"I hope you see things that startle you. I hope you feel things you never felt before. I hope you meet people with a different point of view. I hope you live a life you're proud of. If you find that you're not, I hope you have the strength to start all over again." – Eric Roth

Chapter 22

"You want me to what?" I said incredulously. It was a few days after Heather and Eret arrived on the island, and Nikora had called me to her throne to discuss something important. Harald stood beside her, his face giving nothing away.

"Go on a pirating mission with Harald," Nikora repeated in a calm manner. "I wish to put his skills to use once more, but he will not go without you. And did you not want to learn what it's like to be a pirate?"

I frowned. "Well, yes, but I did not expect it to be like this. It's not that I don't think I can do it, but..." I hesitated, unsure of how to describe my apprehension without offending her. "Stealing is something I try to avoid."

"You've been on a mission with me once before," Harald said. "You were just fine."

"That was different."

Harald's eyebrows lifted. "Was it? It seems to me you have no problem stealing if it is for a just cause."

"Well, yeah, I guess not."

"Our targets are not random but carefully chosen," Nikora explained. "Everyone here has the ability to choose the missions that meet their personal preferences. Some of the missions certainly meet your standards."

"Exactly," said Harald. "So, the question is, do you trust me?"

I looked into Harald's eyes and gradually relaxed. Did I trust him to choose a mission that would not require me to act against my morals? "Yes, I trust you. I will do it."

Harald smiled. "Good. We will leave as soon as you are ready."

A few minutes later, Harald and I stepped onto his ship while his men boarded their own vessels. Ruffrunner noticed what we were doing and jumped onto the deck beside me. I smiled at him. "Do you want to be a pirate?"

"He certainly does," Harald said, seeming happy about it. "He may come along if he behaves." Leopold flew from his shoulder and started chattering to the Night Light.

"So, who exactly are we targeting?"

Harald smirked. "You'll find out soon enough, love."

"Okay..." I decided to allow him to enjoy this small amount of control - and proof of my trust. The ships set sail with ours in the lead. I noted Harald used his white sail, and the other pirate ships sported the same color. "What's with the white sails?"

"That is a clever tactic to lure in our prey. With white sails, they do not know we are pirates. We switch them when we close in on them."

"That makes sense, but why bother switching?"

Harald grinned wickedly. "Because we want them to know exactly who we are."

I did not quite understand, but I went with it. A comfortable silence passed between us as we moved through the water. I admired Harald's confidence and poise. He truly loved sailing. It must have felt good to be back out here after remaining on land for so long.

Eventually, I spotted a ship in the distance. "That appears to be our target," Harald said. "Follow my lead. We will board their ship and threaten them with our weapons. This probably goes without saying, but do not strike except to defend. When they surrender, take anything that appears to be of value."

I nodded. "Okay. Got it." My heartbeat quickened with anticipation, and I took deep breaths to calm myself.

"You two, stay low," Harald said to the dragons. He then focused on steering the ship right to our target. The other pirate ships spread out and formed a semi-circle. When we were close enough, I recognized the markings on the men on the ship.

"They're dragon trappers," I gasped.

Harald smirked. "That's right. You don't have a problem stealing from them, do you?"

"Not at all!"

Harald signaled to the dragon trappers, and they allowed him to get close. At the last second, he pulled down his white sail and raised his black one. The other ships were in position by now, and it was too late for our target. We climbed onto the trappers' ship and withdrew our swords.

It was a short battle. The dragon trappers did not put up much of a resistance, especially when Ruffrunner and Leopold started shooting at them. Harald had the men huddle in a corner and set Morvin to watch them. The rest of us took everything we could carry back to our own ships. Besides typical tools of the trade, the trappers also had grain stored that we seized. Soon enough, we were on our way once again.

"What did you think?" Harald said when we were on open water. He stood proudly as he waited for my reaction.

"That was actually kind of fun," I admitted. "I could get used to it."

Harald smiled. "Good. And we're not done yet."

"Oh? Are we attacking another ship?" It did not appear to me we had enough room for more stolen goods.

"Not quite. We are going to an a village to trade."

"Trade?" I did remember him telling me pirates traded in addition to stealing, but I did not understand it. "Why?"

