"Learning how to smile again
Free to show my heart
Knowing I can face the things
That used to seem too hard

I look inside your eyes and see
A different part of me
What I didn't know I want in life
You're everything I need

So many things I've been missing
Not watching but, that was all in the past"

- "Feels Like Home" by Melissa Etheridge and Josh Kelley

Chapter 16

"This is Icestorm Island!" I declared. Bolt flew to the ice-covered island with Harald and me on his back. Leopold flew beside him.

"It looks... frozen," Harald said skeptically. "Is there a reason you asked me to bring lighter clothes under my winter gear?"

I looked back at him and grinned. "You'll see." I had Bolt land at the campsite. I could not see anyone around, and I assumed it was because the excitement surrounding the island had died off after the Berserker attack. Still, there might be a few students in the dorms.

"You said this is an extension of your school?" Harald said as he dismounted. Leopold landed in the snow and started sniffing around.

"That's right," I said. "I doubt anyone will bother us, though. Let me give you the grand tour."

I started with the campsite, purposefully leaving the ice caves for later. Then we took off on Bolt again so I could show him the entire island. On the way back around, I decided to stop at Mildew's hut. I had not seem in ages, and I felt guilty about never checking to see how he made out after the Berserker attack.

"Brennda!" Mildew said in surprise. He stood outside his home beside his sheep, Fungus. "You came back. But did you have to bring the lizard with you?"

"I couldn't have gotten here without him," I said, patting Bolt's snout.

"He is quite useful," Harald added.

Mildew frowned. "Not you too." His eyes flickered to Leopold as he landed on Harald's shoulder. "At least you only have a little one with you."

"My name is Harald Forkbeard, and this is Leopold."

"Forkbeard? Why does that name sound familiar?" He squinted his eyes at him.

"Perhaps you have heard of one of my grand adventures."

"Perhaps..."

"Anyway, Mildew," I said, "I just wanted to stop by to see how you're doing."

"I'm doing just fine," said Mildew. "If that's all, you can leave me in peace."

Same old Mildew. "Alright. Have a nice day."

"Pleasant fellow," Harald said once we were in the air.

"He's a handful," I said.

"Now I see what Hiccup meant when he said you're polite to those you don't like."

"Yeah, he figured me out." We landed back at the campsite. Now I turned to the ice caves. "There's one last place I want to show you. But be warned: it's very cold inside."

Harald raised his eyebrow. "Are you trying to freeze me to death?"

I smirked. "It'll be worth it. Just trust me."

He shook his head and followed me into the ice caves. Almost immediately, an adult Groncicle bounded up to us.

"Hey, Glacier!" I said. I reached out my hand to rub his head. I turned to Harald with a smile. "This guy is the reason I discovered Icestorm Island. I met him just after he hatched from an egg! He visits the school often to see me."

"Well, he seems like a friendly fellow," Harald said. "Is he as cold as he looks?"

"Why don't you find out yourself?"

Harald appeared uncertain at first, but then slipped off his glove and slowly brought his hand to the Groncicle. Glacier lowered his head, allowing Harald to rub his neck.

I smiled at the sight. "See? He likes you."

"Yes, very nice." He withdrew his hand. "Is this all you wanted to show me?"

I shook my head. "No, there's more. Let's make one more detour first." I led the way through the tunnels and right to the excavation site. "This is the ancient city Skulder and I discovered awhile back."

Harald looked around in mild interest. I was unsure if this was his thing, but I wanted to share it with him anyway. I brought him around and showed him all the aspects of the city. He seemed especially interested in the treasure room.

"Sorry the artifacts aren't here anymore," I said. "We brought them to Berk to keep them safe from the Berserkers."

"Pity," Harald said.

Before we left, we stopped by the ship and the closed off exit. "This is the only clue we have as to what happened to the Vikings who lived here. If they were voyagers, they may have left."

"They died," Harald said bluntly, his eyes narrowed at the ship.

I frowned. "Isn't that kind of morbid?" I ignored the fact that had been my first thought as well.

"They would not have left their treasure behind. Clearly, there was some sort of tragedy."

"Well, some of them may have escaped and settled somewhere else."

Harald looked at me with a half-smile. "That's a positive way to look at it."

I shrugged. "It makes me feel better. Alright, mister doom and gloom, are you ready for what I have to show you?"

"I've been ready, mate. Lead on!"

