A Shadow Of Hope

Chapter 26

Reading.
That's the one thing Ezra had been doing over the past few days. There hadn't been one moment where the crew hadn't seen the boy without a book. It was like Ezra was in another world when he was reading. He barely heard his crews discussions when he was in the same room and didn't even flinch when Sabine once blew an air horn in his ear.  They'd found him in the morning sometimes with a book on his lap which meant he was reading in the night too.

"He wasn't this dedicated to Jedi training" Kanan told them.

"So why's he suddenly gotten all serious about dragon riding?"

"Stupid question Kanan. Ezra wants to complete his studies so he can get his dragon" Fawn told told him from over her book of dragon records.

"What are you doing?" Sabine asked.

"Researching."

"What about?" Kanan asked.

"Well Kyber said he..." Fawn bit her tongue when she realised she almost let her promise to Kyber slip.

"I'm checking some ancient history. There's a few questions I need answered" she recovered.

It wasn't a lie. Fawn was looking through the books of dragon riding history to see if it was possible a dragon could have more then one rider. So far, she hadn't found anything.

"I'm getting worried about the kid. He seems to read a little too much for my liking" Whiplash growled.

"Maybe because you don't like reading" Hurricane mumbled from beside Fawn, he was dosing beside his rider, half awake, half asleep.

"That's not true. I like reading some things" Whiplash told him.

"Sure you do Whip" Hurricane yawned.

The younger Shadow Wing rolled his eyes and looked over at Hera imploringly.

"Please make him stop turning those dam pages for a few hours. He barely hangs out with any of us anymore."

Hera smiled softly at Whiplash's large pupils and patted his back.

"You're right. I'll go talk to him" the Twe'lik said standing, and going to the cabins.

"Ezra? You in here?" Hera asked, knocking.

"Doors unlocked" came the boy's reply.

Hera pressed the button and the metal slid open. Hera saw Ezra curled up on his bunk, a thick book in his hands.

"Hey Ez. How you doing?" Hera asked.

"Okay. You wouldn't believe the stuff I've learnt in these books. Raxia is a Titan Wing, Ritcemphrea. It means: 'The alpha.' There's believed to be only a few left in the entire galaxy. Oh, and there's some deep sea dragons who have a roar so piecing, it can make a humans head explode! And also there's..."

"Ezra. How many books did you get out?" Hera interrupted the boy.

"At least twenty."

"And how many have you read over these last few days?"

"Like, thirteen."

Hera stared at the pile of thick covered books on Ezra's table.

"You mean to tell me you've read thirteen of those books?" She asked in shock.

"Yeah. What's the problem?"

"What's the problem? What's the problem?! Ezra, if you're telling me the truth, then you've become a reading maniac. How could you do so much reading over four days?!"

"Erm, dedication?" Ezra suggested.

Hera's eyebrows raised in concern when she saw the dark bags under the boy's eyes.

"Have you slept much?"

"A few hours each night. Why?"

Hera slapped her forehead with a sigh.

"Ezra, put that book down and go to bed" she told him sternly.

Ezra looked at her for a while.

"But I don't wanna go to bed" he told her.

"I'm going to count to three. One....two..."

"Okay! Fine! I'm going!" Ezra held up his hands in surrender and quickly put the book down.

Hera nodded with satisfaction.

"If I come back in here and find you're reading again I'll take all the books and lock them in a safe. I want you to have at least ten hours sleep alright?"

"Fine" Ezra sighed.

"But I'm not tired" he began before quickly stifling a yawn.

"Liar" Hera smirked.

Ezra rolled his eyes and took off his boots.

"Sleep well Ezra" Hera said leaving.

The Twe'lik came into the common room with a smile.

"Were you successful?" Whipash asked as she sat down.

"He's gone to bed."

"Did you find him there?" Sabine asked.

"No. I told him to" Hera answered.

"What are you, his mother all of a sudden?" Hurricane asked cheekily. 

Fawn lightly hit him over the head.

"Well he took my orders directly" Hera told him.

Hurricane nodded before settling back down.

"I thought he would've put up a fight" Kanan said.

"He did."

"What'd you do?"

"Counted to three."

Kanan gave a snort of laughter and grinned.

"Really?"

"And I also told him if he didn't stop if take his books away and lock them in a safe."

"Seems fair enough" Sabine nodded.