Chapter 11

The moon was rising over the ocean. Tenor woke up when the silver light flooded his cave. He saw up and yawned. He looked out at the moon, it was one night away from being full. He turned to his attention to his mate who was still asleep. He nuzzled her neck.

"Hey, wake up the full moon is out," he said excitedly. "Perfect night for a hunt." Windwalker stirred and opened her eyes.

"I'm not up to hunting tonight," she said sleepily. Tenor looked concerned.

"But you love hunting under the moon," he said. "Are you okay?" Windwalker leaned into him.

"I'm just really tired," she said. "You can go if you want. I'm sure Black Widow would love to go with you." Tenor didn't move and she saw the worried look on his face. "It's okay, I'll join you later." She nuzzled his snout. Tenor returned the gesture.

"If you're sure," he said. He got up and stretched. Windwalker watched him leave the cave and fly away. She laid back down and went back to sleep, trying to ignore the stabbing pain in her stomach.

Tenor flew over the quiet outpost and landed in the arena. Black Widow was fast asleep in a huddle with her friends. Edelweiss had finally recovered from her illness. Tenor approached Black Widow and roused her. She opened her eyes and sat up.

"Hi Daddy," she said. She nuzzled him.

"You ready to go hunting?" Tenor asked. Black Widow got to her feet and stretched.

"Where's Mother?" she asked.

"She's sleeping in," Tenor said. "She'll join us later." Black Widow became alert and ran out of the arena. Tenor called after her, but she ignored him. She took off and headed for the cave.

She landed outside it and walked in. Windwalker was still sleeping. Black Widow approached her and gently nudged her.

"Mama?" said Black Widow concerned. "Are you okay Mama?" Windwalker stirred and opened her eyes.

"I'm fine Black Widow really," she said. "It's just a bit too early for me." Tenor landed outside and came in.

"Come on Black Widow, she'll join us when she can," he said. Black Widow hesitated. Windwalker nudged the younger dragon towards the door.

"Go on, it's okay," she said. "I'll be right behind you." Black Widow reluctantly went over to Tenor. They left the cave. They flew off and headed over the forest. Black Widow turned her attention towards hunting.

They landed in the forest and looked for boars. They both split up and let their predatory instincts take over. Black Widow soon picked up on the smell of boars. She followed it to a clearing with a small pond in it. There was a large herd of boars gathered there. A moment later Tenor joined her.

"Thats a lot of boars," he said.

"Can we take the whole herd?" Black Widow asked.

"No, we should leave some for the other dragons to hunt," said Tenor. "We'll each take one down. I'll herd them towards you, wait here." He slunk off into the shadows. Black Widow climbed the nearest tree and rested on a low branch, out of sight. She waited, ready to pounce at any moment. The boars were suddenly spooked and stampeded towards the tree. Black Widow fixed her eyes on the largest boar. When it was in range she jumped off the branch and tackled it, digging her claws into its flesh. It thrashed around violently, squealing. Black Widow held it firm and bit its neck. The boar died instantly. The rest of the boars ran at her from all sides. Tenor came out of no where and shot his purple flames at them. He then pulled down another large boar, as the herd ran off. They took a moment to catch their breath.

"That was fun," Black Widow said. She turned her attention to her kill. She used her fire to burn the boar's skin away. Tenor did the same.

They carried the boars back to the cave. Windwalker was still asleep. Black Widow carried her boar inside and set it down. She nudged her mother again.

"Are you feeling better Mother?" She asked.

"I'm starting to," said Windwalker. "I'll be okay." Black Widow nudged her boar towards Windwalker. The Night Fury looked at the boar, but didn't eat it. "No thanks, I'll catch my own." She rolled so her feet were under her, then slowly stood up. Black Widow beamed and nuzzled her mother's neck. Windwalker nuzzled her back. "See nothing to worry about." She said soothingly. She walked out of the cave where Tenor was waiting. He smiled when he saw her.

"You gave poor Black Widow a bit of a fright," he said.

"I know, I wasn't meaning to," said Windwalker. She glanced back into the cave as Black Widow came out to join them.

"Do you think that by the time we get home, we'll be in time for the Dragon River Salmon Run?" Black Widow asked.

"I hope so," said Tenor. "I'd hate to miss it."

"Lets get going before the moon sets," said Windwalker. The three nightly dragons took off and headed over the sea to look for fish.

They soon found a large school of tuna that were snacking on a school of sardines. The dragons took full advantage and dove for the sardines. Tenor noticed that every time Windwalker swallowed a fish, she flinched as though it hurt. She didn't seem phased by it at all however, and kept going after the fish. They were soon joined by huge swarms of sea birds. Tenor took a break from catching the fish and hunted the sea birds. He would catch one then quickly fly it back to the cave. Black Widow and Windwalker didn't bother with the sea birds and only ate the fish. Windwalker didn't eat as much fish as she normally would have. Every time she ate a fish, it made her stomach hurt real bad. She didn't know why, she didn't feel sick at all. She tried to ignore it and kept going after the fish.

Soon all the sardines were eaten. The three dragons caught two tuna each before heading back to their cave. They out the tuna with the boars and sea birds to save for later. By now the moon was starting to go down and dawn was approaching. Windwalker went to the back of the cave and laid down, the pain in her stomach was still there.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Tenor asked. "You look like you're in pain."

"My stomach hurts," said Windwalker. "I think I ate too much."

"But I ate way more then you," said Black Widow. "And I feel fine." Windwalker laid her head down.

"I'm going to see if it goes away on its own," she said. Tenor and Black Widow looked at each other. She saw the worried look on their faces. "Give me one day. If it still hurts, then you can worry."

"Okay," said Tenor, cautiously. "But don't keep it to yourself it gets worse." Windwalker just nodded and closed her eyes. Tenor laid beside her and put a wing over her. Black Widow looked undecided about what she wanted to do.

"I'm going back to my friends," she said after a few minuets.

"All right, I'll call you if we need you," said Tenor. Black Widow left the cave and flew off.

She flew back to the arena. Her friends were still asleep. She laid beside them. She looked down at Edelweiss, who was curled up in the middle of the huddle. The moonlight made her white scales sparkle like snowflakes. Black Widow reached out and touched her face, being careful not wake her. Then she made herself comfortable and dozed off.

When the morning came the dragonets woke up one by one. They untangled themselves and got to their feet. Edelweiss rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

"How was your hunt last night?" Avalon asked Black Widow.

"It was really fun," said Black Widow. "There was a lot of fish out there. However Mother didn't eat very much of it."

"Maybe she caught my dragon flu," said Edelweiss.

"She says she's fine," said Black Widow. "Hopefully that's true."

"If she's not Serenity can fix her," said Apollo. Black Widow took several deep breaths and relaxed.

"So what are we going to do today?" Edelweiss asked. "We're all heading home in a week." They considered.

"Well I've lost interest in making jewelry," said Avalon sadly.

"Already?" Eider asked, shocked.

"I'm getting kind of tired of making things just for myself," said Avalon. "Since no one will let me make things for them." She scowled and sat down heavily on her haunches. The dragonets looked at each other.

"I'd still like to try my enchantment that allows you guys to turn human," said Apollo. "But you guys won't say yes to that either."

"I still kind of want to know what you guys look like as humans," said Edelweiss. "What do you have to loose?" There was a short pause.

"All right," said Eider. "You can give it a try." Both Apollo and Avalon cheered up.

