A/N: I like Harald's boat. It's very fun-looking.
***
"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."– Mark Twain
Chapter 10
Harald and I wound down by relaxing in Fishlegs' hot tub. Bolt and Leopold really enjoyed it as well! Fishlegs chattered on about random dragon facts, to which Harald took great interest. All in all, it was quite relaxing after the hard work of the morning.
Finally, we approached Hiccup at the center of camp, dragons by our sides. "Hey, Brennda," he greeted me. "Astrid said you've been doing... training?"
I shrugged. "Training, having fun..."
"Testing me," Harald said.
I feigned a look of shock. "And why would I do that?"
Hiccup frowned. "Brennda..."
"I'm afraid she doesn't like me very much," said Harald.
To this, Hiccup smiled. "Oh no. If she didn't like you, you'd receive polite indifference. She doesn't waste energy on those not worth her time."
I glared at him. First of all, how did he know that? Second, why did he have to give me away like that? Third, why did he have to be right? I was perfectly happy living in denial.
"Good to know, mate," Harald said, giving me a sly smile.
I crossed my arms in annoyance. "Anyway, what are we doing?"
"I want to see how well you two work with your dragons," Hiccup said. Toothless stepped forward, and the Viking took a flower from his jaws. "Dragons like flowers, so you will work with yours to find some. But it has to be this flower." He held out the blue flower for us to see. "It's a chrysanthemum, and it grows in the winter. It comes in a variety of colors, any of which will work for our purposes."
"Is it a competition then?" I said.
"Yes. I want to see which pair can find the most flowers."
I glanced at Harald to see if he found the whole idea stupid, but he had on his usual cocky smirk. "Sounds easy," he said.
"You're on," I muttered. He was even confident about flowers. I had to beat him now.
"I'll give you 15 minutes," Hiccup said. "Good luck."
Bolt and I dashed into the woods. It took a minute for me to realize we had to slow down if we actually wanted to find any flowers. Bolt put his nose to the ground while my eyes scanned for flowers. The chrysanthemums stood out because not many flowers bloomed in winter. Soon, I had a handful and Bolt had a mouthful.
We stopped when Hiccup and Toothless landed in front of us. "Time's up," Hiccup said. "It looks like you two did well."
I grinned. "We sure did!"
"Let's go find Harald and Leopold."
I took to the air after him, feeling pretty confident. There was no way Harald could beat me with his little dragon. Bolt and I were the best team. We found them at the edge of the treeline. They had their backs to us, but when we landed, they turned around. I looked in surprise to see them with no flowers.
"Did you not take this seriously at all?" I said.
Harald smirked. "I took this very seriously, mate. Show them, Leopold."
The Terrible Terror turned around and dashed into the field behind them. A brightly colored field that looked a lot like...
"Chrysanthemums!" I gasped. It was an entire field of the flowers in every color.
"So, do we win?" Harald asked. Leopold bounded back to him and attached himself to his shoulder.
"Hold on, you didn't pick any of these flowers."
Harald's smirk widened. "Hiccup said whoever found the most flowers would win. He mentioned nothing about picking them."
"He's right," said Hiccup. "Harald and Leopold are the winners." He cast me an apologetic look. "Sorry, Brennda and Bolt."
I shrugged. "It happens." And they just got lucky.
Leopold made a soft noise. "Oh alright, you may go play," Harald said. The little dragon flew to the ground and ran through the field of flowers once again.
I noticed Bolt watching with interest. "Do you want to get in there?"
The Skrill took this as an invitation to bound into the field.
"Are you two going to let them play alone?" Hiccup said.
"I'm sure they'll have more fun without us," Harald said.
This time, it was my turn to smirk. "I don't think so. Let's go." I grabbed his hand and dragged him into the flowers.
Once we were actually in the field, he had no problem running around chasing Leopold. I smiled as I watched them. They really did seem close. I remembered what Hiccup had once said about dragons sensing if someone was a good person or not. Was that why he trusted Harald right away without knowing him? I broke out of my thoughts by Bolt nudging me with his nose. I turned my attention to playing around with him in the field of beautiful flowers.
The sun just started its descent in the sky by the time I decided it was time to leave. I did not want to disturb Harald and Leopold, so I quietly exited the field with Bolt.
"Do I get to spend time with you now?"
