"We do not have to become heroes overnight. Just a step at a time, meeting each thing that comes up ... discovering we have the strength to stare it down." - Eleanor Roosevelt

Chapter 4

I awoke feeling very dizzy and disoriented. The past hour seemed like a dream. I felt the gentle rocking of a boat. I was on the water. Peeling my eyes open, I saw Bolt staring down at me. I tried to piece together what happened. My head hurt. I must have hit it when I passed out from the fog. And then...

"Harald?" I said in a weak voice. When I tried to sit up, Eret was immediately by my side.

"It's just me," he said, though something seemed off.

I allowed him to help me to my feet. Now I could see we sailed away from the fog and towards the School. "Harald's not here?" I could have sworn I saw him...

"If we was, would I have let him escape?"

I frowned. "It must have been a dream." I tried to hide the disappointment in my voice. Someone had saved me though. "Did you help me out back there, Eret?"

"Who else could it have been?"

I found his evasive responses strange, but my head hurt too much to think about it. "Well, thank you. I guess I got ahead of myself out there."

Eret nodded. "From now on, whatever we do, we'll do it together, alright?"

I gave him a small smile. "Yeah, that sounds good to me." My pride was not worth endangering my life.

We returned to the School and met up with Heather, explaining everything that happened. She apologized for sending me out there and letting me get sick.

"It's probably a good idea for all of us to steer clear of that fog until we figure out a solution," she said. "Please give me whatever samples you managed to get."

I searched my bag and was relieved to find the gas canister. I handed it to Heather, who brightened upon seeing it.

"Yes! It's full! You did very well. I hope we can answer some of our questions with this fog sample. I'll get the spectrometer ready for you."

The two of us used the spectrometer to analyze the gas sample. It turned out to be made of sulfur and oxygen, otherwise known as sulfur dioxide.

"No wonder our Vikings were falling ill," Heather said. "It's a dangerous chemical that can result in difficulty breathing or even death. It usually comes out of volcanoes, but there aren't any active volcanoes this close to the School."

"Could it be a very large volcano far from the School?" Eret said.

Heather frowned. "Maybe. Anyway, we need to tell Hiccup about the discovery. Please let him know - and please come back to me when you have time. I have some exciting ideas that we can explore with the spectrometer!"

"Brennda has had enough excitement for today," Eret said. "We'll stop by tomorrow."

Heather nodded. "Thank you."

Luckily, Hiccup was still at the School. Eret and I quickly explained what we had found and asked for his opinion.

"There are a few volcanoes in the archipelago, but they're not so large that they could blanket the entire ocean with sulfur dioxide," he said. "This discovery only raises more questions! We need more information."

"We need a way to stay safe in the fog," Eret said. "Brennda passed out today."

"That will be our top priority," Hiccup. "We'll start tomorrow. Brennda, you should get some rest."

"Alright," I said. "I'll see you guys tomorrow."

I was relieved to finally call it a day. It had been a long one!

The following morning, Hiccup decided we needed to take a break from our investigations and engage in a bit of fun. He and Heather were eager to further try out their spectrometer. Heather thought it would be neat to analyze the fireballs of our dragons, so we gathered them up and brought them to the wilderness.

It did turn out to be pretty fun. We learned a lot, and Fishlegs excitedly recorded it all in the Book of Dragons. Afterwards, it was time to get back to our fog problem. I sent Eret to check on Skulder at Dragon's Edge while I met Heather back at the lab.

"So, we know that it's sulfur dioxide gas that is making everyone sick," Heather said. "Your clothes still smell like rotten eggs! We can't get rid of the sulfur dioxide, so we'll need to figure out a way to go into the fog and breathe without getting sick. Maybe we can update the design of the mask? Hiccup might have a good idea."