"I'll get right to work," said Avalon. She spread her wings and flew up to the clubhouse where her supplies was. She grabbed it and flew out to the cliffs.

She landed on the grass and set her things down. She combed through it and began making four items that her friends could wear. She watched Eider and Apollo head out to find food. The other riders and dragons were wandering around. Tenor and Windwalker eventually came out of their cave. Avalon could hear Windwalker's thoughts and it sounded like she was still in pain, though not as much as she had been last night. They landed on the cliff.

"Are you okay Windwalker?" Avalon asked. "Black Widow said you didn't eat very much last night."

"I'm okay now," said Windwalker. "It was just a stomach ache."

"How are you Avalon?" Tenor asked. "What are you making?"

"My friends have finally let me make them something," said Avalon. "So I'm working on those."

"Why do want to make things for them so badly?" Windwalker asked.

"I'm getting tired of just making things for myself," said Avalon.

"That's understandable," said Tenor. "But you shouldn't force them take something they don't really want." Avalon paused in her work and sighed.

"I don't know what else to do," she said, frustrated. "No one will accept a gift from me, and I can't think of anything else to do for them. They don't need rescuing from anything, no one's injured or sick. I'll never be a great queen at this rate."

"You don't have to be a great queen," said Windwalker. "Just a good queen. That'll be plenty." Avalon released a breath she didn't realize she was holding. Tenor sat on his haunches.

"I'm pretty sure your friends are perfectly happy the way they are without gold," he said. "We all are."

"I know," said Avalon. "But it's what I love doing, aside from practicing magic." She went back to her work. At that moment Black Widow joined them with Edelweiss on her back. Black Widow beamed when she saw Windwalker up and about.

"Mother you're feeling better," she said happily.

"I told you there was nothing to worry about," said Windwalker. "I'm just fine." She nuzzled Black Widow reassuringly. Edelweiss looked over at Avalon.

"How are those coming?" She asked.

"Great," said Avalon. "I should be finished by this evening."

"I hope she didn't pressure you into letting her make things for you," said Windwalker.

"It's okay Mother," said Black Widow. "We're only allowing it this one time." Edelweiss dismounted and sat next to Avalon. "Hopefully someone asks her make something for them." Suddenly Avalon glanced up as though something had caught her attention. She looked strait ahead, her eyes wide.

"You see something Avalon?" Edelweiss asked. They all looked at her.

"I see the moon," Avalon said. "It's turning red." Tenor suddenly looked excited.

"A lunar eclipse," he said. "And tonight's the full moon." Windwalker looked at him, interested.

"Is that where the sun goes dark?" Black Widow asked.

"No, that's a solar eclipse," said Tenor. "A lunar eclipse is where the moon passes through the Earth's shadow. They're slightly more common then a solar eclipse."

"Cool," said Avalon, coming back to Earth. "I've never seen a red moon before."

"Neither have I," said Tenor. "There are two things in this world that I've always wanted to see; a red moon and a black sun."

"We should stay up tonight and watch it," said Edelweiss.

"Certainly," said Tenor. "I've always had this fantasy about hatching during an eclipse, but I hatched under a regular full moon."

"So did I," said Black Widow.

"Me too," said Windwalker. "There's no shame in that."

"I know," said Tenor. "Just seeing an eclipse is good enough for me." Windwalker nuzzled him.

"What are you going to do when a solar eclipse is about to happen?" She asked.

"I don't know," Tenor said. "Something special." He took a deep breath. "Well I'm going to let the others know about the lunar eclipse." He took off and headed for the outpost. Windwalker watched him go. Avalon turned her attention to her work.

"I'm going to go eat something," said Windwalker. "I got my appetite back." Black Widow nodded. Windwalker flew off and headed for the cave.

She landed outside and walked into the cave. She went over to the pile of prey in the corner and picked up one of the boars. She started eating it, but every time she swallowed a chunk of meat it made her stomach hurt so bad. She tried to ignore it, but it was getting too painful. Even after a few bites her stomach hurt so much that she couldn't finish the boar. She put it back with the other prey. She laid down hoping the pain would go away again. It didn't, it still felt like something with sharp teeth was gnawing at her gut. She curled into a ball, her whole body tense with pain. It felt like an eternity before the pain went away. By the time it did, she felt so exhausted that she fell asleep.

The next thing she knew, someone was nudging her. She opened her eyes to see Tenor standing over her. It was getting dark outside.

"Hey, you okay?" Tenor asked. "Black Widow said you were only getting something to eat, then she didn't see you again." Windwalker sat up. Her stomach still hurt, but it was bearable now.

"I'm okay now," she said. Tenor looked over at the food, it was barely touched. The boar she'd eaten still only had a few bites taken out of it.

"You didn't eat very much," he said. Windwalker got to her feet.

"I'm okay Tenor, really," she assured him, nuzzling his neck. "I didn't want to miss the eclipse, and took a nap so I could be wide awake for it. When does it start?"

"Soon," said Tenor. "We're all flying to the top of the mountain to watch it."

"I'll follow you," said Windwalker. Tenor turned and left the cave, and she followed him.

They headed for the arena where the others had gathered. They were talking excitedly about the coming eclipse. Tenor and Windwalker went over to their respective riders. Chris smiled when his dragon came up to him.

"Hey Windwalker, I haven't seen you all day," he said, stroking her neck.

"I am nocturnal," Windwalker pointed out. "And I didn't want to miss the moon turning red."

"That's true," said Chris. He picked up his saddle and put it on her back. He noticed Windwalker flinch when he pulled the straps tight. "I'm sorry is that too tight?"

"No," said Windwalker, relaxing. "The leather's just a bit cold." Chris examined the straps.

"Actually these feel loose," he said. "I have them at their usual settings, that's strange."

"Maybe she took a deep breath when you put the saddle on," said Serenity, who was tightening the straps of Tenor's saddle. "Horses do that when their saddles are put on."

"But she's never done that before," said Chris.

"Tenor does it sometimes, and doesn't realize it," said Serenity.

"It's true," Tenor agreed. "I don't do it all the time." Chris tightened the straps.

"Lets get to the mountain and see this eclipse," said Windwalker. "I don't want to miss it." The riders all mounted their dragons and headed up to the top of the volcano.

The sun soon vanished and the moon came out. Tenor watched it while the others set up a bonfire. Windwalker laid next to him. She looked up at the moon, it was still as pale as ever.

"What exactly are you looking for?" She asked.

"I'm watching for the right side of the moon to start turning red," Tenor said. "A lunar eclipse is usually longer and slower then a solar eclipse. So we could be here all night."

"So we wait," said Windwalker.

"We wait," Tenor agreed.

And wait they did. Many of the riders and dragons dozed off. Tenor kept his eyes fixed on the moon, reminding himself to wake the others when the eclipse started. Windwalker suddenly coughed. Tenor looked down at her.

"I hope you didn't catch the flu from Edelweiss," he said.

"Me too," said Windwalker. "But I don't feel bad at all." She laid her head on his shoulder. Tenor looked back up at the moon. It was still silver.

"So how's this eclipse thing supposed to work? Astrid asked.

"The moon crosses into the Earth's shadow," said Tenor. "Eclipses only happen when the sun, Earth, and moon are in perfect alignment."

"The Earth has a shadow?" Fishlegs asked.

"Well yeah," said Tenor. "Anything that goes in front of the sun is going to cast a shadow, the Earth is no exception."

"You say the Earth's shadow is big enough to cover the whole moon?" Hiccup asked. Tenor nodded.

