Nine.

Toothless burst from his cage when Astrid walked into the the arena. He was howling and his eyes were suddenly bright, focussed. He wolfed a huge breakfast and half of Hookfang's and the Monstrous Nightmare stood back and let him. Snotlout frowned: his dragon was very protective of his food but the Night Fury was suddenly fired with purpose and none of the dragons would argue with him. Then he bounded into his cage and nudged his saddle towards Astrid. He wanted to go flying.

Even though Hiccup had made a real point of making sure that Astrid knew how to work Toothless's tail, she felt really apprehensive about climbing into the saddle and resting her foot on the control pedal. Toothless was Hiccup's: they were a pair, bonded more tightly than any other pair in the Academy. They had an almost unconscious understanding underpinned by a boundless well of love. Hiccup would do anything for his dragon and Astrid was pretty sure that the Night Fury would do the same. She grasped the front of the saddle and leaned forward as Toothless bunched his muscles. She pressed her heel down and the tail opened.

"OK, Toothless-let's do this!" she said as they arrowed up into the sky.

She almost felt breathless at the speed of climb: it was easy to forget how extreme the Night Fury's flight could be when Hiccup usually tempered his flights so effortlessly to match the capabilities of his friends. He was kind and generous, always ensuring that everyone was included. And he just loved flying. So did Toothless, which showed how desperately the dragon missed his friend to refuse to fly. So what had happened now to change that?

Just as suddenly, Toothless levelled out, his huge bat-like wings extending fully to caress the breeze and they soared above the cliffs and sea stacks. He was crooning and Astrid found herself smiling. Her first flight on the dragon had been terrifying as the dragon had taken enormous exception to her very rough treatment of Hiccup before she had uncovered the dragon. But ever since, the dragon had decided she was a friend of Hiccup and he had tolerated and greeted her. He took a couple of lazy flaps of his wings and then banked, arrowing out to sea in the direction Hiccup had been exiled. Astrid tugged on the saddle.

"Toothless, I know you want to find Hiccup," she told him gently, "but we can't go to Outcast Island. Not until we have some proof that he is innocent. Otherwise, he could be executed for returning."

The dragon gave a grumbling little growl, his wide green eyes fixed on the horizon. Then he growled fiercely, the sound vibrating through his entire body. Astrid peered over and her eyes widened.

A Berserker Armada was heading for Berk.

Rapidly, she counted thirty ships, all armed and laden with men. It wasn't Dagur's whole force but more than enough to cause serious trouble for the Hooligans. She pulled harder on the saddle.

"We have to get back to Berk!" she said urgently. "Toothless! We have to warn them. We have to get the riders ready and defences manned. Toothless! You know it's what Hiccup would want you to do!"

Toothless circled tightly above the lead ship and roared and roared, the sound filling the sky. Every eye suddenly jerked upwards and Astrid was alarmed as catapults trained on them. She wasn't as adept at handling Toothless in evasive manoeuvres: even Hiccup struggled sometimes to control the dodging dragon.

"Toothless! We have to go-NOW!" she shouted as the first missile whistled past them. Toothless gave one last, plaintive roar, then turned almost on a wingtip and accelerated furiously back towards the jagged silhouette of Berk.

oOo

Hiccup curled up tighter, a small huddle of battered, burnt and bruised flesh shuddering with pained sobs. His arms were wrapped around his legs and his face was buried in his knees. His shoulders were jerking with his misery. They had taken everything from him: his tribe, his freedom, even... He shuddered and tears slid down his battered face.

Dagur had raped him.

He had known in his heart that the point of Truth or Forfeit was to 'allow' Dagur to have sex with Hiccup: the only question was whether it was to be in private or in front of the entire ship's company. It was never going to be consensual. At least Dagur had chosen the private route-so far. His small cabin had been well-equipped to provide Dagur with all the toys and implements he needed to tame the boy and turn him into a personal slave, his slut. And by Thor, he had been determined to break Hiccup.

He buried his face further in to his knees. Dagur had plainly been sexually attracted to Hiccup for years-one of the reasons why Hiccup had always felt so uncomfortable with the Berserker. He had always feared the man would jump him. Finally he had. All the ridiculous business about howling together and calling him brother had just sent every alarm bell ringing. He was astonished the Berserker had lasted as long as he had before finally doing the deed.

