I will get this thing done... eventually...

When she wakes, she is alone.

She lies on the straw-covered ground of her old cell, unbound but still wearing this weird harness. Her entire body hurts, inside and outside, and countless scratches and bruises are forming on her skin. Her mind is drifting in and out, sometimes staring at the wall, sometimes at the ceiling. Many hours pass, the light outside changing. At some point, someone must have brought her food and water, because suddenly there's a bowl in her cell. Only slowly does she manage to crawl toward it but once she's reached it, she doesn't hold back. She doesn't care whether the food might be drugged or poisoned, she's too hungry for that.

Without giving anything a second thought, she shovels the food, moldy bread and some mushy vegetables, into her mouth and swallows it all with a few gulps of the stale water. It tastes horrible, but at the same time like the most delicious dish she's ever had.

"Not so hasty or you'll get sick."

Astrid hasn't noticed how Geir approached her cell, but suddenly he stands right in front of her, inside her cell even. A low voice in the back of her head screams at her and tells her to get up, to fight him. But it is too weak to make an impression. Astrid doesn't have the strength to fight Geir, not now. He's already proven that he can easily beat her, and at that point, she's been in a better state than now. Now, everything just hurts.

"What, no word of defiance? I'm a little disappointed." He laughs and crouches down in front of her. "No, not really. I had expected more of a fight, but you're right. Better save your strength for later. You'll need it."

Astrid does little more than stare at him with flickers of hatred in her tired eyes. She doesn't want to talk to him and only wants him to do whatever he came for. She doesn't need to wait long.

When he rapes her again, there seems to be no end. Just like the first time when he had her against the bars of the cell, he doesn't tire and just keeps pounding her ass over and over. The pain is almost bearable, in a way. He makes her crouch on hands and knees on the dirty stone floor and that alone hurts after a short while. But her ass is so loose that she doesn't feel much when he stretches her open. Only the torn flesh inside and outside burns and the bruises throb with persistence.

"Fuck, I'd really like to keep you," he groans right after he shot his third or fourth load up her ass. He rubs her back in an almost loving gesture, one hand always on her hip to keep her in place. He's already swelling insider her again and Astrid whines a little at the sensation. Will he've ever had enough? Not in the near future, apparently. "Just imagine it, you chained to my bed, waiting all day until I come to you. You'd be freezing but I'd warm you up from the inside. And you'd be starving, but I'd feed you my cock until you belly swells. Gods you'd have my child in no time at all." He thrusts harder and roars when he comes again, undoubtedly spurred on by his own words.

Astrid only whimpers. By now, her arms gave way beneath her and she sacked down on the cold floor, knees, chest, and face scraping over the rough stone with every single one of his hard thrusts. Her face is wet with tears, for the hopelessness of her situation and for the horrid image he just painted for her future. The only solace it that the way he spoke indicates that this is not what awaits her. Astrid clings to that, to the hope that, eventually, she will get away from Geir.

In the end, that happened faster than she's thought. Geir is still fucking her ass, grunting and sweaty, when someone else comes in.

"Captain Geir," the young man gasps.

"What?" Geir growls, shoving in harder. It means he's close again Astrid knows by now and mentally prepares for the disgusting sensation of him pumping more of his seeds into her.

"The, ah, other one woke up. We're to bring her to the plaza."

Snarling in annoyance, Geir suddenly pulls out of her. Confused, Astrid makes weak attempts to turn her head and get a look at the two men. Is he finally done? But before Astrid can comprehend anything, warm sticky liquid hits her back and her shoulders. Some of it lands in her hair and a few droplets even on her face. She doesn't care. Not anymore.

"Bearable timing," Geir grumbles. "I was nearly through anyway. Best save the rest for the show to come." The men exchange raucous laughter, then Astrid gets hurled up on shaky feet. It takes a few attempts before she can stand. The men greatly enjoy her slumping against them or her weak cry when she hits the floor, but eventually, she's able to hold herself up.

"Time to say goodbye, whore. I'm sure to miss you. But then, what's coming next is definitely worth to watch so know that I won't be too sad." Geir laughs, then tugs her along. Outside, a group of Geir's men joins them as they walk between the buildings. They make derisive comments about how different she looks and behaves compared to two days back, and about how much they enjoyed the time with her. She is glad that it's over now but fears what's to come next.

But at first, things start to look better. When they walk around another corner, Astrid spots another group ahead of them, also guards with a prisoner it seems. And she recognizes him instantly.

"Hiccup!" she cries, unable to hold herself back. He's here. He's alive. Now, everything will be good. Hiccup is always able to fix things. She just has to reach him and together-

Astrid doesn't think and just runs toward him. She has to get to him. Hiccup is safety.

But she never reaches him.

She cries out in pain when Geir pulls on the chain at her collar. With a low thud, her back hits the hard ground and drives all air from her lungs.

From there on, she doesn't notice much. She remembers Hiccup's horrified eyes on her, sees the rage in them as he talks to a strange woman who's holding Astrid by her arm. When did that happen? It doesn't matter.

Nothing matters anymore. For a short moment, she had hope. The hope that Hiccup would save her. But he's obviously just as much a prisoner as she is, bound and naked, and unable to do anything.

Mutely, she trots on as Geir keeps pulling at her chain, her mind too dazed to pay attention to her surroundings. Only when there are hands on her again does she focus again. She doesn't want them to touch her, already had enough of them. But she can't fight as they once more bind her into the wooden frame with the ropes.

So the raping continues, she muses, weirdly detached. It barely matters anymore. After the last two days as their plaything, there's not much they can still do to her, right?

Weakly, she lifts her head to see whether Geir also brings the metal circle for her mouth - when she sees something even more horrible.

They aren't going to simply rape her again.

They are going to make Hiccup watch.

(End of flashback)

So, I know I've been quite quiet lately. But I'd still appreciate small comments from the hundreds of people who read this ;)