"For a few hours too," he said.

"But the moon is so big," said Fishlegs. Tenor looked at him confused.

"They think the Earth is flat," said Aurora.

"Right," said Tenor, with realization.

"Isn't it though?" Astrid asked. Tenor looked over at Aurora, who nodded.

"No, it's round," Tenor said. "Like the moon is."

"How do you know?" Snotlout asked.

"Dragons have been on this Earth longer then humans have," said Tenor. "And therefore have seen a lot more of it then you have. The Earth has no edge, and no corners."

"Then how come it looks flat?" Fishlegs asked.

"Because you're standing on it," said Tenor. "If you fly high enough on your dragons you can start to see the bend in the Earth." He glanced up at the moon again, and this time the right side of it had a red tinge to it. "Oh, it's starting." They all looked up at the moon, and stopped talking at once.

They silently watched the moon very slowly slip into the Earth's shadow. It took about an hour before the moon turned a rusty orange red color. The usual silver moonlight was now all dingy.

"Wow I love that color," said Avalon. "Almost looks like the moon got encased in Death Song amber." She got to the feet. Then she took off and flew closer to the moon. The other dragonets got up, Edelweiss mounted Apollo, and they joined her. The riders got up and mounted their dragons again. They all took off and flew high over the ocean, in the dim light of eclipse. The other wild dragons on the island were also up and about, including the Night Terrors.

Windwalker flew among the dragons until she started feeling tired again. Which confused her, since she'd slept a good chunk of the day. At first she thought it was because of the lack of moonlight, but none of the other nightly dragons showed signs of exhaustion. Chris was quick to notice.

"You sure you're okay?" He asked, stroking her neck.

"I'm not sure," Windwalker admitted. She headed back to the outpost and landed. Chris dismounted.

"You're starting to worry me Windwalker," he said. "Serenity should check on you, make sure nothing's wrong."

"All right," said Windwalker. "But after the eclipse." She laid down on the grass and Chris sat next to her. She could feel the pain in her stomach increase, but she was able to ignore it. She looked up at the red moon again. The others were still flying in front of it.

An hour later the moon started to turn back to silver. The group returned to the outpost. Serenity and Tenor landed on the cliff and Serenity dismounted.

"That was so cool," she said, with wonder.

"Right," Tenor agreed. "So worth staying up for." Just then Chris came up to them with Windwalker following him.

"Hey Serenity, can you look at Windwalker?" Chris asked. "I get the feeling something's wrong." Serenity instantly looked concerned. She went over to Windwalker, carrying her bag.

"You feeling okay Windwalker?" She asked.

"Just really tired, even after sleeping all day," said Windwalker. Serenity pulled out her stethoscope and used it to listen to Windwalker's heart and lungs.

"You're breathing kind of heavy," she said. She lowered the stethoscope and ran her hands along Windwalker's body. "You feel a bit thin too." Both Chris and Tenor were waiting anxiously. "I think with food and rest everything should be fine. But let me know if things get worse." She patted Windwalker's neck.

"Thanks Serenity," Chris said. Serenity smiled at him. They all looked up at the moon which was still coming out of the Earth's shadow.

"Why don't we all get some rest," Serenity suggested.

"Good idea," said Windwalker. She yawned and went to stand beside Tenor. The two of them took off and headed back to their cave.

They landed outside it and walked in. Windwalker looked over at the pile of food, but her stomach hurt just looking at it. Tenor went to the corner and laid down. Windwalker plucked out a sea gull and laid beside him. She burned off the feathers then ate it. Again when it hit her stomach, it caused a tsunami of pain. She moaned and curled into a ball. Tenor watched her, still worried. He wondered if the food was starting to go bad. He sniffed it, and it didn't smell off. He looked back at Windwalker who had fallen asleep. He nuzzled her, then went to sleep beside her.

The next morning everyone slept in after watching the eclipse. Avalon and her friends woke up around lunch time. Avalon finished up making the items for her friends, while they watched. They talked briefly about the eclipse. It had given Avalon an idea for her Death Song amber. She took a piece of it as well as a small glowing crystal from her jewelry making supplies. She used her fire to soften the amber to make it pliable. She sculpted it into a bowel shape. She then placed the white crystal into the amber, then folded the amber back up encasing the crystal in the amber. She then smoothed the amber into a sphere like the moon. For her finishing touch, she attached a tiny golden loop to the amber sphere so it could be attached to a strong chain and worn as a pendant. She let it cool and harden before putting enchantments on it to make it indestructible and impossible to steal.

"There," she said satisfied. "I give you the Lunar Eclipse Amulet." She held up the amber sphere which was the size of a small human fist.

"Cool," said Eider. "What does it do?"

"Come, I'll show you," said Avalon. She clamped the amulet between her teeth and ran over to the arena. The others followed her.

They found the Berkian riders in there feeding and grooming their dragons. They looked up when the dragonets entered. Avalon sat on her haunches and took the amulet out of her mouth.

"Would you guys mind if I close the dome for a few minuets?" She asked. "I want to test something, and it requires the dark."

"No go ahead," said Hiccup. Avalon raised up two talons and twisted them to one side. The dome closed of it's own accord. In a moment they were plunged into darkness. Avalon looked down at the amulet. It started to light up with the same red orange glow as the lunar eclipse. Avalon smiled with satisfaction.

"It works," she said. She pulled out a thick golden chain and threaded it through the loop attached to the amulet, making it a pendant. Naturally everyone was drawn to the glowing sphere.

"What is that thing?" Fishlegs asked.

"A little something that was inspired by last night," said Avalon, holding it up by the chain. "It's a glowing crystal inside Death Song amber. "I call it the Lunar Eclipse Amulet."

"Cool, what does it do?" Tuffnut asked.

"Right now, it just glows red," said Avalon. "I haven't decided on what magical properties I'm going to give it."

"Who gets it?" Snotlout asked, looking at the amulet hungrily. Avalon sighed and made the dome open again, letting in the sunlight. The amulet stopped glowing and she lowered it.

"Who does get it?" Eider asked. "You've made something for all of us, including yourself."

"This belongs to my whole group," said Avalon. "And no one can steal it." She looped the chain around her neck and it rested against her breast bone. "Lets go try out your guy's things." She led her friends out of the arena.

They went back to the cliffs where they had been sitting. Avalon handed out the items she'd made them. She handed Eider a silver ankle band that was decorated with jade stones and emeralds. She then handed Black Widow a black spider pendant that was attached to a silver chain that looked like spider silk. Then she handed Apollo a leather armband that was carved in the shape of flames. When finished she sat down on her haunches.

"Thanks Avalon," said Eider. "These look amazing."

"Let me see them so I can put my enchantment on them," said Apollo. They each passed him their items and Avalon passed him her peacock collar. He held each one in his talons and muttered something too soft for them to hear. Then he passed them back to their owners, and put on his armband. They all put on their respective items, which magically adjusted to fit them. Edelweiss was the only one not wearing any jewelry, since she was already human.

"Well lets see if it works," she said. The dragons all checked to make sure no one was watching. Then they suddenly shifted from dragons, to humans. Edelweiss glanced at each of them.

Avalon had turned into a girl about eighteen years old. She was tall and slender with pale, smooth skin. She had light blond hair with purple highlights, that went passed her neck. Her face was heart shaped and her eyes were the same lavender color they'd been when she was a dragon. She wore a simple satin, knee length, dress that was the same teal green as her scales. Her peacock collar had turned into a peacock necklace, with matching bracelets. The Lunar Eclipse Amulet was now resting in the middle of her chest.