"Ahh... did I hear my favorite phrase, 'the vile stench of rotten eggs'?" said Tuffnut as he sauntered over to us. "Sorry bro, ah Hiccup, but the Thornston twins are experts at creating stench wrenching stink bombs, AND we know how to filter stink from the air with our extensive research. I got this!" He turned to me. "Brennda, come join me at my secret testing grounds!"

I looked at Heather, who shrugged. "They do know their stenches," she said.

So, I followed Tuffnut through the school. "We've tested over 450 different materials to keep the stench out!" he said as we walked. First, we tried water as a filter. Pro tip: don't try to breathe water! I almost drowned."

I blinked. "Uh... thanks for that."

"So Ruff tried a mud mask over her face and nose. She passed out but her skin was positively glowing!" He stopped at a small cave near the lake where his sister awaited us.

"Cool, someone new to experiment on..." Ruffnut said. "Ah, I meant with."

"I need to be able to breath in the smell of the fog," I said.

"Then you've come to the right people. We take pride in our ant-stench solutions! Here's our latest." She held up a piece of charcoal.

Tuff frowned. "Geez, spoilers Ruffnut! Let me finish my spiel. We couldn't see through the boar's bladder... chrysanthemums tasted awful... then there was the infamous Yak incident! Finally, the one that worked was experiment #451- charcoal lumps, stuffed up the nose of course! We get some odd looks from Vikings, but we're used to that. Take this charcoal back to Hiccup and tell him it works better than 450 other things."

I chuckled at his story. He sure was something else. "Thanks," I said as I accepted the charcoal to Ruff. I found Hiccup near the main part of the School and gave him the gist of Tuff's story.

"Well, charcoal is very porous, so maybe the twins are on to something," he said. "We'll need to cover up the nose and the mouth to filter the toxic gas, so we'll make some sort of a breather mask. We're going to need to get more charcoal, a canister from Gobber, and a hose from Heather. I'll do more research while you gather these components!"

We set off in opposite directions. I collected everything as fast as possible and brought them to the school. Hiccup returned a few minutes later with a design for a mask. I gave him the materials, and he made a prototype.

"A charcoal filter works a lot like a sponge," he said. "It soaks up impurities- the sulfur dioxide gas- in the substance that is being filtered- the air we breathe. The gas adheres to the surface of the charcoal in a process called adsorption. This mask should keep us from getting sick from the gas because it'll keep out the toxins in the air!"

"Looks good!" I said with a grin as I examined the mask.

"It's still just a prototype, so we should test it in a safe location before going back out to the fog. And, well, terrible smells are the twins' specialty." He smiled apologetically. "Can you meet Tuffnut and see if you could test the mask with some of their special stink bombs? Just... please do it someplace away far away from everything else."

I smirked at his uneasy expression. "I'll do my best."

I returned to the twins and showed them the mask. They suggested we test it out at the clubhouse at Dragon's Edge. They gathered their stink bombs, and we set out.

"I like having someone else as a stink test dummy!" Ruff said when we arrived. "Okay, you stand in the middle of the room with your mask on. We are really going to get a good stench on you to see if the mask works. Heh heh. I love my job. "

I smirked and rolled my eyes. I placed the mask securely around my face and then moved to the center of the room. Ruff and Tuff grinned evilly a they threw stink bombs at me I instinctively braced myself, but I did not smell a thing. "It worked!"

Just then, Snotlout entered the clubhouse. He opened his mouth to say something, but then he fainted from the stench. The twins and I burst out laughing.

"Yes!" Ruff cheered. "The mask works and Snotlout gets Loki'd? Double plus!"

"I'll make sure he's okay." I walked over to Snotlout and peered down at him. "You alright there?"

Snotlout groaned. "Oh Thor... it smells worse than the inside of my father's boots! How is this possible? I only came in here to tell you Fishlegs is looking for you. This is what I get for trying to help others!"

I gave him a sympathetic smile. "Sorry about that. Thanks for the message." I took off the mask and stashed it in my bag. Then I left the clubhouse and found Fishlegs waiting for me down below.

