"If I had to run
If I had to crawl
If I had to swim a hundred rivers
Just to climb a thousand walls
Always know that I would find a way
To get to where you are
There's no place that far"

- "No Place That Far" by Sara Evans

Chapter 6

I instructed Bolt to fly in circles nearby Auction Island while I searched for Skulder. I did find him near the trading center... in a cage. I walked up to him and looked on in dismay. What had he gotten himself into now?

"Brennda!" he exclaimed. "Thank Odin you're here. It is so wonderful to see a friendly face. I'm afraid I've found myself in a very dangerous scrape. Perhaps you can make my captors see reason?"

I crossed my arms and frowned. "Make dragon hunters see reason? Yeah, I kind of doubt that. What happened?"

"I was examining four dragon fossils at the stand and figuring out how to prove that they weren't stone dragons when I was accosted by someone. I woke up a few hours later and the fossils were gone. Now all these vile traders think that I stole them, and I have this rather painful bump on my head."

I shook my head in disbelief. "Skulder, why did you come here alone? This place is dangerous for me, let alone you. This was very reckless."

"I know, but... I had to do it. Archaeology is my life. I could not just stand by without acting on something I love. This was something I had to do." His eyes implored me to understand.

I dipped my head in acknowledgement. "I get it. You wouldn't be you if you didn't do it, right?"

He gave me a tentative smile. "Exactly. Now, could you speak with that storekeeper and explain that I'm not capable of this kind of thievery?"

I held in a sigh. "I'll give it a shot." It was only then I realized I was not wearing my disguise. I did have the necklace on, so maybe the hunters would think I was off duty. I confidently walked up to the shifty storekeeper's stall. "Hey, my friend there is accused of something he didn't do." He pointed my thumb in the direction of the cage. "Can we talk about it?"

The storekeeper frowned. "I heard the outsider's excuses, and I'm not buying it. This thief is guilty until proven innocent. We'll hold him here in a cage and pelt him with fruit until he either dies or returns what he stole. It's a new law for Auction Island, but everyone is on board for it... especially the fruit vendors!"

I pursed my lips. "I bet. Thanks, I guess."

It looked like I would have to prove Skulder's innocence. I wandered over to the stand where he said he was knocked out. I found a dragon hunter helmet and picked it up. Was this evidence?

"You!" a voice said from behind me. I turned around to see the dragon trapper who caged the Singetial watching me. "Yes, you! I can see you snooping around. Let's talk about this awful situation and see if we can come to an understanding."

Somehow, I doubted this would work out. Still, I had to see what I could get from this guy. I strode right up to him and held out the helmet. "You're the one who stole the fossils, aren't you? And then you framed Skulder."

"Your archaeologist friend freed my rare Singetail!" the dragon trader exclaimed. "I have to pay for a ship and crew, and that dragon would've been a gold mine. I had to find a way to pay him back and get my money... and I struck on a brilliant idea. Those stone dragon pieces are proof of the power of the Red Dragon bones. A dragon hunter would sell me the yak-shirt off of his back for even a piece of that magic. I won't admit taking it... and you can't prove it."

I raised my eyebrows. "You wanna bet?"

"Look, I don't want any trouble. Let's make a deal. If you walk away, you can get a great windfall from the profits. I know you'll make the right choice."

"Yeah, I'll think about it." I rolled my eyes and returned to the storekeeper. "Listen, that dragon trader over there is the real culprit. I found his helmet near the stand."

"I'm sorry but this doesn't prove anything," the storekeeper said. "That helmet is in style right now and all the fashionable dragon hunters have it."

I blinked. "Fashionable..."

"Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to find some good rotten fruit to throw."

Wow, these guys were really something else. Perhaps the only was to free Skulder was to steal back the stolen fossils. As I searched for the dragon hunter's ship, I reminded myself that this was all Harad's fault. He was going to get it later.

I found the ship docked in the back harbor. I managed to sneak on board and find the four fossils. Then I left without ever being seen. I hid my grin as I returned to the storekeeper and triumphantly presented him the prize.

"This is an outrage!" the storekeeper exclaimed. "That scoundrel looked me in the eyes and told me that he didn't know who stole my stone dragons. I won't let him get away with this! I'll have to gather a rotten fruit posse. Oh- your friend is free to go. Let him know that there are no hard feelings, yeah?"

I rolled my eyes. "Right." I watched as he made his way over to the cage and opened it for Skulder. My friend immediately ran to my side.

"Thank you for getting me out of one of the worst cages that I've found myself in," he said. "It's rather annoying that I have so many others to compare it to! I don't understand these dragon traders. I spoke to them about all their fossils and explained their importance, but they don't believe me. I think they've had one too many axes to the helmet, if you know what I mean."

I chuckled. "You've never been around dragon hunters, have you? I told you they're bad news."

Skulder nodded. "Quite right. Let's get out of here. Say, was there a reason you came here looking for me?"

"Oh, yes." In all the excitement, I forgot about my mission. "We made it to Dragon Island, and there's something weird going on near the volcano that we'd like you to examine. Some sort of geological feature."

"I would be happy to help."