Eider had broad shoulders, thick muscles, and light tan skin. He had a strong looking face with a square lower jaw. His eyes remained the same amber color. He had black hair that was slightly longer than Chris's. He now wore a purple, short sleeved shirt and black trousers. The ankle band was just barely visible under them of his trousers. His black teeth had turned white.

Apollo was leaner than Eider, similar to Hiccup's build. He also looked around eighteen with pale, smooth skin like Avalon. He had sandy blond hair with red highlights. His eyes shimmered gold in the light above his high cheekbones. He wore a blood red tunic with dark brown trousers, and his utility vest. His healing stone was still around his neck. His new armband was hidden under the sleeve of his tunic. He looked about the same hight as Avalon.

Black Widow was more fuller than Avalon, with a curvier body. She looked the same age as Edelweiss. She had smooth, caramel colored skin. She had long black hair that went to the middle of her back. She had an oval face and deep red eyes. She wore a red tunic and a black skirt that went just passed her knees. She still had her spider pendant around her neck. Like Eider, she now had white teeth instead of black. She held up her hands and saw that her fingers were as long and slender as a spider's legs.

All four of them were barefoot. They glanced down at themselves, flexing their arms and legs. Edelweiss looked quite excited.

"You guys look great," she said. "Nice job Apollo."

"I thought dragons didn't wear clothes," Eider said, looking at his purple shirt.

"No," Apollo agreed. "But humans do."

"We should go for a walk," said Avalon. "Break these new looks in."

"Should we tell the others?" Black Widow asked. They all considered.

"Maybe later," said Eider. "When we're used to being like this."

"Lets go then," said Apollo. "I've included basic human knowledge in the enchantments. So you should know how to move around." He turned and headed towards the woods. The others followed. While they walked, Apollo looked at the amulet around Avalon's neck. He brainstormed on what would be a useful enchantment to put on it, that would benefit the whole group.

They found it very different to walk through the woods on two legs, instead of four. They had to climb over logs that they normally would have just stepped over. But after a while, they got used to it. They walked until they reached the lake. They sat in the grass in a circle.

"Wow, that was different," said Eider. "Much slower."

"Sorry," said Apollo, looking sheepish.

"Don't be sorry Apollo," said Eider. "I meant it in a good way."

"Yeah, I'm loving this look," said Avalon. "I can accept this as much as my true form."

"Me too," said Black Widow. "It's fun. What do you think Edelweiss?" Edelweiss glanced around at them all.

"I will admit, it is nice to be on equal ground," she said. She smiled and scooted closer to Black Widow. Avalon looked down at the amulet and took it off.

"Well what are we going to do with this?" She wondered aloud.

"I could enchant it so we can't be chained or caged," said Apollo. "And keep our minds safe from being taken over." Avalon considered.

"All right," she said. She tossed him the amulet. Apollo held it out in the middle of the circle.

"Everyone touch it," he said. They did so, even though it was rather small. Apollo took a deep breath. "I enchant this amulet to keep our souls and minds from being taken over by any foreign influence, especially ones with evil intentions. I also enchant this amulet to keep all who are touching it now, unable to be chained or caged or muzzled." Avalon felt the enchantment warm the amulet slightly. They all released the amulet and Apollo handed it back to Avalon.

"We'll be safe now," Avalon said, putting the amulet back around her neck. Black Widow looked back in the direction of the outpost.

"I wonder how Mother's doing," she said sadly.

"If you want to go check on her you can," said Avalon. Black Widow got to her feet and shifted back into her dragon form. She took off and headed for Tenor's cave.

She found her Mother sleeping alone in the cave. There was a tuna in front of her, with a few bites taken out of it. The rest of the food remained untouched. Black Widow approached her mother and carefully nudged her. Windwalker woke up, and groaned in pain.

"Are you okay Mother," Black Widow asked, worried.

"I was until you woke me up," Windwalker snapped. "Now go away." She snorted and covered her head with her wing. Slightly hurt, Black Widow pushed the tuna towards Windwalker.

"You should finish this," she suggested. "It'll help you feel better."

"Black Widow," Windwalker growled angrily. "If you don't leave me be alone, I'll rip your tongue out." Black Widow flinched and backed up in shock. Reluctantly she turned around and left the cave. She felt shaken by her mother's harsh words. She took off and found her father grazing on dragon brush. She landed next to him, stumbling a bit. Tenor looked up and saw the frightened look on Black Widow's face.

"What happened?" He asked.

"Mother yelled at me," Black Widow said, close to tears. "Threatened to rip my tongue out." Tenor nuzzled her, and put a wing around her.

"She didn't mean it," he assured her. "She's threatened to kill me several times, but she never means it." Black Widow leaned into him and turned her face into his neck.

"What's wrong with her?" She sobbed.

"I don't know," Tenor said. "But I'm sure she can fight it. She'll never hurt you, no matter what she says." Black Widow relaxed the best she could. Tenor nuzzled her.

The days went by, and Windwalker kept feeling pain in her stomach. It made it hard to eat anything, and she started to loose weight. She was also tired all the time and it made her very moody, and not her usual self. Tenor, Black Widow, and Chris all tried to get her to eat, but she refused. She left the cave for only an hour or two, before returning to the cave to sleep. She tried to eat, but the pain in her stomach would become unbearable and she couldn't get anything down. It sometimes hurt so much that she threw up the last bit of food she'd eaten. She knew she'd die if she didn't get help.

She woke up one morning, and felt so weak. Tenor had put a small pile of fish in front of her. She managed to eat only one, before her stomach hurt too bad. She decided to go find Chris and Serenity. She left the cave and took off. However she only had enough strength to fly to the top of the cliff. She landed sloppily and began coughing. She wandered through the outpost, looking for Chris and Serenity.

They were near the woods with Tenor, Edelweiss, and Black Widow. Edelweiss showed the Lunar Eclipse Amulet to them.

"That looks so cool," Tenor said, when Edelweiss told them what it did. "It does look like the lunar eclipse."

"You better not loose it," Chris said.

"Oh, we have tight grip on it," said Black Widow. "Avalon and Apollo plan to use their magic to get it back, should we loose it."

"So Apollo really gave you the option to turn into humans?" Serenity asked.

"He did," said Black Widow. "Though we plan to use it if we have to sneak into a human settlement. It's merely a disguise." At that moment they heard someone approaching them. They turned to see Windwalker limping towards them. She looked terrible; her bones were clearly visible beneath her skin, her wings were dropping, and her black scales looked dull.

"Windwalker, what's wrong!?" Chris exclaimed. They rushed over to her, as she collapsed. She opened her mouth to answer, but suddenly began coughing up blood. Serenity pulled out her stethoscope and listened to the dragon's heart. Windwalker stopped coughing and breathed in huge gulps of air. Serenity lowered the stethoscope.

"Are you in pain anywhere?" She asked.

"My stomach," Windwalker wheezed. Serenity put the stethoscope away and pulled out a small magnifying glass. Aurora had enchanted it so Serenity was able to use it to X ray Windwalker's stomach. Windwalker coughed up more blood.

"There's something in her stomach," Serenity said. "I don't know what it is, but I need to get it out ASAP. Can you walk to the stables?" Windwalker shook her head. Serenity turned to Tenor. "You'll have to carry her then."

