"I wish you never thought you had to go
Wish you never thought you had to leave
Together we can lift each other up
We can build a shelter for the weak

No man is an island, we can be found
No man is an island, let your guard down
You don't have to fight me, I am for you
We're not meant to live this life alone"

- "No Man is an Island" by Tenth Avenue North

Chapter 18

The following morning, Harald and I hung out as usual. I was glad there seemed to be no tension between us. It was very easy to be with him... and our dragons. We were down by the beach, idling chatting and watching Bolt and Leopold run at the waves and splash each other. It was a beautiful start to a great day.

After awhile, Astrid landed in front of us on Stormfly. "Brennda, there you are!" she said.

I nodded at her. "Hey, Astrid. What's going on?"

"What did you do to Skulder?" she said.

I blinked. "What did I do to him?" I glanced at Harald, and he just shrugged.

"I spoke to him earlier today on my patrol and he sounded like he was at the end of his rope! I thought Fishlegs said you solved his problem."

"We did! We showed him how to get his little Mudraker friend to come out of the mud and say 'hello.'" I then remembered how unused to dragons he was and how much could go wrong. I hoped he was not in any sort of trouble.

"Well, whatever you did, it didn't take. Go back to Mudraker island and help him out!"

I saluted her. "Yes, ma'am." I turned to Harald to see him watching me in amusement. "I guess I'll see you later."

"I'll keep him company for you," Astrid said, moving to stand beside Harald. She smirked. "It's about time we had a... talk."

Harald did not looked phased by this in the slightest. "It certainly is." He nodded at me. "Off you go, Brennda. We'll be just fine."

Looking from him to Astrid, I was not so sure, but there was nothing to do for it. I called Bolt back to me, and then we were off to Mudraker Island. We flew straight to Skulder's camp. This time, it looked... different. Things were scattered around, and there was mud on everything.

"Hey, Skulder," I said, cautiously stepping over objects. "What's going on?"

Skulder gave me a frantic look. "We've stumbled on a whole new problem altogether, Brennda. The Mudraker is over his shyness. That is, he is comfortable most of the time. But now he seems to have a major problem with me. Look!" He swept his arm across the mess. "Little Muddie threw mud all over my camp. Why does he hate me so much, Brennda? Why?!"

I blinked. "Uh..." I caw what Astrid meant. He seemed to have lost it. I did not know how to respond, so I hung on to one word. "Muddie?"

"Oh, I named him Muddie," Skulder said in a slightly more cheerful tone. "It might not be an appropriate name for a dragon, but it seems to suit him."

"I like it."

He gave me a tentative smile. "Thank you. Will you help me clean up my camp? I need to clear the mud from my stuff."

"Of course!" While the two of us worked to clean his belongings, I thought about his problem. I certainly could see an angry dragon throwing mud everywhere. However, I did not want to jump to conclusions. "So... What was Muddie's attitude while causing trouble?"

"He was in a good mood," Skulder replied. "He looked so happy to throw mud on my stuff. He must really enjoy upsetting me.

Now finished, I washed my hands in the water. "Hmm... I think you're making a pretty big assumption there."

Skulder shook his head. "The mud is just the start of the problem, Brennda. Muddie took my pickaxe and ran off with it. I don't know why he would steal my pickaxe. Doesn't he know that I need that to continue excavating the site?"

I shrugged. "Maybe not. He is a dragon, after all."

Skulder appeared thoughtful. "I suppose... Anyway, I need my pickaxe. I've been trying to find it, but I haven't had any luck. Will you help me look for it?"

"Sure, no problem." I figured he had already thoroughly searched the campsite, so I started walking around the pond. I stopped when I noticed something in the water. The pickaxe! "Hey, Bolt, can you help me out?"

The Skrill flew to my side. I pointed out the pickaxe, and he dove in to fetch it. Then something else caught my attention out of the corner of my eye. Curious, I wandered off and bent down to examine what appeared to be a strange artifact. Ah... I thought I knew what was going on. I picked up the object and then accept the pickaxe from Bolt. I returned to Skulder with both items.

"Hey, look what I found!" I announced. He immediately brightened when I held out the objects.

"Thank you for finding my pickaxe," he said.

I handed him the artifact. "And I found this sitting out in the sun."

Skulder looked over the object and then gasped. "This is amazing, Brennda. This was excavated from the dig site beside me, I'm sure of it. It fits the style and age of the other objects from this ancient village. But who could have dug it out of the site? I am the only Viking on this island."

A smile twitched on my face. "Maybe it wasn't a Viking."

