<span style="text-decoration: underline"><span style="font-style: italic"><span style="font-weight: bold">"Oof." </span></span></span><br/><br/>-<br/><br/>Shadow didn't so much as budge an incch. Almost as if an after thought he turned, it wasn't often he taken off guard but, but at that moment he was focused on not listened and not beating the entire senior class of cadets with a stick! The first thing he saw out of peripheral was a golden locks, and then it seemed the world for a very spit second stood still as he focused onto the surprised but angelic face gazing grasping at the stack of air borne books as she went hurtling toward t..very polished, very wet and very clean and very hard floor! Instinctively was extended his hand to catch her from falling... when he saw the serpent ring and then Shadow froze! Books, Ring, Accepted ... future Brown AJah! Light they were out get to him!   Shadow turned to dart toward the kitchens! it would mean getting tangled up into some other ridiculous task like emptying chamber pots but he wasn't going to stick around to be the Tar Valon's next Page Master... an inside joke amongst the Cadets, rather than earning the highly sought after title of, Blade-Master<br/><br/><span style="text-decoration: underline"><span style="font-style: italic"><span style="font-weight: bold"> "I'm sorry!" </span></span></span><br/><br/>The young Cadet froze in mid stride and blinked... the words, *I am sorry* caught him off guard. In fact in truth, he wasn't entirely sure he heard an Aes Sedai or Accepted ever say that before. Come to think of it...he couldn't remember anyone ever say that.  A tinge of guilt stabbed at him as towered over her...watching her pick up the books. The sense of impending doom crept in as Shadow reluctantly sank to his his knees and carefully began gather up some of the loose papers.<br/><br/><br/><span style="text-decoration: underline"><span style="font-style: italic"><span style="font-weight: bold">"I hope I didn't hurt you!" </span></span></span><br/><br/>Shadow gave the blonde accepted a skeptical sideways glance...his strong dark brow rose with serious doubts of her having any possibility of physically hurting him accidentally or unintentionally. Thankfully she didn't stick around long....  Shadow glanced downward realizing he still had some of the pages that had floated out of her books.  Contemplating his options, wait and get nabbed by a bunch of yellows and their overzealous green assistants or go to the kitchens and report of chamber pot duty ... or return the papers.  He of course needs a distraction to get past the vultures watching the sparring yard.  Shadow loosened his sling from around his belt.<br/><br/>Bingo!<br/><br/>The timing could have never been so perfect, right as the poor unsuspecting Novice was walking past the Aes Sedai by the window, the polished river stone shattered the bottom out a clay wine pitcher and showered the Aes Sedai by the window, straying them, and staining their clothes with little red droplets.<br/><br/>Like a pack of heyenas ...very serene faced and unsmiling ones and unlaughing heyenas turned on the speachless Novice and began berating her for channelling! ...which she had been...accept well thats not what made the pitcher of wine to explode... of course the Aes Sedai weren't having any of it... it was often you could change an Aes Sedai's mind out of anything that she presumed a already to be true...it didn't help that this particular pack of Aes Sedai just put on the shawl and reveled  in having the privilege to scold the novice and flex their newly acquired status as full sisters..<br/><br/>Shadow took the neat stack of papers gingerly took up the bucket and briskly walked by as if he on his way do to some important job... Chamber pots could wait.<br/><br/>The closer Shadow got to the library , the more he began to question his decision. Dam...Dam... Dam...beaver dams and water dams...it wasn't cursing if he didn't add the bloody damn 'n'!  Light! what was he doing he was going to Brown Ajah-land.  Shadow swallowed hard, he stepped forward... forcing himself to keep putting one foot in front of the other! Light! he preferred hanging off the edge of the white tower by one hand and three fingers! Unfortunately walking with a bucket and mop slung over his shoulder and the neat stack of papers he simply wasn't able to catch up with the Accepted... he was sort of hoping she might realize what she was missing and turn around and then he could get out of here! However as he drew closer...he heard a raised voice...an Anceint Aes Sedai's voice, a serene chilling biting voice. This almost made him turn right back around three narrow gap he spotted ... well he didn't know her name yet, but he had run into Ginveve before... Needless to say it had not been pleasant.<br/><br/>He should set the papers down and walk away.     And then a horrible...horrible idea popped into his brain! Oh it and it was evil! he grinned, no Aes Sedai in the Brown Ajah would be able to look at him again without vile contempt!   Briefly setting the papers down on desk, and checking both ways to be sure he wasn't being watched, Shadow took a knife and widdled a tiny, tiny little, hole into the wooden mop bucket and then... ever so casually, set it back over his shoulders and picked up the papers.... he was so going to die...but least if he was going to be in trouble it might as well damned be for a bloody good recent.