Finally, we arrived at the largest cave: the hidden tropical oasis. We stood on the edge of the cliff, looking down. I grinned as I saw Harald's eyes go wide as he took in the sight.

"Amazing, isn't it?" I said.

"This is... incredible! And it's warm too. Who would have thought this would be hidden on such a cold island?"

"See? I know what I'm doing." I placed my shield and sword on the ground and slipped off my winter clothes, leaving light summer clothes underneath. I also ditched my boots. Once Harald we let did the same, Bolt take us down to the floor of the cave.

"This place makes for a nice little winter vacation," Harald said.

"And it gets better!" I approached a large pool of water and stepped in. "Come on! This is even more amazing than Fishleg's hot tub!"

Seeming curious, Harald got in after me. His face immediately lit up. "Oh, a hot spring! How wonderful." He pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it on a rock. He smirked when he caught me staring at his bare chest. "Like what you see?"

I blushed and looked away. "No. I mean, I just-"

Harald chuckled. "It's okay to admit it."

I said nothing. I sunk into the water until I was sitting and focused on the feeling of heat seeping into me. When I looked back at Harald, I found him sitting in the water and gazing at me with a tranquil expression. Bolt and Leopold lay on the rocks next to the hot spring with their eyes closed.

"Brennda, come here," Harald said.

I blinked. "What?"

"I said come here." He held out his hand to me, a gentle smile on his face.

Something compelled me to listen to him. I slid through the water, and when I grabbed his hand, he pulled me right up to his chest, settling me on his lap. I gasp in surprise. "Harald!"

He grinned down at me. "Calm down, love. Hot springs are relaxing. Enjoy the moment."

"B-But-"

"I know you like it because you're perfectly capable of defending yourself."

He was right, of course. I would have never let anyone else get this close to me. I hated to admit that I liked it. "Muttonhead," I muttered. He wrapped his arms around me so I could not escape. My will to resit evaded me, so I rested my head against his chest and relaxed into his chest.

Everything felt so good. The hot water, Harald's body against mine, his heartbeat... Why did he make me feel this way? And why was I slowly not caring about the answer? I shifted my arms and brought them around his back. My hand stilled when it touched something rough just above his shoulder blade. "What's this?"

An uneasy look came to Harald's eyes. "It's not important."

I stared up at him, imploring him. "Try me."

He sighed. "Fine." I backed away from him when he started to stand up. He turned around revealing his back. I bit back a gasp as I took in the scar that ran from the top left corner of his left shoulder blade to the bottom left corner of his right shoulder blade.

I swallowed hard. "How-?"

"My father," he said in a dark voice. "Need I say more?"

"That's horrible!" I moved in closer to him though he still had his back to him. "Harald... I'm sorry." I could not imagine the pain this caused him. My heart ached to do anything to comfort him.

"They say time heals all wounds, so why does the scar remain?"

His voice sounded so lost and broken that I instinctively closed the distance between us and hugged him from behind. "It's so we remember."

"But I want to forget."

"I know. There are things I want to forget too, but..." I took a deep breath. "It's important to remember. All of our experiences, good and bad, have made us who we are. Our memories can teach us lessons if we allow them too."

"This one is certainly taking its time."

I said nothing as I stood there with my cheek against his back. I had not meant for our day to take such a dark turn. I needed to turn this around somehow. I pulled back and examined the scar. Then I lifted my hand and tentatively started to trace the scar with my finger. I froze when he took in a sharp breath. "Do you want me to stop?"

"No," he said, his voice low and raspy. "Please don't."

I smiled. Mood successfully changed. He shivered at my touch as I trailed my hand along the length on the scar. I paused at the end, considering his reaction. It suddenly occurred to me that, if my body betrayed me, his would as well. Feeling bold, I brought my face close to his back and kissed the top of the scar.

Harald's whole body shuddered. "Brennda..." he groaned.

I smiled against his skin. I liked that reaction. I liked being the one in control for once. "You are perfectly capable of defending yourself." When he did not respond, I continued to kiss down his back along his scar. I knew I would pay for this later, but I was enjoying myself too much to care.

When my lips left his back, he spun around and captured me in his arms. With a start, my hands rested on his chest. "Do you have any idea what you do to me?" he said in a husky voice. The desire in his eyes stirred something inside me.

"I'm beginning to," I whispered. All this time I thought he simply enjoyed teasing me and stringing me along. And maybe part of him did, but now I could tell there was a big part of it that was just a front. This was another area where his over-confidence masked his vulnerability. Perhaps ironically, that made me more willing to open up to him.

