<span style="text-decoration: underline"><span style="font-style: italic">"Moe's neck."</span></span><br/><br/>Shadow felt his ears turn red... he had been talking about the horses!<br/><br/><span style="text-decoration: underline"><span style="font-style: italic">"Light! You'd think she was a green the way she was acting."</span></span><br/><br/>The next comment brought redness around his neck... and he cleared his throat and shuffled awkwardly about. "Oh...I..I..I was referring to the the horses, Ilia Sedai," he grunted... he wondered if his shirt was going to catch on fire!  His mind went back to the horses. Horses! think horses!<br/><br/>"Try not to name it... we'll get lost and have to eat it anyway," he grunted...<br/><br/><span style="text-decoration: underline"><span style="font-style: italic"> "You think we'll get so lost we'll have to eat our horses?" </span></span><br/><br/>Desperately to channel his focus, Shadow quickly did his best to regain his thoughts, "Oh! um no... I was just... probably worrying too much, why would we eat horses, Aes Sedai can make bread from rocks, right?" he shrugged.<br/><br/><span style="text-decoration: underline"><span style="font-style: italic"> "I like her. What do you think?" </span></span><br/><br/>Shadow nodded, "I ah greeen, I mean...I um..."  he stammered and cleared his throat, "I agree!" he corrected himself and quickly stepped forward checking the teeth and the hooves.  "A good choice Ilia Sedai," he said again as he made his rounds around the horse.  "Very good temperament," he concurred again... when he checked the last hoof his long dark locks moved in such a way to reveal the red near glowing tips of his ears.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic"><span style="text-decoration: underline">"Will you pay the man after you've picked out your own? I'm going to go across the street and look at some cloaks for the two of us." </span></span><br/><br/>"O greeen,  I meant oh Oh good! wonderful," he said hurriedly... "I...l... I will will... I will go find a horse!" he declared  as stepped back ... only to fall into a stone horse trough behind him. With uncanny reflexes Shadow sprung out of the water basin as if he was part cat and glanced about... dripping we turned around casually splashed more water onto himself and took a quick drink acting as if he had merely trying to cool off.<br/><br/>Howbeit as he walked past the stalls, a spirited Dappled grey lunged at him and Shadow leapt back to get away... but the mare tore off piece of his grey tunic on his shoulder and commenced to hop about agitatedly and kick the side of the stall and nay loudly.  Ignoring his bleeding shoulder, Shadow grinned... she was perfect!<br/><br/>"Oh watch out for her... her she's the dark ones spawn for sure!" warned a stable boy.<br/><br/>"How much is she?" Shadow asked.<br/><a class="postlink" href="https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3279/2808768568_6ff0043b85.jpg">[ img ]</a><br/>"Five gold crowns and a broken spleen, two silver pieces for your funeral, lad," The horse trader declared.<br/><br/>"Great! here! and this is for the copper mare over there," he declared. the horse trader arched his brow, and the stable gave a shrug and handed Shadow the saddle and reins.<br/><br/>"Thanks for the business, Been nice knowing you," remarked the stable boy. Shadow merely grinned and quickly gave the instructions to have the horses brought to the tower stables.<br/><br/>--<br/><br/><br/><span style="text-decoration: underline"><span style="font-style: italic"> "Are you ready to look at some boots? I found you an exceptionally well made cloak! I even got a discount."</span></span><br/><br/>Hearing Illia called out to him, Shadow turned and he smiled at her... his dark eyes sparkling with light and excitement. "Oh! yes... boots! I like boots!" he chimed and glanced about as if lost for moment... then blinked again smiling down at her... like wool headed lunatic completely oblivious that he was soaked head to toe and his shirt was torn and his shoulder was bleeding .  "Thats wonderful! we should go look at... at...at stuff, and the other stuff," he agreed cheerfully as he quickly angled her away, so that she didn't see the angry, snorting spirited dappled grey mare being led away to the tower grounds along with, Copper... some he didn't think Ilia would approve of his choice.<br/><br/><br/>"What...what else do we need?" he asked, while doing his best at keeping eye contact with her.