His eyes widened in understanding. "Oh, what a fool I've been! I've been thinking of the Mudraker as I would a human. He doesn't want to ruin my stuff with mud, he is just being a silly, playful dragon! He must have watched me excavate those things out of the dig site and wanted to help me out. He doesn't hate me after all!"

I nodded. "Exactly! You have to learn the language of the dragon and discover how he communicates."

"I will certainly do that, except..." A sad look crossed his face. "I need your help, Brennda! Can you help me find the Mudraker? He deserves an apology for my grumpy nature for the last few days. Perhaps we can use the sound of an axe to call him out again..."

I smiled at him. "Of course. I'm sure he'll understand." I waked over to a large rock and swung my axe at it. Like last time, the Mudraker zoomed out of the water. He stopped in front of Skulder and stared right at him.

The archaeologist gave the Mudraker a timid smile. "Thank you for your help in discovering this artificat. I am sorry I misunderstood." He lifted his hand as if to touch him but then suddenly pulled back. "Oh dear! I don't know if I'm ready for this step quite yet."

"That's alright," I said. "Just take it one step at a time. You've already come so far. I know you can do it."

"Well! I'm happy to be Muddie friend, but I don't know if I am ready to train a dragon quite yet. Maybe I will spend more time with Muddie before we take the next step together."

"That sounds like a plan to me!"

Skulder smiled. "Thank you for your help. I couldn't have done this without you. Please tell Astrid she doesn't need to worry for me anymore."

I chuckled, remembering Astrid's ferocity. "I will do so. Good luck, Skulder." With that, I was off. I found Astrid outside her hut on the Edge, and I quickly explained the situation.

Astrid was smiling at the end. "I see. It sounds like Skulder didn't know how to handle the 'overeager puppy' stage of dragon friendship. I have to admit, it took me a really long time to get used to Stormfly fetching sticks and playing with Toothless! She's so lovably goofy, my Stormfly."

I smirked. "That does sound amusing."

"Dragon training is not a simple task. I hope Skulder is ready for more troubles in the future."

"Well, I'll be there if he needs me!"

Astrid nodded. "You're a good friend, Brennda."

"Speaking of friends... how did it go with Harald?"

Astrid's smile fell, replaced by a look of frustration. "I couldn't get anything out of him. He has a way of evading my questions and turning everything around."

I had to laugh at this. "I know what you mean. It took me a long time to break through that. You weren't going to do it on your first go."

She pursed her lips. "At least you understand him. I'll leave him to you."

I grinned. "Accepted."

The following morning, it was my turn to patrol the surrounding islands. Bolt and I enjoyed the flight, and I realized how easy it had been to become part of the routine at Dragon's Edge. Just like Harald would eventually leave, so would I. I pushed the thoughts away. No use worrying about something I couldn't change.

I returned to the Edge and reported to Hiccup. I noticed no dragon hunter activities today. And Skulder seemed like he was holding his own with the Mudraker. That taken care off, I went off in search of something to do.

I came across Harald standing off on his own. He appeared deep in thought while Leopold looked up at him in worry from the ground. I wondered if I should disturb him or not. Then I remembered what Astrid had told me. I had to try. I took a deep breath and approached him.

"Harald?" I said tentatively. "Are you alright?"

Harald's head snapped in my direction, and surprise flashed in his eyes before he recovered. "I'm just fine, mate," he said. "Why do you ask?"

"You just seemed like you were thinking hard about something. I'm sorry if I interrupted you."

"No, it's alright. It's nothing that concerns you." He smiled, but it did not reach his eyes.

I wondered how far I could push him before he shut me out again. Well, anything was better than this polite indifference. "Just because it doesn't concern me doesn't mean I don't want to hear it." I realized how nosy that sounded, so I added quickly: "It just seems like it's bothering you, and I want to help."

His eyes softened as he gazed at me. "Thank you, but you cannot help. I... have a decision I need to make, and it's not something I'm used to."

I blinked. "You're not used to making decisions?"

"More like, I'm not used to knowing what to do. I always have a plan for everything, and I follow it perfectly. Everything happens exactly how I need it to. That's how I get what I want."

"Like a chess game?"

Harald smiled wryly. "That's one way of putting it."

I remembered how he beat me when we played. It he treated life like that, no wonder he was so confident all the time. "But something's changed."

He clasped his hands behind his back and looked off into the distance. "I thought I had accounted for everything, but... you're right. There is one thing I did not anticipate, and it has thrown me for a loop."

My heart hammered in my chest. I knew what he had to be taking about. Did that mean his feelings for me were real? Was he considering staying? I did not dare ask him directly. I thought about what Astrid had said about Harald's planning. "You know, the things that really change your life never happen based on a plan. The best things in life happen when you least expect them."

