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It was late afternoon when Stormfly returned to the island. Hiccup was at the docks with his father and was the first to see the blue dragon approach. Waving and calling out, Stormfly landed beside him, and Hiccup was shocked to see that Astrid was not riding her. "What happened Stormfly? Where is Astrid?" Hiccup stroked the dragon's head as he spoke, trying to calm the upset creature. Stormfly's head jerked around to her saddle, and Hiccup saw the paper, marked with the Berserker crest. "We have to find the others," he told the dragon, mounting her and taking off towards the arena.

Astrid had never felt so humiliated in her life. The whole idea that she was a commodity to be owned by a man was what had put her in this situation. She should have listened to Hiccup, but she had wanted to prove herself, and Dagur had been able to manipulate her so easily when he had seen her rage... it was embarrassing. The Berserkers had taken her armor away; she only had her top and leggings to keep her warm and it wasn't nearly enough. The ship was sailing towards Berk, and the air was getting cooler. She was cold, thirsty, hungry, and her stomach throbbed from the blow she'd received. Dagur had spent the past four hours above deck, but she knew it was only a matter of time before he came to her.

Struggling against her restraints Astrid groaned; there was no way she could break free. "Hurry Hiccup," she whispered to the empty room, "I'm so sorry I didn't listen."

"We need to move faster!" Hiccup yelled to the other riders who were already falling behind the faster nightfury. Stormfly squawked in agreement, driven by the knowledge that the end of this journey would reunite her with Astrid.

"Meatlug can barely maintain this speed Hiccup!" Fishlegs gave his dragon a reassuring pat, "We need to be able to fight when we get there and have the strength to return home."

"Every second we waste means Astrid could be in more danger." Hiccup hollered back. "You guys maintain this speed, I'm flying on ahead with Stormfly." Leaning into toothless he yelled, "Let's go get Astrid bud." Within a minute, both dragons were out of sight.

"I don't get it," Snotlout leaned over Hookfang's horns as he spoke, "what's Hiccup so upset about? It's not like we haven't been in situations like this before."

"I'm with him," Tuffnut added, "after all, Astrid can handle herself." Ruff reigned in Barf close enough that she could hit her brother across the head, spinning his helmet. "Awesome! What was that for?" Ruff didn't answer her brother as she evened out and continued straight ahead, but Fishlegs noticed her eyes were red.

"Well, Snotlout," Fishlegs scratched his head not wanting to take his friend through this train of thought, "you think Astrid's a very attractive woman yes?"

"You bet I do. That girl can hardly keep her hands off me." He flexed, and Fishlegs groaned.

"Alright, well let's say you and Astrid were from warring clans and you just happened to capture her and have her restrained." Fishlegs watched Snotlout's face carefully as he worked this out in his mind.

There was a lecherous grin that appeared on his face for just a minute. Then the realization that Dagur was in this exact situation registered in the viking's mind and his expression changed to one of rage. "I'm going to go on ahead as a second wave of attack." His voice was vicious. "Hiccup might need help torching Dagur into a pile of ash." Sensing his rider's anger Hookfang flared up momentarily before taking off.

"I still don't get it." Tuffnut muttered.

"Well you're an idiot." His sister replied.

Astrid stood tall when she heard the door to the cabin open. Dagur grinned fiercely at her and she met his grin with a scowl of equal power. For a moment the two simply stared each other down. Eventually Dagur realized Astrid would not suffer this defeat as well and laughed, "Oh have it your way," he told her, turning and closing the door, "I can see why Hiccup likes you." Astrid did not answer, only continued to glare defiantly. "He's always liked you you know," Dagur seemed unfazed by her gaze which upset her all the more, "ever since we were kids. He had some serious confidence issues back then let me tell you. I suppose the dragons helped with that; they certainly got your attention."

"Hiccup didn't need the dragons to get my attention Dagur," Astrid growled, "he has always been smart, strong and kind; three things you will never be." She spat at him an Dagur laughed.

"Hiccup? Strong?" He scoffed, "There's a good joke. I'll give you smart though Astrid; he was the one who gave me the idea to use a shield as a weapon. I call it; Shield Bashing. I know it will catch on. What did you think of my technique?"

Astrid couldn't help but chuckle, "It definitely caught me off guard Dagur; a mistake I won't let happen again."

"It wasn't just the shield though was it Astrid?" He was up close in her face now and Astrid winced at the smell of his breath. "You struggle as a warrior woman; no one in your tribe appreciates your fighting prowess do they?" Her glare intensified and he grinned, "I hit a sore spot didn't I? What's the matter Astrid; are you afraid Hiccup's great acts of valor will overshadow his woman's glorious deeds?"

Astrid looked away from him, ignoring the jab and muttering, "Do you ever clean your teeth? Seriously, it smells like something died in there."

