Warning: possible trigger's in this chap.

I didn't even bother with details since it's disturbing enough to read about, but I do touch on the subject of child rape.

Now before everyone jumps down my throat and such let me just point out- that Vikings did rape a fair portion of the young girls and women that they came across within enemy clans as a form of psychological warfare and humiliation. They even kidnapped them and enslaved, and sold many into prostitution to other nations.

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Two days passed in the cell in much the same manner.

Mala and Thork kept a watchful eye for any opening to escape while Mala tried to get closer to the little one. Which in Thork's opinion, both admirable and a waste of his Queen's precious time given that the child stayed as far from the woman as she possibly could.

Though on the third day, things began rather differently. And not in a good way.

Apparently Dagur had gone to the mainland they had dropped anchor several miles from the restock supplies, leaving Viggo in charge of them. So naturally when he had shown up with armed guards- both Mala and Thork had been more than a little bit leery of what was going to happen as someone opened the cell and then stepped inside and went straight for the child.

"No! What are you doing?!" Mala snapped in alarm as she saw the guard grab the girl by her hair and begin to drag her back towards the cell door, kicking and screaming and thrashing in his grip.

"Don't worry, woman. She'll be returned to you soon enough." Viggo said as the heavy iron door swung closed and was re locked. The two in the cell were then forced to watch as the little girl was hauled to her feet and backhanded by Viggo as he snapped.

"Stop your damn crying you little bitch. I'm not going to hurt you much." He said as he walked over to her and picked up the dazed child by the front of her shirt and ripped it almost completely in two down the front. "Aww, now look at what I've done boys. I've ruined her shirt. See." He said as he held her out for the other's to see.

There was a series of laughter and cat calls that had the girl shaking in abject terror as one man suggested what they could do to help keep her warm.

Mala and Thork's eyes widened in horror and disgust that someone would even suggest such a thing being done to a mere child not yet old enough to have a monthly cycle as Viggo laughed and told the men to take the girl and have fun, apparently not caring that they were going to make sport of her and watched as she was dragged, from below deck to a room at the end of the hallway.

After that all they could hear for over an hour in a half was laughter, screaming and crying.

And by the time the child was returned to the cell, with them, she was wearing nothing but a soft white linen shirt that was belted around the waist by a piece of ribbon.

The second that the cell opened, Mala moved towards the door with the single minded purpose of killing the man there when something small was tossed into the cell. Right into Mala's arms, giving the woman pause as she looked down at the small bundle to see the child.

"What?" She said as she looked over the child noting that she was littered with colorful bruises, and was perhaps a little more roughed up than Mala had expected, but then she never knew what to expect of situations like this one. Back home incidents like this were incredibly rare. So incredibly rare that it was practically unheard of really, and usually those who did sexually assault a girl or woman were dealt with harshly and usually executed for doing something so disgusting.

Securing the child in her arms, she hugged her as tightly as she dared while remaining conscious of the fact that she could have even more injuries than what she could see. And she didn't wish to hurt her further as she turned to Thork and said, "We must escape as soon as possible." She wasn't sure if the girl could handle being attacked in such a way again and survive.

Thork must have known what he was thinking, because he silently eyed the child and then nodded. His expression was both grim and sympathetic as he quietly said, "We'll make an attempt tonight."

Mala nodded her head and moved away from the door of the cell, carrying the child over to where the woman's jacket lay discarded and slowly sank down to the floor and settled the little one across her legs so that her head could rest on her shoulder as she grasped her jacket and used it to wrap the child as carefully as she could without jostling her awake.

She would need all of the rest that she could get.

After that things were quiet for a while. Perhaps it was several hours since the child had been returned to the cell when Dagur finally appeared. He looked upset as he unlocked the cell door and pushed it open so that he could step inside. Once inside, he walked the small distance to where Mala was and dropped down to one knee and looked at the girl in the woman's arms for a moment before saying, "So... They stepped out of line again."

Mala blinked at him, not quite understanding what he meant as he kept speaking. "They always bathe her and dress her in something clean and nice after they finish with her. Almost as if they are giving her a reward for enduring the horror she was forced to suffer."

Thork reached out and grabbed Dagur by the front of his shirt and hauled him to his feet and snarled at him. "You speak as if this isn't the first time your men have crossed the line."

"It isn't," Dagur admitted before going on to say, "This is why she isn't safe here anymore."

"Why would they do such a disgusting thing to a child? Why have you not freed her before now?"

"Because they are dishonorable men who live at sea for many months, even years at a time and female companionship is rare. And I've been trying for several months before they started hurting her. But do you know how hard it is to find decent people willing to take in a child who is a foreigner? The language barrier alone keeps her from being taken in and given a home. It's beyond frustrating."

Thork slowly released him, sensing the truth behind his words along with something else.

Sympathy? No that wasn't it. Concern would be more apt a description, but that wasn't exactly right either. Could it be that Dagur held...affection...for the child? Thork wondered as the unusually placid berserker scrubbed his face with his hands before looking at the two of them.

"I've already killed the men that touched her while I was gone. I just need to take out Viggo," He said as he fished a key out of the fur and leather that he wore and handed it to Thork. "Wait an hour before using this key to unlock all of the dragons below deck and then escape. I plan to deal with Viggo, but I need you to use your dragons to sink the ship with us on it."

Of all the things that the two had expected to hear from the man- asking for help dying wasn't one of them. And yet the two could tell that the man was absolutely serious about his request.

"You'll die if we do." Mala said as if testing to see what he would say next.

"Yeah well, it's the only way to be sure that I take Viggo out. Just in case I fail. We can't let him escape after what he's done."

"Very well, Dagur. We will do as you ask."

"Thank you. Now I have one other request...about the girl. She'll need a home and family. And I do not know your people's views on adoption and such, but I have a suggestion for the one who should take her in."

"And who might that be?" Mala asked, curious to know who the man would consider honorable enough to take the child in and give her what she needs.

"Hiccup Haddock."

To say that the two were surprised would be an understatement. But then who else but the dragon rider's foe would know what kind of person he was? It was ironic really.

"And the other thing you wished to say?"

"Her name, it's Sara." And with that he walked back out of the cell and gently closed the door and disappeared.