"True friends are those who came into your life, saw the most negative part of you, but are not ready to leave you, no matter how contagious you are to them." - Michael Bassey Johnson

Chapter 25

A double blast of lightning lit up the dragon hunter base. Harald and I used the distraction to climb onto Bolt and fly out of there, where we were met by Singetails and flyers. Luckily, Ruffnut and Tuffnut chose that time to show up and help us win the day.

Once we were all flying over the ocean, Hiccup ordered the twins back to Dragon's Edge to update everyone on the situation. Then he led the way to Hobblegrunt Island. The thrill of victory faded as I remembered Viggo's dire condition. Harald's silence behind me told me he was thinking about it as well.

Toothless landed on the shore near Harald's boat, and Hiccup carefully helped Viggo to his feet. Bolt and the wild Skrill landed near him. Harald rushed to Viggo's side and examined his wounds.

"Can you help him?" Hiccup asked, looking up at Harald worriedly.

"Forget about me," Viggo said before coughing. "It's too late."

"No," I said forcefully. "We have to do something."

"I need to remove the arrows as soon as possible to prevent infection," Harald said. "Unfortunately, that requires using a knife to make the wounds big enough to pull the arrowheads out without causing too much damage."

My mouth grew dry at the mental image. I was glad I had not chosen to become a healer. "Won't he bleed out?"

"Not if we apply enough pressure." He glanced at his boat, where Leopold peeked at us worriedly. "I have enough material to slow the bleeding, but I don't have the equipment to stitch up the wounds."

"I think Heather has something like that," Hiccup said. "She told me she had to do it once and keeps surgical equipment at Dragon's Edge. She can help."

Harald nodded. "Get him into my boat. We can work on him while we sail."

"It won't be enough," Viggo said, though he did not protest as the men helped him into the boat. Toothless and the wild Skrill climbed in after them. "The arrows caused internal damage. I can feel it."

Frustration shone on Harald's face, and I knew he was thinking the same thing as me. No Viking could heal that kind of damage. But I knew a dragon that might. "I have an idea," I said as I started for Bolt. "Go on without me. I'll meet you at the Edge."

"Brennda," Harald said.

I turned around to tell him I did not have time to explain, but the look on his face stopped me. Never before had I seen him so anxious and worried. I returned to him and gave him a quick hug to comfort him. "It will be alright. Trust me, okay?" I still saw doubt in his eyes, but he nodded. I looked past him at Hiccup. "Help him."

"Of course," Hiccup said. "Good luck."

"You too." I mounted Bolt and took off for Dark Deep where a friend of mine lived. The Prickleboggle was able to heal the battle wounds of other dragons. I figured dragons and humans could not have that different of anatomy that his healing breath wouldn't be able to help. It was worth a shot at least. I found the dragon in the middle of the island and convinced him to fly back with me.

Now came the tricky part: convincing the Vikings to help. We landed at the Edge and were immediately surrounded by dragon riders.

"Brennda, what's going on?" Astrid said. "The twins say you and Hiccup stormed the dragon hunter base with Harald and Viggo?"

"Where are they?" Fishlegs said. "Why is the Prickleboggle with you? Is someone hurt?"

The storm of questions swirled in my mind, making it hard to think. "Yes," I said. "Where's Heather?"

"I'm right here." Heather pushed her way through the crowd to stand before me. "What happened?"

I took in a deep breath. "Viggo is dying. He was struck by four arrows trying to escape the dragon hunters. Harald and Hiccup are removing the arrows now, but they need your help sealing the wounds. They'll be here soon."

"You want her to help Viggo?" Snotlout said incredulously. "Have you forgotten how many times he tried to kill us?"

"And how many dragons he's hurt?" Fishlegs added.

"I know, but Dagur did all those things and we forgave him," I said.

"He's my brother," Heather said. "I had to." I saw the uncertainty in her eyes that revealed a hidden battle. "I understand Viggo helped you, but why go to such great lengths when his chances of survival are slim?" She glanced at the Prickleboggle. "We don't even know if he can help."

