A/N: Warning: Physical abuse and attempted rape ahead.
Twenty-Nine.
Hiccup stared at his friend, his eyes wide with hurt and betrayal. "Jail? For going flying on her dragon?" he gasped. He backed off a pace, shaking his head. Fishlegs shook his head and his eyes were embarrassed.
"He thought she may know where you were-and he was shouting with rage," he reported in a wavering voice. "She-she's been forbidden to speak with you, you know!" Hiccup pulled back, his face suddenly angry.
"I-I know!" he said coldly. "I know exactly what my Dad is trying to do!"
"Is-is it true?" Fishlegs asked him in a shocked voice. "Did Astrid really…attack you?" Hiccup slowly straightened up and turned to stare at the window. He gave a small nod.
"Yeah," he admitted quietly. He rubbed the back of his neck. "But she wasn't alone, Fish. It was the only time she hurt me but it felt far worse because…because I had always dreamed about Astrid and…" His voice trailed to a halt.
"Oh," Fishlegs said in a shocked voice. "Really? YOU and Astrid? I never…" Hiccup shrugged.
"Never happened," he sighed, "and I doubt it ever will now. But she doesn't deserve what's happening because she is being made to take the whole blame for the whole village's treatment of me." Fishlegs stared at the boy, recalling how badly Hiccup had been treated. The daily sight of the boy being beaten or slapped or taunted by the other teens or the villagers. The almost daily spectacle of Stoick tearing his son to pieces verbally before the village. "Why is she being singled out? Is Snotlout in jail? Or the twins? Or even my Dad? If not, then this whole thing is hypocritical and unfair." Fishlegs slowly got to his feet and walked to stand by his friend as Meatlug gave a friendly little rumble and Hiccup rubbed her head absently.
"What are you going to do?" he asked softly. Hiccup gave a shrug.
"Something stupid, crazy and suicidal," he murmured. "Wait and see."
oOo
Astrid was sitting on the bed in her cell, her knees pulled up against her chest and face buried in her knees. She wrapped her arms tighter around her legs, trying not to think that she was in jail and utterly at the mercy of Stoick.
She had been frightened as she was grabbed just before she had been about to fly out to meet with Hiccup. Only the little croak from Stormfly had alerted her. Stoick had grasped her arm and screamed in her face, hauling her along like a rag doll. She had squirmed and stared at her dragon, shouting for Stormfly to go, hoping that she would go to Hiccup and he would at least be able to escape before his father caught him.
She had been dragged to the cells and when she had been thrown in, she had expected just to be left there to rot, but Stoick had followed her into the cell, his enormous bulk looming over her. Her eyes had widened and she backed away until her back hit the far wall. "How does it feel to be frightened and trapped by someone bigger and stronger than you?" the Chief had sneered at her and she had found herself cringing away. His expression was vicious, terrifying. She had guessed he could beat, torture or kill her and no one would lift a finger-not even her parents. "ANSWER ME!" he had roared and she had flinched.
"It-it feels horrible," she had admitted in a shaking voice. He had loomed over her.
"So now you know what my son feels," he had snarled, his fists clenching into huge weapons that she feared. Everyone feared Stoick the Vast. "How dare you attack my son!"
"It is an action I regret every minute of every day," she told him, her eyes shining with shame, "but I am trying to atone. And why am I the only one to be blamed for everything Hiccup suffered?" He had pressed her back against the wall and grasped her face in one huge hand.
"How dare you…"
"Snotlout was his worst tormentor, every day!" she gasped. "The twins always helped. Most of the village harmed your son with words and blows and just plain ignoring him. And you…you tore him to pieces in front of us after every raid, and often in between. How could we respect and think him anything other than nothing when you reduced him to that in front of us?"
"You've spoken to him!"
"He's my friend, sir. He spoke to me. What can I do? Ignore him when I know that people ignoring him…my ignoring him…hurt him worse than anything over the years? I would never hurt him again-and you are hurting him now!"
SLAP! The blow had almost floored her and her entire face went numb and agonisingly painful, all at once. She gasped as his hand closed on her shoulder, holding her helpless.
