"You give me faith to believe there's a way
To put the past finally behind me
And hope to make it through another night
You give me strength
During these dark times when I'm blind
You are my light when faith is hard to find"

- "Hard to Find" by Skillet

Chapter 24

I woke up to find my back against Harald's chest with his arms securely around me. Happiness flooded me as I remembered the previous night. He was finally mine. I managed to turn around so I was facing him. It must have been early in the morning if I was awake before him. I lightly ran my hand across his bare chest. Then I kissed the skin I touched.

"Brennda..." Harald said hoarsely. "I'm trying to sleep."

"You're obviously failing," I teased. I brought my hand to his face and stroked his beard. Then I kissed his jaw, purposefully missing his lips.

Harald's eyes flew opened. He grabbed my wrist and flipped me, pinning me to the bed. "That's your fault, love."

I smirked. "All part of my dastardly plan."

"You're learning. Good." Harald brought his face down and kissed me. I pulled my wrist free so I could wrap my arms round his neck and pull him to me. Moments later, he broke away and smiled at me. "I love you," he whispered in my ear before kissing the skin underneath, "so much..." He kissed my cheek. "You are everything to me." He kissed down my body, not missing anything.

"Harald..." I moaned in pleasure. Everywhere his lips touched sent fire coursing through my body, reigniting my desire for him. All I could think about was him, and all I wanted to do was get as close to him as possible. I dug my fingers into his hair and roughly pulled him to me so I could kiss him. At the same time, I wrapped my legs around his waist to keep my body close to his.

Harald smirked against my lips. "Ready for round two?"

"Please..." I started kissing his neck, stopping at the spot where he moaned loudly. "I still want you." My hands roamed his body, and I could feel his excitement. I let my legs fall to the bed, and I pushed him down to me. I clung to him and kissed everything I could reach.

"Brennda..." Harald moaned, sending a tingle of pleasure down my spine. "You're really asking for it..."

I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed his lips. "Show me how a pirate does it," I said seductively. "No need to be gentle."

Harald smirked, and soon he granted my request. He was rough this time, which I encouraged. When he was finished, I took my turn at pleasing him. I loved having the tough pirate at my mercy. When I finished, I fell onto his chest.

Harald carefully changed our position so we were on our sides and my back was against his chest. "You have no idea what you do to me," he whispered. "You are remarkable. I must be the luckiest man in the world." He kissed my shoulder. "Can you take one more?" He moved my hair back and kissed my neck.

I smiled, my heart speeding up in anticipation. Gods, I loved him. "I could keep at this all morning."

Harald chuckled in my ear. "Can't keep your hands off me, huh?"

I couldn't even deny it. "It seems I can't get enough of you."

"That goes double for me." Harald kissed the base of my neck. "I need you so badly, Brennda." His hands moved up and down my stomach as he began.

Our bodies melded together perfectly as if they belong that way. We found a rhythm where we move in sync, both desperate to please the other. We became lost in each other, and I could no longer tell where I ended and he began. The result was pure ecstasy. Harald held me to him for a long moment longer collapsing on his back.

I climbed onto his chest, completely exhausted. "I love you, Harald," I gasped. I found his face and sloppily kissed his lips. "That was incredible. You are incredible."

Harald cupped my face and kissed me deeply. Then he pulled back and smiled at me. "Words cannot describe how much I love you, Brennda. I can't believe you're mine. I didn't know happiness like this existed... or that I could ever deserve it."

I kissed him once more. "You do deserve love, Harald. And we're perfect for each other. Don't deny we belong together." I lowered my head, nuzzling my face into the crook of his neck.

"I promise I will never leave you," Harald whispered, stroking my hair. "I will always love you, Brennda."

"And I will always love you, my dear, sweet, precious pirate," I whispered back. He wrapped his arms around me and kissed the top of my head. We stayed like that for awhile. His steady heartbeat soothed me as I recovered my energy. If only we could remain here forever.

After some time, Harald shifted to his side, and I looked up into his eyes. "You want to know something, love?" he said. "I have a new wish. No, it's a dream because I'm going to make it come true. I want to spend every night with you and wake up with you in my arms. I want to please you every chance I get. You're all I want and everything I need."

I grinned at him. "That's my dream too. I want to spend every day and every night with you without fear of the repercussions. I never want to leave your side."

Harald lightly kissed my lips. "Then we better get up. We have a lot of work to make it a reality."

Harald led me out of my hut with his hand in mine and Leopold on his shoulder. We found Viggo there waiting for us, and he smirked when he saw us. "Have a nice night?" he said.

I flushed. "Yes, very." I tried to let go of Harald's hand, but he gripped mine tightly.

