straps that hold it down are thick and the tension keeps them tight but-
"Bingo!" You grin just loud enough for the dragon to hear as you manage to release the first strap.
"It’s working?" The dragon asks, a hopeful undertone in its voice.
"It’s working." You utter back. “I’ll have you out in no time.” Well- maybe not no time. They’re faster to release than say untying knots. And some of them are old and worn, making them easier to release. But even so there are enough of them to make up for their quality. You've managed a few so far but there must be at least fifty more up and down the dragon's length. This could take a while.
And as the gate to your section of the camp opens your heart stops as you realize it's time you don't have.
You stand frozen still as wide eyes stare at you. "What are you doing?"
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