Chapter 2
The next morning Windshear made her way up to the apple tree. She wanted to find out if she knew the female Night Fury or not. She landed on the ledge over the house. The Draconians were awake already and munching on golden apples. The dragonets finished their apples then ran off with their human friend. Windshear took off and followed them. She noticed the black one among them. Windshear swooped down and landed in front of them. They stopped.
"Where are you lot off to?" she asked.
"There's no room for us to play in the village," said Avalon. "So we play out here in the woods. Yes, our parents know we're out here."
"What are your names?" asked Windshear. They exchanged a glance.
"I'm Avalon, and this is Apollo," said the Princess.
"I'm Black Widow and this is my rider, Edelweiss," said Black Widow. Windshear glance at the young human girl. For some reason she reminded Windshear of Heather. The Razorwhip lowered her head to Edelweiss's level. The child giggled and stroked her snout.
"You're probably the youngest rider I've seen," she said. Edel beamed.
"I was riding with my mother the day I was born," she bragged. "I love it." Windshear turned to Black Widow.
"Where's you mother from? She seems familiar," she said. Black Widow looked surprised.
"Mama said the same thing about you last night," she said. "She's had to move from home to home because of human dominations. She now lives in Draconia with her friends. You can ask her yourself, she's back at the tree."
"Thank you," said Windshear. She spread her wings and took off. The young Draconians headed deeper into the woods.
Windshear headed back to the apple tree. The two nightly dragons were the only ones there now. The others were helping around the village. Tenor and Windwalker were saving their strength for hunting the following night. Windshear landed in front of them. They sat up when they landed.
"Pardon this intrusion," she said.
"Oh, it's no problem," said Tenor.
"It's good to see you again Tenor," said Windshear. Tenor blushed under his black scales.
"Likewise," he said. "It's been a while."
"You seem familiar," said Windwalker. "Have we met before?"
"The more I look at you, the more I think we have," said Windshear. "I've met many dragons in my lifetime." Tenor racked his brain for something helpful.
"Didn't you tell me once that you once met a Night Fury with yellow eyes?" he said. "You said your parents knew each other or something."
"Oh, of course Mercury," said Windwalker, remembering suddenly. "Your mother was my father's second in command."
"You can call me Windshear," said Windshear. "I prefer that. How've you been I heard what happened."
"I've been better since then." said Windwalker. "I've made plenty of friends, Tenor being among them." Tenor sat quietly. He could feel himself fading into the background. He laid down in the dragonnip. He crossed his front legs casually. Neither of them noticed. The two of them spread their wings and took off, leaving him alone.
They landed on a cliff near Thor's Beach. The sun made Windshear's silver scales flash brightly.
"Tenor said he asked you to be his mate a while back," Windwalker said. Windshear sighed sadly.
"He did," she said. "And I turned him down because I wasn't old enough for a mate yet. I didn't want to hurt him, but I had to be honest."
"Hmm, how'd he take it?" asked Windwalker.
"Not very well," said Windshear. "He really hated himself. I hated doing it, especially after he'd saved my life and Heather's. Even afterwards he was willing to help us."
"Interesting, Syrik had been in the same situation with me," said Windwalker. "He obviously reacted very differently."
"Tenor's an amazing dragon," said Windshear.
"He is," said Windwalker. "He's saved my life too, a number of times. He's not at all what I expected him to be when I first saw him."
"Same here," said Windshear. "I thought he was going to have a temper and kill anyone he didn't like."
Little did they know that Tenor was walking by at that moment. He decided to give the two females their space, since they didn't seem interested him at the moment. He had gone for a run to clear his head. He was cooling off when he overheard them talking. They were just barely out of his hearing range. He could hear them talking but could only make out a few words such as: Tenor, mutt, short-tempered, and not perfect. Tenor froze in shock. He would have investigated further, but Windwalker hated eavesdropping. He snorted angrily. Then spread his wings and took off.
He landed back at the tree. No one else was there. He folded his wings and began pacing in fury. Smoke billowed out of his nostrils. He couldn't believe Windwalker would say such things about him. It made him wonder what else was she was saying about him behind his back.
Windwalker landed next the tree a short while later. The first thing she noticed was Tenor's mood and the smoke coming out of his nostrils.
