"Of all powers, love is the most powerful and the most powerless. It is the most powerful because it alone can conquer that final and most impregnable stronghold which is the human heart. It is the most powerless because it can do nothing except by consent." - Frederick Buechner

Chapter 19

I gazed at the dragon egg in my arms. I had hatched one egg before - a Razorwhip egg Heather entrusted me with. I remembered caring for the baby and teaching him to get along with other dragons. I eventually let him go free, but it had been a great experience. Somehow, I felt this Triple Stryke would be even more special.

"One thing's for sure, Brennda," Dagur went on. "There's no end to the adventures that seem to surround Berk and Dragon's Edge. I'll have to stick around and make sure you can conquer all who challenge you. After all, power will only attract more contenders to the throne..."

"That's true," I agreed. The world was full of people after power.

"And thanks to Hiccup, we've befriended the greatest power in the world."

I nodded. "Dragons."

"We'll need to be careful. I'm sure Astrid is just itching for more of a chance to protect her land. Will you tell her I pledge my axe and my life to the cause?"

I grinned at his dramatics. "Sure thing." Still clutching the Triple Stryke egg, I made my way over to where Astrid, Hiccup, and Heather were chatting. "Astrid, Dagur says he pledges his axe and life to the cause of protecting our land and dragons."

Heather laughed. "He's a bit over the top as usual."

I shrugged. "He's just taking things to their logical conclusion."

"Well, I hope it won't come to that!" Astrid said. "Dragon's Edge got attacked again, but it wasn't an accident that we made it through unscathed. You have an excellent head for strategy, Brennda! If you keep at it, you might be able to take over the defenses of Berk. I'll just be sure to grill you ten times harder from now on, so get ready."

I chuckled. "Can't wait."

"I'm sure that we'll be able to outwit Stormheart when she comes back (and of course she'll come back; Hiccup's foes have a tendency to stick around)."

"Right. We won't let her win... Dagur was very helpful. Everything he said about those pirates turned out to be correct." Both of them.

Heather smiled. "I'm glad you two are getting along. It is nice having him around." She turned to Hiccup. "Of course, we couldn't have accomplished everything without your help."

"You're being way too modest," Hiccup said. "Without you and Brennda, we couldn't have made the microscope nor discovered the toxin. We're a team, you know? We work best when we're working together."

I nodded. "Exactly. That's our strength. We work together and look out for each other."

"And Brennda: your bravery and skills never fail to impress me. There are so many things we haven't done yet... just you wait!"

"Thank you." I just wanted to protect everyone. It felt good to fight for something.

Hiccup's expression grew troubled. "Still, I am a bit worried. I don't think we've seen the last of Stormheart. I saw the ambition and anger burning in her eyes when we were, err, attacking her ship. I'm sure she has something devious up her sleeves, so we'll have to be ready."

"Yeah, there has to be a reason why she's here." Every villain had some sort of goal. It could not be a coincidence she was in our neighborhood and picked a fight with us. She was after something.

"Oh! That reminds me. There's only one part that I don't understand. Why would Harald help us? I saw him during the battle. He's clearly on Stormheart's side."

I stared at him. "Are you serious, Hiccup? You were the one who asked me to talk to him. What happened to all your great reasons?"

Hiccup rubbed the back of his neck and smiled sheepishly. "Er, I sounded more confident than I felt because I was desperate. Besides, I did not realize how committed he was. He seemed quite willing to change sides in the past. I didn't think this was... permanent."

My expression darkened. "Right. You didn't see him. It's permanent, all right. I knew that the second I saw him. That's why I resisted your request at first. I didn't think he'd go against Stormheart and help us."

"But he did," Heather said. "He had to have a pretty significant reason."

"What exactly did you say to him?" Astrid asked.

I thought back to my conversation with Harald. "Well... I said I needed his help saving dragons. I guess I appealed to his better nature?"

Astrid snorted. "That's it."

"My initial reasoning may have been right," Hiccup said, "but it would be nice to hear it in his own words. I wish we could find him at Auction Island so that we could pick his brain..."

I doubted Harald would outright tell us his reasons for helping us. Still, how he defended his actions could still reveal quite a lot. "Hmm... You're right. I'll be right back."

Astrid rolled her eyes. "Good going, Hiccup."