<br/><br/>With an overly helpful and eager smile, Shadow strode forward... Gineveve paused turned gave him icy stare... the Aes Sedai glacial serenity stare of death, indicating he was not wanted and in the middle of something beyond his puny mind was capable of comprehending!  Shadow smiled dumbly and now held out the now tattered and creased papers that he had collected...and then placed a hand on his chest and indicating that it was he who had caused the offense not Ilia.<br/><br/>Seeing Gineveve's look of contempt and horror when she stared at the paper papers he as pulled out several books on the shelf and crammed back... out of order and backward was absolutely priceless.   Shadow put up his hand indicating that he was offering his most humblest deepest apologies and then pointed to the true culprit.... the leaking water bucket.<br/><br/>Shadow gulped, Gineveve's thin nostrils flared...and pointed toward door.  Shadow bit his lower lip....The Aes Sedai continued to stare him down...step by step marking him out of her beloved library...step by step....<br/><br/>Then disaster struck! leaking bucket and mop over his broad shoulder and wet floor under him... perhaps it was karma...perhaps he deserved it...but the next thing he knew, was that his feet were no longer on the floor and the mop bucket was flung up into the air....<br/><br/>Cheek and jowl landed on the floor and the large wooden empty bucket landed on the rock between his ears! After few moments to ponder his life choice and wondering if all this was bloody worth it.  Reluctantly he peered out from the bucket to see what sort of damage had been down.<br/><br/>Genevieve's face might have appeared serene, but her ageless eyes were scathing flames, and her voice was hoarse and it cracked as she pointed down toward him. "You....will.....Never......Ever...... set foot in this library ever again!" she declared in an icy whisper.   "Ever! " she shouted! Then using a water weave, she gathered the water from her beloved soaking wet books and into a floating ball of water and neatly set it back into the bucket.<br/><br/>"Do you here me?" she demanded.  Shadow did his absolute best recoil to look shocked, hurt and terrified.<br/><br/>"get out," she whispered, but such a low vehement whisper carried more weight than loaded crossbow.<br/><br/>Not one to argue, Shadow hurriedly grabbed the wooden buck, scrambled to his feet and hurried out of the library.<br/><br/>Genevieve had never been so angry in her life! she blinked and glanced about a the mess had been left behind.  "Light! Hundreds of years of history destroyed by one stupid illiterate boy with a leaky Mop bucket!" she explained.<br/><br/>"Don't just stand there, Girl! I was only able to get some of the water out before completely soaked into the pages! Help me air them out before they mold!" She exclaimed in panic! "Oh! That horrible little trouble maker! That dolt! That clumsy oaf!" she cursed angrily as she scrambled out to rescue her books using light weaves to fan multiple books and pages at a time.  "To think Ovah was talking about bonding him to help her in the library! Said she didn't want him to be hurt in the sparring yards anymore! Pahhh! I'll get Moraine to use that big Warder Lan of hers to beat that insolent bullheaded beady eyed cadet black and blue!" she ranted... on and on! completely forgetting all about the punishment promised to Illia.<br/><br/>-<br/><br/>The following morning, Shadow went to mopping floors, whistling blissfully, ignoring the Aes Sedai scathing looks from the brown Aes Sedai.  Today around his neck was a white scarf... a not so subtle hint to the Aes Sedai that had been searching for him by the window yesterday.  He grinned and they bulked, each one offended...Shadow was playing the odds, as white Ajah's rarely took warders accept out of necessity.  Many of the cadets often sported, blue or green colors in hopes for adventure ... Shadow of course was just being a smart ass... he was tempted to put on a red scarf but then it would be too obvious... thankfully he was quite confident that a white ajah would have no logical reason to select him as he was now branded as a trouble maker... and well it usually just wasn't something they did...though it happened.<br/><br/>It wasn't long, before the Aes Sedai thought he was having too much fun scrubbing the floors, so he was sent to muck out the stables...<br/><br/>At least the horses where good company he thought.  Once finnished with the mucking, he occupied himself, with getting fresh hay and feed... he leaned on pitch fork....his eyes going up to the sky....that face those eyes...her hair had been so...so golden... he quickly shook himself,  hell why was he even thinking about her! She was an accepted... besides she could just as well as decide to be a red! They didn't bond warders! Those Aes Sedai could handle themselves.... yeah right! if they ever went out into the field they would get lost in the woods and starve.<br/><br/>His dark ebony black eyes glanced upward toward the tower....if he climbed it again...he could stick the flag into Gwayne's or Gallad's bunk this time... he grinned at the thought, and then frowned... nope they would never stop complaining...nope he was going to enjoy mucking out the stables alone in peace and quiet. He glanced around... he was getting hungry...lunch should be coming ...soonish.