"It was excellent; thank you for asking," Harald said. "And we had an exciting morning as well."

Viggo's smirk widened. "I hope you didn't tire her out too much."

"Me? She's the wild one. But what do you expect from a Berseker?"

"Can we not talk about this?" I said, blushing madly.

Harald chuckled lightly. "Are you here you see us off?"

Viggo nodded. "And to bring you to Hiccup. He would like to speak to you before you leave."

"Then let's go!" I said. Lingering here did not sound like a good idea.

We found Hiccup outside his hut. He smiled when we approached. "Thank you, Viggo," he said.

"You called?" said Harald.

"I just wanted to thank you for your help the past few days. And tell Stormheart we appreciate her assistance as well."

"I will let her know."

Hiccup hesitated as if he were unsure how to word what he had to say next. "I don't know where things will stand between us after this or what goal Stormheart has in mind, but... we would still prefer peace, if that is in any way attainable."

Harald remained silent for a minute, and his expression grew serious. "I do not know if lasting peace can be achieved, but I do want it as well. It would be preferable to any alternative I can see. And I should thank you for your hospitality. I know you had plenty of reasons not to give it." He paused. "As for where I stand..." He glanced at me and then looked back at Hiccup. "I will dissuade Stormheart from harming dragons as much as possible, and I will help you when I have the opportunity. But you should know there will be times when I need to act against you. I cannot allow Stormheart to doubt my loyalty is to her alone. That is one illusion that must be maintained for the safety of all of us."

"It should be easier now that you're not trying to fool both sides," Viggo said.

Harald gave him a wry smile. "Yes, I suppose so."

"I understand, Harald," Hiccup said. "I don't envy your position. If it every gets too dangerous... we can talk."

Harald dipped his head in understanding. "Thank you, Hiccup." I noticed conflicting emotions in his eyes as he stared at the young chief. "There is one more thing I want to say before I leave. You can let everyone else know too."

"Go ahead."

Harald looked from me, to Viggo, and back to Hiccup. "I'm sorry." The surprised look on Hiccup's face mirrored my own. "I am sorry for all of the harm I have caused you and your friends. I cannot undo what was done, but I can tell you what I have learned so you do not have to make the same mistakes."

Hiccup nodded for him to continue. I was curious to know what he had to say as well. He had led me to believe he felt no concern for anyone on New Berk except for my sake.

"Back at Dragon's Edge, you wanted to know how I could betray you with no remorse. In short, I couldn't. I felt no guilt or regret because I buried it deep in my mind, but it was still there. It is an act of willful self-deception that I have used often. I am able to do what I do without feeling anything because I create the illusion that I am cold and heartless. I have always created illusions to get what I want. As much as I've deceived others, save for one exception, my real target has always been myself. I allowed myself to believe that achieving my goals would bring me happiness. But even if I created the perfect illusion, there would always be something missing. It would never be real. I was fine with that because I thought that was the best I could hope for.

"I'm telling you this because, if you're serious about your plans for dragons and the Hidden World, you will need to practice some form of deception. You cannot achieve something so grandiose without it. At the very least, you wish to lie to the world about the existence of dragons, yes? You want to create an illusion to hide the truth, no different from me. You will also need to find a way to convince everyone - Vikings and dragons - to go along with your plan. If you don't want to use force, you must achieve unanimous consent. You will need to create the illusion that this is a necessity and there are no alternatives.

"It will not be as hard as you think. People are surprisingly easy to deceive if you play into their motivations. People are quick to believe what they want to believe. And if you can convince them to do it out of love, you could deceive yourself as well as them. If you truly wish to part from your dear dragons, you will need to convince yourself it is the only option because you truly love them. You my succeed, but if you don't want to live your life wondering if there was another way, you must maintain the illusion. You'll be able to live in peace, but it won't be real. You will lie to yourself and the world for some greater good. Perhaps you are fine with that, but you should know exactly what you are doing. You are accepting an image of happiness so you do not have to risk losing the real thing."

"This is all assuming he can silence his opposition," I said.

Harald smiled. "Yes, that will not be done easily without force. I used to think there was no point defending the truth because there were too few people who believed in it, but I was wrong. It turns out, a few stubborn people fighting for truth are able to overcome the greatest lies and destroy the best illusions. And that is why you don't stand a chance."

Hiccup stared at him long and hard. "Thank you for your analysis," he said at last. "I will keep that in mind."

"You're welcome." Harald turned to me. "Shall we be off? We have a performance to give."

I grinned. "You've got it."

"Have a safe trip," Hiccup said.

"We will see you later," said Viggo.

"Yes, you will," said Harald.

