"Here's to the strong
Thanks to the brave
Don't give up hope
Some people change
Against all odds
Against the grain
Love finds a way
Some people change"

- "Some People Change" by Montgomery Gentry

Chapter 10

I stopped running when I saw Skulder up ahead. By then my eyes were dry, but I wiped them once more just in case. Then I took a deep breath and approached my friend. "Hey there, Skulder," I said. "Hanging in there?"

Skulder nodded. "If anyone had told wee young Skulder that he would one day venture into the heart of a volcano and solve a mystery that was threatening to destroy Berk, I would have told him that he was struck by Loki! What a day, my friend. Now that we've created these vents, I think that the volcanic pressure will not build up and cause those issues again. Soon the fog will die down, and we'll be able to use the trade routes once more. Wonderful!"

I offered him a tentative smile. "Yes, that's great."

"All in a day's work, of course! It is a shame that we weren't able to bring Harald to justice. Have we been able to track that rascal down?"

I tensed at the mention of Harald. "I, uh, wouldn't know. He seemed pretty intent on escaping..."

"Are you talking about Harald?" Astrid said as she landed Stormfly in front of us. "I just returned form searching for him."

"Any news?" Skulder asked.

"No, there was no sign of him anywhere. Maybe the Green Death sunk his ship with a fireball, but somehow I doubt it. I think he slipped past me through the fog. I'll give him this much: Harald is one slippery eel! I don't think we've seen the end of him quite yet."

"He'll be back," I said, looking out at the ocean. "I still think this was just a small part of a big plan. And when he comes back, I won't let him get away again..."

"That reminds me," Skulder said. "Brennda, about Harald-"

"Guys!" Fishlegs exclaimed. He ran to us, panting and out of breath. "Hiccup said that there's something happening with the egg we rescued from Harald. He told me he needed to get it to the hatchery right away! Let's follow him and see what's going on with that egg."

I looked at the other two, and they nodded. I quickly found Bolt and climbed aboard. "Well, I'll go on ahead. I don't want to miss this!"

I arrived at the hatchery before anyone else. Hiccup spotted me and motioned for me to join him by the lava. He had placed the egg on the pedestal right near the heat.

"I'm sorry I left Dragon Island without telling you guys, but the egg is so close to hatching!" Hiccup said. "I've never seen an egg like this before. What type of dragon do you think is inside?"

"Judging from the size of the egg and how much heat it has required to hatch, I'd say it's a pretty big one," I said.

Hiccup grinned at that. "Oh, exciting!"

I moved in closer to the egg and examined it curiously. Suddenly, a large crack split it down the middle. Then more cracks appeared, revealing a large baby dragon like nothing I had ever seen.

"This... changes everything," Hiccup said.

"Do you know what it is?"

"Not a clue. But we'll discover the secrets of this new dragon together."

I smiled. I liked the sound of that.

I returned home to find an excited Heather eager to hear about my day. Of course, I obliged her. By the end, I was exhausted and ready for bed. Sleep came surprisingly easy, and when I woke up, it was too soon.

I found Valka waiting for me outside the dorms. "Good morning, Brennda," she said pleasantly. "Did you sleep well?"

I smiled slightly. "Yes, thank you. And you?"

"Very well. Do you mind if we take a stroll and talk?"

My heartbeat picked up. I had a feeling I knew what this was about. I could not read her expression to determine how this would go. "Sure."

Valka set to walking through the School, and I fell in step beside her. It took a minute before she spoke again. "Have I ever told you why I left Berk to live with dragons?"

Here it comes... "You didn't approve of how Vikings treated dragons. You felt you had to choose between them, so you chose dragons."

"Yes, that is a succinct way to put it. It was more complicated than that, of course. It was the hardest decision I ever had to make. I did not want to leave Stoick and Hiccup..."

"But you did. You chose duty over love."

Valka stopped and turned to me. Now her eyes swam with conflicting emotions I could not place. "And that was my burden to bear, not yours."

My eyes widened. "But-"

"Our circumstances are different. I chose a better life for myself, much like you did when you left Berserker Island."

"Yeah, but I didn't have to leave anyone I loved."

"What would you have done if you did have loved ones?"

I hesitated. I thought of my parents and the way they searched for a better life for all of us. "I - I would have tried hard to convince them to come with me."

Valka nodded. "Very good. Brennda, if there was a way I could have convinced my family to join me, I would have tried. But even if I did not find Stoick immovable, he had his own duties as chief."

"You had different paths..."

"Yes. So, I understand your pain and what you are going through. You do not have to be ashamed. I know where your loyalties lie."

I bit my lip and looked away. She had guessed at my deepest fear. I worked so hard to gain everyone's trust, and I did not want to do anything to destroy that. "Thank you."

"I am amazed at the progress that has been made since my departure. I never dreamed an entire community could change so drastically."

We resumed walking together. A smile twitched on my lips. "Hiccup is quite amazing. And he's your son, so some of the credit goes to you."

Valka chuckled. "Thank you. His biggest accomplishment must have been convincing his father. Stoick was stubborn and hard-headed. He knew what was best for everyone and would not let anyone sway him. He could be quite the frustrating Vikings to work with."

