"You love me, but you don't know who I am
I'm torn between this life I lead and where I stand
And you love me, but you don't know who I am
So let me go
Let me go

I dream ahead to what I hope for
And I turn my back on loving you
How can this love be a good thing
When I know what I'm goin' through"

- "Let Me Go" by 3 Doors Down

Chapter 22

"The dragon hunters have the dragons?" I said in disbelief. "And you had nothing to do with that?" I eyed Harald suspiciously. I might still see the good in him, but that did not mean I trusted him.

"Yes, that's what I said," Harald said. "The dragon hunters and I have had some business in the past, so they'll let me into their camp unhindered. If you wear a disguise, I can take you in with me. I'll distract them and you can free the dragons. If we hurry, they won't be harmed. Luckily for us, I happen to have an extra set of dragon hunter armor with my supplies. And it's just your size!"

I stared at him as if I could deduce the truth from his eyes. But his amiable attitude successfully cloaked all other emotions. This guy was good. "So, let me get this straight," I said. "You stole the dragons to sell them to the highest bidder, but the dragon hunters took them from you, and now you want to help me rescue them so they can be free? Oh, and you just happen to have a disguise that's my size? It's not like there are many female dragon hunters..."

"It does sound awfully hard to believe," Astrid said. "How do we know you're not setting her up?"

"Because even I would not do that," Harald said, giving her a serious look. He turned back to me. "This job isn't for the faint of heart. It will be just you and me, in the heart of darkness. The dragon hunters know the faces of all the dragon riders, so they can't come along. We can't take your dragon either, unless you want precious Bolt to be taken right from your hands."

I gave him another long, hard stare. "Even if you're not setting me up, you're still getting something out of this. And don't say you're doing it so we'll go easy on you. I'm sure you could find a way to escape from us if you really tried."

"Thank you for the compliment, Brennda," Harald said with a small smirk. "What I get out of this arrangement is my business. It has nothing to do with you."

I narrowed my eyes. So, I was right. I wanted to figure this out, but I knew that was not what was important right now. I turned to Hiccup. "What do you think of this plan?"

"I don't like it but he's right," Hiccup said. "They've seen us in action too many times, but you might be able to sneak in without detection. I don't want to choose for you, Brennda, since it's so dangerous. If you decide to do it, we'll all fly cover for you just outside of the dragon hunters' range. We'll be as close as we possibly can to help out if thing go wrong."

Harald feigned a look of offense. "'Things go wrong'? You don't trust me? I'm wounded, Hiccup."

"None of us trust you right now," I said. "After what you did, how can you expect me to just follow you into enemy territory? Why should I believe a word you say?"

"Because I am your only hope of freeing those dragons."

While this was technically true, it did not exactly instill confidence. I turned to Bolt to see what he thought of the situation. As soon as my eyes were on him, he perked up and moved to stand in between Harald and me. Then he bent his head and nuzzled him affectionately. I stared at him in shock. "B-Bolt?"

Surprise flashed on Harald's face. Then he smiled as he rubbed the Skrill's head. "You still trust me, don't you?"

"But why?" Astrid said. "Surely he understands what's going on?"

"Maybe he's confused," Fishlegs said. "He might not know what he's doing."

"Or he's in denial too," Ruffnut said.

I glared at her for the implication. Then I turned back to my dragon. "Bolt, no. He is not a friend."

Bolt gave me a dubious look. Then he glanced at Harald's boat and made a low sound. Leopold jumped out of the boat and ran straight towards him, a happy smile on his face.

"Hello there," I said weakly. I still could not resisted the little guy. Leopold flew up and landed right on my head. "Hey! You can't be up there!" I tried to lift him off, but his claws tangled in my curly hair. "Harald, help." This was his dragon. He had to fix this.

Harald chuckled. "If you insist. Hold still."

I had no problem with this, for I froze as soon as he stepped right up to me. I did not look at him, but my heart beat too quickly from his nearness. Why did he still affect me this way? I let out a breath of relief when Harald freed Leopold. I lifted my head to thank him, but our eyes locked, and my breath caught in my throat at his intense gaze.

I took a step back, but out of the corner of my eye I saw Bolt push Harald right into me. He nearly knocked me down, but he caught my arms and steadied me. His face mirrored my look of surprise.

"I stand corrected," Fishlegs said. "Bolt knows exactly what he's doing."

