"The bigger question is, who are these dragon hunters and what do they want from us?"

Astrid heard Heather's voice from behind her answer the question. "You're about to find out."

She glared at the other girl, who smirked lazily as the guards opened the cell and walked in. Astrid's fists clenched - she wanted to punch her. They took in this woman, and this was her way of repaying them?

"Ryker wants to have a little chat with you."

She grit her teeth as Heather pushed her out without letting her take even a glance at her friends - just who the fuck did she think she was?

"You're lucky these guards are here," she snarled quietly, one hand of Heather's on her shoulder as they walked. "Or I'd take your head off."

Heather scoffed. "Ha, you'd try."

"After everything we did for you, took you in, taught you to ride, saved your life - more than once."

"And I thank you for all of that. But I have to follow my destiny."

Astrid growled lowly. "Betraying your friends and joining these dragon hunter scum?" She didn't care if the guards heard her.

"Hey," Heather said sharply, "you don't know what it's like to be truly alone, Astrid. Dagur is my brother. I trust him with my life."

When had this woman become so stupid?

"You'll regret that. Believe me."

A smirk appeared on Heather's face again. "Well, your concern is touching, but if I were you, I'd be more worried about myself." She knocked on the door, and Astrid heard his voice.

That man who had taken Stormfly. Ryker.

"Come!"

"Ryker wants information and he can be very persuasive."

Astrid fixed her with a hard glare as she walked in. She was a Hofferson - no matter what Ryker did, she'd stay strong. She wouldn't tell them whatever they wanted to know, no matter what it was, unless she was telling him where he could stick his information.

The first hour or so, Ryker didn't say a word.

Dagur and Heather questioned her loudly, and she enjoyed getting Dagur more and more worked up by the second. Heather was more cool about her emotions, but every time a flash of anger passed through her eyes, Astrid felt triumphant. Apparently, the hunters wanted information about the Dragon Eye and the Edge.

And all the while, Ryker sat down on his throne of sorts, and watched them. He looked bored, although Astrid tried to look just as disinterested, if not more.

"You are going to tell us how many people are guarding Dragon's Edge or so help me I will run you through!" Dagur picked up a sword for emphasis. "Hiccup won't like seeing you all cut up, you know!"

Astrid rolled her eyes exaggeratedly, although she did feel a twinge of annoyance that he thought her biggest problem to herself being hurt would be Hiccup's reaction.

"Eat dragon shit," she told Dagur, who snarled and seemed ready to lunge at her until Heather put a hand on his shoulder and shook her head.

So they weren't supposed to kill her. Well, that was a huge advantage on her part.

"Hey." This time, she addressed Ryker personally. He raised a brow. "Why don't you question me yourself, unless you're a cowardly troll's arse, that is."

Her Advanced Rudery skills were pristine as always.

But she really shouldn't have tempted fate.

Ryker stood up, and Astrid caught a quick flash of something - something - in Heather's eyes. He walked up to them and grabbed both her arms so fast she gasped,slamming her against the wall. Dagur cackled.

"Oh, good one, Ryky! Again!"

"If you want to be questioned by me…" He suddenly gripped her throat as Astrid gasped for air. She started to deliver blow after blow to the man's chest, which seemed to have no effect on him. "Then just remember, you asked for it."

Astrid screamed.

She screamed so loudly she thought she might burst her own eardrums.

And that wasn't the first one he got out of her.

She heard the crack of the whip again and managed to muffle it this time, but that didn't stop the searing hot pain from spreading across her bare stomach, that didn't stop her from hearing Dagur's maniacal laughing, or keep her from watching Heather, who showed no emotion at all.

The pain was only one part of it - the humiliation added in too. It would be worse if there were others watching, but it was only the three of them. She prayed they wouldn't bring her friends in.

In her mind's eye, she saw her friends hearing her, and them screaming out as they broke through the cell and rescued her, but even as she fantasized about it, she knew that the walls were thick because she would have heard them yell out by now.

Ryker whipped her again, and Astrid's vision went white for a second.

"Where do you hide the Dragon Eye?" he asked calmly.

Astrid cried, and her response came out shaky. "Fuck...you."