He winced and felt a deep groan of misery well in his throat. Dagur had a raging libido and was profoundly sadistic: neither quality had granted Hiccup any hope of mercy. He squeezed his eyes tighter shut. Once he had dispensed with the game, he had mounted the struggling Hiccup brutally and efficiently, forcing himself violently into the smaller boy. Hiccup had tried to swallow his screams but he was painfully aware he had miserably failed and that everyone on the ship had known as it had gone down.

Hiccup had chewed his lips bloody, his jaw ached from clenching it against the abuse and his palms were scored by his nails as he had endured the savage rape. Dagur had compounded his injuries and gleefully added to them during the marathon session they had just ended. He curled up tighter. He was trying to ignore the myriad of protests from his abused body but Dagur's threats had started to get to him and he could still hear the words, rolling around in his memory. The one worrying him most was the last one Dagur had sneered at him as he had ruthlessly taken the boy for the third time. The deranged Berserker had hinted that he was going to treat his men to a public show-though the boy was fervently praying that meant Dagur alone and not a free-for-all. But it had been agonising and nauseating and hateful and utterly demeaning. Hiccup already knew his father would disown him for being raped, even if his innocence was proven, because no true Viking would allow himself to be used like a woman. And his weak and scrawny son was already three-quarters the way to being considered too unViking-like to tolerate. Being raped would finish him off. Astrid would never look at him, except with pity and disgust. No woman would ever want him. Even if he wasn't a slave, bound as a servant to Dagur.

And then he stiffened. He could hear the roar of the Night Fury. He raised his bruised, tear-soaked face and scrambled urgently to his feet, ignoring the pain every movement caused. His legs almost buckled and the while lower half of his body felt like a thousand knives were stabbing him. He swallowed and forced his legs straight by sheer force of will. He was naked and wounded but he ran on his wobbly legs to the door of the cabin, dashing on his hands and feet up the steep ladder and making the deck as he saw a catapult fire. He was breathing so hard it almost hurt as he stumbled forward on the pitching deck. He stared up desperately and saw a sight that had his heart beating so hard he thought it would burst through his chest.

The black shape of Toothless was arrowing back towards distant Berk at full speed, dodging catapult stones and arrows.

"TOOTHLESS!" he shouted. "TOOTHLESS!"

But the dragon sped away, vanishing into the misty air and Hiccup stared after his dragon, breathing hard and trying not to cry. The misery that his friend hadn't heard him, hadn't swooped down to rescue him was tempered with the relief from a fear he hadn't even realised he was carrying: Toothless was alive. Alive! And then it registered. Despite his decision, his actions, his sacrifice, they were still heading for Berk.

Abruptly, he realised he was naked and shivering on the deck. He swallowed hard and a rough hand grabbed his arm. He was jerked around to face Savage and reality crashed around him once more. He cringed but the Outcast grabbed his hair as well and forced the boy to stiffen in pain.

"Dagur hasn't finished with you yet, boy," he leered. Hiccup faced him, his legs buckling.

"Why are we still heading for Berk?" he asked directly. "I gave you a new course." Savage tugged his hair harder.

"I don't think he's sure you're telling the truth," he said cruelly, hauling the boy back down the steps. Hiccup stumbled and almost fell, held up only by the vicious grasp on his arm. He could feel more bruises forming as the man all but dragged him back. "He wants to ask you more questions to find out." He was laughing cruelly. "Truth or Forfeit, remember? I really want to see what forfeit he forces you to do next!"

Hiccup took a shuddering breath. He was cringing inwardly and his stomach was fluttering with anxiety. He was scared as well because Dagur was merciless. And he was utterly at his mercy. But seeing Toothless gave him the tiniest shred of hope and that reignited his determination.

I am not a traitor.

"If he attacks Berk, he'll never get that Skrill," Hiccup said with quiet determination. "Ask him if he thinks that's the truth?" Savage pulled his his head back and inspected the suddenly determined face.

"I'll tell him," he said, "but whether he'll believe you is another matter. He prefers actions to words." Hiccup breathed harder.

"Turn north," he said firmly. "Do it now!" Savage leaned closer to the boy.

"You don't order me, boy," he hissed. "You've already lost me a bet to Mildew: don't make me remember that you are also an Outcast." He wrenched the boy forward and back into the cabin. Hiccup slammed to his knees as Dagur walked over to stare down at him. Hiccup stared determinedly at the deck, beginning to tremble again.

"I think we have unfinished business," he said.