"Are you mad because I left to hang out with Windshear?" she asked.
"Because you left with her to make fun of me," Tenor hissed. "I heard you. You think I'm shot-tempered huh?" Windwalker frowned at him.
"Well, if you'd kept listening you would have heard what we were really saying," she snapped.
"You hate eavesdropping," said Tenor said. Windwalker growled in frustration.
"The only thing I hate more than eavesdropping is jumping to conclusions," she said. "You just assumed we were making fun of you without hearing the whole story."
"Then why didn't you say it to my face if you weren't making fun of me?" Tenor hissed.
"You could have come with us you know," said Windwalker. "No one would have objected. Don't blame us for your decision. You can get awfully annoying about things like this."
"How do I know you're not just saying that?" Tenor snapped.
"You calling me a lier?" Windwalker growled.
"It wouldn't be the first time a female said they liked me just to throw me of the scent," said Tenor. Windwalker got right up into his face.
"How dare you call me a lier," she roared.
"How dare you call me an imperfect, ill-tempered, mutt," Tenor roared back. More smoke billowed out of his nostrils.
"I would think you'd be used to by now," said Windwalker.
"Well, I'm not," said Tenor. "And it seems to me that you just admitted that you were saying that stuff about me." Windwalker growled again. She got right up in his face.
"I've just about had enough of you," She hissed. "If you're going to have an attitude like that, then maybe you're becoming as bad as Syrik." That shut Tenor up. He took a step back.
"Now get out of my sight, you monster!" Windwalker shouted. She head butted him in the chest. Tenor looked surprised at first. Then he snorted, turned around, and flew off.
He flew over the island, letting off steam. He was fuming again, worse than before. But he wasn't mad that Windwalker was making fun of him behind his back, he was mad at himself for looking so different. He landed on the forest floor, near Flightmare Falls. He looked at his reflection, and was disgusted with what he saw. He roared in outrage. He slammed into a nearby tree. Just then Windshear landed next to him.
"What'd you do that for?" she asked.
"If I didn't look so different and ugly, then everyone wouldn't want to make fun me," Tenor growled. He rammed into the tree again. Windshear flinched.
"What happened?" she asked, hoping to stop him from hurting himself.
"I heard you two making fun of me earlier today," Tenor said. "I can't believe Windwalker would say that stuff about me. I confronted her about it and she, she said to get out of her sight. If I didn't look like so hideous, none of this would have happened." And he went back to ramming into the tree. Windshear tried to stop him, but it was fruitless. He wouldn't listened to her. She quickly took off and went to find Windwalker, she would know what to do.
Windwalker was sitting in the shade of the apple tree. She didn't feel like doing anything. She was starting to feel bad about telling Tenor he was as bad Syrik, which wasn't at all true. Tenor was a wonderful dragon that had had a traumatizing youth. Syrik got aggressive when he was turned down, and Tenor helped Windshear and Heather fight their enemy. Windwalker thought about going after him; but considering the mood he was in, she wasn't sure if Tenor would trust her or even listen.
Just then Chris came up the hill, Serenity following him. Windwalker sat up when they approached. Chris instantly picked up on her expression.
"What's the matter with you?" he asked.
"Nothing," said Windwalker. Chris narrowed his eyes. He turned to his wife and whispered in her ear. She nodded, her face solemn. She kiss his check then left. Chris went over and sat in his chair.
"Alright, out with it Windwalker," he said. "I know something's up." Windwalker sighed, Tenor wasn't the only one in the family who was good at getting a confession.
"Tenor's being difficult," she said. "He jumped to the confession that Windshear and I were making fun of him behind his back."
"You weren't?" Chris asked.
"No, we weren't," said Windwalker. "Most likely he heard me talking about my first impression of him. Apparently he took off before he could hear the rest, because he knows I hate eavesdroppers."
"Hmmm," said Chris. "Why didn't you invite him into the conversation?"
"Well, we didn't intend to leave him out," said Windwalker. "I suppose he thought Windshear and I were off to spend time by ourselves, since we were old acquaintances."
"At least he was being courteous," Chris said.
"Yes," Windwalker agreed. "I'd go tell him what we were really saying about him, but I don't think he trusts me."