I understood her question. I would want to help anyone in need just like everyone else here, but I did have a reason for caring so much. "He's Harald's friend. Aside from me, he's the only one he's got."

Heather's expression softened as she held my steady gaze. She too knew what it was like to loose people she loved. "Okay. I will do what I can."

I dipped my head. "Thank you."

"I'll help too," Astrid said. "Let's set up everything in the clubhouse." She looked around at the riders. "They rest of you should stay out of the way and let us work."

There were some grumblings, but everyone agreed. I followed the girls to the clubhouse, and Heather retrieved her medical equipment. I left the Prickleboggle inside and flew to the docks with Bolt to wait.

Soon, I spotted Harald's sail on the horizon. I watched Toothless take off with Hiccup and Viggo. I waited for Harald to arrive at the dock and tie up his ship. Then I offered him a ride on Bolt to make a quick trip to the clubhouse.

We entered the room, and Harald froze upon seeing the Prickleboggle. I knew what he must be thinking. He had betrayed this dragon when he captured his Catastrophic Quaken friend and sold him to the dragon hunters. I took his hand and gently squeezed. "If I can forgive you, he can too," I whispered. I led the way to the bed where Viggo sat, observed by Heather, Astrid, and Hiccup.

The arrows were gone, and his back was covered with blankets tied with bandages. Already, I saw blood seeping through. Viggo himself appeared exhausted. This was not good. "What do you think?" I asked Heather.

"I need to remove the bandages to examine the wounds," she said. "He might start bleeding again. This would be a good time to ask the Prickleboggle for help."

I nodded. "I'm on it." I approached the dragon and gently stroked his face. "Can you please take a look at my friend?" When he did not protest, I led him to Viggo. Heather and Harald had removed the bandages and placed their hands on the blankets.

"Sorry, mate, this is going to hurt," Harald said. He handed Viggo something, which he placed in his mouth. I winced when I realized it was to prevent him from biting his tongue off due to the pain. Even so, I heard his screams as the bandaged were ripped off.

I did not want to look, but I knew I needed to. Viggo's back was a messy. The bloody wound were enough to make me sick to my stomach. Still, I found the will to guide the Prickleboggle to him and show him the damage.

The wild dragon stared at Viggo at first as if assessing his worthiness. Then he opened his mouth and let out an icy spray. Viggo flinched, but this was a comparatively subdued reaction.

"Good, I think it's working," Heather said. She turned to Harald. "We need to work quickly before it gets infected."

Once the Prickleboggle finished his work, I led him back outside. I thanked him and allowed him to fly back home. Upon reentering the clubhouse, I found Heather and Harald hard at work. I did not know what they wee doing, but they were completely focused on their task. Hiccup, Astrid, and I stuck around to help when needed.

It was slow work, and I did not know enough about medicine to know if Viggo was getting better. Eventually, the wound was sealed, hiding the damage underneath. The work was not done, however. Harald and Heather mixed herbs to spread on his back and aid the healing process.

"Why are you going through all this trouble?" Viggo groaned. It was the first time he had spoken in what seemed like hours. "I'm not worth it."

"Don't say that," Harald snapped, the anger in his voice surprising me. "You think I would waste my time on someone who is not worth it?"

"He means you're important to him," I said.

"Don't insult me by complaining." Then, he said in a voice to low I almost missed it, "I won't lose anyone else."

Viggo grew silent after that. He allowed Harald to spread the herb mixture across his back. Then Harald and Heather reapplied bandages. At this point, there was not much more they could do.

"Do you think he'll make it?" Hiccup asked anxiously.

"He seems better," Astrid added.

"There appears to be no complications," Harald said. "You need to watch him carefully to make sure the wounds do not reopen, but the worst of the danger is past." He turned to Heather with a look of sincere gratitude. "Thank you. I could not have saved him without you."

"You're welcome." Heather said. "It was Brennda who convinced me."

Harald looked at me with a soft smile. "I'm not surprised."

"Now that no one's dying, can someone please tell me what's going on?" Astrid said. "Starting with how you two know each other." She motioned between Viggo and Harald.

"I am curious about that as well," I said.

"It's a long story, and I don't want to bore you," Harald said.