The heat from the water and our close contact finally got to me, making me dizzy. "We should probably get out of here before we get too lightheaded."

Disappointment flashed in his eyes, but he replaced it with a smile. "Right. We do not need any accidents where no one can find us in the middle of nowhere." He dropped his arms, and I stepped away from him.

I gave him a small smile in return. "Exactly. We shouldn't go back out there in our wet clothes. so why don't we walk around and enjoy the scenery until we dry off."

"Sounds like a plan."

He followed me out of the hot spring. When I started off in a random beside me, he took my hand in his and interlocked our fingers. I simply smiled at him and enjoyed the moment.

The end of the day seemed to arrive all too quickly. After spending hours in the tropical oasis, Harald and I finally left through the ice caves. We fished up arctic char for dinner and warmed ourselves by a campfire. There was still one last thing I wanted to show him, but we had to wait until the stars came out.

While our dragons plays in the snow, we walked along the edge of the island. "Brennda, I've been wondering," Harald said after minutes of silence. "You are a brilliant young woman. Have none of the dragon rider boys caught your interest?"

The question caught me off guard, and I nearly tripped over my boots. "W-What kind of question is that?"

"Oh, I am sure it is their fault," Harald continued, ignoring my awkwardness. "Not everyone can recognize a treasure that is right before him."

I gaped at him. What exactly was he getting at? There was no obvious teasing in his tone or expression, and yet he had to have a hidden motive. Regardless, I saw no harm in answering honestly. "It's... not like that. They're all just friends. I've never considered them that way."

"But could you in the future?" He stopped walking and turned to face me, appearing dead serious.

"Well..." I tried to think really hard about the question. It was probably good for me to know as well. "Hiccup is great, but our relationship just isn't like that. Besides, he's obviously in love with Astrid and she with him - even if they both deny it. Then Fishlegs... just isn't my type. He's more Heather's type, actually."

Harald raised his eyebrows. "Oh? And what is your type?"

I rolled my eyes. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

He smirked. "That's why I asked."

I ignored him. "Now Snotlout... he's more like a brother to me, and I'm pretty sure he feels the same way considering I'm the only female he doesn't flirt with. We bond over battles and competition. Lastly, there's Tuffnut. He's... well, he's Tuffnut. Out of everyone, he probably has the best chance, slim as though it may be. But with him comes Ruffnut, and I don't know if I can take every day."

Harald watched me in amusement. "I'm sure you could manage."

I had enough of the interrogation. Time to turn the tables. "How about you? Do all the girls flock to you?" He was charming enough. I could see it happening.

He chuckled. "Of course. But all the traveling makes it hard to get to know any one of them really well."

I ignored my relief and nodded. "Makes sense." I paused. A wicked idea occurred to me. I wondered how he would deal with a little teasing. "If you're looking, I know a girl who would love to have you."

His eyebrows lifted. "And who would that be?"

I grinned. "Well... I hear Ruffnut is looking to settle down."

A stunned expression crossed his face. "Ruffnut?"

I smirked. "That's right. If anyone can handle her, I know you can. Of course, with her comes Tuffnut. I suppose for your sake I can settle and pair up with him." He continued to stare at me. "The four of us could live together, or if you want, we could set off on a ship and explore the sea. Doesn't that sound grand?"

Harald finally seemed to snap out of it, and he frowned. "I would prefer if it was the two of us."

I made a thoughtful look. "I don't know if I can swing that, but I can try and hold Tuff back as you and Ruff run off together."

Harald glared at me. "That is quite enough. You're going to get it now." He bent down and scooped snow into his hand.

Knowing what he was planning, I laughed and started to run. I dodged the snow that he threw at me. I darted to the left, running into the open. When I looked over my shoulder, I tripped on something and fell into the snow. I rolled over onto my back, but before I could get up, Harald was on top of me, pinning my arms to the ground.

"If you want to tease me, you have to accept the consequences," he said in a husky voice, his breath on my cheek.

The look in his eyes sent a thrill down my spine. "What-"

He moved his face even closer to mine, and then he kissed me. It was warm and sweet and over all too soon. "You're the only one I want," he breathed.

I gazed into his shining emerald eyes, unable to formulate a response. He smirked and got off me. I felt dizzy as I rose to my feet.

"The stars are out," he said, looking at the sky. "What did you want to show me?"

