"We're born alone, we live alone, we die alone. Only through our love and friendship can we create the illusion for the moment that we're not alone." — Orson Wells

Chapter 15

I ignored Astrid's pestering questions. It had been a long day, and I was not ready to talk about it. Even I did not understand everything yet. I needed time to digest all that happened. So, the next morning, I took a long walk with Bolt to think everything over.

Ever since Harald showed up, my life had become totally unpredictable. Somehow, I was slowly becoming used to it. I enjoyed it, even. Now my biggest fear was that it would have to eventually end. I remembered what Harald had asked Hiccup. Had he actually meant it? I could never go with him, of course, but the thought that he wanted me with him warmed my heart.

I had not figured out much of anything by the time I returned to camp. I spotted Harald at once, and we locked eyes. Why did I suddenly feel so nervous? Bolt nudged me forward with his snout, nearly causing me to stumble. Harald noticed and watched in amusement.

"Silly dragon," I said, shooting him a look.

"I think he likes teasing you too," Harald said.

I rolled my eyes. "Lucky me."

"Anyway, do you know what's wrong with your friend Snotlout? He sounds a bit... nutters. He kept rambling on about 'he's sick' and 'poor armor.' It sounds like he might have an obsession, mate."

I cocked my head to the side. "What's wrong with him? Where do I start? I think he was dropped on his head as a baby - and knowing his father, that's highly likely. He's always coming to me with his crazy concerns, like there is a sea monster in the ocean (it was narwhals) or the sky is on fire (it was the Northern Lights)."

Harald laughed. "Mental health aside, he asked me to tell you in confidence to meet him at Armorwing Island. It sounds like a bit of fun! I'll follow behind you in my ship, if you don't mind. I could do with a bit of laugh!"

"Sounds good to me."

I climbed onto Bolt and took off while Harald set sail on his ship. I kept a steady pace so he could keep up with me. We arrived at Armorwing Island at the same time and found Snotlout on the shore.

"Hey Brennda, Harald," Snotlout said. "What are you doing here?"

"You say that like you didn't ask us to meet you here," I said.

Snotlout frowned. "Well, since you are here, I can use your help. There's a big problem!"

"Tell us what you need, mate," said Harald.

Snotlout opened his mouth to speak, but then a curious look crossed his face as he looked at me. "Hey, where did you get that flower?"

I realized he must have been talking about the hairpin. I cast an uneasy look at Harald. "Well, um, we went to this festival last night-"

"And it's a symbol of-"

Eyes wide, immediately turned on Harald and placed my hands over his mouth to prevent him from speaking. "Don't you dare finish that! You've caused enough trouble." I waited a moment and then cautiously lowered my hands.

"But it's only the truth, love," he said.

Wincing, I turned back to Snotlout. "You said you needed help?"

Snotlout watched us in amusement. "You know, I like you, Harald. No one else can break Brennda's calm and collected attitude like you can."

I glared at him. "Thanks, Snotlout."

"See? That right there. It took me ages to see her fierce side."

Harald laughed. "I do my best."

I rolled my eyes. "Did you want my help or not, Snotlout?"

Snotlout's smile faded, and his worried look returned. "Yes, follow me." He led us a little ways inland and stopped in front of a dragon lying in the sand. "I've been keeping an eye on this Armorwing ever since he nearly destroyed a family heirloom and wrecked my relationship with my father. He was doing well, but something is wrong. I think he might be sick!"

I had to smile at this. "Aww... You're concerned about your little friend. That's so sweet. I knew you were a big softie at heart."

"You better not tell anyone," he muttered. "Normally, this attracts metal pieces onto his body and melts them together. He's not attracting enough metal right now, so there are holes in his armor. He has really weak skin, so he's in danger!"

"That is a problem," Harald said. "We can't let the poor dragon run around defenseless."

Snotlout nodded. "The Armorwing can't seem to pull those silver ore pieces to himself. Do you think there's a scientific reason why these silver ores don't work?"

"I don't know," I said. "But I know someone who will."

"Heather! Exactly! We can grab some samples of different kinds of metals and take them to Heather to test in the lab."

"Sounds like a fine idea, mate," Harald said.