"There are several reasons. We can't get everything we want by stealing. Sometimes trade is the most efficient method. And it helps to have allies as well as enemies for self-protection. Like our targets, trading partners are carefully chosen, of course."

I wondered what kind of people traded with pirates. My first instinct was to assume they were scoundrels, but those seemed to be the type of people they stole from. Soon, an island came into view. I could just make out a village littered across the landscape. There were men, women, and children going about their daily business.

"They look pretty normal," I noted. I glanced at the black sail. "Do they-?"

"Yes, they know we are pirates," Harald said, appearing amused.

"And they don't mind?"

"Why should they? We've never threatened them or stolen from them. They are a poor village that has difficulty protecting themselves. We could attack them for what little they have, but they would perish and the relationship would end there. Instead, we trade with them, increasing wealth on both sides. They appreciate us because we help them survive. Also, if we hear of anyone attacking them, they become our next target."

"Wow. There's a lot more that goes into this than I thought. It's quite impressive."

Harald smiled. "Thank you. I'm glad you think so."

The villagers were there two greet us when we docked. Many of them appeared quite enthusiastic to see us. We unloaded our cargo while the villagers brought out their own goods. Harald left me to negotiate with their chief.

"Excuse me," said a small voice. "Is that a dragon?" I glanced down at a little girl, who stared in awe at Ruffrunner. "He's cute!"

I briefly wondered why she was not afraid of dragons. Then I caught sight of Leopold on Harald's shoulder and understood. "Yes, he is. His name is Ruffrunner."

"Hello, Ruffrunner." At the sound of his name, the Night Light scampered over to the girl, who giggled as she pet him. "Can he help me with something?"

"Sure. What is it?"

The girl led us to a tall tree and pointed to an object stuck in the leaves. "My brother threw my toy up there and won't get it for me."

"That's not very nice. Ruffrunner, will you retrieve it? And be gentle."

Ruffrunner yipped and flew off. He carefully grabbed onto the toy and brought it down to the girl. She cheered and hugged the little dragon. "Thank you!"

I smiled. "It was our pleasure."

After that, several of the adults asked for our help with tasks that would be difficult without a dragon. They even gave me some coin, which I proudly handed over to Harald as we sailed back to Auction Island.

"How did you get this?" Harald said incredulously.

"The villagers gave it to me because Ruffrunner helped them out with some chores," I replied. "You can trade a service, right? And it gave them a positive impression of dragons."

Harald chuckled lightly. "Of course you used this as an opportunity to further your own goals. That is how a pirate would think. You're a natural at this."

I smiled brightly. "Thanks! But I couldn't have done it if you hadn't lay the groundwork for me." I nodded at Leopold. "They were already used to dragons because of him."

"Huh. I hadn't even thought about that."

I smirked. "You are a natural advocate for dragons." I paused. "So, are you finally going to admit it?"

Harald quirked an eyebrow. "Admit what?"

"That our ways of life are compatible. We can be both pirates and dragon riders who protect dragons. You once said it was impossible."

"And I also said I hoped I was wrong." Harald smiled fondly at me. "I am glad I was wrong. You're amazing for figuring out how to entwine our paths."

"I had to do it." I moved in close to him and placed my hands on his chest. "You love being a pirate, and I love seeing you happy. Besides..." My arms snaked around his neck. "You're very hot when you act like a pirate."

Harald's eyes suddenly flashed with desire. He placed his hands on my waist and pulled me to him. "If I didn't have to steer this ship, I'd show you exactly what you acting like a pirate does to me."

I smirked in satisfaction. "Then this will have to do for now." I pushed my fingers into his hair and brought his head down for a long, heated kiss. He growled in protest when I pulled away, and I smiled coyly at him. "We'll finished later. I do look forward to it." I entangled myself from him and moved to the side of the ship with the dragons to not tempt him. His expression was priceless.

A couple days after my first pirating mission, I was sent on a second. Apparently, there was even more I had to learn. This time, we would be raiding a village instead of a ship. Harald's men had been keeping an eye on it and found this to be the optimum time to strike. I felt apprehensive again, but I trusted it would turn out well like the first mission.

"This isn't going to be like the last raid you witnessed," Harald said with a serious expression as we sailed on the ocean. "The one I wanted you to watch."

