Chapter Warning: Abuse and torture - blood.

"In war, a soldier see's only the beauty in the blood of his enemies. The rest of him is lost, sometimes never to return." They would take their captive, and beat her senseless, whip her, and cut her till her blood ran like a river, then tend to her and esnure she survived, only to repeat it all again. All the while she stiffled her cries and never relented to the promise of freedom for a few words and answered questions.

~Valkyrie's POV~

The rattling of my chains was finally starting to catch unwanted attention as I continued to struggle my way out of them. I was very skinny, surely I could've just slipped my wrists out by now, but it seems they weren't having any of it. I had been trying for atleast an hour to get even one wrist out, or an ankle, anything to give me a chance that I could get them off. I don't know what my plan is after that, but I'll cross that bridge if I even get past this one.

One of the guards had came down to the lower deck, sitting on a chair facing me with an amused smirk watching me struggle. "You're wasting your energy girl."

I stopped and glared at him, doing my best to mask the overwhelming fear and put a facade of confidence and defiance up. If my mouth wasn't gagged I probably would've even made a snide comment, or attempted to.. i haven't exactly had much practice dealing with kidnappers.

"Stop trying to look tough little one.. It don't suit a girl as young as you." He commented calmly, rolling his eyes as he did so. I continued to glare at him. I might be young but even dad said that I am alot more mature than I should be. Heck Mom said I'm more mature than Snotlout or those Twins. I'm not sure if that really is a compliment though.. They don't seem very grown up anyway. He raised an eyebrow in mild interest, and even reached forwards to grab and pull down my gag. "Don't scream and I'll let you talk, and breathe."

I didn't do anything in response, except take a deep breath once he did remove the gag.. Oh, and bite his finger. "Oww, you little rat." The sharp sound of a slap echoed, my head jolted to the right by the force and tears stinging my eyes.

"Don't touch me."

"Seems someones too brave for her own good." A second voice commented from behind the first man. He was brandishing some form of rope, one in each hand. The first man grabbed one of the ropes from the second, holding it for a few seconds before..

"AHHHHH!" The rope caught me straight in the stomach, knocking a scream right out of me and breaking the dam that held back my tears. "OWWWW!" Another strike to my side, tearing away slightly at my tunic and skin underneath. "AHHH!" A third hit into my thigh, then followed by a fourth into my face, barely missing my right eye.

Strike after strike struck my body, clothes and skin torn away at each contact for the hours I was beaten. Long since had not just my tears but my very screams been exhausted by the time they finally stopped. Cuts littered all over my body and face, clothes and skin stained with blood. My eyes felt heavy and my body, weak, but my will..

I don't know how but I hadn't already caved, and that scared me most. "That... the best.. you can do?" I was screaming in my head all sorts of curses at myself for even talking. I was too cocky for my own good.

"Ohhh, girl trust me.. I can do alot worse than a few cuts." Growled the second one. "How about I give you an example?" He grabbed the rope and walked closer to me, then grabbed my head before wrapping the rope around my neck.. It began to tighten, I felt the air begin to leave and my world start to spin. Choked gasps as everything became dizzy and blurry, and the pressure became tighter.

Sound was muffled, my limbs growing tired and weak, movements becoming sloppy as I struggled, clawed for breath. Soon, the pressure was released, and I desperately gasped for air. "What the hell are you doing? Trying to kill our coin? You have any idea how much she could be worth? She flew with the Nightfury."

"This? Please, this rat aint worth much more than dragon food or target practice. She'll be dead before weeks end."

"Maybe so, I'd still rather find out how much someone's willing to pay for her. She's young, impressionable.. Easy turn her into something she's not. Killer, hunter, assassin." The second guard scoffed, grabbing the rope from the first and making his way back upstairs.

The first kneeled down infront of my broken form, forcing me to meet his gaze. "Who are you? Girl? Why were you flying the Nightfury.. Not the Berk chief."

"I... I'll..." I couldn't clearly speak, opening my mouth pained my throat beyond measure, the pressure from the rope still felt wrapped around my neck, choking my air from me. "...Never...say."

"Well you see... That's bad news for you. Cause we really wanna know.. And when we really wanna know something, we're willing to do anything to figure it out.." I forced myself to meet his gaze. "But, this can be so much easier for you.. Just say, and then we won't hurt you anymore, and that, is a promise."

~...~

"She still hasn't said anything.."

"Keep going.. Make her talk."

A sharp sensation ran through my back, and I broke out in another cry of pain. Three days so far... My will was faltering.. Dad where are you? Another strike and tears started flowing, screams of pain echoing.

"Just goddamn talk girl!"

" !" The sharp sensation again ran throughout my body, a strike to the centre of my collarbone. My hands were still chained together, though I had been dragged away from the wall to finally have my back exposed to recieve the same punishment as my front. Skin cracked and came away under the frequent strikes, and blood dripped all across the wooden planks. My vision was starting to go blurry, darkness forming around the edges as my eyes grew weak. Any second now I'd collapse..

"Thats enough.." A voice suddenly boomed. "Tend to her wounds, I don't want our only leverage and money to die on us." It had been like this, beaten to the point of unconsciousness then treated, my more major wounds covered and tended to. I didn't understand why. My vision was growing worse by the second, and so too was my hearing. Everything was muffled and blurred.

I don't know what happened inbetween my passing out and waking back up, but the sunlight had gone. My cuts had been idly covered, just enough to stem the bleeding so that they could heal themselves up, and I had been left a miniscule supply of food and water, with one hand finally free of its cuffs.

The first time, I had managed to free myself when they left me like this.. Now they would chain even my free hand to the floor. In a way it wasn't so free I guess. One was chained right up against the wall and the other given just enough freedom to reach the food and up to my hair.

I ate and drank the little they had left me with great reluctance, and then braced myself incase I was to be beaten again. The guy, whom I was assuming captained the ship and crew, made his way over to me. I glared at him and he remained unbothered. He simply kneeled infront of me, grabbing my chin and tilting my head from side to side.

"It's a shame you won't listen.. I never like having to beat a pretty little thing like you. It can all stop now young one... Just tell me what I want to know, and we'll take you back home."

I didn't speak a word.

"You're gonna break either way.. Spare yourself the trauma and pain and tell me... Fine.. I hope your good at holding your breath." He left without another word, leaving me alone to my thoughts and fears. He wasn't gone for long though, he returned only a few minutes later carrying a bucket, filled with water. I eyed both him and the bucket confused as he set it down infront of me.

"Talk... Very well." He grabbed my hair, forcing my head under the water surface. I struggled and cried out in panic, having not been prepared. He held me under for a few seconds before dragging me out. I choked on the air and gasped desperately for it, only to be denied a chance and forced back under the waters surface.

Again I struggled, crying out in desperation, panic. I felt myself growing weak, the lack of air quickly taking its fatal flow over me before I was once again dragged out to breathe. "Just tell me and it stops." Admist my panicky breaths to refill my air, he again forced me under the water, causing some of it to flood into my mouth and start a choking fit while still sudmerged... I couldn't think anymore, my world was going black and my limbs had grown so exhausted my struggling had almost ceased.. Now, my body was succumbing to the lull of death...