I froze at Harald's voice right behind me. Crap. I thought I had been pretty sneaky. "What are you talking about?"
"You wanted me to spend time with everyone individually, correct? You are the only one left."
I finally turned around to look at him with raised eyebrows. "I spent time with you all day yesterday and today. That's enough."
"I'm afraid that doesn't count. I don't want anymore tests. I want to know you." He stepped closer to me until we were only a foot apart, piercing me with his green eyes.
I shivered and took a step back. "I, uh, don't want you to know me."
He took another step. "And why is that?"
I stepped away again and did not stop until my back hit a tree. "I just don't."
There was nowhere to run as he gazed down at me with an almost smug expression. "Are you afraid of me?"
"No. Don't be silly." The second I said it, I realized I did feel fear. It was just not fear in the normal sense. I was not afraid he would hurt me. It was something else.
"You're afraid to like me."
Yes, that might be it. Why? I had no idea, but I knew it was not something I could admit. "I'm not afraid. I have plenty of reasons not to like you." I pushed his chest to get him to back off, but he grabbed my hands and held them in place.
"But I like you."
"I can't imagine why." I tried to pull out of his grasp, but my heart was no longer in it. Why did I suddenly feel so conflicted? How could I feel nervous about him being so close and yet not want him to leave?
He chuckled, a sound I scornfully realized I liked. "You're not getting away that easily." He leaned in closer, causing my breath to catch in my throat. "Where were you sneaking off to just now?"
"Th-That's none of your business. You wouldn't like it anyway."
He merely smirked. "Oh? I've followed you around and humored you all day, but this you won't allow me to do because you think I won't like it?"
I frowned. I had a feeling he wouldn't let me go until I gave in. I did not want to set such a precedent, but his nearness made it hard to think of any alternatives. "Fine. Bolt and I were going to watch the sunset in the air."
For a moment, the amusement left his eyes, replaced by something more... real. "That sounds lovely. I'm in." He let go of me and backed away. I thought I would be relieved, but his sudden absence left me chilled. He approached Bolt and placed a hand on the saddle. His teasing smirk returned as he looked over at me, frozen in place. "Are you coming or not?"
There was no way out of it now. I took a deep breath and strode up to Bolt. Only once I secured myself on his back did I realize my next problem. The next moment, Harald was very close to me again, and I was keenly aware of where his body touched mine. I had been fine when he dodge rocks together, but this suddenly felt much more intimate.
"Is something wrong?" he said next to my ear. "You seem... nervous."
I swallowed hard. "I-I'm fine."
"You have no problem facing life-threatening situations for fun, but you can't handle me?"
I heard the amusement in his voice, and I hated that he could read me so well. "No! I can, and I will handle you. Take off, Bolt!"
I relaxed once we were in the air. We flew out west over the sea. Colors were just beginning to appear on the horizon. The sun slowly sank closer to the water, which threatened to devour it.
"Marvelous," Harald said softly. "May we get closer?"
"No problem," I said. I urged Bolt forward as the colors spread in the sky. He swooped down low and dipped the edge of his wing in the water, spraying droplets that reflected the pink and orange hues from the sun. Then he glided up and acted as if he would fly straight into the sun. Then he hovered in the air as we watched the sun fade, sending exploding colors in every direction.
"Is this something you do often?" Harald asked.
"No. I've been too busy at school to even think of it. But it crossed my mind today, and I thought I'd give it a shot. It's beautiful, isn't it?"
"Very. Thank you for sharing this with me."
He sounded uncharacteristically sincere, and when I glanced back at him, my heart leapt in my throat. He gazed at me with a genuine smile. "Y-You're welcome."
His eyebrows lifted. "Am I making you nervous again?"
His teasing tone returned, and I gratefully latched onto my annoyance. "N-No. Why would I be nervous? Shut up and look at the pretty colors." I saw him smirk before I looked away.
Eventually, the sun vanished, and darkness descended. Bolt turned around and started for Dragon's Edge. I felt oddly calm as we landed. That trip had been more peaceful than I anticipated. Then I noticed Astrid standing near her hut, staring right at me with an unreadable expression. My heart sunk.
"It appears she would like a word with you," Harald said upon dismounting Bolt. "I hope I have not gotten you into any sort of trouble."
I shook my head. "No, it's probably nothing. I'll see you later." I rubbed Bolt's neck and then started for Astrid.