"Oh, uh... We'll need Bolt for that." I scurried past him so he could not see the heat rising to my face or somehow hear my pounding heart.

Bolt eagerly bounded over to us once we were in sight. My mind soon focused on the task at hand, and I grinned in anticipation. Harald and I mounted the dragon, and then we were in the sky.

"Are we watching the stars?" Harald asked.

"Nope," I said. "Better." Bolt took us up higher and higher. Leopold flew by his side, curious to see as well. Finally, shimmering green lights came into view. I grinned and pointed at them. "The sky is on fire."

"Oh! The Northern Lights."

Bolt flew in close. Soon, the colors danced all around us. We flew straight into the buffs of light. Bolt tried to bite them with his teeth, and Leopold followed suit.

"What do you think?" I said.

"I have seen the Northern Lights before, but never like this. It's marvelous!"

I grinned. "Isn't it the most beautiful thing you have ever seen?"

"Yes, it is."

Something about his gentle tone had me turning my head to look back at him. My heart leapt in my chest when I saw him looking right at me. It was that adoring look that made me want to gaze into his eyes forever.

I suddenly believed his earlier confession, and it gave me the courage to act. I held onto Bolt's harness firmly with my right hand while I slowly lifted my left hand and placed it on the back of Harald's head. I gently pulled him closer to me until our lips touched. He responded right away, kissing me back with what seemed like pent-up passion. I closed my eyes and melted into the moment.

When we parted, we were breathing heavily. I cupped Harald's cheek with my hand and smiled at him. "You are the only one I want," I whispered.

Surprise lit his eyes, followed by joy, before confidence took over. "Good," he said just as softly, "because I am already yours." Then he kissed me again.

I eagerly accept the kiss. I did not know anything could feel so wonderful. Everything about him drew me in, and I never wanted this moment to end. Even if we had to part tomorrow, I thought it would all be worth it just to experience this. And now that I had, I would make it last as long as possible.

A grunt from Bolt caused as to pull apart. Harald leaned his forehead against mine and gazed into my eyes. "I think the dragons are growing restless," he said.

"We should head home," I agreed.

I reluctantly tore my eyes from his and faced straight ahead so I could steer properly. I smiled when I felt his head rest against mine. His arms around me felt almost like a hug. And as we departed Icestorm Island, I did not feel the least bit cold.

The peaceful slight home ended when Bolt landed near the stables at Dragon's Edge. Harald helped set him up for the night, and then he walked me to Astrid's hut.

"I had a lovely time today," Harald said, stopping in front of the door. "Thank you for taking me on an adventure."

I smiled. "Thank you for accompanying me. I think the Northern Lights were even more beautiful tonight because I shared them with you."

Harald smiled. "They definitely were." He leaned down and kissed me.

I closed my eyes and enjoyed the moment. This felt right.

He pulled back and gave me one last smile. "Good night, Brennda."

"Good night, Harald." I waited until he was out of sight and then entered the hut.

Astrid awaited me expectantly. "I'm guessing you had a good day." She smirked and gave me a knowing look.

Well, there was no denying it now considering I could not keep the goofy grin off my face. "Yes, I did. And, fine, I admit it: I like Harald. A lot. And... he likes me too."

"What happened? Did he kiss you?"

I bit my lip to hold back my smile and nodded.

Astrid clapped her hands together, a grin on her face. "Oh! Tell me everything!"

And so I did. My friend listened intently as I described the day, leaving out the more personal parts. "And this doesn't mean I regret anything, but it's kind of unfortunate that he'll have to leave eventually," I said at the end.

Astrid tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Not necessarily. I mean, sure he has to leave the Edge, but why can't he stock around these waters?"

"I... think he likes exploring too much. He never sticks around one place for long."

"Maybe he never had a reason to." She nudged my shoulder. "You should ask him to stay and see what he says."

"I don't know..." I wanted to ask him, of course. I just did not want to ruin our time together by worrying about the future. And I did not want to assume too much about his feelings for me.

"Come on, Brennda. You don't get anything by just wishing for it. You have to go after what you want!" She gave me an encouraging smile.

I took a deep breath. She was right. I was a Berserker. I was not afraid of anything. "Alright, I'll talked to him about it."

Astrid grinned. "Good! And I'll be following up, so make sure you do!"

I wished I shared her confidence. Now, if only I could find the right words...

A/N: I liked this one too. Enjoy it while you can. ;)