"Hi, Brennda!" he said. "What were you doing in there with the twins?" He paused. "On second thought, I don't need to know."

I smirked. "It's probably for the best. Anyway, Snotlout said you needed me for something?"

"Yes! Valka and Hiccup want to talk to you. Ooh, I bet it's a cool dragon thing. You have to share with me if she tells you any dragon secrets okay? They're waiting for you on the other side of Dragon's Edge!"

I grinned. "Thanks for letting me know!" I knew the island well now, and I easily jogged to the other side. I stopped at the sight before me. Valka stood in front of a Singetail... the Singetail I saved at Auction Island. Hiccup watched off to the side.

Valka smiled when she saw me. "I'm so glad you saved this Singetail from the dragon hunters. Like Hiccup, you have the heart of a hero and the soul of a dragon."

"Oh, uh, thank you."

"The Singetail has been through so much pain, the poor dear. Not many dragons survive being trapped by those dragon hunters... but his soul is bright as ever! It has so many secrets that it hasn't discovered..." She pet the Singetail's head, and he fired from his tail. "Oh ho, little one, how wonderful! Singetails are incredibly intelligent pack dragons. They may travel alone, but they will always come back together to hunt. They can light fires using their tails to send signals to other Singetails, and they always come to help from miles around!"

Hiccup frowned. "More Singetails? That could be bad! Spitelout nearly got roasted by some Singetails when he encroached on their territory. Brennda, can you go to the edge of the cliff to look out for incoming dragons?"

I scurried to the edge and peered out at the horizon. "Yeah... there are a lot of Singetails coming. And they look upset."

"Oh boy... I think they got the wrong idea!"

The Singetails landed on Dragon's Edge. I froze as I watched them look around warily.

"It's okay, they're only here to protect their own," Valka said. "Come back here, Brennda, but slowly! They need to see you aren't trying to hurt the Singetail."

I held my breath as I slowly inched back to Hiccup and Valka. I faced the Singetail I saved. Soon, all dragon eyes were on me.

"Good, good," Valka said. "They know you're not afraid and they are watching to see how this one reacts. That will be the real test. Now focus completely on this one. The dragon needs to know that you are here for it. Quiet your spirit... feel the trust in your heart. Yes, look the Singetail in the eye. It will meet your gaze and respond in kind. Then when you're both ready, touch the dragon's head."

I felt surprisingly calm as I looked the Singetail in the eye. He was not afraid of me. I had saved him. I smiled at him. "It's going to be alright now. We're friends." I lifted my hand and slowly pat his head. When I pulled away, the other Singetails fired into the air. Then they took off and left the island. I let out a breath of relief.

"We don't have anything to fear from the other Singetails," Valka said. "They are intelligent, graceful and trusting creatures. They can see that you are a good dragon rider! Take good care of your Singetail and it will take care of you."

I smiled and rubbed the Singetail's head. "Yes, I am sure of it."

"Now, it is time to get to the bottom of the mysteries surrounding us. You'll be well equipped for it, with your trusty Singetail by your side. Astrid will help you get to the bottom of this."

I nodded. "Thank you. Both of you."

"Oh, I forgot to ask," Hiccup said. "How did the mask work out?"

"It was a huge success!"

He grinned. "Great! I'll get to work on making more while you're gone."

The Singetail followed me back to the base. I introduced him to Bolt and left the two alone. Then I met up with Astrid outside of her hut.

"I'm glad you're here," she said. "I need your help if we want to catch that thieving Harald. I have some clues, but I don't know where to go from here."

I grinned. Finally, we could get back to Harald! "What have you figured out?"

"Harald has some no-good tricks up his sleeves! Stormfly and I caught up to him when he finally showed up at Hobblegrunt Island, but he was able to distract us and slip away into the fog. Ugh!"

I shrugged. "Sounds about right."

"After he disappeared, I backtracked to the spot with the 'X' on the map and found this locked chest." She motioned to the chest by her feet. "Can you figure out how to break the lock?"