"Right," Tenor said. He laid down next to his made and they all helped get Windwalker onto his back. When she was secure, Tenor got to his feet. Serenity put her hand on Windwalker's head.

"Can you breath okay?" She asked.

"Yes," Windwalker gasped.

"Okay, just focus on your breathing," Serenity said. "It'll help you remain calm." Windwalker did as she was told, as they set off for the stables.

They got to the stables, and luckily there was no one in there. Serenity led Tenor into a stall. She took an old sail out of her saddle bags and unfolded it on the floor. Tenor laid down on it. Chris, Serenity, Black Widow, and Edelweiss helped get Windwalker off Tenor's back and laid her down on her side. Windwalker looked like she was in a lot of pain.

"I'll need you guys to step out for a bit," Serenity said.

"Will she be okay?" Black Widow asked, tearing up.

"We'll see," said Serenity.

"Can I stay and help?" Edelweiss asked. Serenity considered.

"All right," she said. "As long as you do everything I say." Edelweiss nodded. "The rest of you, go find the others." They all turned and reluctantly left the stables. Serenity closed the doors behind them. Chris, Tenor, and Black Widow stood on the runway to catch their breath. Black Widow stepped closer to her father. Tenor nuzzled her.

"Let go tell the others," Chris said. "Looks like we have a bit of a wait."

"Oh, I hope Mother's okay," Black Widow sobbed.

"We all do," Tenor said. "I'm sure Serenity knows what to do." Black Widow nodded silently. Chris mounted Tenor and they took off.

They rounded up the other riders and dragons and told them what had happened. They all grew concerned and flocked to the stables. The doors remained closed. Everyone sat on the runway to wait. Black Widow was sobbing the whole time. Her father and her friends sat around her. They sat in silence in an effort to hear what was going on inside. Avalon used her magic to open the doors just a crack. They heard Serenity talking to Edelweiss.

"I wonder what she ate to make her so sick," Edelweiss said.

"We're about to find out," Serenity said. "Hold that open." There was a pause.

"I hope she pulls through this," Edelweiss said. "Her body seems so weak."

"She'll be fine," said Serenity. "I don't think she would have lasted another day though." There was another pause. "Wait, is that what I think it is?" There was another pause.

"Is that what's been making her stomach hurt?" Edelweiss asked.

"Yup," said Serenity. "Her body wore itself out trying to digest it. Dragons don't do well with metal. I don't know how long that's been in there." There was another pause. "Okay lets close her up. She'll wake up in about an hour."

"She'll be okay now," said Edelweiss.

"That's up to her," said Serenity. "She has a good chance though. She should be able to eat pain free now."

"Why didn't she tell us something was wrong sooner?" Edelweiss asked.

"I think even the bravest dragons get nervous about being cut open," said Serenity. "That's the only reason I can think of." There was yet another pause. "You think you can finish up the last of this while I wash this off?"

"Sure," said Edelweiss.

"Take your time, there's no hurry," said Serenity. There was another pause. There was a faint sound of water. Neither of them spoke for a few minuets.

"How's that?" Edelweiss asked.

"Perfect," said Serenity. "Go was the dragon guts off your hands."

"Ewww," Avalon whispered. A moment later the doors opened and Serenity came out. Everyone got to their feet.

"What did she eat?" Astrid asked.

"This," Serenity said, holding up the item. They all recognized it at once.

"A Dragon Eye lens," said Hiccup.

"But it's gold," said Fishlegs. "I though we found all the Dragon Eye lenses."

"Draco made that one himself," said Aurora. "I threw it into the ocean so the dragon hunters wouldn't get their hands on it."

"And it somehow ended up in Windwalker's stomach," Serenity said. She looked at her husband. "Chris do you know how she got this?" Chris sighed.

"Yes I remember when she swallowed that," he said. "It was a year or two before you guys arrived at our mountain. I told Windwalker I'd dropped a very important map up here and talked her into coming to look for it. We stopped to rest in an old ship graveyard and found that lens on one of the shipwrecks. We didn't know what it was of course. I wanted to keep it to find out what it was, but she wanted me to get rid of it. We fought over it and she knocked it out of my hand. It flew high into the air, we both scrambled to catch it, Windwalker caught it in her mouth, and accidentally swallowed it. I completely forgot about it until now."

"We have to find out whats on it," said Fishlegs excitedly.

"But we don't have the Dragon Eyes anymore," Astrid pointed out.

"They're back at our castle," said Re. "We can always fly back and get one of them."

"Will you?" Fishlegs asked.

"Sure," said Aurora. "When Windwalker's fully recovered." She gave Fishlegs a stern look.

"Oh please," Fishlegs begged. "There could be so many secrets about dragons on that lens, secrets that could help us understand your kind." Aurora sighed.

"The only thing you need to understand Fishlegs," she said firmly. "Is that our friend was just operated on. We're more worried about her then we are about what's on the lens. When she's better then we'll go get the Dragon Eye."

"That sounds fair to me Fishlegs," said Hiccup. "You'd feel the same if it was Meatlug in there recovering." Fishlegs sighed but didn't argue. Chris looked at Serenity.

"Can I see her?" He asked. Serenity smiled and stepped aside. Chris went into the stables with the two other dragons following. Serenity put the gold lens in her pocket.

Chris found his dragon asleep in her stall. Her abdomen was wrapped in bandages. Edelweiss was sitting next to Windwalker's head, stroking her neck. She looked up when Chris entered.

"Hi Daddy," she said softly.

"Hey Edel," Chris said, sitting next to her. He stroked Windwalker's snout. The other Draconians entered the stables and laid down in the other stalls. The Berkians and their dragons headed back to their huts. Serenity came into the stall, fidgeting the the gold lens. She sat on Chris's other side. Chris looked at the lens.

"So you don't know what's on that?" He asked.

"We've never looked at it," said Serenity. "We were too busy keeping it away from the hunters."

"I see," Chris said, turning his attention back to Windwalker.

They sat in the stables waiting for Windwalker to wake up. During that time Avalon and her friends told them about Apollo's enchantment and showed them their human forms. The adults were quite impressed. They agreed it was a perfect disguise. When they turned back into dragons Windwalker stirred. She seemed groggy at first. Chris stroked her neck.

"Hey how are you feeling?" He asked.

"So sleepy," Windwalker mumbled. "And a bit hungry."

"Yeah I bet you are," Serenity said.

"I'll go bring up some of the food in my cave," Tenor said. He got up and flew out of the cave. Windwalker stretched her limbs being careful to not roll onto her front.

"Where's Black Widow?" She asked.

"Over here," Black Widow said from the neighboring stall. Windwalker looked at her. She looked a bit scared.

"I'm sorry I snapped at you the other day," Windwalker said.

"It's okay Mother," said Black Widow. "I'm over it now."

Tenor came back with several fish. He landed inside the stables and set the fish down in the stall. Serenity grabbed one and set in front of Windwalker. At first Windwalker just looked at it, hesitating. But she slowly ate it and was relieved when her stomach didn't hurt. Serenity gave her more fish and she at them. Windwalker was already starting to feel better.

"Thank you Serenity," she said. Serenity patted her neck. "What exactly was causing all that?" Serenity pulled out the gold lens.

"We found this in your stomach," she said. "Your body wore itself trying to get rid of it, that's why you were so tired all the time and the reason it was hurting so bad." Windwalker sighed.

"I forgot about that thing," she said. "It's a Dragon Eye lens isn't it?"