"Oh," I mumbled. I had not even thought about that day, but the image made my nervousness worse.

"That wasn't normal for us. I was trying to scare you. We're not usually so... reckless and violent."

The pained expression on his face helped ease my own emotions. "Then what is it normally like?"

"It's more like what you witnessed the other day. We carefully pick targets that will benefit us."

Something suddenly occurred to me. "If you trade with normal, poorer villages..."

Harald nodded. "We usually don't target the innocent unless we have an explicit reason. But that doesn't mean we only attack villages full of ruffians. Many times, villages are ruled by corrupt leaders who oppress their people. Pirates hate that since many of us came from such villages. It is the leaders we target and steal from. Sometimes we overthrow the leaders and establish trade with the villagers. Other times we invite the villagers to join us. It is our main source of new recruits."

I could not help but smile. "It sounds almost heroic when you put it that way."

Harald shrugged. "It's practical. Vikings who owe a debt to us are the most loyal - whether as trading partners or pirates."

"Still, you said you hate oppressors because you have felt repressed. Rationalize it all you want, but that sounds like empathy to me. Pirates do have a sense of justice even if it doesn't fit into the norm."

Harald stared hard at me. "Are you trying to assign altruistic motives to pirates?"

"I'm just calling it like I see it. If even the noblest do-gooder can have some hidden selfish motives, why can't pirates have some good ones? People are complicated, right? They're a mix of good and evil."

"I suppose that is right. I just never thought about it like that."

I smiled. "That's why you have me around."

Harald smiled at me in return. "One of the reasons."

I was glad I was able to improve his mood so quickly. The rest of the trip was rather pleasant. Leopold and Ruffrunner had joined us again, and they appeared quite excited. When we neared the target island, Harald explained we would enter the village and request to speak to their chief about trade. Then the other pirates would attack. We were to avoid assaulting villagers if they appeared innocent.

The plan started off smoothly. The chief was a big, burly man with a mean face. He seemed receptive to our talk of trade, but then he looked from Leopold to Ruffrunner suspiciously. "Why do you have dragons?" he said gruffly.

"They are our subordinates," said Harald. "Dragons are quite useful if you know how to control them. Now, let me show you our peace offering." He set a chest before the man and backed away.

The chief and his officers circled around the chest to get a look. As soon as their backs were turned, Harald gave the order to attack. Pirates jumped out of nowhere, swords drawn. Our opponents immediately struck back, and a battle ensued.

It was chaos at first with fighting and looting intermingled. The villagers stayed back out of fear. Once everything appeared to be under control, Harald grabbed my hand and pulled me deeper into the village, our dragons trailing behind us. "There's a reason we targeted this village," he said. "There should be a building where they are keeping women locked up."

"But why would they-" I understood when I saw Harald's expression. "Oh."

Harald did not stop running until a large, rectangular structure came into view. The guards fled when we brandished our swords, and we slipped inside. I gasped at the scene before me. Girls of various ages, including one who could not be older than eight, were locked behind bars like common criminals. They huddled together when they saw us.

"We're not going to hurt you," Harald said. "We're here to set you free."

I attempted to cut the bars with my sword and my axe, but nothing worked. The girls still appeared afraid, but they did not try to stop us. They looked worn and abused. It made me sick to think they would probably not defend themselves if we tried to do something to them. The anger on Harald's face told me he felt the same way.

"Everyone, stand back," he said sharply. Eyes wide, the women shuffled to the back right side of the cage. "Ruffrunner, blast the bars!"

The little dragon excitedly bounded forward. He let loose a plasma blast, which bent two bars. A few more blasts created a hole big enough for the women to escape. Harald urged them to follow us as we ran out of the building.

"Why are you doing this?" said a woman in her 30's. "Aren't you pirates?"

"Our leader is a powerful woman," Harald replied, "and she does not take lightly to the mistreatment of females."

This answer seemed to satisfy them. We passed through the center of the village, and Harald signaled for his men to retreat. Everyone started for the ships. When the soldiers realized we were taking their woman, they bolted after us.

Hearing the little girl cry out, I looked over my shoulder to see she had tripped. Before she could take off again, one of the soldiers grasped her by her shoulders and held her back. Harald's eyes narrowed at the scene. "Make sure the others get to the ships," he said to me before running to the girl.