"But you still loved him."

She smiled. "People are complicated. He had another, softer side he only showed those dear to him. He used to look at me with such a tender expression that I could not doubt his love for me. I've seen Harald look at you the same way..."

I rounded on her, shocked. "W-What? Harald doesn't love me."

"Oh? Did he tell you that?"

I frowned, understanding her implication. How could I trust his words? "Well, yes, but he also left."

"As did I. I know you find our stories comparable, but in your case I think you have the characters reversed."

Now I was really surprised. "B-But-"

"Whether he loves you or not, at the very least, he cares about you. I watched you two for a long time yesterday. He's different around you. And you're different around him. In a good way."

I stared at the ground. "But that's not enough."

"Perhaps not right now. But you are far too young to give up on someone you love, Brennda. You are the one who insists Vikings can change, and after seeing Harald through your eyes, I have to agree in his case. Now, what's really holding you back?"

I pursed my lips as I thought about the question. I had many reasons, but most of them I could find a suitable response to. I took a deep breath. "I'm afraid of being hurt. And not just in the way he hurt me before." Realization hit me as I spoke, and I looked into Valka's eyes to convey the message. "What if it doesn't work? What if I give it my all and he still chooses the wrong path? If I'm want to help him I have to go all in, and that means getting even more emotionally attached than before. If I fail after that... it will cause more pain than anything else. The only thing worse than not being with him is watching him walk down a path of destruction."

Valka dipped her head in acknowledgement. She closed her eyes and grew silent for a minute. "I understand your concern, and your fear is justified. But tell me this." She opened her eyes and looked right at me with a piercing gaze. "Which situation would you prefer? The one you described or one where you give up on Harald only to learn later that you could have helped him if you tried but it's too late?"

I did not have to give that much thought, for the second scenario caused panic to arrive in my chest. There was no way I could let that happen. "The first one. Definitely."

Valka nodded. "Then your path is clear. You will not have peace until this comes to a conclusion... for better or worse."

"But how will I know when it's over? How do I know when I should give up?"

Valka paused as if considering the question. "Listen to your dragon. Bolt is quite fond of Harald, is he not?"

A small smile formed in my lips as I imagined the two of them together. "Yeah. I don't really understand it though."

"I suspect Bolt senses your affection for each other. Skrills are very sharp, and he must know that Harald would not do anything to hurt you. If this ever changes and Bolt warns you against him - you need to listen. But as long as he is friendly to him, there is reason to hope."

I nodded. "I understand. Thank you, Valka. For everything. I feel a lot better now."

Valka smiled at me. "I am glad I could help, little one." She lifted her head and looked past me. "Now it seems someone else requires your attention."

I turned to see Eret coming our way, his eyes on me. I parted from Valka and went to meet him. "Hey, Eret. What's going on?"

"Hey, Brennda," Eret said. "We've got a serious problem. Have you ever heard of the Dragon Cry?"

I shook my head.

"They say it's a device that can mimic dragon cries to perfection. My trader friend was bringing it to me, but the dragon hunters raided the ship and made off with the cargo... and the Dragon Cry with it. Who knows what damage the device can do in the wrong hands? We need to steal it back before they learn about its abilities. Besides, Hiccup always talks about the time Viggo stole all of Berk's gold. I reckon it's time we get it all back."

My expression darkened. "When do we leave?"

"Right now, if you're up for it."

I nodded. "Let's go."

We jogged to training grounds and boarded Eret's ships. Silence filled our ride to the dragon hunters' camp. I remembered the last time I was there. Memories of Harald filled my mind, and I pushed the images away. I had to focus.

Once we arrived, the mission went smoothly. Eret waited on the boat while I sneaked into the camp. I managed to avoid the guards and grab five bags of gold. Then I found what must have been the Dragon Cry and snatched it. Smirking at my success, I stealthily made my way back to the docks... only to find Eret being interrogated by dragon hunters.

"We have your ship surrounded, Eret, son of Eret!" one of the hunters bellowed.

"Did you really think we'd be so stupid? We check on all the ships that come into this dock and we'd never forget yours. Now, boys, it looks like we've caught ourselves a dragon rider without a dragon. Hand yourself over now before we burn you and your ship to cinders."

My heart pounded in my chest. Oh no! I had to save Eret. Thinking quickly, I examined the Dragon Cry. I managed to operate it, and the sound of a Night Fury filled the air. The dragon hunters immediately bolted.

Eret saw me hiding behind a pole and grinned. "That's right, lads!" he called. "You've got nothing to do but hide and pray it doesn't find you! You hear me?" He looked right at me. "Brennda! Get back on board before they realize that we pulled one over them!"

I scrambled onto the dock and jumped onto his ship. Relief flooded my chest as we sailed away. We were safe. "That was a close one. I'm glad you're alright."

"It was another successful venture!" Eret declared. "Okay, maybe it wasn't exactly as we planned, but it was nothing you couldn't handle."