"Yes," said Serenity. "We'll go get the Dragon Eye and look at it when you're better." Windwalker looked a bit surprised.

"You don't have to wait for me," she said.

"No, but we plan to anyway," Chris said, stroking her snout. "You're our main concern right now." Windwalker purred, touched by this. Tenor entered the stall and laid down beside Windwalker.

"You get better, then we'll look at the lens," he said. "Then we can all go home." Windwalker smiled.

"It'll be nice to be home," she said. She wormed closer to Tenor. "When can I fly again?"

"Give it a week," said Serenity. "We didn't have to make the incision very big. So it'll heal up in no time."

"Faster with my healing stone," said Apollo, clutching the stone in his talons.

"That will only work on the surface incision," said Edelweiss. "There's one on her stomach too." She got up and went into the stall with Black Widow. Serenity gave Windwalker the rest of the fish. Black Widow and Edelweiss exchanged a glance, looking very uncomfortable.

"Something wrong?" Aurora asked.

"There's something we've been meaning to tell you," Black Widow said. "But we're a bit nervous about it. It's not something dragons do." The adults looked curious.

"Tell us anyway," said Re. "We won't get mad." Black Widow looked over at Avalon.

"It's okay," said Avalon. "Nothing bad will happen." Black Widow exchanged another glance with Edelweiss. Then she scrunched up her face.

"Edelweiss and I have fallen in love with each other," she blurted out. "And we want to spend the rest of our lives as mates." There was a long silence. Both Edelweiss and Black Widow became very tense.

"Relax guys," Re said. "It's your choice."

"You're almost adults," Serenity added.

"It is true dragons don't do that," said Aurora. "But I know that humans sometimes do. I foresee no evil in this."

"I've given them some conditions," said Avalon. "Tell you was one of them. The others were that they had to wait a year and no one outside these stables can know."

"When we're around the other riders and dragons we'll only act as best friends," said Edelweiss. "We can do that easily."

"Those are good conditions," said Aurora. "And they sound easy to keep."

"They are," said Black Widow.

"We're glad you get that off your chest," Chris said. "I guess it shouldn't surprise us that much."

"You've been close since you were newborns," said Windwalker, stretching her limbs again. Both Black Widow and Edelweiss finally relaxed.

"I'm glad we could get it off our chest too," Edelweiss said. She leaned back against Black Widow's side. Black Widow laid her head on her front paws.

They all stayed in the stables with Windwalker. They took turns going out for food. They brought back fish for Windwalker. She ate them without a word. She felt her strength slowly returning. When night fell the dragons made themselves comfortable in the stalls. Tenor hung from the beams in Windwalker's stall, so she'd have more room to stretch. They all fell asleep, except for Chris and Edelweiss. They stayed awake to make sure Windwalker was sleeping without pain. Edelweiss checked on the incision, making sure the stitches were holding. After she rewrapped it, she sat next to Windwalker's head. Chris watched her.

"You think you'll be able to handle an emergency by yourself?" He asked. Edelweiss considered, absentmindedly stroking Windwalker's ears.

"Maybe," she said. "I know all about dragon anatomy, and what remedies cure what."

"I think you'll do fine," Chris said. "Who knows, you might discover a new healing method that Serenity never thought of." Edelweiss smiled.

"I hope to be as good as she is," she said. Chris sighed sadly and stroked Windwalker's snout.

"I wasn't there when she became a fully qualified dragon healer," he said. "I'd already been lost at sea." Edelweiss looked back down at the sleeping dragon.

"You did find Windwalker though," she pointed out. Chris smiled again.

"I did, and I'm pretty happy about that," he said. "She became one of my best friends." Edelweiss looked at him curiously.

"What did you guys do while living in that mountain?" She asked. "Besides fight a war?" Chris thought a moment.

"At first Windwalker had to keep coming to my rescue when her friends attacked me," he said. "They had a hard time trusting me."

"Most wild dragons don't trust humans," said Edelweiss. "There are dragons out there that even Hiccup can't tame."

"Yes," Chris agreed.

"Did you ever see her as your alpha?" Edelweiss asked. Chris considered.

"At first I did," he said. "She only saw me as a foot soldier, and not really as a friend. She didn't want to get too close to anyone, especially a human."

"Was she mean?" Edelweiss asked.

"If by mean you mean cruel no," Chris said. "But she was very strict and hard."

"Even on you?" Edelweiss asked, surprised.

"Well, you have to understand that Windwalker was never bouncy and playful like Toothless is," Chris said. "She dedicated her whole life to keeping her nest safe, and didn't make anytime for games." Edelweiss now looked sad.

"Strict leaders always scare me," she said. "Like why follow someone who just glares at you all the time and shows no humanity, or whatever the dragon equivalent of that is." Windwalker's ear twitched and her eye opened a tiny bit.

"Well, just because she was strict doesn't mean she didn't care," Chris said. "She was one of the only dragons who would talk to me, and she let me follow her around the nest. I was just a kid who'd lost his family and didn't have any friends. She did warm up to me after awhile. When she saw how sad and depressed I was getting being so far from home. Soon I was able to see her as my friend, as well as my alpha. However I always recognized and respected her authority." Windwalker smiled without opening her eyes. Edelweiss looked at her.

"So weren't like Hiccup and Toothless," she said, sounding disappointed. "Not wrestling in the grass or swimming in the water."

"No," Chris said. "Hiccup met Toothless before he was alpha, and had time for playing." Edelweiss still looked disappointed. She stroked Windwalker's neck again. Windwalker must have sensed her disappointment because she opened her eyes all the way. She sat up and nuzzled Edelweiss.

"I know I'm not as fun Toothless," she said. "But I didn't glare all the time and I tried to not be so hard that anyone would fear me." Edelweiss relaxed and hugged the dragon's head.

"I meant no disrespect to you," she said.

"So strict leaders really scare you?" Windwalker asked. Edelweiss nodded. "I mean I understand you wouldn't want to follow a leader who glares all the time, and you wanting a leader who is fun like Toothless. But a leader who's strict the right way can still be a good leader."

"Yeah, you wouldn't have had a problem with her back then," Chris said. "She was never scary, especially not towards the younger dragons."

"You don't fear me now do you?" Windwalker asked.

"No," said Edelweiss said. "But you're not fighting a war anymore."

"True," Windwalker said. She laid her head down in Edelweiss's lap. "But even while fighting the war, I wouldn't have expected you to fear me. Unless you stabbed me in the back, then I'd be scary." Edelweiss took a deep breath. Then she yawned.

"You should go to sleep," Chris said. "I'll stay up for a while." Edelweiss looked at him.

"Are you sure?" She asked.

"Yes, you look like you're about to pass out," Chris said. Windwalker used her wing to pull Edelweiss closer to her. The girl fell asleep as soon as her cheek rested on Windwalker's warm scales.

The next day Edelweiss slept in. Serenity checked on Windwalker's incision. It was healing nicely, though Windwalker said it felt sore. Tenor woke up and headed out to get food. The others woke up and got up to stretch.

"I wonder if I might stretch my legs," Windwalker said. Serenity thought a moment.

"All right," she said. "Just be careful." She carefully lifted Edelweiss off Windwalker's neck, and Windwalker heaved herself onto her feet. She felt very stiff, but not too stiff. She stretched her limbs. She walked out of the stall and the stables. She walked to the end of the runway and stretched her wings, which felt very stiff. She folded them back up as Tenor returned with a huge boar in his talons. He smiled when he saw Windwalker up.