I did not want to leave him in danger, but I had to look after the women. Thankfully, no one else caught up to us by the time we reached the docks. The other pirates directed the girls into the ships evenly. I hopped onto Harald's ship with Ruffrunner and two women. My heart hammered while I waited for his return.

Finally, I spotted Harald striding toward us, the little girl in his arms. I let out a breath of relief. Once in the ship, he set the girl down and started to sail. I leaned against the side of the ship and breathed deeply. That was certainly an adventure!

I looked at Harald with a lopsided smile. "Don't even try to tell me that wasn't heroic."

Harald looked at each of the girls and then back at me. With a small smile, he dipped his head in acknowledgement. I took this as a sign of progress.

When we arrived at Auction Island, we escorted the women to Nikora. Harald explained the situation while the others unloaded the cargo. Nikora instructed Morvin and Heather to bring the girls to the village. Then she asked me to follow her to her throne.

"What is going to happen to them?" I said as we walked.

"We will find a place for them here," she replied. "Some may become pirates while others will pick up a useful trade. Do not worry about them. They are resilient to have made it this far. They are survivors now, not victims."

I nodded in understanding.

"Tell me, what do you think of your missions so far?"

"They've been great. They're different than I imagined they would be but in a good way. And they are kind of fun. They are a good use of my skills, and I can see great potential." I paused to collect my thoughts. "I think it doesn't matter if selfish intentions are part of the mix as long as good is being done, which I see happening here." Perhaps that was Hiccup's problem. He wanted people to do good for the sake of good, but that was not realistic. No wonder he gave up so quickly.

Nikora stopped at the top of the hill and turned to face me. "Does that mean you would like to continue?"

I smiled. "Definitely. If you will have me."

Nikora nodded. "I am pleased with your work so far and would like you to continue." She reached down and pulled something out of a bag. "If you truly want to be one of us, you should take this."

I took the object from her. It was a light blue bandanna with her white insignia on it. "Thank you!" I tied it in the back and placed it on my head like I had seen other pirates wear them.

A hint of a smile ghosted Nikora's face. "Good. Go show Harald. I am sure he will appreciate it."

I thought that was a good idea, so I ran all the way down the hill. I came across Harald talking to Viggo and Eret. He stopped mid-sentence when he saw me, his eyes going wide.

"Hey, Harald," I said with a smile. "What do you think?"

Harald marched up to me, grabbed my hand, and pulled me away. "We're going home. Now."

I laughed. "But I want to talk to them." I looked back to see Eret and Viggo snickering.

"No. Do not make me carry you!"

As soon as we were inside Harald's room, I beat him to the punch by grabbing his shirt and kissing him roughly. He growled in satisfaction and reciprocated. "I love it when you act heroic," I purred, trailing my hands down his chest.

"I love it when you act like a pirate," Harald responded. He kissed me hard while we worked on taking off each other's outer layers.

While he was distracted, I managed to push him down onto the bed and climb on top of him, straddling his waist with my hands on either side of his face. He gazed up at me with a mixture of admiration and lust. I smirked. "You really have a thing for pirates, huh?"

Harald smiled. "Only when it's you."

I was not quite sure whether to take him seriously. "Come on, weren't there other pirate girls you went after?"

"No," he said emphatically. "Only you. Not even for fun."

"It's okay if you did. It doesn't really matter it's in the past. I just-"

"Brennda!" Harald reached up and touched the side of my face. "I regret many things, but this is not one of them. I always strove to not be controlled by my base desires. There needed to be meaning. And all the girls I came across... None of them really knew me, so anything I did with them would be worthless. You're the only one I've wanted like this."

His sincerity finally broke through my doubts, and I smiled. "Good. You're the only one I've wanted too." I leaned down to kiss him, but he suddenly used his strength to flip our positions so he was on top.

"Everything I am is yours," Harald said softly, stopping my resistance before it began. "And you are mine."

I decided he had earned the right to be in control this time, so I allowed him to kiss me. It started off tenderly, but then it quickly grew heated. I let him remain dominant while responding to his passion in equal measure, just the way it should be.

A/N: It took me way too long to realize Harald switches his white sail for a black one when he reveals he's a pirate in the game...