"We've got time," Heather said.

"They have been incredibly patient with us today," Viggo said. "If they'll listen, we should indulge them."

"You need to lie down," Harald said. He helped his friend onto the bed and got him to lay on his stomach. Meanwhile, the rest of us pulled up chairs. I grabbed an extra one for Harald. When he sat down, Leopold climbed into his lap.

"Back at the base, Viggo said he saved you when you were hurt saving Leopold," I said.

Harald let out a heavy sigh and looked around at all of us, seeming to resign himself to his fate. His gaze lingered on me. "That is correct. I told you I met Leopold when I saved him from pirates, right?"

I nodded. Suddenly, something occurred to me. "Wait, hold on-"

Harald smiled ruefully. "That's right. I didn't tell you I was with the pirates."

"I thought you were alone before you met Stormheart," Hiccup said.

"Not at first. I had to learn from someone. And lucky for me, my father was all too willing to show my the ropes."

My eyes widened in shock. "Your father? But I thought-"

"Yes, we disagreed on everything, but I had nowhere else to go. Life at my village became unbearable, and he offered me a way out. I never intended to stay for long. This particular crew of pirates took too much joy in violence for my tastes. They had no real goals or ambitions. I could not use my skills fully. I had a plan to get out, but it had to be executed carefully. A pirate cannot simply leave a crew whenever he chooses. The captain must agree. If he doesn't, it's considered treason, and the only punishment for treason is death."

I shivered ran down my spine as his eyes bore into mine. I understood his message loud and clear. I swallowed hard. "That's, uh, pretty brutal, but... effective."

Harald's gaze flickered to the dragon in his lap. "I had a plan to escape. I knew how to get my father to want me gone. My plan would have worked too, but I made one tiny error that unraveled everything."

Realization dawned on me. "You saved Leopold."

"For some reason, watching my comrades torture an innocent tiny dragon pushed me over the edge. At first I simply stood there watching, but then the Terrible Terror looked at me. I felt a strange connection to him. I also knew what it was like to be alone in the world with everything against me. I had to act."

"You saw yourself in him," Hiccup said softly, his eyes filled with profound understanding.

Harald met his gaze and nodded. "That's one way to put it. Whatever the reason, I asked the others to stop, but they wouldn't. So, I got in the way and shielded the dragon from them. My father was enraged. He attacked me with his sword as I retreated with Leopold. He gave me a nasty scar on my back - and the order to kill me. I managed to escape them, but I had to find a way off the island. The problem was, I found myself in the middle of a dragon hunter camp carrying a wounded dragon. But I needed medical supplies, for Leopold and for myself. I sneaked into one of the tents to steal the supplies."

Astrid rolled her eyes. "Of course."

"But I had not yet mastered that particular skill, and I was caught. By Viggo."

"Imagine my surprise when I entered my tent to find myself being threatened by a wounded boy with a small, wounded dragon," Viggo said with an amused look.

Harald gave him the same look. "I thought you were going to kill me."

"I should have killed you."

"Why didn't you?" Astrid asked. Despite her attempts to hide it, I could tell she was enthralled by the story.

"I don't know. Perhaps I saw a bit of myself in him. Or maybe I admired his determination and resilience. It helped that I knew the particular pirates he was running from and felt no kinship with them. I helped him throw them off his trail. Then I healed the wounds of him and his Terrible Terror. After that, he followed me around like an eager puppy."

Harald rolled his eyes. "That's not quite the way I remember it." But there was affection in his eyes as he gazed at his friend. "I was grateful. You had no reason to save me. You were the first person to not want something from me."

"You stayed with the dragon hunters?" Heather said.

"No, we went off on our own."

"My father was still the leader at the time, and he advised I take some time off to see the world before returning home," Viggo said. "I decided to take Harald with me. I intended to leave him at the first safe place I found, but he grew on me."

Harald smiled. "We had a lot of fun together. We shared a lot of the same interests. We both enjoyed strategy games and outwitting our opponents. He was the first person I could really be myself around."

"And the same was true of me. We grew close and looked out for each other. He was more of a brother to me than Ryker ever was."