He turned his gaze on me, and his green eyes seemed to see right through me. "Of course there is a place for spontaneity... it is what living in the moment is all about. But to destroy everything-" His eyes widened as if he realized he had said too much. I saw his shields com back up before he looked away. "Never mind. It's not your fault. Not your problem."

I opened my mouth to speak, but words suddenly failed me. Clearly, this was about whatever it was he didn't want to tell me. I hated feeling helpless while he wrestled with something important. Did he expect me to just wait around until he made up his mind? At the very least, I wanted him to snap out of his morose attitude.

"Hey, guys," Snotlout said as he sauntered over to us, completely oblivious to the mood. "Are you up for some competition?"

I glanced at Harald and felt relieved to see him smirk at me. I flashed Snotlout a grin. "You're on!"

We spent the day competing with Snotlout in various activities. It was actually pretty fun, and I was pleased to see Harald had lightened up. I wondered if Snotlout had noticed his mood and wanted to help out. Perhaps he was onto something. Maybe taking Harald's mind off of things could be just as effective as talking about his problems.

"That was a pretty good day," I said after we parted from Snotlout.

"Yes, he does know how to have a good time," Harald said. We walked side-by-side through the base, enjoying the evening air.

"You're feeling better then?"

Harald stopped and turned to me. "I am perfectly fine. Please do not worry about me." His smile did not match the hint of pain in his eyes.

"Harald..."

"Brennda." He took my hand in his and gazed into my eyes. "I will be leaving soon, and I want us to enjoy our last few days together. Can we do that?"

I nodded. "Of course." A few days. Perhaps it was time I came up with a plan of my own. "But that doesn't mean I'll stop asking questions."

Thankfully, he appeared amused at this instead of offended. "Your curiosity is going to get you into trouble one day."

"Or it could save me."

He chuckled. "What do you want to know know?"

"What I've always wanted to know. What is this big secret you're hiding? You're obviously not a dragon hunter." Maybe it was my limited experience with the wider world, but I found my imagination limited.

Harald smirked. "Is that the worst villain you can imagine?"

I shrugged. "Pretty much. Or they're just on my mind because of recent events."

"I see." He paused. "I think it's my turn to ask you a question."

I looked over him curiously, but his face gave nothing away. "Go ahead."

"Which type of opponent would you rather face, one who is ruthless and violent or one who is cunning and intelligent?" He calmly watched me, waiting for my reaction.

I considered the question. While I may not have been in very many battles yet, I had gotten a taste for both types of villains. Plus, Hiccup had told me plenty of stories to fill in the gaps. "I think a violent opponent is easier to deal with," I said carefully. "They're simple, and you can win with overwhelming force. An intelligent opponent is much trickier and requires a long-term strategy." I thought about Hiccup's struggles in facing Viggo. "He is definitely more frustrating. Intelligent villains are the worst."

I paused and looked back at Harald. He stared at me intently, though I could not discern his emotions. "But that's not the question you asked, is it?" He said nothing, so I continued. "Despite everything I said, I would still choose the intelligent one." I grimaced at the thought. "As frustrating as it would be, I hate violence too much. Bolt and I could definitely take out a lot of opponents, but I don't like to win that way."

"Perhaps you find enjoyment in defeating someone using your mind?" Harald said.

I smiled. "Yes, there is that. I suppose you would choose the same?"

He flashed a grin back at me. "Naturally."

My mind returned to Viggo, and something prodded me to keep the conversation going. Suddenly, I saw the relevancy. "You know, there is one intelligent villain who has driven the dragon riders crazy - Hiccup especially. Viggo Grimborn, the leader of the dragon hunters."

Something flashed in Harald's eyes. but it was gone a second later. "Oh? He had trouble handling him?"

I nodded. "Yes. Viggo is an excellent long-term strategist and is always two steps ahead of us. He treats our battles like his favorite game, Maces and Talons. He plays the game perfectly... but we still managed one tiny victory because of a miscalculation."

Harald lifted his eyebrows, appearing very interested now. "And what was this miscalculation?"

I smiled. "My friend Heather worked undercover with the dragon hunters. She discovered Dagur is her brother, so she joined him. But she was eventually exposed, and Viggo set up the 'game' so that she would die at the hand of her brother. The traitor always dies..." I stared at the ground, remembering everything clearly.

"But she didn't die," Harald said softly.

I lifted my head to meet his gentle gaze. "No. Viggo was certain his anger at being betrayed by his sister would lead him to kill her. He didn't realize that anger is evidence of love. You can't be betrayed by someone if you don't care about them. Dagur couldn't kill Heather because there bond had grown stronger than that, despite the lies and deception. He turned on Viggo instead, disrupting his plan. It's probably not a big deal to Viggo that one more dragon rider survived, but it did show us that he doesn't understand love. All the planning in the world doesn't matter when love is involved."