"Astrid, Astrid, Astrid!" Dagur turned her head back to him as he spoke with fire in his words. "The things we could do together! With you by my side we could raze Berk to the ground! You would be remembered by future generations as a goddess of war and songs of your might would echo throughout the ages." Astrid blushed, these were the thing she had wanted most for her life, but was she willing to give up her home, her friends, even Hiccup to achieve them? She looked Dagur up and down, for a moment considering what he had said. Realizing he was potentially winning her over, Dagur knelt before her arms outstretched; "What do you say Astrid, be my woman?"

Her jaw locked then, and the side of her mouth raised up in a grin as she shook her head. "You almost had me Dagur," she laughed at how ridiculous she felt for even entertaining his offer, "I do want my own songs, I do want to be seen as a warrior; but I am nobody's woman and I certainly will not become yours to achieve those things."

Her captor scowled, "Have it your way," he growled, "there is more than one way to make you mine." His hands grasped his belt buckle and Astrid felt her stomach sink. If I could just get my hands out from behind my back...

A cry went up from up on deck but Dagur paid it no heed. His belt and armor were falling to the floor piece by piece as Astrid heard the muffled footfalls down the hull steps. Dagur was advancing towards her now as he worked at the drawstring of his trousers; the cabin door flew open. Astrid barely recognized the viking that stood before her. Hiccup's hair was disheveled, dyed dark red along with his clothes and face which were also smeared with blood. He had left his shield behind on Berk, and was wielding two axes in its place. He looked wild, deadly and angry as his eyes fell on Dagur.

"Hiccup! What a surprise," Dagur's hands were quickly tying his trousers as he searched the room for the nearest weapon. "Your woman was just regaling me with stories of your kindness."

"She is not my woman Dagur, and it seems you've caught me on a bad day;" Hiccup's voice was chill as he advanced on the chief, "all out of kindness." Eyes never leaving Dagur, Hiccup addressed Astrid, "Did he touch you at all?"

"Not since I've been tied up, and he has a busted kneecap for what he did before."

"Do you have any injuries?"

"A nasty bruise on my stomach thanks to his axe hilt."

Astrid watched as Hiccup's face twisted into a malicious grin, "It seems I'll have to pay you back for Astrid, since she's all tied up at the moment." He spun the axes in his hands, and added, "With interest." Diving at the unarmed chief it did not take much for Hiccup to pin Dagur beneath him. "I've put this off far too long; my father had the right idea from the start about how to deal with you." Raising the axe above his head Astrid realized what Hiccup meant to do.

"Stop!"

Her call froze the axe mid swing as Snotlout barreled through the door. "Never fear Astrid, I'm here to...rescue you?" As Snotlout took in the scene he could barely believe his eyes.

The blade of Hiccup's axe was against Dagur's throat, his back to his friend. "Snotlout please free Astrid for me. I'm a little preoccupied." Snotlout walked over to Astrid without a word, finding the key to her chains on a table just out of her reach. "Are Toothless and Stormfly alright up top with Hookfang?" Hiccup asked.

There was a click as the lock around her wrists released, and Snotlout nodded. "They've herded the men to the stern of the ship away from their weapons. There were a lot of bleeding men on deck Hiccup, are you alright?"

"I'm fine. This isn't my blood." His voice was unnervingly even as he spoke. It sent a chill through Astrid's body. "Astrid if I'm not to kill Dagur then what would you have me do?" The blade was still pressing against Dagur's throat and Astrid could see a line of blood forming along it.

Snotlout's hand brushed Astrid's leg as he undid the restraints around her ankles; she rewarded him with a solid kick in the ribs once her feet were free. Stretching her limbs she responded, "Normally I would tell you to tie him up and bring him with us to Berk." Her hand rested on Hiccup's shoulder, and the axe moved ever so slightly away from Dagur's throat. "Today however, I'd appreciate if you'd let him armor himself, while I do the same, and give us each one of those axes. I have a score to settle, and I don't need you to do that for me."

Hiccup did not move at first. Then ever so slowly he handed one axe to Astrid. Then he took the other and sliced into Dagur's cheek, angling the cut from his ear, down to his chin. "Next time you give me reason, an axe is entering your face from this point, and peeling it off along with half your skull," he told the chief matter-of-factly,.

For a split second, Dagur looked genuinely surprised. Then he grinned, "You really do have it in you, don't you brother?" He howled as Hiccup stood, axe in hand. "Here I thought that maybe it was you who had tamed Astrid, but it would seem your woman tamed you."

"Astrid is not my woman Dagur. She is no one's woman but her own. She is a warrior in her own right, and she offers me council when my wisdom falls short. One day I will be chief of my tribe, and I can only hope that she will have me as her man. Never forget that it was her not me who spared your life." Astrid blushed at Hiccup's boldness, and her heart soared to hear the high regard he held for her. "I was wrong to try and take your life; this is her fight, not mine, and it would be a dishonor to Astrid to not allow her the chance to regain her viking's warrior pride."