The murkiness of the lake made it difficult for Pryce to see more than a few feet ahead, but he could make out the faint outline of a rope still attached to Stormwing. He grabbed hold and followed it.
The dragon thrashed in the water, tangled in the remnants of fishing nets and ropes. Its broken wing flailed uselessly, adding to its distress.
He reached for his fishing knife from its sheath strapped to his belt and began cutting away at the ropes and netting that ensnared Stormwing. The dragon's powerful tail lashed out in its agitation, nearly clobbering Pryce and sending him spinning in the water.
"Easy, Stormwing," Pryce thought, though he knew the dragon couldn't hear him. He focused on cutting through another thick rope, his lungs burning for air.
Stormwing's struggles grew more frantic as Pryce worked. He narrowly avoided another swipe from Stormwing's tail, feeling the rush of water as it passed inches from his face.
His vision began to blur as he ran out of air, but he refused to give up. He could feel the tugging on his own rope—someone above was trying to pull him up. Probably Kai. But Pryce couldn't leave Stormwing like this.
But Pryce had to surface before he lost all his breath. His chest felt like it was about to explode, and his vision darkened at the edges. With a final push, he kicked upward, breaking through the water's surface, gasping for air.
Kai leaned over the edge of the barge. "Pryce! Are you alright? What’s happening down there?"
"I almost have him free," Pryce panted, wiping water from his eyes. "Just need a few more moments."
From the ship, Old Man Finnegan shouted. "Pryce! You need to move faster or the dragon will drown!"
Pryce took one last deep breath and dove back under. The cold water enveloped him again as he swam down to where Stormwing continued to struggle.
He reached the spot where he'd been cutting through the ropes and netting. His fingers were numb from the cold, but he forced them to work, slicing through another thick rope that had wrapped around Stormwing.
The dragon seemed to sense Pryce's presence and calmed slightly, its thrashing less violent. Pryce worked with urgency, cutting away the last of the netting that held Stormwing captive.
With a final slash of his knife, the last rope fell away. Stormwing gave a powerful kick with its legs, propelling itself upward toward the surface. Pryce followed, his lungs burning once more.
As he broke through the surface of the water, gasping for breath, Pryce saw Stormwing already struggling toward the shore, his movements hindered by his broken wing.
Kai reached out from the barge, grabbing Pryce by the arm and hauling him aboard. "You did it!"
Pryce coughed. "Thanks, Frostborne."
Pryce heard his father shout from the ship. "Get the dragon into a cell before it escapes! I'll help as soon as I have the ship anchored and the barge secured to the pier!"
Pryce turned his gaze toward Stormwing, who sat motionless on the shore, looking worse for wear. The dragon's scales, once a brilliant blue, now appeared dull and lackluster. Its wing hung limply at its side.
"I don't think it's going anywhere," Kai said, quietly.
Pryce stood up and squeezed some of the water from his clothes. "I don't know if that's good or bad."
As soon as the barge was tied to the pier, Pryce and Kai sprinted down the dock toward where Stormwing still sat. The dragon's eyes followed Pryce's movements.
Pryce approached cautiously, placing a hand on Stormwing's snout. "You're safe now," he said, feeling the dragon's warm breath against his skin.
Kai shifted uneasily beside him. "Any idea where we can find a cell to hold it?"
Pryce stood up, his eyes scanning the abandoned Oceanrider base. The compound now stood eerily quiet. Its buildings now lay in disrepair, with weathered wooden structures and rusting metal equipment scattered about. Large cells lined one side of the base—remnants of a time when captured dragons were held there during the Dragonspine War.
Before Pryce could respond, he heard the clip-clop of hooves and turned to see Old Man Finnegan approaching with his horse and cart. Other ship hands hurried down the dock to where Stormwing lay. They hesitated, then slowly approached the dragon. The man carrying rope and chain began fashioning a makeshift collar around Stormwing's neck.
"There's an old dragon cell over there," another man called out, pointing toward the structure Pryce had noticed earlier. "Take it there."
Pryce felt a pang of sadness as he approached Stormwing once more. "Come on," he said softly, encouraging the dragon to stand. "Follow me." To his surprise, Stormwing complied, rising unsteadily to its feet. The broken wing dragged along the ground, and Pryce winced at the sight.
Finnegan followed along with his horse and cart. "We need to get that wing fixed," he said. "I can stabilize it until we get a doctor out here. Get him in the cell first; then I'll do what I can."
As Pryce guided Stormwing toward the cell, he glanced back at Finnegan and Kai, who were engaged in a hushed conversation. Snippets of their words reached his ears—"won't make it," "would be a miracle," "no doctor will come out to help fix the wing."
