Chapter 2

Windwalker woke up way early the following morning, and found her mate missing. This got her very worried and very angry. She stood up and looked around for Black Widow. The younger dragon was still on her bed fast asleep with her head resting on an open book, it was her favorite book on spiders. Windwalker went over and nudged Black Widow. She opened her red eyes and sat up. Like Tenor, Black Widow preferred to wake up at her leisure and not when someone else forced her to wake up.

"Come on get up," Windwalker said sternly. Black Widow got to her feet and stretched. She looked around the cave for her father.

"Where's Daddy?" she asked.

"I don't know," Windwalker said annoyed. "But I'm going to find out." She whirled around and walked briskly out of the cave, heading towards Serenity and Chris's room. Black Widow closed her book, clamped it in her jaws, and followed her mother. They arrived in their riders' room where they were all sleeping. Windwalker went over to the bed to Chris's side. He was facing her. Black Widow sat on her haunches with her tail wrapped around her paws. Windwalker looked down at her rider, then licked his face. Chris jumped awake and sat up. When he saw who woke him he scowled.

"What the heck Windwalker?" he asked rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"Tenor's gone, he took off without us," Windwalker said urgently.

"You sure?" Chris asked. "Maybe he's just out hunting."

"He would have told me," Windwalker said. "Or told someone." She looked over at Serenity, who was somehow still sleeping. Windwalker went around to her side. She then nudged Serenity who opened her eyes.

"Has Tenor said anything about going anywhere this morning or last night?" Windwalker asked.

"No why?" asked Serenity sleepily.

"He's gone, left without us," Windwalker said. Serenity sat up.

"That's not like him," she said. "Maybe he told Re or Aurora."

"Yeah maybe," Windwalker said. "But he would usually have told me first. We'll have to go after him."

"Now?" Chris asked.

"Yes, right now," Windwalker said. "Tenor might get himself in trouble."

"We should get the others," Serenity said. "They're just going to follow us anyway."

"Good point," Windwalker said. "But it will take a while to get ready." Serenity got to her feet and casually snapped her fingers, and she and Chris were dressed and Windwalker was saddled. Windwalker looked impressed.

"Magic is mighty handy," she said. Serenity smiled as she made her way of to the crib made out of a dragon's ribcage, where Edelweiss was sleeping. She carefully lifted the sleeping child and rested her on her shoulder. Chris opened a nearby closet and pulled out a child carrier. He strapped it to Serenity's back then gently slid Edelweiss into it without waking her. When she was secure Chris and Serenity mounted Windwalker and flew towards the throne room, followed by Black Widow.

They landed inside the throne room where Re, Aurora, and their hatchlings were sleeping. When Windwalker landed on the ledge her riders dismounted. Black Widow landed near Apollo, then she pounced on him. The made such noise that Re and Aurora woke up.

"Your majesties, Tenor has taken off without us," Windwalker said. Re and Aurora exchanged a glance.

"How long has he been gone, do you know?" Re asked.

"No," Windwalker said. "I woke up this morning and he was gone. We should go after him."

"I don't think we need to," Aurora said. She stared at the wall, though not really seeing it. Her silver eyes became blank. She stayed like that for a good three minuets. Then she shook her head and her eyes cleared.

"He's going to find his parents, obviously," she said. "But he will return unharmed, we don't have to go anywhere."

"Why did he leave us so suddenly?" asked Serenity.

"That's all my vision could see," Aurora said. "I just know he will return to us sometime after the full moon." She saw that Windwalker still looked determined to go after her mate. Aurora gave a small chuckle.

"I'll tell you what Windwalker," she said. "Went he comes back you can let him have it, as long as there's no injuries." Windwalker sighed.

"Alright," she said. "The full moon is next week, I'll give him until then. If he's not back by then I'll find him and drag him back by the scruff of the neck."

"Fair enough," said Aurora. "But I wouldn't worry too much." Windwalker sighed again. She sat on her haunches. Serenity, who was closest, placed her hand on the dragon's shoulder. Windwalker could smell the girl's sent of Dragonnip. Serenity and Chris sat in their chairs around the fire pit. Serenity took the child carrier off her back and took Edelweiss out of it and put her on her lap.

Later that day Hiccup and his dragon riders turned up. Re had asked them to join the search for Tenor's parents and they accepted. But when they arrived Re said that Tenor had gone on this quest alone. Snotlout and the Twins were the most disappointed.

"Why's Tenor so determined to find his parents anyway?" asked Hiccup. "I mean I know he's never met them, but I've never met anyone so determined to find their family in my life."

"Tenor had a very depressing childhood," Re said. "When he was a hatchling all the dragons avoided him."

"Because he wasn't good at anything?" asked Hiccup, who had a rather depressing childhood himself.

"Quite the contrary," Re said. "He was good at everything. He won every game we played with the young neighborhood dragons. So after a while they stopped allowing him to play with them. Even the adult dragons didn't trust him because there was no dragon in the world looked like him, and they grew suspicious that he didn't come from natural causes. As a result Aurora and I were the only friends he ever had, and he was quite lonely. He had no parents to run home to at the end of every day. He was bullied too, the other dragons said some pretty mean and racist things to him; like a black demon of hell, or an unearthly devil."

"Unholy offspring of lighting and death?" Toothless asked.

"Yes," Re said. "And it never stopped, not even when he was fully grown. He tried so hard to find a mate, but all the females were afraid of him and thought he was nothing but a show off. They never gave him a chance. He spent most of the time in his chambers in the castle and only came out at night. He felt like night shielded him from all the bullying because no one could see him."

"He told me he didn't have a mate because he couldn't find one that fitted his expectation," Windwalker said. "Which was that he wanted a mate who was smart, strong-willed, loving, brave, and stubborn, and could keep up with him."

"Yes well, he left one out," Aurora said. "He wanted a mate you didn't care that he was so different from other dragons, one who could look past the black scales."

"But the other Draconians like him now; don't they?" asked Windwalker. Re shook his head.

"They don't see him much anymore," he said. "He only comes out in the daytime when he has to. I mean have any of you seen him go outside the castle, in the daytime, by himself?"

"Hey you're right," Serenity said. "But he comes up here and he's always nice to the dragons up here."

"Oh, he's nice all right, but he can be pretty mysterious," Re said. "And it took us forever to convince him to come up here."

"And he's wanted to find his family for several years," said Aurora. "He hoped it would make him seem less different."

"That makes sense," said Astrid. "But he's fine the way he is." They all murmured in agreement.

"Unfortunately the only ones who ever thought so are all in this room," Re said. "And he dose love his friends and family, rarely talked to anyone he doesn't know."

"But he said hello to Windwalker just fine," Serenity pointed out.

"Yeah he wasn't mysterious then," said Windwalker.

"Well, he's been rejected by so many female Blackfangs he must have wanted to try with his other half," Re said. "And frankly I'm glade he met you Windwalker, you might be just the thing he needs to bring him out of the shadows." Windwalker blushed.

"I also think he wants to find out why he was abandoned as an egg, anyone would," said Aurora.

"I hope he stays safe out there," Serenity said. The others murmured in agreement. They looked out the open doors in the direction Tenor had gone.