I raised my eyebrows at her. "You only approve of my relationship with Harald when it benefits you?"

"Oh, I never approved. But you do what you have to."

That was probably the best I was going to get from her for now. I realized I still had the egg, so I approached Dagur, who appeared to be in conversation with Bolt. "Dagur! I'm going to see if I can find Harald and talk to him."

Dagur nodded. "Good idea. The sooner the better."

I held out the egg to him. "Will you watch this while I'm gone?"

Dagur grinned and accepted the egg. "You can count on me, Brennda." He rubbed the egg and started talking in soothing tones.

I chuckled at this. "You're a big softie, you know?"

Bolt grunted in agreement. I hopped on his back, and we took off. This time, I decided to head straight to Auction Island. When I arrived, I spotted Harald's boat at the main dock. Good. That meant he was here.

I walked right past the trading center and headed for the forest. There I saw him standing among the trees. He was without Leopold, and the atmosphere was heavy. He looked at me, his expression chilled and serious. I swallowed hard. Another point for Dagur.

"You should not have come," he said in a controlled tone.

"Then why does it look like you're waiting for me?" I said. I looked around but saw no sign of his men.

"I thought you might show up. What is it you want?"

I clenched and unclenched my fists. His shields were up, and I had to find a way to break them down. Dagur's warning echoed in my mind. "I was just wondering... Why did you tell me about the Grimora venom? That really helped us out. You saved a lot of dragons from harm."

Harald's lips curled into a sneer. "Ha! Don't get used to it, Brennda. Harald only look out for number one: Harald! And, well, Leopold, I guess. But that's it. It's the two of us against the world! Next time Stormheart and I show up, you best not get in the way. I won't let my tender spot for you and Leopold slow me down."

Instead of following my instinct to argue back at him, I took a minute to digest what he said. There was something about his tone... And he had, in one breath, admitted he looked out for Leopold, and in the next, put me in the same category as Leopold. Despite his obvious attempt to push me away, he had basically said he cared about me. But he found that unacceptable, so now he was overcompensating, just like Dagur said.

"Are you saying that to convince me or yourself?" I said, staring right at him in challenge.

Harald turned away from me. "Go home, Brennda. You're not wanted here."

"No," I said forcefully. "You're lying. Again. You don't want to do this."

Harald gave me a cold look and then fully turned away so his back was to me. "I assure you, I do." He took a few steps forward.

My heartbeat sped up. He was going to leave, and I had to do something. "She found out, didn't she? Stormheart knows you helped us."

Harald stopped. "She does not doubt my loyalty, if that's what you're implying. I convinced her my actions were for the greater good."

Of course he would find a way to spin it in his favor. But still... I remembered what Eret had told me about working for Drago. He had suffered his wrath for failing him even when he tried his best. I did not think Stormheart was as cruel as Drago, but they had to go by similar rules. "But she still punished you."

Harald looked over his shoulder at me, his expression still unreadable. "That is hardly your concern."

"If my choices impacted you, then it is my concern." From the way he walked and the absence of Leopold, I had a sneaking suspicion about what happened. He started to move again, so I did the only thing I could do: I ran to him and grabbed the back of his shirt with my right hand, while I firmly slapped my left hand against his back.

Harald shuddered and winced in pain. I let go of him and stumbled back as if I were the one who was injured. "You're hurt," I said in horror. He turned around to face me but said nothing. "I - I'm sorry."

"You're sorry?" A tiny cracked formed on his shield as he stared down at me.

I took in a shaky breath. The consequences of our actions finally hit me, and it hurt. "It's my fault. I should have known she'd find out. I should have thought about that beforehand, but all I could think about was the dragons. If I had known you would be hurt because of it, I would have never-"

Harald suddenly gripped my arms with both hands, effectively cutting me off. "You would have really given up on saving those dragons just to spare me pain?" His eyes searched mine as if looking for the truth.

"Well, yes. You know us good guys. There are some things we are unwilling to do even for the worthiest goal, and for me, hurting you is not something I can live with."

He dropped his hands but grabbed my wrist. "Come with me." He pulled me to the rocks that bordered the forest. Then he pushed me up against a rock and slammed his hands on either side of me, trapping me. I could feel his breath on my face as he gazed at me with intensity in his eyes. I shivered but not from fear.