"Then let's go. Bolt is waiting for us."

We stopped when three dragon hunters blocked our way, led by that dragon trader. Skulder glared at them. "Get out of our way, you ignorant swine!" he said.

The dragon trader laughed menacingly. "There's no way out, you meddler. I might have no merchandise and no gold, but I'll have sweet revenge!"

"Yeah!" said a dragon hunter. Then he frowned. "Wait... What? There isn't any gold? You swore you'd pay us this time."

"Don't worry! You'll get all the gold you need once I sell that Singetail. I promise."

Ah, I caught the dragon trader in a lie. This was going to be good. "Oh, really? Weren't you complaining to me earlier that the Singetail escaped?"

The dragon trader paled. "Uh..."

The second dragon hunter turned on him. "Where's the vacation you promised us last month? We can't work under these conditions. You've cheated us for the last time!"

While the hunters argued, Skulder and I slipped away. "I guess: once a cheater, always a cheater," Skulder said. "I don't have the words to express my gratitude, Brennda. You do know what you're doing with these guys."

I smirked. "I've had some practice."

"What a terrible town. I need to put this place as far behind me as possible. Let's go to Dragon Island!"

We got to the docks, and I called Bolt. I looked at Skulder, who nodded in determination. This was his first time riding Bolt, but I could not afford to have him slow down. Skulder's arms were tight around me as we took off. When we reached Dragon Island, however, his fascination overtook his fear.

"This island is more impressive than I imagined," he said. "It's magnificent!"

"It certainly is." Bolt landed near the others, who gave us friendly greetings.

"What a ride, my friend! I'm not accustomed to that speed quite yet. Give me a moment to recover, then we can take a look at the interesting geological feature you mentioned."

While I let Skulder catch his breath, I told everyone what happened on Auction Island. Hiccup promised he would not let our friend do something like that alone again. After the little break, Bolt flew Skulder and me over to the smoke pillar in the water, the others trailing behind.

"Ah! This is a hydro-thermal vent," Skulder said. "They're found in areas where volcanic activity is strong. The magma under the earth is pushing out here and releasing lots of chemicals into the water and air. That column of smoke is what's known as a black smoker... and it's releasing high levels of sulfur-bearing materials. Our alchemic friend Heather determined that the fog was made out of sulfur dioxide. These vents could be the source of our fog!"

"I'm glad we've solved that mystery," Hiccup said.

"Why are the vents so active now? They've always been there, but the fog has never been such a problem before. Perhaps there is something terrible going on inside the volcano. It's not usually my style to go into danger headfirst... but this is very important. Will you land and take me to the tunnel that leads inside the mountain?"

"Of course," I said. "Is everyone else ready to go?"

"We're with you," Hiccup said. "Let's figure this out once and for all!"

We flew our dragons back to the beach and dismounted. Then we started on foot for the cave. "It's odd walking on this island," Skulder said. "I'm used to dealing with sedimentary rocks from other islands. When minerals, dead plants, and animals erode due to time and weather, they become sediment. This dust like material is carried by water, air, or ice into a single place. More minerals and other materials cover the sediment, putting a lot of weight and pressure onto it. Over time, the sediment turns into sedimentary rocks." He halted suddenly, and we all stopped. "Wait. What was that? Who's there?!"

I tensed as I stared straight ahead. Someone emerged from behind a rock. Harald.

Our eyes locked, and I nearly forgot to breathe. I may have been uncertain about what I would feel upon seeing him again, but I did not expect the great love and desire that welled up in my chest. I wanted to run to him and embrace. Of course, I merely stood there staring at him like an idiot.

"You!" Skulder said venomously. "Step away from the foul fiendish freebooter, everyone. I'm going to throw my shovel at him!"

My arm immediately came out in front of him, blocking him from getting closer to Harald. "No." When I realized what I had done, I cringed inwardly. Of course Skulder was not going to actually hurt him. But I had acted on instinct, and now everyone knew it. "He's mine."

Harald stopped several yards from us, and at my statement, he raised his eyebrows in interest, his eyes still set on mine.

I flushed. That did not come out right. "I - I mean, he's mine to handle. Right, Hiccup?" I anxiously looked back at him for help.

Everyone else had uneasy expressions on their faces. "Well, you were in charge of finding him," Hiccup said slowly. He looked past me at Harald. Toothless growled beside him. "Don't come any closer, Harald. You really gave us the runaround, but we finally caught you. Play nice; the last thing you want to do is face an angry Night Fury."

"I've been stranded here for days and my boat is already at the bottom of the ocean," Harald said. There was something off about his tone, but I could not place it. "Have a bit of sympathy, lads and lassies. I'll willingly submit to whichever punishment you have in mind if you can take me off the island. Please, Brennda, talk to me! I'm sure you can help me convince our friends."

"Don't fall for his tricks, Brennda," Skulder said scathingly, catching my arm so I could not move.

I took a deep breath to calm myself. He was only looking out for me. I did not want to do something I would regret like snap at him. "Skulder, will you let me go to him? I can handle him."

Skulder looked at me in dismay. "But he's dangerous."

