Heart of a Berserker: Hope (School of Dragons)

Chapter 19

"Of all powers, love is the most powerful and the most powerless. It is the most powerful because it alone can conquer that final and most impregnable stronghold which is the human heart. It is the most powerless because it can do nothing except by consent." - Frederick Buechner

Chapter 19

I gazed at the dragon egg in my arms. I had hatched one egg before - a Razorwhip egg Heather entrusted me with. I remembered caring for the baby and teaching him to get along with other dragons. I eventually let him go free, but it had been a great experience. Somehow, I felt this Triple Stryke would be even more special.

"One thing's for sure, Brennda," Dagur went on. "There's no end to the adventures that seem to surround Berk and Dragon's Edge. I'll have to stick around and make sure you can conquer all who challenge you. After all, power will only attract more contenders to the throne..."

"That's true," I agreed. The world was full of people after power.

"And thanks to Hiccup, we've befriended the greatest power in the world."

I nodded. "Dragons."

"We'll need to be careful. I'm sure Astrid is just itching for more of a chance to protect her land. Will you tell her I pledge my axe and my life to the cause?"

I grinned at his dramatics. "Sure thing." Still clutching the Triple Stryke egg, I made my way over to where Astrid, Hiccup, and Heather were chatting. "Astrid, Dagur says he pledges his axe and life to the cause of protecting our land and dragons."

Heather laughed. "He's a bit over the top as usual."

I shrugged. "He's just taking things to their logical conclusion."

"Well, I hope it won't come to that!" Astrid said. "Dragon's Edge got attacked again, but it wasn't an accident that we made it through unscathed. You have an excellent head for strategy, Brennda! If you keep at it, you might be able to take over the defenses of Berk. I'll just be sure to grill you ten times harder from now on, so get ready."

I chuckled. "Can't wait."

"I'm sure that we'll be able to outwit Stormheart when she comes back (and of course she'll come back; Hiccup's foes have a tendency to stick around)."

"Right. We won't let her win... Dagur was very helpful. Everything he said about those pirates turned out to be correct." Both of them.

Heather smiled. "I'm glad you two are getting along. It is nice having him around." She turned to Hiccup. "Of course, we couldn't have accomplished everything without your help."

"You're being way too modest," Hiccup said. "Without you and Brennda, we couldn't have made the microscope nor discovered the toxin. We're a team, you know? We work best when we're working together."

I nodded. "Exactly. That's our strength. We work together and look out for each other."

"And Brennda: your bravery and skills never fail to impress me. There are so many things we haven't done yet... just you wait!"

"Thank you." I just wanted to protect everyone. It felt good to fight for something.

Hiccup's expression grew troubled. "Still, I am a bit worried. I don't think we've seen the last of Stormheart. I saw the ambition and anger burning in her eyes when we were, err, attacking her ship. I'm sure she has something devious up her sleeves, so we'll have to be ready."

"Yeah, there has to be a reason why she's here." Every villain had some sort of goal. It could not be a coincidence she was in our neighborhood and picked a fight with us. She was after something.