"You're looking better," he said.

"Much better," Windwalker said. "Not enough to fly home though." She stepped closer to him.

"Well, one thing at a time," Tenor said, nuzzling her. She nuzzled him back, then picked up the boar and went back into the stables.

"Thank you," she said. Tenor nodded and followed her.

They went back into the stall. Windwalker remained standing while she at the boar. Edelweiss was the only one left still sleeping. The dragonets had gone out flying, except for Black Widow. Fishlegs came barging in with Meatlug at his heals.

"Oh good Windwalker's on her feet again," he exclaimed. "Can we look at the gold lens now?" The Draconians all exchanged a glance.

"What do you think Windwalker," Tenor said. Windwalker considered.

"Hmm, I think Fishlegs can wait another day," she said, and Tenor translated. Fishlegs's face fell.

"Please," he begged. "I'm dying to see what's on that lens."

"Tomorrow we'll go get the Dragon Eye," said Aurora. "That sound good to you Windwalker?" Windwalker nodded, her mouth full of meat. Fishlegs sighed.

"All right fine," he said. He turned around and stalked off. Meatlug stayed.

"How are you feeling Windwalker?" She asked.

"Much better," Windwalker said. "It's nice to be able to eat pain free." She went back to her boar. Meatlug turned to Re and Aurora.

"I'm real sorry about Fishlegs your majesties," she said. "Sometimes he gets so blinded by excitement, that he forgets his manners."

"It's all right Meatlug," said Re. "We kind of expected this."

"If you want me to fetch the Dragon Eye for you I will," Meatlug volunteered.

"Thank you Meatlug, but I'll be getting it," said Aurora. "I can travel faster with magic." Just then Meatlug heard Fishelgs calling her.

"I'd better go," Meatlug said. "I hope you get back to normal soon Windwalker."

"Thank you," Windwalker said politely. Meatlug turned and flew out of the stables. Windwalker finished the boar and laid back down. She turned to Edelweiss and nudged her, she didn't move. Windwalker then licked her face, and that woke her up.

"Hi," she said sleepily.

"Morning," Windwalker said. "You've been asleep a long time." Edelweiss sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

"Sorry," she said.

"The others are waiting for us outside," Black Widow said.

"You didn't have to wait for me," Edelweiss said. Black Widow just gestured to her saddle. Edelweiss got up, went over, and mounted her. They ran outside and took off.

The rest of the day went by without anything major happening. Avalon and her friends hung out with the Berkians. They went flying around the island to pass the time. Soon the sun started to go down and they headed back towards the outpost. They talked about what was on the gold lens.

"Well we'll find out tomorrow," said Black Widow. "It's probably got something really special on it."

"Obviously," said Snotlout. They landed in the arena. The riders dismounted.

"So you guys looking forward to going home?" Astrid asked the dragonets.

"Yes," said Avalon. "What do you guys plan to do when you get back, besides update the village?"

"Well, there's plenty of dragons out there that are in captivity," said Hiccup. "I plan to find them, free them, and bring them back to Berk."

"You sure you have the room for them?" Edelweiss asked. "Berk's really small."

"We can make it work," said Hiccup confidently.

"Can we help?" Apollo asked.

"Um, eventually yes," Hiccup said. "I assume you'd want to go home first." The dragonets nodded in agreement.

"Well we should go see how Mother's doing," said Black Widow.

Toothless walked them back towards the stables. The other riders headed for their huts with their dragons.

"You guys nervous about coming up here without your parents?" Toothless asked. The dragonets exchanged a glance.

"A bit," said Avalon. "But we'll be okay."

"I look forward to it," Toothless said. "You guys aren't kids anymore." They all smiled.

"Edelweiss is still kind of a kid," Eider said. Toothless looked at Edelweiss and nuzzled her cheek. She smiled and scratched behind his ears.

"She's almost the same age Hiccup was when he shot me down," Toothless said. "The same size too."

"Is that why you've been keeping a closer eye on her recently?" Eider asked.

"Yeah, it's bringing back some wonderful memories," Toothless said. He then nibbled her abdomen and she laughed when it tickled. She hugged his head.

"You are so adorable," she said, happily. They arrived at the stables as the sun was sinking towards the ocean.

"Thanks for walking us down here," said Avalon.

"You're welcome," Toothless said. Edelweiss hugged him and kissed his muzzle. Then she followed her friends into the stables. Toothless turned and ran up to Hiccup's hut.

The next day Aurora left early for Draconia. She promised to be back by the evening. The riders and dragons passed the time by packing up their things to head back to Berk. Windwalker walked around more. She was looking forward to getting home, just like everyone else was. The dragonets spent time with the Berkians again, and helped them pack up their things.

"So have you decided what you're going to do with this outpost?" Apollo asked Hiccup. Hiccup looked around at Dragon's Edge.

"No I haven't," he said. "I'll probably let it go."

"You guys had a lot of great times here," said Black Widow.

"And now you guys have too," said Astrid. "What was your favorite part about this visit?" The dragonets considered.

"I loved training with you guys," said Avalon. "Even though we were nervous and I got struck my lightening."

"I loved dragon sledding," said Edelweiss. "I'm defiantly bringing that back home."

"The lunar eclipse was my favorite," Black Widow said. "I hope we get to see the solar eclipse someday. Daddy will go insane." She chuckled.

"I loved our visit to Berserker Island," said Apollo. "And rescuing Edelweiss and Toothless from the dragon hunters." Edelweiss blushed.

"I can't decide on my favorite part," said Eider. "It was all fun."

"When is your mother coming back?" Fishlegs asked Avalon.

"She's heading back now," said Avalon. "You're not very patient are you?"

"I'm just so excited," said Fishlegs. "We haven't looked a new lens in ages. You Draconians took all of it."

"To keep it safe in our castle," said Apollo. "So bad guys can't use it against us."

Aurora returned with the Dragon Eye late that afternoon. She landed at the clubhouse and set the Dragon Eye on the table. The riders and dragons joined her one by one. Fishlegs was practically dancing on the spot. Serenity came last, with the gold lens in her pocket. When everyone was gathered Serenity handed the lens to Aurora, who slid it into the Dragon Eye.

"Avalon, Apollo, do either of you want to light this up?" She asked. They two young dragons exchanged a glance.

"Why them?" Fishlegs asked.

"This lens only works with Draco's bloodline," Re said. Apollo looked at his sister.

"Can I do it?" He asked her.

"Sure," said Avalon, smiling. Apollo went up to the Dragon Eye and filled his mouth with his red flames. The Dragon Eye lit up and projected the image of a map onto the wall. They all looked at it.

"Wait that's home," Apollo said. "I've seen maps just like this in our library."

"It has everything on it, even our newest volcanoes," said Avalon, pointing to the small images of mountains with smoke rising out of them.

"That must be where your castle is," said Fishlegs, pointing to a star in the middle of the northern coast.

"Yes," said Re. "I wonder what else is on this lens." Avalon stood next to Apollo and turned the dials on the Dragon Eye. The projection changed to another map that showed the whole Barbaric Archipelago, and a smaller map of Draconia to the southwest of it.

"Wow, no wonder Draco didn't want this lens to fall in the wrong hands," Hiccup said. "This shows where Draconia is."

"What's this thing?" Astrid asked. She pointed to what looked like a circler waterfall in the middle of the ocean. It sat off Draconia's northwestern coast. There was not writing around it, or any indication of what it was.