So, the three of us split up to collect a variety of ores. I found some iron ore, Snotlout collected silver ore, and Harald gathered gold ore. Since I had the fastest dragon, I offered to fly to the school and meet up with Heather. I was a little leery about leaving Harald and Snotlout together, but I had more pressing matters to attend to.

I met Heather at the lab, and she was eager to help. She said it sounded like the Armorwing used magnetism to attract ores to his body. So, we just had to find the most magnetic materials. We tested it out in the lab. It turned out iron ore was the winner. I thanked Heather and flew back to Armorwing Island as fast as Bolt could flap his wings.

Snotlout appeared impressed with my results. "Wow, this magnetism thing is crazy!" he said. "It's like a super power, and my Armorwing has it."

I smirked. "Yeah, your Armorwing."

Snotlout stared at the ores we had gathered. "So these silver rocks aren't magnetic, but the iron rocks are. We need to figure out a way to lead the Armorwing to the iron. Hmm..."

"If I may make a suggestion, mate," Harald said. "How about setting a trail of iron ore that the Armorwing can follow? We could lead the thing to a place with tons of iron. It would be like setting 'magnetic breadcrumbs.'"

I grinned at him. "That's brilliant!"

"Of course it is. It was my idea."

I rolled my eyes. "Okay, now I see why you and Snotlout get along."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Snotlout said indignantly.

Meanwhile, Harald did not seem bothered in the least. "You know the way, Brennda. I figure you should be able to make the trail with four iron ores."

I nodded. "Right." I flew off back to the place where I found the iron ore. I gathered four pieces and dropped them off on the way back to the Armorwing.

The dragon slowly stood up. He sniffed the iron and then picked it up, melding it to his skin. Then he sauntered to the next piece.

"Yes, it worked!" Snotlout exclaimed. "The Armorwing should be armored up in no time. I did something awesome! I need to go and rub it in Hiccup's face... but I want to stay here and make sure he's getting better."

I smirked. "See? Softie."

"Well, the victorious vikings should return to Dragon's Edge and reap the spoils of their actions!" Harald said. "I will meet you back there shortly, Brennda. I would like to find out more about this odd little magnetic creature. Please go back and tell your leader about what happened."

"Alright," I said. "See you later, Harald. And thanks for your help."

"My Armorwing appreciates it," said Snotlout.

"Anytime, friends," said Harald.

Another job well done!

I spent the morning walking with Bolt once again. It was oddly relaxing even if it did not solve all my problems. When I got back to camp, I saw Hiccup returning from his patrol. "Hey, how's it going?" I greeted him.

Hiccup smiled at me. "Great. No trouble to report. I was just noticing that Dragon's Edge version two is looking to be a lot better than the first go around. We have a lot of defenses that we didn't have when we first arrived here. The dragon hunters will be really surprised next time they come here! It's thanks to your hard work, Brennda."

I shook my head. "Thanks, but it's not just me. Everyone has been helping out."

"But I appreciate you sticking around to help out." He paused. "I just ran into Skulder, and he mentioned that he could use the help of an expert dragon trainer to solve a peculiar dragon problem. You definitely can be called an expert dragon trainer now. He's at Mudraker Island."

I smiled. "A dragon problem, huh? I'm on it!" I had not seen Skulder in awhile, so it would be good to catch up.

"Before you go, will you talk to Harald? He's made some great progress with understanding dragons, and maybe he'd want to go too."

"Sure thing." I told Bolt to wait for me outside while I searched for my friend. I found him inside the clubhouse, reading something while Leopold peered over his shoulder. "Hey, Harald."

He looked up at me and smiled. "Hello, Brennda. Fine morning, isn't it?"

"Yes, very. Hiccup just told me some interesting news. Remember how I told you about my friend, Skulder the archaeologist? Well, I think he's trying to train a dragon, and he wants my help. I thought you might like to join me."

Something flashed in his eyes, but it was gone too quickly for me to identify it. "Ah! That's a tempting offer, mate, but I'll have to pass. I've been reading the Book of Dragons." He held up the book in his hands to show me. "It's a fascinating tome, if I may say so. Besides, I actually have met Skulder. I did not want to say anything before because he is a... strange man. He doesn't like me much, though I wouldn't be able to tell you why. I ran into him once and he accused me of trying to hurt him, for no reason!"