"You have spoken to my son, whore!" Stoick had snarled. "You know it is forbidden. Where is he? WHERE IS HE?" She had stared up into the raging eyes, the fury there terrifying and so-though she was very frightened-she had said nothing. He had hit her again and again, each blow snapping her head back, making her dizzy and her legs wobbly. She had clenched her jaw, determined not to let a sound escape but eventually she had weakened and she had moaned as he had finally let her go, bloody and dazed. He had glared down on her-and then his foot had slammed into her body. She had given a wordless moan and tried to curl up, the breath crushed from her by the blow.
"You are to stay here until you tell me where he is!" he commanded, finally leaving the cell, "Ragnar-she is NOT to leave the cell. She can stay here 'til she rots!" And he had swept out, the door to the jail slamming so hard the whole building shook.
She blinked and rested her head harder against her knees. There was moisture on her swollen cheeks, tears she would never show anyone but she was scared and alone and hopeless. Stoick the Vast had decided she was to pay for the whole village's treatment of Hiccup and there was no one who could help her. She was lost.
oOo
Snotlout had been arguing for over a day, ever since he had heard the decree against Astrid Hofferson. And he still couldn't understand what his father was trying to tell him. The equation was very simple in his mind: Snotlout would get what he wanted and no one would stand in his way.
"You cannot marry her," Spitelout repeated in an exasperated voice.
"She's my Princess. No one else will want her and her family will be desperate to get her wed so what's the problem?"
"The problem is that the Chief will NEVER sanction a marriage for that honourless bitch!" Spitelout shouted.
"Dad-I still don't see why Stoick dishonoured her," Snotlout protested. "If he could just undo that, I can have her and…"
"He condemned her because she beat him during Dragon training. A beating that almost killed him! A beating that still gives him nightmares!" Spitelout shouted at him. His son gave a nasty expression, cracking his knuckles.
"Might've known that pathetic runt couldn't handle a few kicks. And she didn't even do most of the work. I did all the heavy work-she just punched him a couple of times. Her heart really wasn't in it-I could tell. So I had to give him the beating he deserved. He was cheating-and he deserved everything he got!" His father grabbed his shoulders and glared into his eyes.
"NEVER tell anyone what you just told me!" he shouted. "Gods-he wouldn't hesitate to treat you the same if he knew you nearly killed his 'precious' Hiccup. Just thank the gods he never found out how we beat him when he was wounded in that raid. At least you've got his birthright as Heir. Be grateful for that and let her go!"
"No. I want her and she will be mine, no matter what you or anyone else says!"
"You cannot destroy the Jorgensen family name by wedding her. You will be Chief, my son, and you must marry a woman of position and power-a woman who brings wealth and lands to our family, A woman with connections. Not…a shamed stale!" Snotlout's face fell into a scowl: he didn't ever take kindly to being thwarted and he wouldn't see the problem. He wanted Astrid and she was now without protector, status or honour so there was no more reason for her to resist his charms. She would be grateful that someone would want to have something to do with her. And she could show her gratitude to him…
"I am the Heir. I get what I want," he stated flatly. Spitelout sighed, rubbing his face. He was proud his son was a fine viking: strong, brave, not over-analytical, direct. But gods, sometimes he was dense.
"You don't have to wed that bitch to get her," he explained as patiently as he could manage. His son was a stubborn as both Spitelout and his brother and he knew that forcing the point wouldn't work. It took cunning. "You can marry a woman for power, status, wealth and connections, marry for the good of the tribe-but you can have your whore as well. A woman with no prospects of marriage, home, protection, honour will take what meagre scraps are thrown her way…"
"Hey-there's nothing meagre about my…"
"I MEAN that she will be more…willing. Grateful, even, that you are willing to offer her your attention and companionship, even if she is not permitted anything more."
"You mean I can have Astrid whenever I want AND get a fancy wedding with lots of presents and cash?"
Finally! Spitelout nodded.
"And when we…if she…?"
"Your choice to acknowledge a bastard or not. I wouldn't: it would have it's mother's stink of shame. She can raise it or sell it as she wants. You only want the fun, not any consequences. Those are hers to bear." Snotlout gave his father a grin.
"So maybe I should go and tell her the good news," he said nastily. Spitelout clapped him on the back.
"Go and make me proud, son!"
oOo
Astrid glanced up as the door to the cells opened and she sighed, then uncoiled, stretching her legs, which were feeling cramped. She was feeling stiff and her head was aching. They had not left her any food or water and the cells were cold. There was no blanket for the hard wooden bed. She rested her head back against the wall and closed her eyes, trying to think of anything that could give her some small shred of hope that she wouldn't just spend the rest of her life in this miserable cell, paying for everyone else's mistakes and hypocrisy.
