Heart of a Berserker: Hope (School of Dragons)

Chapter 17

"When the curtain's call
Is the last of all
When the lights fade out
All the sinners crawl

So they dug your grave
And the masquerade
Will come calling out
At the mess you made" 

- "Demons" by Imagine Dragons

Chapter 17

"JOHANN!"

My anger built up by the time I arrived at the School and landed in the center. I dismounted Bolt and dragged the crate of goods to the ground. My gaze swept the area for the trader.

"Miss Brennda?" Johann said tentatively as he neared me. He flinched at my glare. "Is there a problem? Did you find my ship?"

"Oh, I found the ship you described alright. Dagur and I even took out all the weapons. But tell, me, why does this crate have Stormheart's symbol on it?" I swept my arm over the crate and gave him another dark look.

Johan's eyes widened in shock. "Oh dear. I have unwittingly placed you in a terrible predicament! I forgot that I had sold a ship with the same figurehead to Harald a few weeks earlier. That shipment must have belonged to Stormheart. I feel like the biggest fool."

I narrowed my eyes into slits. "You 'forgot' you had two ships with the same 'rare' figurehead and sold one of them to someone we're trying to have peaceful relationships with? I'm not buying it."

"I - I'm sorry!"

"Sorry isn't good enough! Do you have any idea what you've done?" In my anger, I grabbed his shirt and pulled him closer to me, glaring at him menacingly. He trembled in fear.

"Whoa! Brennda, calm down!" Hiccup said.

"Yes, whatever Johann did, I'm sure it was an accident," said Heather.

Their presence did help me gain control of my anger. I let go of Johann and backed off, but I still eyed him with supreme suspicion. "Either he's an incompetent fool, or he's conspiring against us."

"Alright, I think you've been hanging out with Dagur too much," Hiccup said.

"Is everything alright?" Skulder said as he approached, casting me a nervous look.

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Johann here asked me to find a ship stolen from him, but after Dagur and I disarmed the ship, we found a crate of goods with Stormheart's symbol on it. Now Johann claims he forgot he sold the ship to Harald a week ago."

"Now I understand," Heather said. "You're overreacting because Harald was involved."

I frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"Sorry, Johann," Hiccup said. "Brennda gets a bit... touchy when Harald is mentioned."

"I do not!"

"Not a problem," Johann said. "I do feel terrible about it all... I hope I have not caused any problems."

I scoffed. "Fat chance of that."

"Well, maybe we'll be able to talk reasonably and avoid a confrontation," Hiccup said. "It was an accident; if we return her goods there's no harm no foul, right? "

"Hiccup, if I may interrupt," Skulder said, "give me the cargo you recovered from the ship, and I can return it to its rightful owner at Auction Island. Dragons aren't well looked upon there, and since Muddie isn't with me, I am confident that I can do this. "

Hiccup looked at him in surprise. "Are you sure, Skulder? We don't know much about Nikora Stormheart. I hope that this problem gets smoothed over quickly, but if it doesn't? This could get dangerous."