"Then...?" I prodded.

Harald's expression turned serious. "Then reality struck. We had to get back to our own lives."

"Just like that?" I did not understand it. If they shared such a strong bond, how could they just walk away?

"I asked him to become a pirate and join me in my grand plan I was formulating, but he had a duty to return home. It was too bad. We would have been unstoppable together."

"Indeed," Viggo said. "That is why I asked him to join the dragon hunters, but he refused."

"Even if I was not directly involved in the violence against dragons, that was not the way I chose to live. So, we had to part knowing the next time we saw each other it might be as adversaries."

"And we did clash a few times. But that was simply business."

I gaped at him. "Business? But you - he-" I shook my head. "You guys have got it all wrong. If you can be yourself with someone, isn't that reality instead of a world where you have to put on an act and hide who you are?"

"It is not that simple," Harald said. "Yes, he was my friend, but friendship is not everyone's highest priority in life."

"People leave each other when life gets in the way," Viggo said. "The question is, why have you stayed."

"Because I don't buy any of this!" I exclaimed. "Why does it have to be either or? All or nothing? There is always a path to be found if you care enough to seek it. I don't let 'reality' or 'fate' dictate what I can do. I am going to make what I want happen."

Viggo watched me with keen interested. Then he looked at Harald with an amused smirk. "My friend, it looks like you've me your match."

Harald smiled at me with fondness in his eyes. "That's still to be decided."

"The only thing to be decided is whether it will destroy you... or save you."

"Well, if you're feeling well enough to make claims like that, my work here is done." Harald stood, and Leopold scurried onto his shoulder. "Now that story time is over, I should be off."

I leapt to my feet. "But it's getting late. It's already dark."

"I can manage. I know my presence here it not exactly welcome." He looked over at Hiccup and Astrid.

"One night won't hurt," Hiccup said. "Brennda wants you to stay."

"And you should check up on Viggo in the morning," Astrid said. "You brought him here. Don't skirt your responsibilities."

A small smirk flickered on Harald's face. "Quite right. Then I will stay."

I smiled at him and slipped my hand into his. "Good. Let's go get some rest."

Harald allowed me to lead him to the door, but then he stopped and looked over his shoulder. "Hiccup, I want to thank you as well. You had every reason not to help Viggo... or me. I will not forget this."

Hiccup nodded. There was something different in his eyes, but I was too tired to figure it out. I left the clubhouse with Harald, and I finally allowed myself to relax after the long, harrowing day.

Harald

Harald woke early the next morning. Happiness filled him when he realized he held Brennda in his arms, her back pressed against his chest. The previous night, she made him eat something, and then the two of them fell asleep from exhaustion. He heard Leopold snore softly in the corner.

Harald gazed at Brennda as she slept. Despite her frizzy bed hair, he thought he had never seen anyone so beautiful. He buried his face in her hair and drank in her scent. "I love you," he whispered. Because she would not hear it but he needed to say it. "More than I've ever loved anyone or anything." And that was why he had to leave.

Even though he wanted nothing more than to stay here with her, he forced himself to get up and abandon her warmth. He watched her as he slowly retrieved his things and returned them to their proper places. Then he roused Leopold and made sure the dragon followed him out of the hut.

Harald paused when he reached the main part of the base. He really should head straight home before anyone else woke, but Astrid did have a point last night. He owed it to Viggo to check up on him. He turned around and started for the clubhouse.

An anxious Skrill paced in front of the door. The fact that she had not broken it down told Harald Viggo was not in any danger. "Hello, mate," he greeted the dragon. "Mind if I help you?" He knew the riders normally did not allow dragons inside, but he did not care.

The Skrill stopped her pacing and eyed him. She dipped her head, seeming to remember he was a friend. Harald gave a half-hearted smile and opened the door. "After you." The Skrill raced inside and bounded over to where Viggo lay.

"Hello there," he heard Viggo say as he moved in closer. "How did you get in?"

"That would be me," Harald said, stopping beside the Skrill. "You should keep her around. They're very loyal dragons when they like someone."