"Hey, Princess," the unwelcome voice of Snotlout said and she opened her eyes, glaring at him.
"For the last time, Snotlout, I'm not your Princess!" she told him tiredly.
"You will be," the Heir told her smugly. "I've come to make your day."
"What, worse?" she muttered. He grinned.
"You know you're never going to marry, never have any honour or respect, right babe?" he asked her condescendingly. Her face hardened.
"You talk to me about that?" she hissed. "When you should be sharing this dishonour? You hurt him more than anyone!"
"I'm the Heir, babe. I can do what I want." Her eyes hardened at the attitude: no contrition, no recognition that he had tormented Hiccup for all those years or the harm it had done to that boy.
"Go away!" she said coldly. He grasped the bars, then nodded and Ragnar unlocked the cell door. Menacingly, he walked in.
"You don't tell me what to do, bitch!" he said then turned to Ragnar and his father, who was lounging by the main door. "Give a man a bit of privacy with his girl, fellas!" he said, never taking his eyes from Astrid. She rose to her feet, trying to avoid getting pinned between the bulky young man and the wall.
"Get out!" she snapped. He lunged at her.
"You don't tell me what to do!" he shouted and grabbed at her, snaring her braid. She screamed and fought, a fist slamming into his nose. Blood erupted over his face as she ripped free and backed away, her bruised face pale between the welts. She was a good fighter, quick and lithe but Snotlout was stronger and far more ruthless. He grabbed at her and she slapped his hand away, ducking sideways and kicking him in the side. He spun, a fist catching the side of her head and she gasped, staggering and stunned. But she still wrestled him free as his hands grasped at her wrist. She grabbed his hand and snapped it back, tossing him to the ground and stumbling away.
But he was quick and he snared her ankle, dumping her onto the floor next to him. She kicked out but he threw himself on top of her and punched her in the face. She kicked him and managed to get him off, staggering up but she was drained by her ordeals and her strength was almost exhausted. She ducked away but he grabbed her and pressed her against the wall, his hands dropping to her waist, his lips seeking her face. She wrenched her head away, kneeing him in the middle and staggering sideways. She was panting now, his eyes wide with fear. She was beginning to realise there was no way out of this either: Snotlout was stronger and ruthless and she had rejected him for the last time.
He didn't know the meaning of the word 'no'.
He grabbed her arm and she found herself slammed onto her back, knocking the wind out of her. He was pinning her down, his body pressed over hers, a knee jammed between her legs and his face with its foul breath inches from her own. She was trying to push him off, her hands braced against his chest. He managed to get his lips onto her face now and pressed a sloppy kiss on her cheek.
"You know you want this, babe," he growled. "You're never getting a better offer."
No, she wasn't. Stoick had seen to that. But given the choice between being alone or being with Snotlout…being an old maid won hands down. But she wasn't being given a choice. She was being raped.
His hands were all over her and she screamed and fought, snapping her head away from his questing mouth until he grabbed her hair and forced her to look at him, slamming his mouth onto hers, his tongue thrusting at her tightly pressed lips, trying to breach her resistance. Frustrated, he moved his mouth to suck at her neck, her throat and she tried to pull away as his hands pawed at her breasts then slid under her skirt, fingers probing where they had no business.
"HOW COULD YOU?" she screamed at Ragnar. "How can you let this happen? He has no right to do this!"
"He's the Heir!" Spitelout growled, leaning against the bars, his eyes dark with emotion. "He can do whatever he wants!"
"NO!" she howled as she felt cloth slide down her legs, felt alien flesh against her own, felt his lust grind against her. "NO!"
The door of the jail slammed open and Spitelout turned to see who had interrupted them. A blow slammed him aside and he slithered down the wall, unconscious. Ragnar was swatted outside, dismissed as if he was nothing and landed bonelessly, out. Snotlout looked up at the commotion and his face hardened.
"Get off her, Snotlout," Hiccup said.
"Go away, Useless," his cousin sneered. "This is none of your business!" Hiccup slid off the Night Fury and limped to Ragnar, retrieving the keys.
"Get off her NOW!" he repeated, his voice hard. Snotlout looked at the skinny, limping boy and sneered.