I frowned. "But why would he-?"

Harald gave me a disarming smile. He let go of me and moved back, and I hated that I wished he hadn't. "He knows that you're safe with me. That is what I promised when I first rode him, isn't it?"

"Well, yes, but how do I know that wasn't one of your lies? How do I know what to trust?"

"Point taken. I have lied to you in the past, and I will do so in the future. To help you out, I will tell you the one truth you should never doubt." He stepped up to me again and looked down at me with an expression I had to take seriously. "I will not let any harm come to you, Brennda. Not while you're under my watch."

A shiver ran down my spine as I gazed into his eyes. I believed him. And I hated it. How could he say that after what he put me through? But that look in his eyes... There was something about it that reminded me why I fell in love with him. Why I was still in love with him. This was not fair.

"You're cruel," I muttered, tearing my gaze away. It probably sounded absurd to the others that I would say that now. But with a sinking feeling, I realized that it would not be easy from now on. He made me want something I could never have, and that was what I could not forgive. I sucked in a sharp breath. "I'll do it. I'll go with you. Give me the disguise."

"Good," Harald said, his cool demeanor returning. He walked to his boat and rummaged through his belongings. He returned to me with a dragon hunter outfit.

I accepted the clothing. "I'll be right back." I headed into the trees where I could change in peace. Away from Harald, it felt like I could finally breathe. I do not know what I had been expecting, but it certainly had not been that. I took deep breaths to calm myself so I would be ready for the mission.

I returned to the others with renewed determination. I nodded once at Harald, and he smiled at me. "It looks good on you," he said.

I shot him a sharp look. "That's not exactly a compliment, Harald."

"Ah, there is one more piece to the disguise." He held up a silver chain with a beautiful red gemstone.

I frowned. "Seems unneeded to me. I don't think that's part of the uniform. And you probably stole it."

"I assure you, I actually did not. Please indulge me."

I sighed but turned around so he could place it around my neck. He pulled back my hair, and his fingers grazed my skin as he latched the necklace. I hoped he could not hear my sudden erratic heartbeat. When I turned around, he was gazing at me with a soft smile.

"You look beautiful," he said.

I looked away so he could not see me blush. "We should get going."

"But of course."

I glanced back at him to see him all business now. How could he do that? Did he just turn his emotions on and off? Or was he just messing with me? I held in a complaint as I followed him to his ship.

"Good luck!" Hiccup called as we set sail.

"Thanks!" I shouted back. I was glad that everyone would be fairly close by. Even if I did trust Harald, it was always a good idea to have backup.

We sailed in silence. I did want to speak to Harald alone eventually, but right now I needed to focus on my mission. I could not do anything that would leave me feeling weak and vulnerable. For his part, Harald seemed happy to avoid conversation.

After what felt like far too long, we pulled into a dock at a small island. "We've arrived," Harald said. He turned to me. "Don't make any quick movements, don't rouse suspicion, and for the love of Thor, please don't-"

"Is that Forkbeard I see?" said a dragon hunter waiting at the dock. "You must be the bravest Viking - or dumbest - to show your face here again."

Yep, he definitely wanted something from the hunters. I took this opportunity to sneak past the man standing guard.

"You've sold us some dangerous dragons, Forkbeard," the hunter went on. "We can't rouse the catastrophic Quaken at all or it will tear this place apart. We paid you too much!"

"But you lot are the mighty dragon hunters!" Harald proclaimed. "There's no way a dragon could best you if you put your mind to it."

My eyes narrowed into slits. That lying sneak sold the dragons to the dragon hunters! No matter; I had to keep going. I held my breath as I walked past the guards into the camp.

"Hey you!" one of the dragon hunters said, stopping me. "Wait a minute... aren't you a little young to be a dragon hunter?"

I kept my cool as I addressed him. "Are you doubting the judgment of Viggo Grimborn? He recruited me himself."

The man paled. "Well, go check if the Catastrophic Quaken is still sleeping and give it more dragon root if it isn't. Hurry up!"

I held my breath as I scurried past him. That was close! Perhaps it was best if I stayed out of sight from now on. I looked around for the dragons while evading the sight of the dragon hunters. Then something caught my eye.

Curious, I approached a small cage. Instead of a dragon, there was a strange, spherical object inside that glowed blue. I thought I had seen it before, but I could not remember where. I tried to open the cage, but it was locked. Oh well. It was more important that I find and free the dragons. I resumed my search.