Viggo rubbed the dragon's head and then looked up at his friend. "So I've heard. Are you here to check up on me?"

"We both are. Now sit up so I can inspect your wounds."

Viggo did as he was told. Harald found the medicinal supplies nearby. He had never been more grateful for the skills he picked up living on his own. Accidents happened, and he needed to be prepared. He knew Heather spent time on her own as well, and he suspected this was the reason for her own knowledge.

He removed the bandaged to inspect the injuries. They looked a lot better than they had the previous day. He suspected it had something to do with that Prickleboggle. It seemed his mist did work on humans. Harald applied more herbs and then wrapped Viggo's back in fresh bandages.

"Thank you," Viggo said when the job was complete. "It's early. Do you intend to sneak out?"

Harald frowned. "You don't have to put it like that. But yes, I don't want anyone to see me."

"You don't want Brennda to see you."

Harald looked away. There was no use hiding it. He had not told his friend much about Brennda before he met her, but he did not have to. Viggo was the only person who could see through his every lie. "It's for the best."

"I doubt she would think that." Viggo paused. "She doesn't know you're in love with her, does she?"

Harald looked back at him and caught his eye. He saw no condemnation there, only... concern? "No, and if you can figure that out, you should know why it's better to keep it that way."

"If you're worried it will give her a reason not to give up on you, that ship sailed a long time ago. You may think you are in control, but you are doomed, my friend."

Harald wanted to ask him if he saw a way out. He respected Viggo more than anyone, and if anyone was smart enough to discover a solution, it was him. But perhaps he feared he would confirm what he already decided, and then it would really be over. "We cannot be together. Our paths are too different. It is not my fault if she refuses to see the truth."

Viggo studied him for a minute as if contemplating his response. "Tell me something, Harald. Have you asked her to join you?"

"No. She would never leave her side for me."

"You knew I could not abandon my duty to the dragon hunters, but you still asked me... just as I asked you. Have you ever given her any sign that you would want her on your side? I suspect she has done at least that much for you."

Harald averted his gaze. "She has implied it, yes, but I have not done the same. I don't want her on my side. What's your point?" He pushed back his frustration as he looked back at his friend. Viggo always had a point even if he sometimes took some time getting to it.

Viggo spread his hands in front of him. "I'm saying, isn't it odd that you would ask me to join you but not the woman you love? Back when I led the dragon hunters, if I came across a woman I wanted, I would do whatever it took to make her mine. You appear to be doing the opposite."

Harald knew Viggo had probably already figured it out, but he would not rest until he heard it from him. "She's too good for me, alright? If she were to join my side, it would destroy the reasons I love her in the first place. I can't make her happy like she deserves. I can't be who she needs me to be. All I can do is protect her, and that means I need to stay away."

Viggo looked at him with something akin to compassion. It was odd to see it on him, but it somehow suited him. He remained silent for a long time, and when he did speak, his words came out softly. "I always knew your morality would be your downfall. You may think you've become a hardened villain, but you're the same boy who would risk the wrath of his crew to save an innocent dragon."

Harald looked at the floor. "I am no hero. I have done a lot of bad things. I have wanted to do them."

"As have I, but the difference between us is you recognized your acts as evil whereas I justified everything. You accept the same standards as Brennda - you just don't follow them. If you don't want to destroy her goodness, you admit you place value on what is good. That is a tough road to follow, and you'll find it will eventually collapse on you." Viggo smiled and lightened his tone. "But not to worry. Brennda still has faith in you, and I do as well. Perhaps our combined efforts can send you on the right path."

Harald did not know what to say. Viggo's words struck true, but there was still nothing he could do about it. He did not want them to fight for him, and yet... He could not deny it made him happy that they thought he was worth it. "Do what you must. Just... keep her safe."

Viggo nodded. "I can accomplish both."

A smile flickered on Harald's face. "Goodbye, my friend." He nodded at the Skrill before turning around. It was high time he got out of there before he began questioning everything.

"Goodbye, brother."

A/N: Ah, that was another fun one. We've hit 25 chapters, which was the length of the first part of the series. The second part will have a few more chapters, but it shouldn't be more than 30. The end is near!