Something about his explanation made me uneasy. I immediately pushed away my doubts, assuming I was just being paranoid. I trusted Harald, right? I had to stop finding suspicion in everything. "Oh, that's too bad. I suppose Skulder is a bit eccentric." I paused. "I'm sure it's just a misunderstanding. I could talk to him for you if you want."

That look returned briefly to his eyes. This time, I recognized it as fear. But that made no sense.

"No, you best not," Harald said before I could ponder further. "I do not want you to get into the middle of this. Please don't mention me to him at all. He's such an unpredictable man, and I would hate to see him act irrationally if he knew I were here."

I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. That did not sound like the Skulder I knew. Then again, I had not interacted him with others too much. Perhaps he had a side to him I did not know. Besides, I should not meddle in other people's affairs. "Okay, if you're sure."

Harald smiled at me, seeming relieved. "Thank you, Brennda. I appreciate it. I suppose you'll be off to meet him now? On your way, then! I'll be safe and warm here at Dragon's Edge, curled up by the fire with the Book of Dragons."

"Alright, I'll see you later." I gave him one last long look before exiting the clubhouse. There had to be a story between him and Skulder. I wanted to probe him further, but I could not keep the archaeologist waiting. There would be time to talk later.

Bolt and I soon arrived on Mudraker Island. I found Skulder waiting for me on the shore. I dismounted and greeted him with a smile. "Hello, Skulder!"

"Brennda!" Skulder exclaimed. "You'll be helping me out with this dragon problem? How wonderful, how wonderful! After our little adventures at Icestorm Island and with the Death Song, I'm sure you'll be able to sort out this misunderstanding."

I smiled. "I'll do my best. What's going on?"

"As you know, I've been wary of dragons in the past. It's hard to forget years of dragon attacks and childhood memories of how afraid I was. But my adventures with you at my side have convinced me that I really need to get with the times and train my own dragon!"

I grinned at him. "That's amazing! I'm proud of you, Skulder."

He nodded. "Thank you. I started excavating this island for Viking relics when I noticed a little dragon friend watching me whenever I used my pickaxe. I want to train him, but he always runs away! Maybe you can help me out. Please, let me lead you to my campsite."

"Sure. I can't wait to meet him." I followed him on foot through the heart of the island. We stopped when we came to a campsite next to a muddy swamp.

"Oh! Be very quiet, Brennda," Skulder said. "There's the adorable little fellow!"

I smiled at his terminology. He certainly had come a long way if he found a dragon adorable, not that I disagreed. I followed his gaze to the swamp where a purple dragon poked out its head. "Aw, he is pretty cute."

Skulder smiled. "I think that he is a 'Mudraker.' The name certainly suits him. He almost never comes out of the mud. In fact, this is the most I've seen of him so far. He's usually much more secretive. He has his back to us... do you think you could get close to him, touch him and calm him down so I can train him?"

I examined the dragon, who did not appear to notice us. "I don't know much about Mudrakers, but I'll give it a go." I slowly approached the dragon, but when I got too close, he suddenly sunk into the pond.

"How did he know you were there?" Skulder said in astonishment. "He wasn't even looking at us, and you were barely making any noise! That doesn't make sense to me!"

I frowned. "I'm sure there's a logical explanation. Like I said, I don't know much about Mudrakers... but I know someone who might. Let me go and grab Fishlegs."

Skulder nodded. "Alright. I'll be waiting for you right here."

Luckily, I found Fishlegs unocuppied on Dragon's Edge. He listened intently as I explained the situation to him.

"Hmm... The Mudraker hid when you drew close, even when it couldn't see you?" he said. "That's really interesting! Let me think back on the Book of Dragons' notes on that particular dragon... Ah hah! I got it!"

I grinned. "I knew I could count on you."

"The Mudraker has special sense receptors to react to vibrations! You see, different animals and dragons have evolved to react to unique senses to help them survive. The Mudraker can escape stealthy predators because of his ability to react to vibrations. Over countless generations, the Mudraker developed unique adaptations to survive in his environment, just like the Snow Wraith and the Armorwing! Your movement caused vibrations in the mud, which allowed him to sense that you were coming close."

"Oh, that makes sense. Thanks for the information!"

Fishlegs smiled. "I'd love to see this happen with my own eyes. Who knows, maybe I'll even be able to update the Book of Dragons with some new information!"

"Well, you're welcome to come along."