Finally I found the Catastrophic Quaken near the middle of the camp. The dragon did indeed appear to be asleep. The cage was locked from the outside, but it was a simple latch I managed to undo on my first try. I stepped inside the cage and examined the Quaken. I needed to find a way to wake him. I spotted the dragon root arrows and carefully pulled them out. When they dragon became aroused, I ran out of there.

The Quaken rolled out of the cage. Then he rolled straight through the camp, causing havoc in his wake. The dragon hunters scrambled around in a panic. I smirked. Served them right. Now to find the Armorwing!

I moved quickly and avoid the chaos. I found the caged Armorwing on the second level of the camp. I manged to quickly free him as well. I glanced over my shoulder to see dragon hunters running towards me. Uh oh! I looked at the Armorwing. Perhaps he could give me a quick ride out.

But then I noticed what was happening on the lower level. Harald was surrounded by dragon hunters. He appeared to e trying to talk his way out of trouble, but they were clearly not happy with him. It looked like I had no choice. I could not leave him.

I smiled at the Armorwing while rubbing his neck. "Go on. Be free." He appeared hesitant at first, but then he walked out of the cage and flapped his wings.

The dragon hunters were almost upon me now. I lowered my head and barreled right past them. I found a ledge and hopped to the first level. I should have a minute before the reached me now. I spotted Harald and raced over to him, breaking the circle of hunters in the process. I took a second to catch my breath and then looked at the surprised faces of the hunters. "What's the trouble, my good men?"

The hunters exchanged glances. "He set the Catastrophic Quaken loose in our camp!" one of them said, pointing accusingly at Harald. "Probably going to try to sell it again and pull the same trick."

That did sound like something he would do. "You must be mistaken," I said smoothly. "He is my partner, and we did not come here to cause trouble. We were just leaving, so if would would please let us through...?"

The hunters appeared uncertain, but they did allow Harald and I to pass. However, the hunters from the second level finally reached us.

"Stop that girl!" one of the hunters shouted. "She freed the Quaken!"

The others immediately turned on us. The hunter closest to Harald raised his axe. I put myself in between them as I drew my sword, blocking the attack. I glared venomously at the hunter. "Leave. Him. Alone." I used his surprise to my advantage to get the upper hand and push him away from me.

"Nice one," Harald said into my ear, "but I think we should run."

I nodded. We were not too far from the dock, so I was sure we could make it. We took off running together, dodging the hunters in our way. Harald proved the speedier one, and soon he got ahead of me.

I tried hard to catch up to him, but my short legs could only go so fast. As I ran over a wooden bridge, my right foot suddenly crashed through a board, spending me falling onto my face. I recovered quickly, but my foot was stuck... and the hunters were gaining on me! "Harald!" I cried in panic. "Help!"

No matter how hard I pulled, my foot would not come free. Finally, I used the hilt of my sword to break the wood around the small hole. Then I was able to free my foot and stand up... just in time to see a dragon hunter coming down on me with his axe.

A split second later, Harald was in front of, blocking the attack much like I had minutes earlier. "You will not touch her," he growled. I had never seen him angry, and his ferocity matched mine from when I defended him.

I stood beside him, sword in hand. He fought off the first hunter, but now we were surrounded. He looked back at me, fire blazing in his eyes. "Do you remember our Dragon Tactics battle?" he asked.

I nodded.

"Let's use the same strategy."

"Got it!"

We started for the dock again, fighting off the hunters in our way with our swords. We moved smoothly together and guarded each others' backs. Finally, we made it back to Harald's ship. We hopped on board and set off. I grinned at the astonished looks on the dragon hunters' faces.

"You won't catch us today, fellas!" I taunted them.

"You don't stand a chance against the best team in the archipelago!" Harald added.

Once we were out of sight of the island, we turned to each other and laughed. "That was brilliant," I said. "We got them good."

"We certainly did," Harald said. "And you almost had them let us go. Excellent acting."

I grinned. "I've had practice." My smile faded when I realized I was supposed to be mad at him. Then something else occurred to me. "You saved my life back there."

He gave me a serious look. "I told you I would protect you, didn't I? I'm the one who should be surprised. You came back for me even though you could have fled on that dragon you freed."

