"Love feels no burden, thinks nothing of trouble, attempts what is above its strength, pleads no excuse of impossibility; for it thinks all things lawful for itself, and all things possible." - Thomas Kempis

Chapter 21

No one noticed my absence while I was with Harald, and I managed to sneak out a second time without detection. I was the second one to arrive at the island again. "Hey Harald," I said as I slowly dismounted Bolt. I brought my egg this time, and I carefully lifted it from the saddle.

"Hey Brennda," Harald said. "No hug this time?"

"My arms are a little full." I turned to him, revealing the Triple Stryke egg.

Harald's eyebrows lifted. "What's that?"

"Don't you recognize it? It's the egg Stormheart left in her... gift. The Triple Stryke we cured of Grimora venom gave it to me. Apparently it's not safe to hatch your own eggs with pirates running around and everything."

Harald smirked. "I see. Did you bring it here to mock me?"

I honestly had forgotten his connection to the egg until that moment. "No. It's close to hatching, and I want to be there when it does. Dagur won't forgive me if it spends its first moments alone." I found a nice grassy area in which to set the egg. Then I turned to Bolt. "Do you want to sit on it and help it hatch?"

The Skrill simply stared at me. It was Leopold who bounded over and climbed onto the egg.

I laughed. "Looks like Leopold is the motherly one." I smirked at Harald. "Does he get that from you?"

Harald scoffed. "I didn't teach him that."

My hands now free, I walked up to him and pulled him into a hug. I smiled when he wrapped his arms around me. Time stood still... until a chirp from Leopold broke us apart.

I turned around and noticed the egg now had a large crack right down the length of it. "Wow," I said. "He's good."

"Of course he is, he's my dragon," Harald said smugly. "Good work, Leopold."

"Well, he better get off before it hatches."

Two more cracks appeared on the sides of the egg. Leopold squeaked and hopped to the ground. The next instant, the shell broke apart on all sides, revealing a small purple, green, and gold dragon. A huge piece of shell sat atop her head, but when she tried to shake it off, a sticky substance kept it in place. She grew angry and ran around in furious circles.

Harald chuckled as he approached the baby dragon. "It looks like you need help with that." He bent down and reached out his hand.

"Be careful!" I warned. "Triple Strykes are extremely vicious."

Harald glanced at me. "I know. There is a reason Stormheart chose this species. But Skrills are also quite fierce, and I did well with Bolt."

I frowned. "Yeah, but Bolt was already trained."

Harald ignored me and returned to watching the baby running around. After enough observation, he quickly reached out his hand and snatched the egg shell from the dragon's head. The baby skidded to a halt and looked up at Harald in confusion. She watched him toss the egg shell aside and then suddenly leapt at him.

I was about to step in and intervene when I noticed the Triple Stryke's face was joyful instead of angry. Harald held her in his arms as she nuzzled his chest. "You're welcome," he said. Then he smirked at my stunned expression. "What's the matter, Brennda? Don't you know your dragons?"

"W-What?"

"You said her mother gave you her egg to protect. She trusted you because you saved her. These dragons are grateful when you show them you're on their side."

"Well, yeah... They may be aggressive, but once they bond with someone, they are extremely loyal and protective, like Sleuther with Dagur." I furrowed my brow as I tried to make sense of the scene before me. "But why did you do that?"

"I wanted to. Do I need a reason?" He set the dragon on the ground and rubbed her head.

"I guess not." I wondered if he felt guilty about what happened with her mother. Or he simply couldn't resist the cuteness of a baby dragon. I approached the dragon and smiled down at her. "Hi there."

The dragon looked at me suspiciously and growled but calmed when Harald stroked her back. "It's alright. She's a friend."

I reached into my bag and pulled out a few strands of dragon nip. "Here. You can have this." I placed the weed right in front of her. She sniffed it cautiously and then took took one into her mouth. She instantly smiled happily and ate the rest. Once finished, she looked up at me curiously. I slowly reached out my hand and placed it on her head. "Good."

"She needs a name," Harald said.

I searched for a suitable name but drew a blank. "Since you and your dragon both helped her out, why don't you name her?"

"You just want me to do the hard work," Harald teased. Then he looked at the Triple Stryke thoughtfully. "Elska." He rubbed her head. "You name is 'Elska.'"

I smiled. "I like it. It's a nice, solid name." I noticed Bolt and Leopold watching us and waved to beckon them over. "You two can meet her now."

Leopold approached first. Elska growled at him, causing him to freeze in place. Harald rubbed her head again and then did the same to Leopold. Elska seemed satisfied with this and gave a happy chirp. She allowed Leopold to come closer and touch his snout to hers.

I looked at Harald in surprise. "How did you-"

"I paid attention to everything you and the dragon riders taught me at Dragon's Edge," Harald replied, seeming amused.

"That's, uh, great." Again it was not his knowledge that confused me but his willingness to use it. My thoughts were interrupted when Bolt wandered over. I introduced him to Elska the way Harald had with Leopold. Soon, the three dragons were running around, playing together. Harald and I stood together watching them.

"You know," I said, "if you keep this up, Elska is going to become attached to you."