"Listen carefully because I will only say this once," Harald said. "This is not your fault. It is mine. I willing chose to help you. You could never force me to do anything. I fully knew the consequences of my decision, but I did it anyway because it was worth it to me. You do not need to be afraid to come to me. Most of the time I will reject your requests. But if I don't, that's on me. Do you understand?"

I stared at him with my mouth partly open. "I understand perfectly." And I had never felt more attracted to him than I did at that moment. "But you need to accept my choices too. Like this one." Without giving him a chance to respond, I wrapped my arms around his neck and closed the distance between us. He immediately kissed me back. I lowered my hands, grazing his back. He flinched, and I broke away. "I'm sorry."

Harald cupped my face and gazed at me with intense passion. "Don't be. I'm not so fragile that you have to worry about hurting me." Then he slammed his lips against mine.

I did not mind his sudden forcefulness, and I kissed him just as fervently. I gripped the front of his shirt and pulled myself closer to him, away from the rock. He moved his arms around my waist to keep me there. I felt need in his kiss, but it was something that went beyond the physical.

When he pulled away, we were both gasping for breath. He held me tightly to him and buried his face in my hair. "Please..." he murmured.

My heart squeezed at the desperation that leaked from his voice. I kept one hand on his chest, and with the other, I began gently stroking his hair. "It's alright," I said softly. "I'm here." I realized it probably had been a long time since he had been able to confide in anyone or go to them for comfort, and I understood the desire to simply numb the pain. "You can come to me too, you know. I want to help you."

"It's just so frustrating," Harald growled. "I want you so much, I can't stand it." He pulled his head back and looked at me. "I don't want to hide it. I want to tell everyone to back off because you're mine. But-"

"It's too dangerous," I finished. "I know." I placed my hand on his face and ran my thumb across his cheek. "But I am yours. It may not be ideal, but I still want to see you. We don't have to tell anyone."

"No. It won't last. You'll only end up hurt." His eyes were filled with pain and regret.

"I don't care. That's my choice." I pulled his head down and kissed him. When I pulled back, I kept my face close to his. "I love you. It's alright if you don't love me back yet. It's enough for me if you just let me love you. I don't care if you're Stormheart's pirate. I don't care if we're supposed to be enemies. I just want to be with you. And I know you want to be with me too."

Harald leaned his head down and rested his forehead against mine. "It's a bad idea. You'll regret it."

"And what of you? You said I make you happy. Don't you deserve some happiness when you're not 'working?' I will never regret any time I spend with you. I'll enjoy the moment for as long as it lasts. It will give me strength for when we do have to be apart."

A smile flickered on Harald's face. "You're the oddest Vikings I've ever met, you know that?" He kissed my cheek and then leaned back to smirk at me.

My heart sped up at his actions. "And you drive me crazy." I put my hands on his chest and attempted to push him back, but he refused to budge.

"But you still love me."

I could not help but smile at him. It was then I realized we were both doomed. At least that meant we were in this together. I kissed him once more, savoring the taste of his lips. "Always."

Harald grinned at that. "Alright. We'll do it your way. I will find a safe place where we can meet. Next week I'll notify you of the location."

I beamed at him. "Sounds great. Thank you, Harald."

He chuckled. "No, thank you." He finally let me go. "I will see you next week."

"Yeah, next week." I smiled and turned to leave.

"Brennda!"

I looked back at him. He grabbed my hand and pulled me into him again, giving me a long, deep kiss. I felt dizzy by the time I pulled away. "Goodbye, love," he whispered.

"G-Goodbye," I stammered. I attempted to walk away again, but I promptly walked right into a tree. I glanced at Harald to see him snickering at me. I shot him a look that told him it was his fault. Then I darted out of there.

"It looks like it went well," Heather said with a teasing smirk the moment I landed on Dragon's Edge. Everyone else crowded around me, eager to hear what I had to say.

I shrugged. There was no use denying it considering I could not keep the smile off my face. I turned to Dagur, who held my Triple Stryke egg. "Thanks for the advice. Harald tried to push me away, but I stopped him."

Dagur grinned. "Good! I am proud of you, little Berserker."

"What did he say?" Hiccup asked curiously. "Why did he help us?"