I shook my head. "No way I was leaving you to face those hunters alone. I don't know how pirates do things, but dragon riders don't leave anyone behind... no matter who it is." And because of who he was, I had even more reason to help.

"Thank you," he said with sincerity.

I smiled. "Anytime, Harald."

We stared at each other for a minute before looking away at the same time. Why was it so easy to talk to him like nothing had happened? Why did it feel completely natural to be with him? As for him, he treated much like he always had. Perhaps his behavior on Hobblegrunt Island was for the benefit of the riders.

That meant I was right about who he was. He might have more sides to him than I previously thought, but the Harald I knew and loved was still in there. The thought put me at ease even as I realized it made everything much more complicated.

"You could probably call your dragon to fetch you," Harald said. "I can make it back to Dragon's Edge on my own."

I raised my eyebrows. "And give you a chance to escape? I don't think so."

He smirked. "I could still escape and take you hostage."

I rolled my eyes. "You won't do that."

"Can you be sure?"

Before I could respond, a dragon flew into view. Toothless. The Night Fury landed on the boat, and Hiccup dismounted.

"You made it out!" Hiccup exclaimed. "I was worried for you. Thank you for saving those dragons, Brennda. You put yourself at great risk to do it, and I'm incredibly proud of you!"

"And what about the risk I took, Hiccup?" Harald said.

Hiccup cast him an uneasy look. "Well-"

"He did help me," I said quickly. "He saved me when I was in trouble. He kept his word."

"So, perhaps you could let me go?" Harald said.

Hiccup still appeared wary. "We'll talk about that when we get back to the Edge."

"Do you really intend to sail all the way with us?"

"I need to make sure you don't run off with Brennda as hostage."

"I wouldn't do that," Harald scoffed.

I smirked at him. "Didn't you suggest that very thing before he showed up?"

"That was a joke!"

"You mean a lie."

Amusement glinted in his eyes. "I admit, you make the idea... tempting."

I glanced at Hiccup to see him looking very uncomfortable. Clearly, our relationship confused him. But how could I explain it to him when I barely understood it myself?

We sailed the rest of the way in silence. The dragon riders awaited us on the dock. As soon as I stepped off the boat, Bolt flew to me and nuzzled me. I laughed as I hugged him around the neck. "It's good to see you too, buddy."

"Were you successful?" Astrid asked.

"Yes! The dragons are free."

"Oh good," Fishlegs said.

"Now, what are we going to do with him?" Snotlout said, glowering at Harald.

Hiccup looked from Harald to the riders. "I thought we might alert my dad and let him take care of him."

"No!" I said a little two quickly. All eyes were on me. "This isn't Berk territory, right? Besides, Stoick might go a little... overboard."

"Your point?" Snotlout said.

"The point is that's not justice!"

"Brennda, you know what he did to us," Astrid said.

"Yes, but he also saved me back there." I walked up to Harald and stood beside him. He watched me with interest but said nothing. "He could have escaped, but he went back for me instead when he didn't have to."

"One good deed doesn't make up for many evil acts," Fishlegs said.

"Are you suggesting Brennda's life isn't more valuable than what I stole?" Harald said with a sharpness that caused Fishlegs to flinch.

"No, sorry," Fishlegs said.

"You're letting your emotions get the better of you," I said. "You know out of all of us, I have the most reason take hate him, but instead I'm asking you to show leniency."

"Brennda's right," Hiccup said. "None of us are probably thinking clearly right now." He turned to Harald. "I appreciate what you did for her, and we will take that into consideration. But it's late, so we will keep you here for now and decide what to do in the morning."

"Very well," Harald said. "You have to do what you think is best."

Hiccup and Astrid stood on either side of him and led him up to the camp. I followed behind with Leopold. They led him to the stabled and placed him and his dragon in one of the cells. I wondered why he didn't resist. Did he have a plan to escape, or did he think he could convince us to let him go in the morning?

"We'll be back at first light," Hiccup said as he led the way out of the stables.

Astrid stopped at the door when she realized I hadn't moved. "Brennda?"

"I want to talk with him alone," I said. When she hesitated, I add, "Please?"

She nodded and left the stables.

I took a deep breath and turned to face Harald. It was time to find out the truth... or at least hear his side of the story.

A/N: I quite enjoyed that chapter. I hope you did too! I changed what happened a bit to better fit the story, but it won't affect too much in the end.