"I'll give it a try." I knelt on the ground and examined the lock. It looked like another cryptex. Soon enough, I had it solved. I opened the lid of the chest, revealing a note inside.

Astrid brightened. "Ooh! Great job. Now, what could Harald possibly leave behind for his contact at Auction Island? I wonder if it holds some new instructions. Pick up the note and see what it says."

I picked up the note and smoothed it out. Then I cleared my throat before reading: "'Gather all the rich buyers for the next auction, you old rascal, and I'll make sure you get paid. I'm bringing more of the enchanted bones for you.'" I lowered the paper. "You know, he has the most interesting notes."

Astrid groaned. "What?! I don't know what sort of scam Harald is running, but one thing is for sure: he's going to hurt some dragons to make some money."

I hesitated. "I don't know if I'd jump to that conclusion. I mean, he never actually hurt any dragons in the past..." And something told me he wouldn't.

Astrid placed her hands on her hips. "Brennda..."

I frowned. "You want black and white thinking. Right, sorry."

She rolled her eyes. "Anyway, we need to stop him right find Eret and set sail. I'll follow on Stormfly like yesterday."

I nodded. After changing into my dragon hunter disguise, I set off to look for my friend. I knew Eret had to be somewhere on the island. I did not have to search long before finding him talking to Skulder near the docks. He smiled at me when I approached.

"Hey Brennda," he said. "How's your work on the fog coming along?"

"Excellent," I said. "The twins actually helped me figure out the right materials to use, and Hiccup made a mask that worked surprisingly well. We'll be ready next time to face that fog!"

"Good," Skulder said. "I hope we can find its source and put a stop to it."

"Me too."

"I'm sorry to hear you fell ill yesterday. Thankfully, Eret was there for you. It sounded quite heroic!"

Eret rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "It was nothing."

I shook my head. "No, I'm grateful. Anyway, Astrid has us searching for Harald again."

"Oh, I heard about that too," Skulder said with spite in his voice. "What is he up to now?"

"That's what we're trying to find out. Astrid found this on Hobblegrunt Island." I handed Eret the note. His eyes scanned it while Skulder read over his shoulder. "We need to return to Auction Island and give that to Harald's contact."

Eret frowned. "Back there again? I warn you, we'll need to be on our best behavior this time around, since a Singetail mysteriously found its way out of its cage the last time my ship showed her face at Auction Island."

"But that dragon hunter liked the bones I gave him. We'll be fine."

"One moment, if you will!" Skulder said before we could take off. "Would you mind if I came along for your trip to Auction Island?"

I looked at him in surprise. "Really? It's not a place you should casually walk into."

"I know it's a little out of the ordinary for me to go. I want to know exactly what 'magic' there could be in the bones. I'm a man of science and I don't believe his claims!"

I glanced at Eret, who shrugged. "Well, you can come, but it will be dangerous..."

Skulder did not appear worried in the least. "I will be alright if you two are there. Also, I have a grudge against Harald to settle. He locked me in a cage to rot! If you hadn't been there to..." He stopped himself when he met my uneasy gaze. "Ahem. Forgive me."

"It's fine. I still think it's my fault he knew where to find you to lock you in that case."

"Not this again," Skulder huffed. "Everything was his fault, not yours. You didn't know who he was, and I know you would have nothing to do with him now that you do know."

I chuckled nervously. "No, uh, of course not..." Out of everyone, perhaps it was Skulder who I did not want to know the truth. I had the feeling he would take it as betrayal if he knew how I still felt about Harald.

"I think it's time we get on our way!" Eret said loudly, probably in an effort to diffuse the tension.

I smiled at him gratefully and followed him to his boat. Then I got to thinking about what would happen if Skulder was there when we found Harald. It could not be good. Maybe I should have found an excuse for him to stay behind after all. The last thing I wanted was to have to prove my trustworthiness to my friends all over again.