I paused as I considered how much I could tell them. "Well, he complained about letting his affections for Leopold and me get in his way, so I'd say he did for us. He was really grateful for the Leopold's armor... And he seemed to enjoy being given the opportunity to help me when I needed him."

"Aw, he does have a heart," Astrid said.

"Yeah, and he denies it more than you do."

"This is great!" Hiccup said excitedly. "If he's that receptive to you, we can-"

"Let me stop you right there," I said. "I know what you have in mind, and we're not doing it."

Hiccup frowned. "But if you can get him to help us-"

"Stormheart found out, Hiccup. She hurt him. I can't let that happen again. Not unless it's something very serious."

"Who cares what happens to him?" Snotlout said. "It's his own fault."

I glared at him. "I care. And do you really want to send him the message that caring about someone only brings him pain?"

"I understand your concern," Hiccup said, "but isn't it ultimately good for him if he does the right thing? Isn't that what you want?"

I took in a deep breath. "Yes, but using that tactic too often could easily turn into manipulation. I don't want him to turn into a pawn in the game to beat Stormheart. And I don't want anyone to use me to get to him. Please, let me decide what to do with him. I can make the most informed decision. Please trust me."

Hiccup seemed uncertain, but he nodded. "Alright, Brennda. I'll trust you. Just let me know if you need any help."

"Don't worry, brother," Dagur said. "She has me to help her."

"And me," said Heather.

I smiled at them. "Thanks, guys."

Hiccup looked around at the rest of the dragon riders. "Do you hear that, everyone? Don't do anything to Harald or you'll have to deal with the Berserkers."

I grinned. "Exactly. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to take the egg back to School." I accept the egg from Dagur. Then I carefully placed it in my bag and mounted Bolt. Once I was sure the egg was secure, we took to the air.

Upon arriving at the School, I first found a safe place for the egg in the hatchery. Then I set out to find Eret. As helpful as Dagur had been, it was Eret who knew what it was like to be bound to someone. The former dragon trapper was eager to hear how everything had turned out with Stormheart. Then I got to my real problem.

"I'm worried about what you said the other day about the rules being different now the Harald is with Stormheart," I said as we walked along the lake. "He helped us and she found out. He was punished for it, but he said he convinced her his actions were for the best."

Eret nodded. "That's good. If he's willing to risk it, that's on him. And it's a good sign."

"He said as much." I stopped and faced the lake. There was something calming about staring into the water. "Is there anything I need to keep in mind in the future?"

"In situations like that one, you should let him handle it. If he has time to think through the consequences, then it is not your fault. My warning applies to situations that would put him on the spot. I would advise you do not call him out in front of his allies... especially Stormheart. Do not force him to choose sides or make it look like he's hesitating."

"He should be smart enough to avoid those situations to begin with." Come to think of it, I had never seen Harald and Stormheart together.

"True, but he can't control everything." He touched my shoulder, and I looked up into his earnest eyes. "I'm serious, Brennda. You cannot let Stormheart know how much you care about each other. She would use it against you. And if that failed to work, it could even get one or both of you killed."

"I understand." I had to be extremely careful from now on. Every move had to be precise. That led to one final concern. "Eret, what does this mean long term? If my goal is to get Harald on my side..." I took a deep breath. "How do you leave a leader like that?"

Eret looked at me with pain and sadness in his eyes. "You don't."

I bit my lip. I thought just as much. "But you did."

Eret sighed. "That only worked because Drago fled. Berk could try to protect Harald, but that would be a declaration of war. And I have a feeling he would not want to do that to you."

"So, we need to get rid of Stormheart?"

He nodded. "It would seem so. But we have to find a way to deal with her anyway, right? And you still have the problem of getting Harald to want to leave her."

"It would help if I knew why he was with her in the first place. It sounds like he's severely restricted his freedom."

Eret shrugged. "There are many reasons to band together under a leader. He must have something he wants he can only get with her that makes it worth whatever he has to give up. It's a basic cost benefit analysis. If you want him to change his mind, you need to lower the benefits or increase the costs."

"That sounds easier said than done."

"You knew it wouldn't be easy, mate, but you made your own cost benefit analysis, right?"

I smiled slightly. "Yeah, I guess I did." And I did not see my analysis changing anytime soon.