Heart of a Berserker: Hope (School of Dragons)

Chapter 18

"Spiritually, no action is more important than surrender. Surrender is the tenderest impulse of the heart, acting out of love to give whatever the beloved wants. Surrender is being alert to exactly what is happening now, not imposing expectations from the past. Surrender is faith that the power of love can accomplish anything, even when you cannot foresee the outcome of a situation." - Deepak Chopra

Chapter 18

My heart pounded as I entered the trading center at Auction Island. This was my last chance at finding Harald, though I was more nervous about what would happen when I did find him. I had no idea what to expect, and that scared me. I reminded myself I was doing this for my friends and for dragons. And I was partly doing it for myself.

I approached the shopkeeper who seemed the most connected and willing to help me. "Hey, have you seen Harald around here?"

"Harald's been a busy man lately!" the Viking said. "Lots of action going on around him..."

My eyebrows lifted. "Really? What kind of actions?"

"Never you mind. I saw him going to his boat on the other side of the island. I bet you'll find him in the forest if you hurry. Now quit bothering me, girl!"

He did not have to tell me twice. I turned around and jogged out of there. I was running by the time I reached the forest. In the distance, I spotted Harald's back. I cupped my hands around my mouth and shouted: "HARALD!"

He stopped and turned around. I continued to run to him, but I froze when a gang of pirates fell out of the trees and surrounded me. I tensed.

"What a nice surprise to see you here, Brennda," Harald said. "I hope my friends don't make you nervous; they're just here to make sure that I have a pleasant time here on Auction Island."

Yeah right. In any case, I knew I had nothing to fear from them. But wait... Something Eret said to me the previous day flashed in my mind. "Who are they loyal to?"

Harald met my steady gaze with an unreadable expression. "They answer to me, and I answer to Stormheart. But do not be afraid to speak freely. If you don't mind my saying, you have an air of desperation around you. Please, tell me, how can I help you?"

Maybe there was no harm in speaking freely, but the presence of the other pirates meant my chances of having my request granted were dwindling by the minute. Still, I had to try. "I need you, Harald. Stormheart is hurting dragons, and I don't know how to stop her."

Harald's expression did not change. "We both know that I am an honest and loyal man, so your insinuation that I'd switch allegiance is insulting. I am faithful to Stormheart as any Viking could be!"

"That's not what I meant!" I allowed emotion to fill my voice as I gave him a pleading look. "I just want to destroy the Grimora venom. Yes, it would help us, but that's only incidental. Our concern is for the dragons. You know this. Please... I know you don't want to hurt dragons."

Harald stared at me for several moments before responding. "You are... correct. I understand Stormheart needs a way to neutralize the strength of her enemies, but I keep telling her there must be a better way than Grimora venom. I worry that my dear Leopold will cross her sights one day. He doesn't deserve that; he could be called an Adorable Terror, in my book." He glanced at the dragon on his shoulder, and I caught a hint of a smile on his face.

"Y-Yes," I said in agreement. His terminology surprised me, but I went with it. "I love Leopold. He is very adorable."

When Harald looked back at me, his expression had softened slightly. "Speaking of Leopold: I worry that he's too small and defenseless. In these trying times, he needs to be protected against the dangers of this world. Wouldn't you agree?"