He nodded. "I'll meet you and the Archaeologist at the dig site!"

I arrived back on the island first, of course. I explained what Fishlegs had said to Skulder, and then we waited until we saw Fishlegs and Metalug land in front of us.

"Fishlegs!" Skulder said. "Brennda and I might need some additional back up on this little gathering. We can't figure this dragon out. Do you have a clue on how to get him out into the clearing?"

"The Mudraker can sense vibrations, right?" Fishlegs said. "It must have really connected with a sound you made. That's what made him come and see what you were doing. My hypothesis is that you made a sound at your dig site, and its vibrations alerted the Mudraker to come closer."

"That makes sense," I said.

"Let's test that hypothesis. There must be a noise that your clothes make when you move, Skulder. Can you make your clothes rustle?"

"Certainly," Skulder said. He rustled his clothes, and the Mudraker poked his head of the water. "It's working!" He turned to me. "Certain sounds will draw the Mudraker closer? Maybe the sound of Bolt's fireball will also work. After all, it's a very familiar sound to dragons. Can you tell your dragon to shoot the rock?"

I figured I had nothing to lose. However, after Bolt shot at a rock, the Mudraker retreated back into the water.

Fishlegs frowned. "The Mudraker really didn't like that noise. I bet it reminds him of predators that he might have faced in the past. He probably has some very nasty memories of that sound!"

"Can you think of anything else?" I asked Skulder.

The archaeologist appeared thoughtful. "When I excavate relics, I dig at the ground with my pickaxe. Maybe that sound was what drew him to me. I do not have it with me at the moment... Brennda can you strike that rock with your axe?"

"Sure thing." I strolled over to the rock and then withdrew my axe and swung it down hard. A lout, high pitched sound filled the campsite. Suddenly, the Mudraker shot out of the water and flew right up to Skulder.

The archaeologist appeared startled, and he gave the Mudraker a tentative smile. "You did it! Um. He looks very... big, standing next to me. I hope that I can train him."

I smiled. "I'm sure you'll do just fine."

"Well, thank you, Fishlegs and Brennda. I'll be able to do this, with your help!"

"No problem," Fishlegs said. "We'll be here when you need us."

"We'll see you later, alright?" I said.

Skulder nodded. "Yes. Later, my friend."

Fishlegs and I departed on our dragons. This time, I decided to hang back with him. "You've really done a great job teaching Skulder about dragons," Fishlegs said. "He's come such a long way!"

"I know," I said. "He just needed some positive interactions to overcome the negative ones." And I certainly had done my best to give him that. That's when I remembered Harald. A small part of me wanted to return and ask Skulder about him, but I decided against it. I already told Harald I wouldn't say anything, and I did not want to betray his trust.

Upon arriving back on the Edge, I entered the clubhouse and found Harald in the same chair I had left him. "Hey," I said, giving him a weak smile.

Harald looked up with a polite smile. "Welcome back, Brennda. Everything went well, I assume?"

"Yes. This Mudraker has been watching Skulder work, and Fishlegs and I figured out how to get him close enough so he can train him."

"Wonderful. I knew you could do it. Is that all?"

"Y-Yes." Something bothered me about the way he looked at me. He definitely had his guard up, and I hated it. I wished he could just confide in me. He was the one who could not stop bugging me at first, and now that I wanted to get close to him... "I didn't mention you, if that's what you're worried about."

"Good." His eyes flickered to his book.

I bit back my frustration. What was wrong with him? Clearly, he did not want to talk, and I had the feeling pushing him would not help. I needed to try a different approach. Maybe the same one he had used on me. "Hey, Harald? I've been thinking... That adventure we went on the other day was really fun, and I thought I might take you on one."

Harald looked at me in curiosity, his mask temporarily slipping. "I'm listening."

"There's this really cool island I thought I could show you. It's pretty far up north, so Bolt can take us. We can go tomorrow if you're up for it."

Relief filled me when he gave me a genuine smile. "I'm always up for adventure, Brennda."

I smiled back at him. "I thought you would say that."

I concluded it was only the topic of Skulder that had him acting funny. While I still wanted to know the details, I could wait until a later date to bring it up again. For now, there were better ways to get to know him.

A/N: I'm going to go ahead and turn this story into four parts. I'll update the title and description to reflect this after I post the next chapter.