"It's not like you to give up," Chris said, scolding slightly. "You want him back don't you?"
"Of course I do," said Windwalker. "I never meant those bad things I called him."
"Tenor's overheard bad things about him all his life," said Chris. "That's probably why he jumped to that conclusion."
"Yes, I got so mad when he accused of making fun of him that, I kind of forgot about that," Windwalker said.
"I think it's about time he overheard good things about him," Chris said.
"Agreed," said Windwalker. "Thanks." Chris scratched behind her ears, and she purred. Just then Windshear landed next to the tree, she seemed in distress.
"Please forgive this interruption," she said. "Tenor's in trouble." Windwalker became alert.
"What's the matter with him?" she asked.
"He's really angry," said Windshear.
"Is he mad at me?" asked Windwalker.
"No, he's furious with himself," said Windshear. "He's convinced that if he didn't look so ugly non of these bad things would have happened. Now he won't stop ramming into a tree. I'm afraid he's going to really hurt himself, or kill himself." Windwlker became alert at once. She might have been angry at Tenor but she didn't want him to get hurt, especially by his own hand.
"I better go stop him," she said.
"Hurry," said Chris. Windwalker spread her wings and took off as fast as she could.
She flew over the island, calling for Tenor. She hoped she found him before he did something terrible to himself. Suddenly there came loud thuds. Windwalker spotted a large tree quiver every few seconds. She flew down to the base of the tree and landed. Tenor was still ramming into the tree as hard as he could, growling and snarling the whole time. The smell of blood reached Windwalker's nostrils.
"Tenor!" she cried. Tenor rammed into the tree again, and paused with his head flat against the tree trunk. He growled and looked at her.
"Yes?" he asked.
"What are you doing that for?" Windwalker asked. Tenor stepped back from the tree and turned around. He went back to his starting point, preparing for another hit.
"I just realized that the only reason folks make fun me is because I look so horrendously, ugly," he hissed. "It's all my fault, and I really hate myself for looking like this." He ran at the tree again, full speed. Thinking quickly, Windwalker ran between him and the tree.
"Stop Tenor, just stop," she said. "Please stop." Tenor seemed to relax a touch. Windwalker stepped back to get a better look at him, and did not like what she saw. Tenor's face was badly bruised. He could hardly open his right eye. There was blood around his nose and mouth. When he opened his mouth, several of his black teeth were missing and his mouth was all bloody.
"There's nothing wrong with you Tenor," Windwalker said. "I did think you were an imperfect, ill-tempered, mutt when I first saw you. That's what I was telling Windshear. Then I told her that you were the exact opposite of what I expecting." Tenor sighed and laid down on the grass. He put his head down on his front paws.
"I suppose I did go too far," he said. "I'm sorry."
"And you're sorry for jumping to conclusions not for being different?" Windwalker asked. Tenor sighed again.
"Yes," he said. Windwalker laid next to him.
"I know you've had a hard young life," she said. "But you've got to put it all behind you, you'll be a lot happier when you do. I put everything that had happened with Syrik behind me, though it comes back to haunt me sometimes."
"I'll try not to turn into him," Tenor said. Windwalker nuzzled his cheek and purred.
"You'll never be as bad as him," she said softly. Tenor started to feel better.
"At least he looked normal," he said.
"Yeah, but you're much cuter than him," Windwalker said. Tenor pinned his ears back bashfully. He finally smiled.
"That's better," said Windwalker, almost sounding like Serenity. She sat up and licked his face, using her special saliva on his bruises. Tenor flinched slightly but didn't move, his face was starting to hurt.
Windwalker stopped after a while. Tenor looked slightly better. His nose and gums stopped bleeding. But his right eye was still closed. Windwalker got to her feet.
"Come on," she said, nudging him. "Serenity should look at that eye, just to be sure it's not permanently damaged." Tenor heaved himself to his feet.
"Very well," he said. He stretched his wings.
"Just promise me one thing," said Windwalker.
"What?" asked Tenor.
"Don't hurt yourself on purpose again," said Windwalker. "I can't bare the idea." Tenor sighed again.
"Alright, anything for you," he said. Windwalker nuzzled his cheek again. Then the two of them spread their wings and took off.