"In time," he said, and she barely managed to process it before he whipped her again, and gods - she knew she was bleeding, she could feel something hot and sticky sliding down her stomach.

They must have noticed it too, because she heard the whip tossed to the side. Astrid gasped in relief as Heather kneeled down and placed her hand on her stomach. "Dagur, towel."

He complained, something about wanting to see the blood, but he complied, and she was wiped off. Then Heather wiped the towel around her, squeezing it tightly enough to make her cry out again.

Surprisingly, they let her take breaks. There was no questioning during those times, although Daur paced back and forth furiously, and they were never long enough.

They never whipped her enough to make her bleed again, but her upper half still felt like it was on fire.

And Ryker kept taunting her, saying all they needed was a bit of information, but…

But she'd die before she gave up her friends.

She wished for death once she figured out what Ryker was about to do next.

"Hold her still, Dagur."

He didn't need to squeeze her arm, Astrid thought, she was barely moving. But Dagur was as sadistic as ever, gripping her arm as tight as possible and whispering in her ear, "I bet you'd scream louder if it was Hiccup we were doing this to. Gods, you have no idea how much I'd love to do this to him."

A sharp swell of fear shot up her spine and she felt nauseous. Suddenly she wanted the pain. She wouldn't mind it if it was someone other than these psychos hurting her. She wanted to get out.

She wanted to get out!

Tears started streaming down her cheeks again as she struggled against Dagur's grip. He started laughing again, he knew his words had gotten to her.

"Stay still," Heather commanded.

Ryker had unbuckled his armor. With a start, Astrid realized what he was about to do.

"No!" she screamed in horror, actually managing to get free from Dagur but falling back. "No, no, no, I'm his, I'm going to be pure for him, leave me alone, let me out!" Astrid tried to run for the door. "Let me out!"

Ryker grabbed her braid and yanked it back, throwing her into Dagur's arms. She screamed and writhed to no avail as Ryker tore off her clothes.

She hardly noticed the pained look in Heather's eyes.

As he pushed into her, she screamed as loud as she could, clawed him and fought him, but he only laughed.

Gods above, it hurt so bad.

And she finally talked.

She lied.

But she still talked, and the shame of even doing that much was worse than anything they could do to her.

This, though? This was pretty fucking close.

It felt like it went on for hours. Torture, rape, torture, rape. Whips, small blades, hot iron. Ryker, then Dagur. They used her in ways she didn't know she could be used.

Sometime along it she realized that Heather hadn't actually joined the hunters.

Maybe it was how she looked away, maybe it was the slightest flinch she had whenever she saw them taking her. But Astrid knew.

That made it worse, somehow.

Light shone through the window when they were done with her.

They had kept going even when she gave them information. She had begged and pleaded, much to her own humiliation, and they hadn't stopped.

She'd kill them one day.

She lay naked, battered, and bruised as they left for something as casual as breakfast. Only Heather remained.

As soon as they were out of earshot, she dropped down next to Astrid and cupped her cheek, looking horrified. "Oh my gods, fuck - why didn't you tell them what they wanted, Astrid?"

She couldn't answer, and there was no point in saying anything anyway.

"Astrid, look what they did to you - oh gods, Astrid."

She wished Heather would stop saying her name. All she could do was look at her, shaking.

"I swear, I'm going to get you guys out of here."

What was the point? Would anyone look at her the same again after this night?

"I promise." And then Heather kissed her gently, just like she had the day before she left all those years ago on Berk, just like when she had wished her goodnight on the Edge, and Astrid had kissed back, those other times.

This time, though, she pushed her shoulders with what little strength she could manage and shook her head, pressing into the wall.

She wasn't pure anymore. She wasn't honorable. She wasn't a Hofferson. What didn't Heather understand about that?

"Come on, Astrid, talk to me."

She opened her mouth, closed it, and then opened it again.

"Tell my friends that I'm fine."

She didn't let Heather tell her that that was impossible before she passed out.

If she wasn't going to be a Hofferson, then she'd be stronger than one, at least until she killed Ryker and splattered his blood and humiliated him the way he humiliated her.

And that was her promise to herself.