Harald chuckled lightly. "Then you'll have to keep bringing her when we meet."

Something about seeing him interact so adorably with dragons made him extremely attractive to me. I felt an impulse to kiss him, so I did.

"What was that for?" Harald asked when I pulled back.

I shrugged. "I just wanted to do it."

He put his arm around my waist and pulled me close to him. I rested my head on his chest, and we both resumed observing the dragons. It was weird, but it almost felt like we were a family. We may have been very different from each other in many ways, but when it came down to it, we were really the same inside.

"Hello there! Aren't you the cutest baby Triple Stryke in the world?" Dagur picked up Elska and spun her around.

It was the day after she hatched. Somehow, I had gotten her away from Harald and back to the Edge, where I introduced her to the dragon riders and their dragons. Then, of course, I sent a message to Dagur. He showed up this morning, eager to introduce Sleuther to the baby.

"You said her name is Elska?" Dagur said as he set her down. "That name sounds familiar. How did you come up with it?"

"I must have heard it somewhere," I said.

"It means 'love,'" Fishlegs piped up.

I flushed. "Really?" I had not known that, and I wondered if Harald had. If so, why choose that name? Then again, his interactions with the baby dragon confused me in general.

"Very nice," Dagur said with a grin. "She'll get a lot of love her! Do you want Sleuther and me to help train her?"

"Sure. Thanks, Dagur." Somehow, I doubted I had a choice. Dagur appeared way too eager to get started.

Our 'training session' turned out to be pretty fun. It wore out Elska, and she was fast asleep by the end. Dagur departed with a promise to return later. I spent the next few days training Elska on my own. I was glad she got along with everyone else even if she became ornery at times. She fit in just fine.

Five days later, I brought Elska to meet Harald on our island. She copied Bolt' eagerness and bounded over to Harald. Leopold flew from his shoulder to greet her as well.

"It looks like you're doing well," Harald said, rubbing the Triple Stryke's head.

"She's getting a lot of attention," I said. "But, besides me, she still likes you the best." Maybe she picked that up from Bolt. She did follow him around the Edge like a puppy.

Harald smirked. "She has good taste... like you."

I did not know whether to take that as a compliment or not. Instead, I turned to something else. "Did you know her name means 'love?'"

"Yes. Didn't you?"

I frowned. "No. Why..."

"I like the name. You read too much into things."

I wondered about that. I pushed it aside for now and focused on the little dragon. The five of us proceeded to spend time together. I showed Harald what Dagur had taught us. He picked it up quickly and helped out.

Eventually, Elska fell asleep on our laps. We sat next to each other with our legs spread out, leaning against the base of a hill. Bolt and Leopold were off playing together, having gotten tired of babysitting. I leaned my head on Harald's shoulder and sighed in contentment.

"This is nice," I said. Everything felt perfect. Like this was how it was supposed to be. It felt like this was reality and our real lives were the illusions.

Harald wrapped his arm around my waist and kissed the top of my head. "It is. But... you know it can't last."

I suppressed a groan. "You really know how to ruin a moment."

Harald chuckled. "I just don't want you to get used to this."

"Too late. And that just gives me more of a reason to not give up."

"That's what I'm worried about."

I turned my head to look at him, but his gaze was fixed on the sleeping dragon. "Has no one ever fought for you?"

"No. And I don't fight for anyone."

His voice was tinted with sadness, piercing my heart. I wrapped my arms around him and leaned into him more. "There's a first for everything."

He said nothing else for a long while, leaving me alone with my thoughts. I had to find a way to make this last. I needed to break through to him and give him a reason to believe.

I returned to the island six days later. Elska knew the way now and zipped ahead of me. By the time I landed, she was already running circles around Harald. Leopold looked dizzy from watching her movement.

"She has so much energy," Harald noted.

I laughed. "She's a baby. What do you expect? Oh, wait, children make you nervous." I smirked at him.

Harald scoffed. "They do not. I'm just not used to them."

"I suppose you wouldn't be." I turned to Bolt. "Do you want to watch her first? I think our friend here needs a break."

"That is not what I said. But a walk would be nice."

Bolt made a sharp noise. Elska bounded over to him and looked up at him expectantly. Satisfied they would be fine, I walked up to Harald and took his hand. Together, we set off for the forest.

We had not gone far before Harald suddenly stopped. He dropped my hand and moved in front of me protectively, his body tense. "Do you hear that?" he said in a low voice.

I still and listened for any sound. "No..." But then I heard it: a rustling among the trees. I reached for my sword just as something dropped down in front of us.

It was Astrid and Stormfly. Harald and I relaxed, though Harald eyed them suspiciously.

"There you are, Brennda," Astrid said as she dismounted. "Why are you-" Her eyes fell on Harald, and they narrowed into slits. "What are you doing with him?"

"It's great to see you too, Astrid," Harald said with mock cheerfulness.

And this could get bad very fast. "How did you find me?" said. "I made sure I wasn't followed."

Astrid motioned to the dragon behind her. "Did you forget Stormfly is the best tracker we have? You didn't answer my question. Why are you sneaking off to meet this snake?"