I looked him right in the eyes to reassure him. "So is trying to talk to dragon hunters about fossils. But like you, I have something I have to do."

Understanding flashed in Skulder's eyes before growing sad. "Go if you must." He let go of my arm and turned away from me.

I wished I could say more, but I would have to speak to him later. I looked to Hiccup for permission.

Hiccup nodded. "You're in charge of him, Brennda. You can go to him."

I knew that should not make me happy, but I could not help the smile that passed my lips. Everyone seemed to hold their breaths as I crossed an invisible line over to Harald. I stopped right in front of him, and we stared at each other. My heart started beating at a rapid pace. "Hi." All other words failed me.

I swore he smirked at me from beneath his gas mask. "Hi."

Out of nowhere, Bolt bounded towards us, nearly knocking into Harald. He nuzzled him and wagged his tail like a puppy. "Bolt, my old friend!" Harald said happily. "I missed you too. Are you here to save me?" He rubbed his head with both his hands, which the Skrill enjoyed.

"No, Bolt!" I groaned. "We talked about this. He's not a friend."

Bolt gave me a look that told me he thought I was out of my mind.

"You should listen to your dragon, mate," Harald said, his hand on Bolt's neck.

I turned around to find the others in complete shock. Well, everyone except... Eret? And Valka, who gazed at me with mixed emotions on her face. "Brennda?" she said tentatively.

I looked at her in panic. "I'm sorry."

"No, that's not-" Her eyes flickered to Harald, and she said no more. Bolt continued to bask in Harald's attention, oblivious to everything else.

"I - I don't know what's gotten into him," I said feebly.

Eret shrugged. "Dragons don't overthink things like you do."

I glared at him. "Not helpful."

"But true," Harald said.

I looked from Eret to Harald and back to Eret. There was something odd about the look they exchanged. "Do you two know each other?" It was not a strange question. Eret was a sailor, and it stood to reason he might have run into Harald at some point. But if so, it was weird that Eret would not have mentioned it.

"No," Eret said quickly. "Though it feels like I know him after your incessant search for and talk about him."

I shot him another glare. "Skulder, throw your shovel at Eret. He's conspiring against me."

"I missed you too," Harald said.

I spun around to face him, surprised. If I did not know any better, I would have believed him sincere. But I did know better, and my expression hardened. "I would never have guessed from the way you stayed away for nearly a year."

"I am sorry, but I doubt the others would have been so welcoming."

My eyes narrowed. "Because you betrayed us?"

"I am sorry about that too."

I searched his face, but his true emotions were concealed well. Although, even if he had been willing to show me, he would definitely not want everyone else to know. So, I only had logic to guide me. "No, you're not. You may say you did not want to hurt me, but you knew your actions would and you did them anyway. If you were sorry, you would not have done it. I know where your priories lie." Not with me. And I would do anything to change that.

"You do not know as much as you think."

Oh, really? And who's fault was that? I crossed my arms and scowled. "What do you want, Harald? We came here to stop you from selling the Red Death bones. Do you know how much trouble you've caused us?"

Harald did not look sorry in the least. "Look mate, I'm sorry about what happened but business is business. This may sound strange, but it's really good to see you all of you here. My compass broke, my ship sank, and I haven't seen a single soul ever since I sent out my pet Leopold for help. I overheard you talking about going inside the volcano, but trust me. We need to get out of here. There's something... bad inside that volcano."

"Thank you so much for the 'helpful advice', Harald," Hiccup said, "but I think we'll make up our own minds about where we go. At least if you don't have a ship, I can keep a close eye on you from now on."

"Hold on," I said. "Blindly rejecting everything he says is just as bad as always believing him."

"Brennda, do you know if he is telling the truth?" Valka asked.

I took a deep breath. Time to think this through. "You're right, Hiccup. He is likely lying to keep us away from the volcano - but there actually could be something dangerous in there. And he may or may not be stranded here. Even if he is telling the truth, that does not mean he's still not trying to manipulate us for his own gain. Either way, I do not think it changes our actions, so I say we humor him and make a deal. It can't hurt, and at least we'll have a verbal agreement we can try to keep him to."

Hiccup nodded. "What do you have in mind?"

Confident the chief would accept my proposal, I addressed Harald: "We will take you off this island, but we are not leaving until we examine the volcano. Until we leave, you need to stay with me at all times and listen to everything I say. In exchange, I will look out for you and protect you from any dangers on this island."

"You'll protect me from them as well?" Harald said, eying my friends behind me.

"Of course, though I doubt you'll have to worry about them."

"Fine. I agree to your terms."

"Good," Hiccup said. "I find them acceptable as well. Now, we need to go inside and see if there really is something wrong with the inside of the volcano! Let's head inside that tunnel that my dad made."

When I started walking, I glanced behind me to make sure Harald followed. Bolt tried to walk with him, and I stopped. "Stay here, Bolt."

"But I do enjoy his company," Harald said.

I frowned. "You'll have to settle for me." I moved again, and this time Bolt stayed behind while Harald walked beside me. I bit my lip to keep from smiling. There was no reason to be happy in this situation... right?

A/N: Harald is finally back! Will Brennda be able to handle him?