Without a word, she entered her hut, and I followed. Only once the door was shut did she speak: "It looks like you two had a nice time."
I shrugged. "I guess. I wasn't planning on it. He pestered me until I agreed to let him come with me, but I did enjoy it."
Astrid crossed her arms and gave me a pointed look. "You do remember what you're supposed to be doing, don't you?"
I frowned. "Keeping an eye on him? I did that all day, and he passed every 'test' I had for him. Sure, he's overconfidence is incredibly annoying, but that's hardly a crime."
"Fine, maybe he's not up to something, but you should still be careful. You don't know him, and if you start liking him-"
My eyes widened. "Hold on, I do not like Harald."
She gave me a dubious look. "Really? You two seemed pretty cozy up there."
"That was nothing!" I snapped. "We were admiring the sunset, not each other."
Astrid sighed. "Brennda-"
"I don't like him, okay? Maybe I don't... dislike him as much as I thought I did, but that's it. I need to know him better and figure him out. I can do this." There was no way I would let him get to me.
"If you say so." She did not look like she believed me, but what more could I say? "Just let me know if you need any help."
I did not think all of the assistance in the world could help me.
***
"I don't have anything for you today," I said to Harald the following morning. I stood outside the stables, having just retrieved Bolt. "Don't feel the need to follow me around."
"Oh, but it's so fun," he said with a smirk. Leopold seemed to laugh from his shoulder.
I rolled my eyes. "Aren't you supposed to be upgrading your ship?"
"Yes. I think I will sail around and collect the necessary supplies." He paused. "Would you care to join me? I would much appreciate the company."
Before I could come up with a witty remark, the reality of his words hit me, and my blood ran cold. Sailing? No way. "Th-That's alright. I don't need to bother you."
"I'm sure sailing is not as exciting as flying, but it is an adventure in its own right."
"It's not that." I wracked my brain for a believable excuse. "I don't do well as a passenger."
"No problem. You are welcome to help out with the sailing."
I bit my lip and looked away. "I don't sail."
He let out an exasperated sigh. "I know you prefer flying, but-"
I took a deep breath and looked straight at him. "No, I mean I can't sail."
Surprise flashed in his eyes. "What kind of Viking can't sail?"
"I never learned how. My parents died before they could teach me."
"I'm sorry."
I had expected him to tease me, but he seemed genuinely concerned for me. I felt encouraged to continue. "They died at sea. I wasn't with them, but that's still my last memory of sailing. I don't know how I'll handle being out on a boat. It's stupid, I know."
"No, it's not. You lost people important to you, and it is perfectly understandable that you would tie sailing to their death." For the first time, I saw pain slip through his shield, and I wondered what kind of memories I had stirred up in him. "But, you know, running from the past will only increase your fear. Let me help you."
I suddenly felt way too vulnerable, and I instinctively turned away. "Harald-" I meant to leave, but he caught my hand. Instead of pulling away, I looked back into his eyes.
"Let me teach you how to sail. It will give you a sense of control and help you get over your fear. And who knows? You may find you enjoy it." He gave me a small smile that I could not help but return.
"Alright. I'll give it a try." I did not understand what was happening. I had never admitted that my parents' deaths still bothered me to anyone, even my closest friends, and here I was confiding in a guy I claimed to not like? And yet, I felt nothing but safe with him. All my previous doubts and fears concerning him had momentarily disappeared.
Harald let go of my hand and flashed me a grin. "Great. I will not let you down."
"I'll just let Hiccup know where we're going. I'll meet you by the docks."
"Alright. Just don't skip out at me."
For the first time, I laughed at his teasing tone. "I won't make any promises."
He chuckled and started for the docks. I smiled as I watched him leave.
***
Sailing turned out to be quite enjoyable. Harald was a good teacher, and I soon forgot my fears. I also forgot I was not supposed to like him. Yet somehow, he was a little more bearable today. Once he had his proper supplies, we set course for Dragon's Edge and relaxed on the boat.
"You look like you had fun despite yourself," Harald said as he stood by the edge of the boat. Leopold and Bolt lay near him, asleep.
"I did," I admitted. "Thank you for teaching me. It did help a lot. Sailing isn't too bad. I think my parents would approve. They loved sailing." I smiled as they thought about them.
"Good. You are quite welcome." He paused. "Were you and your parents close?"