"I don't know," said Aurora. "Must be a landmark." Avalon turned the dials again.

The rest of the lens had information on the different cities and landmarks on Draconia. It showed informations on the golden apple trees and the glowing crystal mines. It showed the islands around Draconia. Avalon turned the dials until she came back to the map of Draconia. The Dragon Eye turned off and Avalon pulled to lens out of it.

"Wow," said Fishlegs. "That was incredible."

"Yeah, but it does make me miss home though," said Edelweiss, slumping against Black Widow.

"Me too," said Eider. Fishlegs looked at Aurora.

"Can I copy some of that stuff?" He asked. Aurora narrowed her eyes as Avalon handed her the lens.

"Hmmm," she said. "If this information falls into the wrong hands, Draconia could fall. Which is why Father has kept it hidden all this time. Can you swear to guard this information with your life?" Fishlegs took a deep breath.

"You have our word Aurora," said Hiccup. "We kept the secret of Vanahiem safe, we can keep the secret of Draconia safe too." Aurora silently handed the lens to Hiccup. "Thanks, we'll give it and the Dragon Eye back to you when we're done." He took the lens and held it tight in his fist.

They left the clubhouse except for Hiccup, Fishlegs, their dragons, Avalon, and Apollo. Windwalker went back to the stables and laid down. Chris sat next to her. Windwalker watched Edelweiss give Black Widow a brush.

"So tell me Edel," she said. "Do you think all strict leaders are mean?"

"Um, yes," Edelweiss said shyly. "If you smile at them, they don't smile back at you. And they yell too."

"There is a difference between being strict and being mean," Chris said. "If the leader yells at you all the time just because they can, that's being mean. But if they were yelling at you because you were doing something wrong, that's being strict."

"Is it possible for a leader to be both strict and kind?" Edelweiss asked.

"Absolutely," said Windwalker. "Re's like that. But it's also possible to be strict without being mean."

"Yeah, Windwalker was never mean to me," Chris said. Edelweiss sighed. She stroked Black Widow's neck.

"Toothless gets pretty strict at times," Black Widow pointed out. "Re and Aurora do too."

"I suppose," Edelweiss said. She finished brushing her dragon. The two of them sat next to Windwalker. "I wonder, what would have happened if Black Widow had hatched during that war."

"I probably would not have had time to take care of her," Windwalker said. "I probably would have left her egg with another dragon." Black Widow pinned her ears back sadly.

"Like Firefly did," said Chris softly.

"Yes," said Windwalker. Black Widow looked strait ahead, picturing what her life would be like if she'd been left behind as an egg. She never would have met her friends and probably would have been alone like her father had.

"I'm so glad that didn't happen," Edelweiss said, hugging Black Widow's head.

"Me too," said Windwalker, nuzzling Black Widow. "Firefly said it was the hardest thing she ever had to do. Leaving her egg behind, not knowing what was going to happen to it." Just then Tenor came into the stables with a large tuna.

"Hi Daddy," Black Widow said. Tenor smiled and set the tuna down.

"Hello," he said. "You all talking about my poor mother."

"Only about how badly we all feel for her, when she had to leave you behind," Chris said.

"We were talking about what would be different if I'd hatched during that war with the Song," Black Widow said. Tenor laid down.

"Yes," he said. "That would be a hard time for a dragonet." He handed the tuna to Windwalker, who ate it.

"Would you really have given my egg to another dragon?" Black Widow asked.

"If I had to," Tenor said. "But luckily I don't." Black Widow leaned her face into his neck.

Windwalker finished her tuna. Serenity came in to check on her incision. It was almost fully healed. Avalon landed outside, she had finished helping Hiccup and Fishlegs. Edelweiss and Black Widow ran out to join her, and they all flew off. They found their other friends at the lake. They were all excited about going home.

"You think your mother will be able to fly tomorrow?" Apollo asked Black Widow.

"Maybe," said Black Widow. "But if not, it gives us more time to hang out with those riders and their dragons."

"Yeah, I'm not scared of them anymore," said Avalon. "And we get to help them next time we come up here." She sat down next to Apollo.

"I'm excited to work with Toothless as equals," said Eider. "It'll give us the chance to repay him for sticking his neck out for us."

"Yes," Avalon agreed. "It'll be fun to work with Hiccup too. Since he and his riders don't see us as little kids anymore." They all nodded in agreement.

"I am still a kid in human years," Edelweiss said.

"But in dragon years, you're almost an adult," said Apollo. Edelweiss leaned on Black Widow's side.

The days went by. Windwalker was returning to normal. She took small flights around the outpost to stretch her wings. Tenor and Black Widow often joined her, and they went hunting and fishing again. The dragonets spent the time with either the riders and their dragons, or just by themselves.

Soon Windwalker was fully recovered, and it was finally time to head home. The riders saddled up their dragons, and made sure they had everything they needed. Apollo had been trusted to carry the Dragon Eye and the gold lens, since he had space for them in his vest. They all gathered in the arena.

"We all ready?" Hiccup asked.

"Very ready," said Apollo. "Thanks for bringing us up here."

"Yeah it helped us a lot," said Eider. "And it is nice to be away from crowded Berk."

"You're welcome," Hiccup said. "I'm glad you enjoyed it." The riders mounted their dragons, Edelweiss mounted Apollo.

"Why don't our youngest group lead us out of here," Valka suggested. "If they want to." They all looked at the dragonets. Avalon looked at her friends.

"Sure," she said. "I'm sure Draconia has cooled down by now." They all looked around the outpost, then took off. They flew out over the ocean, then turned around to face the outpost. Hiccup nodded at Aurora. She swooped over the Edge, and breathed her blue fire at it. In a moment the outpost vanished completely. Aurora rejoined the others and they headed back in the direction of Berk.

"Good by Dragon's Edge," said Avalon. They picked up the pace, and soon lost sight of the island.

Over another part of the ocean, later in the evening, Lord Draco circled over a vast circler waterfall that was big enough to swallow Berk's whole village. Tall rocks lined were scattered around the rim. Draco landed on one of the rocks and looked out over the waterfall, which was actually a caldera. He sat back to wait. A moment later he spotted the dragon he was waiting for flying out towards him. She was as white as a dove, her tiny scales sparkled in the faint moonlight. Her eyes were as blue as the sky. She flew up and landed next to Draco.

"Hello my lord," she said.

"Hello Moon," Draco said warmly. "Glad to see things are going well for my old nest." He glanced down into the caldera.

"You intend to have more dragons come here?" Moon asked. "Lots more." Draco nodded.

"Yes," he said. "It's one of the oldest and safest of the dragon kingdoms. But they will need a guiding star to lead them here." Moon looked at him.

"But why me?" She asked.

"Because I know that their alpha will follow you," Draco said. "And the rest of the dragons will follow him."

"Who's their alpha?" Moon asked. Draco grinned mysteriously.

"You'll see," he said.

"Will the Draconian dragons come here too?" Moon asked.

"No," said Draco. "They're safe where they are." Moon sighed.

"All right my lord, you can count on me," she said.

"Thank you," Draco said. "I'll be watching over you the whole time, especially when it seems like I've abandoned you. I know I'm asking a lot of you, but I think you'll like your reward."

"Yes my lord," Moon said. Then she yawned.

"Get some rest," Draco said. "You'll need it." Moon bid him good night, then flew back into the caldera. Draco watched her go until she was out of sight. Then he spread his wings and took off. He circled the caldera one more time, then headed back up to Rastaban.