"He's my friend," I said. I knew I should try to be diplomatic, but I felt myself become hot and defensive. "We're not doing anything wrong."

Astrid crossed her arms. "Then why the secrecy?"

"It's safer that way. It's not you we were trying to hide it from."

"No, I didn't want her to know," Harald said. "She's too judgmental."

Astrid rolled her eyes. "Maybe I wouldn't be so 'judgment' if you didn't keep doing things worth judging!"

"That's circular logic, dear Astrid."

"He's done some good things too," I said. "He helped us with the Grimora venom."

"He helped you," Astrid said.

"Exactly. And I'm the one hanging out with him, not you. It's fine if you want to have nothing to do with him, but let me make my own choices."

"Your choices could affect all of us. He's just going to end up betraying you."

"He is not! I trust him."

Astrid gaped at me. "You - What? Have you lost your mind?"

"I take offense to that," Harald said. "I'm very trustworthy."

Astrid glared at him. "You're a liar as well."

I let out a heavy sigh. I needed to find a way to gain control of this conversation and fast. "I'm working on that. And maybe his words are often false, but I can tell the truth from his actions. You have to trust me on this, Astrid. If you can't trust him, trust me."

Astrid shook her head. "I'm sorry, Brennda. It's not about trust. Hiccup is the only one who can decide. He needs to know what you're up to."

"Hiccup said he trusts me when it comes to Harald, remember? He doesn't need to know all the details, especially if it will put people at risk." I did not doubt I could convince Hiccup to see my side, but I did not want to risk the truth slipping out to unwanted people.

"If there is danger, this is something everyone needs to know."

"Do not involve yourself in affairs you know nothing about," Harald said icily. "It is not I who could be hurt the worst from your actions."

Astrid's eyes narrowed at him. "You expect me to believe you are only looking out for her?"

"Brennda is special. I wish her no harm. If you don't know that by now, there is nothing I can say to convince you."

"Please, Astrid," I said. "Can we just walk about this back on the Edge?"

Astrid stared at me long and hard. "Fine. I expect you to think long and hard about where you loyalties lie." She spun on her heels and returned to Stormfly.

"It's not one or the other!" Harald called after her. "I don't make her choose!"

I watched Astrid take off on her dragon, my heart sinking. I had no way of knowing whether she would wait to speak to Hiccup or not. How had everything gone so wrong? I turned to Harald. "I'm sorry. I should have been more careful and known she was suspicious of me."

"It's not your fault, love." He moved in close to me, his should brushing against mine.

I leaned against him. "I'll talk to her. I'll get this straightened out."

"Do you want to go now?"

"No. I should let her cool down. The same for myself." I looked up at him hopefully. "Can you distract me?"

Harald smirked. "That is definitely something I can do."

And so, we enjoyed our time together like always. It was only when Dragon's Edge came into view that a knot of anxiety formed in my stomach. Hiccup was the first to approach me.

"Hey Brennda," he said. "Astrid and Heather want to talk to you. They're waiting in Heather's hut."

I gave him a weak smile. "Thanks. I'll go see them." It looked like Astrid had not told him. Perhaps Heather had gotten to her first. Still, I held my breath as I knocked on Heather's door.

"Brennda!" Heather exclaimed as the door swung open. "Come on in."

"Took you long enough," Astrid said, eyeing me skeptically.

"I didn't want my day to be ruined by our misunderstanding," I said.

"Misunderstanding? Heather may have convinced me to put off telling Hiccup, but that doesn't mean I still don't think you're wrong."

"Let's all calm down," Heather said. "We can talk about this rationally like adults. Brennda, I do want to know why you did not even tell me you're meeting Harald."

"It's not that I don't trust you," I said. "I really wanted to tell you, but..." I paused. "Do you remember when you were the rogue dragon rider and you didn't want to tell anyone because someone could get hurt? It's like that. The more people who know, the more likely the information will get into the wrong hands."

Understanding flashed in Heather's eyes. "You don't want Stormheart to know."

I nodded. "Neither of us do. If she knew, she would surely use it against us."

"Then why risk it at all?" Astrid said. She did sound calmer, but she still looked at me warily.

"Because I happen to think he's worth it. I'll try my best not to let my decisions affect anyone else, but I'm not going to stay away from him. It's not solely for selfish reasons. I think it's good for him. He does care about me, and if I can get that part of him to grow, it will be better for all of us down the line."

Astrid's eyebrows lifted. "You really think he can change?"

"I never thought Dagur could change, but he did," Heather said. "I understand your concerns, Astrid, but I don't think it's a good idea to deprive Harald of his strongest tie to his humanity. He needs to feel less alone, not more. We should trust Brennda knows what she's doing."

Astrid let out a heavy sigh. "Fine. I won't say anything. For now. But you should at least keep Heather informed to make sure you're not steering off in the right direction."

Relief filled my chest. "Yes, of course. Thank you, Astrid."

Astrid gave me one last look before exiting the hut. As soon as she was gone, Heather turned to me with a grin. "She is right about that last point. Tell me everything!"

I laughed. With this, I was happy to oblige.