We quickly found Bolt and took off. The ride was silent and peaceful. There was no need for anxiety, for this time I knew we would see each other again. We were finally on the same page, and that was what allowed me to bring him back to Auction Island.

We were both composed by the time we landed. We started for Stormheart's throne together. Harald nodded at the pirates we passed along the way. And then she came into view. Stormheart watched us with a cold, unreadable expression.

"Welcome back," she said. "I assume your mission was successful?"

"Grimmel has been defeated," Harald declared. "It should be some time before he makes his return."

"Good. Was there any trouble along the way? I did not expect it to take so long." She looked at me as if it were my fault.

"Grimmel poisoned one of Berk's dragons, which set us back a few paces. But with my expertise, we were able to solve the issue."

"Yes, he was very helpful," I added. "Thank you for allowing him to aid us."

Stormheart eyed me as if trying to figure me out. "I am glad it turned out well. Now we can focus on more important matters."

"Which would include not fighting with us?" I gave her a hopeful grin.

Stormheart stared at me. "We shall see. You are dismissed."

Harald started up the incline toward Stormheart. He stopped halfway and looked back at me. "Goodbye, Brennda. It's been a pleasure."

I somehow managed to retain my composure and nodded at him. I glanced at Stormheart once more before turning around. That was nerve-wracking, but I think she bought! Still, Harald and I might need to go over a more precise plan if we wanted this to work.

Harald decided to keep away from me for a couple of weeks so Stormheart would not get suspicious. Once both sides were back in a routine, I invited him to meet me at the School. He arrived at the dock and tied up his ship. Thankfully, there was no one around to ask questions.

"Hi, Harald," I greeted him. "I'm glad-"

He cut me off by kissing me. Of course, I forgot everything I was going to say and kissed him back. He kept his face close to mine after ending the kiss and smiled at me. "I missed you."

I gave him a goofy grin. "I love you."

Harald kissed my cheek. "That too."

"I know someone else who missed you. Come on." I took his hand and led him through the School.

"Don't you think you should get rid of these wanted posters now? I don't want anyone to scream when they see me."

I glanced at the poster of Harald as we passed it. "But it's so nice seeing your face everywhere. I'll protect you if anyone attacks you."

Harald smirked. "Thanks."

"You!"

I sighed. "And it looks like he might." I cautiously approached the angry teenager. "Hey, Cason, what's going on?"

Cason glared at Harald, his arms crossed. "Why did you bring him here?"

"Because she wants me here," Harald said smugly. "Why are you still here?"

"I'm a student here!"

"Cason, didn't Viggo tell you what's going on?" I said.

Cason looked at me with a frown. "Yeah, he told me some sappy love story. I didn't buy it."

Harald narrowed his eyes at him. "Sappy? I don't buy that you're just an innocent victim. You're clearly a spy."

"I'm not a spy! You're the one who shouldn't be trusted!"

"Alright, that's enough," I said. I stepped between the two guys and held my arms out to keep them from getting any closer. "You have both been given a chance, and you will respect that. Got it?"

Cason scoffed and turned away. "You'll be sorry."

"I was thinking the same thing," Harald said.

I grabbed Harald's arm and pulled him away. "Just drop it." Thankfully, he seemed to calm as soon as Cason was out of sight. "Now, be good because Elska wants to see you." We stopped outside of the stables. "Wait here." I went inside and brought out Elska. She was full grown now and sporting a new saddle.

Harald immediately went to her and rubbed her neck. "Hey there, girl. How are you doing?" The Triple Stryke grunted and nuzzled him.

I smiled. "What do you think about trying to ride her?"

Harald looked from Elska to me. He tried to hide it, but I saw a smile twitch on his face. "Can't be harder than riding Bolt, can it?"

"Let's find out!"

Harald's first lesson did not go too bad. Elska seemed to enjoy it. We all met up again a few days later. This time, I had Harald and Elska fly with me and Bolt all the way to New Berk. We made sure to fly high enough to not be spotted by any of Stormheart's ships, of course.

"We made it!" Harald exclaimed as the island came into view. He attempted to land Elska, but he brought her down too quickly. The sudden stop caused him to fly off the dragon and fall onto his back.

"And he nails the landing!" Ruffnut cheered from the sidelines.

"No wonder Leopold rode with Brennda," Tuffnut added.

I hopped off Bolt and ran to Harald's side. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Harald groaned as he sat up.

"Do it again!" Tuff shouted.

Harald glared at him. "At least I made it all the way here!"

"Just ignore them," I said. "They're probably bored." As soon as I helped him to his feet, Leopold flew over to inspect him.

"Yes, I'm alright." He stroked the dragon's back to reassure him.

