Heart of a Berserker: Love (School of Dragons)

Chapter 2

"I try
But it's so hard to believe
I try
But I can't see what you see
I try, I try

I try and try to understand
The distance in between
The love I feel and the things I fear
And every single dream" 

- "I'll Try" by Jesse McCartney

Chapter 2

Hiccup sent out extra patrols, but no one spotted any trouble from Randel and his pirates the first two days after they interrupted his wedding. I knew this was good news, but I was afraid Randel was plotting something and anxious to hear back from Harald.

When Harald finally returned to give his report, I fetched him from the docks with Bolt and brought him to a secluded area so we could talk alone first. "How did the meeting go?" I asked, trying to hide my nervousness.

"About as well as can be expected," Harald said, his expression grim. "Randel tried to sweet talk Stormheart, but that didn't go over well with her. She flatly refused to work with him and denied we have the map."

I nodded slowly. "Okay. That's good. I bet he didn't take that too well."

"Oh, he made all sorts of threats, but we're not worried. If he's foolish enough to oppose us, we'll crush him."

"And what if he comes after Berk?"

"Why would he do that? He doesn't know you have the map."

"No, but he does know you're important to me. He might try to use me to get to you." That was why we kept this a secret from Stormheart, after all. The same idea had to apply to his father. Still, I did not regret blowing our cover. Defending Harald had been worth it.

"I doubt it has occurred to him how much you mean to me. But if he does target you..." Harald cupped my face and looked intently into my eyes. "I will stop him myself. Let me know if you need anything."

His fierceness brought a smile to my face. I loved this style of protectiveness. "Thank you. I will. And if you need anything-"

Harald stopped me by kissing me. When he pulled back, his features had softened. "I know. You'll be there for me." He moved his arms around my waist and pulled my close to him. I smiled as I snuggled against his chest. We stayed like that for awhile, simply enjoying the presence of the other. But eventually, we had to return to reality.

"We should report to Hiccup," I said.

"Fine," Harald said, reluctantly pulling away from me. "But after that, can we find Elska? I am able to stay for some time."

I smiled. "Of course." I took his hand, and we set off to find the chief.

Hiccup was not happy with the news that Stormheart would take care of Randel. He gave in after Harald insisted this had nothing to do with him, but he made him promise to give him updates. Satisfied, we turned to dragon training.

Elska was eager to see Harald as always. I loved watching the two interact. They both learned quickly and worked together well. As strange as it was to see Harald riding a dragon, there was something about it that was almost natural. He was well-suited for it.

"What's with that look?" Harald asked during a break in the training. He stood beside Elska, gently rubbing her side.

"I was just daydreaming," I admitted. "And it made me wonder..." I took a deep breath. "Harald, do you like New Berk?"

"It's more tolerable than most villages I've visited."

"But do you think you think you could be happy here? You know, if sometime in the future..."