Chapter 3
race of the skypeople
Ezra's pov
"So now we are going to work with these creatures that have vanished from their paddock and the kid is going to ride one? you sure you are up to this kid? a small thing like you?" Zeb said as we came to the fence that bordered the aeronlupa lightening home.
It had only been a few days after talking with Eli, that we had left for his farm on Tokodona. The rolling hills and tree lined paddocks held his animals in safety, not like it had been before when I had been with him before, it was much smaller and on lothal, not here, I wonder what made him change, I suppose it was the empire.
I jumped the fence, behind me I could hear Eli telling the others not to follow, that I would be fine and I was. I sent out a high pitched howl and quickly I heard one back, followed by another and another, the pack must have heard my cry. Soon I saw a pair of brilliant green eyes growing larger through the dark forest and a moment later a dark furred face, and thin muscular body of the flying wolf emerged from the forest.
It looked at me, I looked back at it as more of the pack appeared out of the dark trees, long folded wings close to their bodies as they arranged themselves close to each other, not sure if they could trust me, but the first one took a few steps closer taking a better look at me. I could hear them growling softly, not threatening me,it was a warning.
"Shadow" I said softly as the wolf stopped in front of me and I saw the white tuft of hair on her neck in the shape of a lightening strike.
All wolves of the lightening class had a white tuft of hair in the shape of a lightening strike somewhere on their bodies that marked one wolf from another. When I was younger I used to play with this hair, it was always softer and silkier than the other fur, only their feathers on their wings were softer. How many nights had I fallen asleep in those wings when the nightmares had become too much.
Shadow tossed her head and howled, then made soft little growls of happiness as I eagerly putted her on the head. I then felt a tug on my sleeve and as I looked at it I saw a small pup wanting to be patted too and as soon as I did I knew it was Shadow's first child.
"That little one is dancer, after the way she spins and twirls on the ground, she is too young to fly yet as her flight feathers are only just coming in, but old enough to be on solid foods that's why her mother can leave the pack to do this race" Eli said to the crew.
"Is that so" I said running a hand down the big she wolf's neck.
Shadow picked up her leg and placed it at a height that I would be able to use it as a step to climb onto her back,with a quick look at Kanan and the others I climbed up. It felt familiar to be up here, but at the same time I knew this was not where I belonged, I belonged with Kanan and I knew this was not my path any more.
"Ezra why don't you take her out for a run" Eli said as he opened the gate for me to walk through.
"Why run, when you can fly" I yelled as I ran the wolf for a short while and then urged her into the sky.
I heard behind me the surprised sounds of my crew mates as they watch Shadow take off. We flew leisurely around the area, battered only by the swirling gusts that were created from Shadow's wings, I also noticed that Shadow's wingbeats were silent. I could see Hera on the ground signaling me, I wonder what she wanted.
"Ezra you look good up there and Eli did say you use to race a few years ago. Why don't we test that" Hera said as soon as Shadow touched the ground as light as a feather.
"What did you have in mind?" I asked patting Shadow, I could see she still wanted to be in the sky.
"A race between you and I, phantom and shadow, pilot and padawan, let's see who rules the sky" she answered.
"Hera you know you are the better pilot than me, but Shadow loves to fly as much as you do, so who am I to stop the race of the sky people" I said smiling a little.
"Alright follow me to my training sky track" Eli said as Hera went to get the phantom.
Soon we were lined up on a cliff top above a bowl shaped canyon. I could feel the fresh air ruffling my hair and I wondered how Hera could stay trapped in that ship when it was so nice to be out here, feeling what very few had felt before. I braced myself as Shadow crouched ready to spring at the moment I gave the go signal, then I see Eli's hand move and I tapped Shadow's neck telling her it was time to fly.
With very smooth strokes of the black wolf's wings, she was in the sky, climbing rapidly, but Hera and the phantom were in the dived at the top of the sky point and I followed, time for the sky captain to see how we could fly. Shadow clasped her wings together and dived, like a lightening bolt from the sky.
I felt no fear, just exhilaration and I was sure Kanan was feeling this too through our bond. I knew as we plummeted past Hera to the ground bellow that we would not't hit it, because at the last moment Shadow snapped open her wings and leveled out, racing along the canyon's floor.
I could not't see where Hera was nor really where we were in the canyon, my vision was blurred, I had to rely on the force to tell anything, something that I had only done like this once before when we met Rex. Just then I feel Shadow pull herself up, the race must be over and I wondered who had won.
"Wow kid, it was a close one" said Zeb as he and the others came upto Hera and I.
"Yes it was. Even though I kept the phantom in normal flight mode, I think that wolf could have beaten me if given enough room to move" Hera said placing an arm around my shoulders and holding out her other hand to see if Shadow would let her touch her.
"That wolf is something special, even her pack's alpha is not't as fast as her and the bond she has with Ezra, well that is something else also" Eli said.
Shadow pushed me gently I guessed she wanted to get back to her cub and the rest of her pack, "as good as her flight was I believe Shadow wants to go back to the others now, see you later" I said as I climbed back on her back, only to have Kanan slide in behind me.
As we flew I could feel Kanan's emotions through our bond and through his touch around me. He was telling me that he was proud of me without saying a word, a feeling I sent back to him, letting him know that I was proud of me too.
An: wolves and our jedi? there is meaning in that.