Intensity stirred in Harald's eyes. I said nothing more as I let him take it all in. Finally, the tension left his face, and he smiled. "That's a very interesting assessment and very... you."

I furrowed my eyebrows. "Thank you?"

He chuckled lightly. "It's a compliment." He paused. "Don't ever change, Brennda. You are very different from anyone I've ever met, and that is a good thing. You have many wonderful qualities that you do not need to hide."

My eyes grew wide in surprise. Where had that come from? "Um, well..." If he had been teasing, I would know how to respond, but his sincerity caught my off guard.

He merely smiled at my awkwardness. "Come on. Let's go back." He took my hand, and we started down the path together.

The next day, Harald and I had fun around Dragon's Edge with our dragons and the other riders. I almost forgot everything as I practiced living in the moment. It was only in the evening that reality started to set in. We took a path through the middle of the island. It led to a pond with flowers growing along the edges. It was quiet and peaceful, and we simply stood there for awhile, taking it all in.

It was only when I turned to Harald to make a comment that I realized he was gazing at me. "Wh-what are you doing?" I said, feeling a blush creep up on my cheeks.

Harald smiled. "I'm attempting to memorize you. I want to remember everything about you."

This time, I know my face heated up. "I - I'm not going anywhere." But he was. I swallowed the unsettling thought, not wanting to ruin the moment.

"I know." He moved in closer to me and lifted his hand. He brushed my hair away from my face, letting his hand rest against my cheek. "I'm sorry I have to leave. Just know I have enjoyed every moment we have spent together. Thank you for everything you've done for me. I won't forget anything."

Panic shot through my heart, and my eyes widened in worry. "You're not planning on leaving tomorrow, are you?"

He gave me a sad smile. "No, not quite yet. I simply want you to be prepared."

Something inside me snapped. I wiggled away from his touch and moved back. "No!" I said vehemently. "That's not something I can prepare for, nor should I."

Harald sighed, pain flashing in his eyes. "Brennda-"

I shook my head. "You're the one who decided this, and I don't accept it. I don't accept that we can't be together."

"Brennda, I told you-"

"We're on two different paths, I know. And I told you I don't believe in that type of fate." I glared at him defiantly. "Maybe you do have to leave Dragon's Edge, but we'll find a way back to each other. And if you run away because you're afraid of feeling something real, I'll chase after you. I'll find you again and again until you stay with me. I don't care about what fate has to say about it."

Harald took a step towards me, but I moved back. He his his emotions well, though frustration was apparent in his expression. "You don't think I want to believe that? You think I want to leave? I accept reality, Brennda."

"How about this reality? If you thought we could have an amazing time together and then just leave it behind because we were 'enjoying the moment,' you chose the wrong girl. Every second we spend together gives me more reason to not let you go. All you've really done by making me focus on the present is give me the strength and determination to fight for the future. I am a Berserker. I am not just going to give up on something I want so easily. I will find a way. If I have to rearrange our fates by forcefully pulling our incompatible paths together, then so be it!"

The frustration vanished from Harald's face, replaced by - shock? wonder? amazement? "You - Why? You do not need to go through all this trouble for me. You will soon forget all about me. You'll find someone better."

The fire inside me stilled as I gazed into his eyes, finally recognizing anxiety in them. So, that was it. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "No, Harald," I said firmly. "I won't. I'm not the only one who hides. You play a role too, but I know who you are now. Maybe you can't see it, but you're good. You drive me crazy, but I like it. I don't want to live without you now that I know what it's like to have you here. I don't want someone 'better.' I want you. I love you."

He moved in quickly, and suddenly his lips were on mine. I eagerly kissed him back his intense and hurried pace. His arms snaked around my waist, and he pulled me up against his chest. I rested one hand on the back of his neck while the other played with his hair. I closed my eyes and melted into the moment. I did not want to forget anything either. I wanted to remember this moment always so it would give me strength if I ever felt like giving up.

We were out of breath when we parted. Harald leaned his forehead against mine, his eyes still blazing with passion. "You..." he whispered. "You make me want to believe."

I smiled, for I knew exactly what he meant. "Then let yourself believe. In me. In you. In us."

Harald lifted his head, and then he pulled me to him again, letting my head rest against his chest. I closed my eyes as we held each other. I took in everything: his scent, his heartbeat, the feel of his arms around me. It all felt right. How could fate deny us this?

"If I see a way... I'll try," he said, causing my heart to flutter with hope. "I won't make any promises, but... I'll try."

I smiled even though he could not see. That was all I needed.