"Watch and you may learn something," he scoffed. Hiccup lifted his chin.
"There is NOTHING I will ever need to learn from you," he said levelly. "Now get off her or they won't need a funeral boat." Toothless growled and his mouth filled with purple plasma, his eyes slitted and focussed on the black-haired boy. Hiccup glared into his eyes for a long moment and Snotlout reluctantly clambered to his feet, rearranging his clothing. "Hold him, bud," he advised the dragon, unlocking the cell and allowing the dragon to slowly walk in, pushing the other teen back against the wall and resting his claws against the there boy's neck. Cautiously, Hiccup limped towards Astrid, who had curled up.
"Astrid?" he asked in a whisper. She was shaking, traumatised. "Astrid?" She slowly moved, and lifted her head, her blue eyes frightened. He dropped to his knees beside her. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "You shouldn't have come. You should have stayed with me."
"Hah! What could you give her, Useless, compared to what I have to offer?" Snotlout sneered. Hiccup stiffened and his eyes flashed with anger.
"You know, I hate that name," he said coldly. "I'm clearly not 'Useless' having done what you and this gods-damned village could never do. You aren't sorry at all, are you? You made my life Hel, you stole my birthright, you nearly killed me-and you don't feel one ounce of shame or regret for anything you've done." He turned his face back to the girl and inched his hand closer, palm up. "Come with me," he invited her.
"She's in jail on the Chief's orders!" Snotlout sneered.
"I think it's pretty clear what I think of the Chief's orders," Hiccup snapped, "especially in this. It's totally…" And then he stopped. Astrid had grasped his hand, her frightened blue eyes staring up into his.
"Thank you," she murmured and slowly began to uncoil, getting to her feet. He stumbled up and led her from the cell, still holding her hand and feeling her shaking. Her battered face was stained with tears and he felt utter shame that she was so abused because of him. He turned as Toothless backed out, leaving Snotlout inside. There was a definite feeling of satisfaction as Hiccup slammed the door and locked it. He tossed the keys on the ground.
"Bud," he said and the Night Fury blasted the keys to a puddle of melted metal. Astrid was still trembling and he cautiously helped her onto his back, then climbed on himself, feeling far more relieved as his prosthesis clipped into the pedal and the tail gently opened. "Hold on," he murmured and he felt her arms close round him, tightening. Her head rested on his shoulder and he felt reassured that she was with him. "Let's go," he murmured.
"HICCUP!"
Both the boy and the girl flinched at the bellow and Hiccup felt Astrid's arms tighten alarmingly round him. He swallowed and lifted his head to stare at his father, his face paling and heart accelerating with anxiety.
"Hey, Dad," he said in a soft voice. The Chief took a heavy step towards his son. Then he realised what had happened: his brother and the guard unconscious, his nephew and Heir locked in the cell, Astrid sitting at Hiccup's back.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Stoick roared. Hiccup stared back at him, his forest green eyes dark with fear.
"Righting a grave wrong," he said as Toothless began to growl. "I don't know what you are thinking, Dad, but Astrid doesn't deserve to be in jail. She certainly didn't deserve to be beaten-or for Snotlout to try to rape her. Do you think I'm gonna leave her here?"
"She is there on my orders!" Stoick snarled. Then he paused, trying to calm his voice. "Come home, son. We'll talk…"
"You'll talk-and ignore whatever I say, Dad," Hiccup told him quietly. "You'll lock me up and stop me flying and treat me like I am worthless. No-I want to speak to the village. You said you would organise a Thing. You've not done it so far. Do it. Sunset tomorrow and Astrid and I will speak with them."
"You're coming home with me now, son!" Stoick growled and stepped forward but Toothless fired up his plasma blast and the Chief eyed his son suddenly with anger in his face. "Is this how it is, boy? You threaten your Chief?"
"I will come back at sunset and we can talk with the whole village," Hiccup insisted. "Until then, I will stay where I feel safe."
"You're coming with me!" Stoick growled. "Or do you want to try to get through me?" Hiccup hauled Toothless's head up and the dragon fired, blasting a hole through to the cold, snowy sky. The boy stared at his father.
"Sunset tomorrow," he said. "And if I see any guards when or there is any attempt to block my exit, I'm gone and you will never see me again!" Then the Night Fury leapt up through the hole in the roof and with one flap of the wings, he was gone.