"We were pretty close. Of course, I didn't always appreciate them when they were there. I wanted to be independent and all that. But we got along just fine." It was easy to take people for granted. Having made that mistake once, I hoped I would know better next time. Harald watched me with a gentle gaze, appearing completely at ease. I suddenly found myself wanting to know more about him. "What about you? Were you and your parents close?"
Harald smiled almost ruefully. "Not particularly. My mother and I got along as well as we could, when she cared to pay attention to me. And my father-" He appeared to search for the right words as he took a moment to continue. "I could never do anything right in his eyes. He was a big, tough Viking, while I preferred to use my mind and avoid direct violence. He was always telling me I was not good enough and would never make anything of myself."
I frowned. "That's terrible!"
He shrugged. "I proved him wrong, didn't I? And I probably would not have become as self-reliant without him."
"That's one way to look at it." Still, I hated to think about anyone being treated that way by someone who was supposed to love and support him.
Seeming to sense my discomfort, Harald smiled. "Do not worry about me. I have everything I need now: my boat, my dragon, and the entire ocean at my whims."
"Ah, so that's why you love sailing. It gives you a sense of freedom."
"Precisely."
I gazed at Bolt, and a soft smile touched my lips. "I know the feeling. That's why I love flying with Bolt. When we're up in the sky together, it feels like we can do anything."
"Including intimidating anyone?"
I looked at him and saw a playful smirk on his face. "Except you, apparently. But I think that means there's something wrong with you, not me."
He chuckled. "Of course there's nothing wrong with you." He stepped closer to me. "I was not afraid of you because I was too caught up in your magnificence and beauty."
Caught completely off guard, I stood there, dumbfounded. He took this opportunity to brush a stray strand off hair off my cheek, which tingled at his touch. "C-Cut that out!" I stammered. I back away from him and turned around. My heart felt like it was beating a hundred miles a minutes. Why did I react this way around him? "It's not funny."
"But I wasn't joking." I heard amusement in his voice. "You know, if you're not afraid of me, perhaps you're nervous for a different reason?"
"Of course not," I huffed. I spun around, and my heart nearly leapt out of my chest when I found him right in front of me. He leaned forward and placed his hands on the edge of the ship on either side of me, trapping me. I glared at him. "What are you doing?"
He looked down at me with a smirk. "Admiring you."
My nervousness won out over my anger. As I gazed into his eyes, I let myself wonder what would happen if I gave into him. What would happen if I moved closer instead of away? Then reason took over, burying the silly thoughts deep inside. I shoved him, but he did not move an inch.
"You're going to have to do better than that, love." His smirk widened. "But I am not letting you go. I'm afraid there's nowhere left for you to run."
I took that as a challenge. I remembered my battle training with my father: always go for the unexpected. I took in a deep breath. "I wouldn't be too sure about that." I placed my hands on the railing behind me and hoisted myself up. Instead of leaping behind Harald like he seemed to expect, I turned and dove into the water.
It was still winter, and the water was freezing. But once my head popped out, I found I did not mind it too much. I especially did not mind it when Harald looked over the edge of the boat in complete and utter shock. "Are you mad?!" he exclaimed.
I grinned at him. "The water's fine! Come on and join me."
"There is no way I'm joining you!"
"Oh, so all of that about not letting me go was just talk?" I teased. "I see how it is. A little cold water, and you give up."
Harald scoffed. "That is hardly the point. You need to get back here."
I smirked. "No." I thought this was the perfect time to practice my dragon calls. I let out a Skill noise, and a second later, Bolt's head popped up over the edge of the ship. I glanced at Harald and then the dragon and nodded.
Harald turned to Bolt in confusion. Before he could make sense of the situation, he was pushed overboard by the Skrill. I laughed as he flailed about in the water.
"You can swim, right?" I said. "You'll live." I cautiously swam over to his side.
Harald spit out water, but he did seem to have found a rhythm. He shot me a mischievous look. "You're going to pay for that." He used both hands to splash water on my face.
I gasped. "It's on!" He was already swimming away, forcing me to chase after him.
There was no clear victor in our battle, but I did not mind. We were both freezing and dripping wet by the time we returned to Dragon's Edge, earning us stupefied looks from the dragon riders. Or maybe it was because we were laughing and grinning like idiots. Either way, it was a pretty good day.
***
A/N: We're getting somewhere now. Resistance is futile!