"Do you want to talk a break? We can fly back later."

Harald nodded. "A break sounds nice."

We left the dragons to rest together and ventured off on New Berk. We walked around the edge, observing the cliffs. I had plenty of time to explore already, but this was all new to Harald.

"You really are trapped here without a dragon," he mused. He stopped on the cliff and peered down. "Hiccup is serious about hiding from the rest of the world."

"Which is funny because he used to be the exact opposite," I said. "He loved exploring, and his dad always wanted him back home."

"Fear does funny things to people."

"If you ask me, we should be going out into the world, sharing our ideas and making allies. You've been all over; what's it like?"

Harald turned around walked back to me. "People are not much different no matter where you go. They have the same basic needs and desires. But, yes, there is much to see and enjoy. There is always an adventure if you want to find it."

I remembered the adventure we had together back when he stayed with us on Dragon's Edge. He did seem to enjoy himself more than usual. He had said sailing brought freedom. "Is that why you left your village?"

Harald tensed ever so slightly, and his expression became guarded. "I was always drawn to exploration, but that is not what prompted me to leave."

I took a deep breath. "Can you tell me about it, please?" I moved in closer to him.

Harald hesitated. "It's not a happy story."

"All the more reason for me to hear it." I grabbed his hand and rubbed my thumb across his fingers. I hoped he would confide in me. I wanted to help him deal with his past.

Harald seemed to relax at me touch. After a minute, he spoke in a slow, steady voice, "I was on my own after my mother died. I tried to earn money by offering to help out the villagers, but everything changed after my step-father betrayed us. No one trusted me because I was associated with him. Everyone became suspicious and guarded. They no longer accepted outsiders, and my ideas were too foreign to them. I was treated as an outcast, but I had no way to leave."

"But you were only a kid, right?"

Harald smiled wryly. "Yes, but it didn't matter. They couldn't get back at my step-father, so they took everything out on me. I had to steal to survive. Eventually, I learned I could use my wit and charm to lie and get what I needed."

"That doesn't sound much different from what I had to do. It was probably much worse for you, but we both did what we had to survive." I had never enjoyed lying and steal, and I wondered if he had reservations as well. "If I didn't have the chance to join the School of Dragons, I would have taken any chance I could to get out of there."

Harald seemed to consider this. "Perhaps... But even if you ran off with pirates, you would not have allowed yourself to change. You would have influenced them."

"That's not-"

Harald squeezed my hand. "It's true. You make the best out of any situation. The difference between us is that you never lost faith while I stopped believing in anything. The only thing I had left was a little bit of hope when my father came back for me. He was impressed with my skills and enticed me to join his crew. I thought he finally wanted to give me a chance, but then I found out he only wanted to use my intelligence to figure out the map." His eyes hardened, and his grip tightened.

I leaned my head against his shoulder and covered his hand with my free one. "I'm sorry. Was it really that bad living with him?"

"Despite what he taught me, I would have done better on my own. He wanted to use my natural abilities but hated them when I applied them in a different context. I could never do anything right by him. At first he thought I was a coward for avoiding violence, and then he said I was too soft. It didn't matter that my way was more effective in the long run. People are more useful when they're alive. I learned to display the image of what he thought a pirate should be, though there was a line I would not cross. He said a crew is supposed to be like a family, but it never felt like that even though we were family. There was no camaraderie, and we did not have each other's back. We were supposed to be free from civil society, but my father's tyrannical ways were worse than a village chief's oppression. I always had a distaste for authority, especially authority founded on fear."

I closed my eyes as I let his words sink in. I could not imagine living like that. "I'm glad you escaped." I opened my eyes and gazed at him. "And you know what? I think you are very strong and courageous for standing up to him."

Harald looked away. "I should have done it sooner. I allowed him to push me into doing terrible things I never wanted to do. I had to block emotions to deal with it."

I brought my hand to his cheek and turned his face so he looked at me. The sorrow I saw in his eyes broke my heart. "Don't you see? That proves your goodness. You had to shut out your emotions because you felt remorse. Someone evil wouldn't regret it and would have allowed everything to change his heart. Instead, you hid your heart away and acted out a role. You have always been the same inside no matter the exterior you put up. I think that's remarkable. You did what you thought you had to because you saw no other way. I want to help you see things differently so you have more choices in the future."

A small smile formed on Harald's face. "You already have." He snaked his arm around my waist and pulled me into his chest. Then he rested his head on mine. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

I held onto him tightly as if I would transfer my feelings that way. "You will never have to find out."

A/N: There will be two more chapters to take care of Curse of the Hobgobbler, and that will wrap up part 3.