I smiled slightly. "Right." Silence settled around us again, and I got to thinking about the previous day's adventure. "Listen, Eret, I'm sorry about the way I acted yesterday. I shouldn't have yelled at you."

"It's alright, mate. I understand emotions were running high."

"Still... you were right... about Harald." I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Just so you know, I'm not going to give up on him. There's something there still worth fighting for."

Eret grinned. "Good! You seemed happier when you were with him. And more sure of yourself."

"I'm not sure about that, but it's better than when he's gone."

We approached Berk, and Eret stopped at the docks. "Well, we can't celebrate alone, my friend!" he said. "Let's bring the gold to Gobber so he can share our victory with the whole village."

We found Gobber at his smithy and explained the story to him. Well, Eret embellished a bit, but he made it sound much more exciting!

"Well burst my skivvies and turn them inside out," Gobber said. "I thought we'd never see our gold again! Thanks lad and lassie."

Eret bent down and whispered to me: "I think we should find Hiccup now."

I nodded in agreement. The image of Gobber wearing his torn underwear inside-out was terrifying. We gave him some space and scurried out of there. We found Hiccup and replayed the tale once again. I also gave him the Dragon Cry.

"This is incredible!" Hiccup exclaimed. "There are so many dragon voices in here. We could learn so much from this if we can just unlock its secrets. Fishlegs and I will try to understand this artifact, just like we did the Dragon Eye. You two have done something amazing!"

Eret grinned. "It's what we do."

"Oh, Brennda, Skulder was looking for you. I think he's near the center of town."

Another heavy feeling filled my chest. It looked like I was in for another tough conversation. "Thank you. I'll go find him."

"Are you going to be alright?" Eret asked, catching onto my shift in mood.

I nodded. "I'll be fine. He just wants to know the truth."

"Good luck!"

"Thanks." I probably need it. I took a deep breath and departed for the village. I did not wander far before Skulder met me in the road.

"Brennda," he said with an expression more guarded than usual. "I've been looking for you."

I gave him a weak smile. "I know. Hiccup told me."

Skulder's eyes darted around. "I, uh, well, I'm not sure how to begin."

"This is about Harald, isn't it?"

Skulder finally settled his gaze on me, and he frowned. "Well, yes. I'm just - I'm confused."

I sighed. "As you should be. I haven't exactly been open about him to you... or anyone, really."

"I don't understand. What is going on between you two? I thought you saw the truth about him after what happened on Dragon's Edge."

I searched his eyes and found genuine concern instead of the betrayal I expected. Maybe I did not have enough faith in him... like with Valka. I took a deep breath. He was one of my closest friends here. He deserved some answers. "The truth is complicated."

A puzzled look crossed Skulder's face. "Complicated? He's an evil pirate. What's complicated about that?"

My eyes tightened. "He's not evil."

"He locked me in a cage."

"I know."

"And he's stolen my artifacts multiple times."

"I know."

"He attacked me."

"I know."

"Not to mention what he did to you and the dragon riders."

"Skulder, I KNOW." I sucked in a sharp breath. "I know about all his evil actions, and I do condemn them. But... He also taught me how to sail. And listened to me when I shared stories about my past. And helped me stop worrying so much and enjoy the moment. And he has always protected me when given the opportunity."

To his credit, Skulder listened intently and actually seemed to consider my counter-evidence. But he still shook his head in the end. "He probably did all those things to gain your trust and manipulate you."

My eyebrows rose. "So, you assume evil intentions from evil acts but not good intentions from good acts?"

Skulder shifted uncomfortably. "If he's not consistent in his actions, he must be in his intentions, right?"

"Not necessarily. I told you, people are complicated. They're nuanced and inconsistent. I know there's good in him, Skulder. I am certain of that even if the specifics are murky."

Skulder let out a heavy sigh and let weariness show on his face. "Even if you're right, that doesn't mean he's safe. I'm worried about you, Brennda."

"I know, and I appreciate that. Of course he's not safe... but that's alright."

"Why do you care so much? Why him?" His eyes searched mine for an answer.

It was a good question and one I had thought a lot about. "I think it's because I see myself in. He's all alone with no one to trust just like I once was. And if I had never joined the School of Dragons, I may very well have ended up like him. I used to steal and lie to get by on Berserker Island. My victims were hardly innocent, but still... If I had been given the chance to leave with pirates, I may have done it."

"You would never have turned out like Harald," Skulder said confidently.

I gave him a wry smile. "You don't know that. You don't know what I'm capable of given the circumstances. The people of Berk accepted me and believed in me, and now Harald needs someone to believe in him."

"But it doesn't have to be you. You're not responsible for him."

"I know. But this is what I choose because I love him. You can't stop me, Skulder."

Skulder nodded and looked away. "Just promise me you'll be careful. I still don't understand, but I trust you."

"Thank you. And I will be careful."

His eyes met mine once more, and I was pleased to see relief in them. "Good. I have to say, if anyone can get through to that pirate, it's you."

I grinned. I couldn't agree more.

A/N: And that's all for Return to Dragon Island! Secret of the Leviathan will begin shortly. :)