In a way, Shadow was actually enjoying the stable work, sure it was hot, itchy, and a little, smelly, but it was a welcome change of pace. Oh yes... he was going to make this job last! He just had to remember to act sorrowful when they assigned it to him and careful not to look overly cheerful or the Aes Sedai would find something something else to do. He looked both ways, before launching another bale of hay over his head into the loft with the pitch fork... he grinned...another record! The pitchfork whirred in the air as he twirled it around and threw it like a javelin into the wall…and spun back round again flipping through the air he yanked a blade from his boot and flung it deep into the square wooden beam...slaying another imaginary foe! Today the thick wooden support beam hadn't been very lucky, as it was covered pin cushioned with a variaty of sharp objects.  Including two hatchets, an Axe, and the three knives.... leaning idly on the same beam was the shovel for mucking out the horse stalls. He had quite nearly finished ... but of course there was just no sense in finishing too early.<br/><br/>One, two, three, he pulled his knives out of the wooden...when!  Just as he began whistling an old Cadet and Warder battle song...course for the warders they were generally bonded with greens already or they where Cadets hoping to be...or thought it was cool idea at the time and wanted to fit in at the time, which there were many!  It was one thing to swing a practice sword around, fantasize about being a warder to green battle Aes Sedai...  another to actually commit to it, and be willing to rip out another man's guts, sleep on the ground, stare murdral in the eyes, and facing off hordes of Trollocs...many liked the idea…many cadets where good fighters, but there was great difference between being good in a duel, and able to survive out in the field.<br/><br/>===<br/><br/><br/><span style="font-size: 85%; line-height: 116%;"><span style="font-style: italic">*O'Where is the lady in green?  <br/>The one with eyes of fire, eyes of fire!  <br/>and face so fair and serene!<br/> <br/>Chorus<br/>She is the Bearer of Tar Valon's Flame and Might! <br/>She is in the thick of the fight! <br/>She is the battle maiden! <br/>The maiden of Tarmon Gai'don! <br/>I am in love with a battle maiden!<br/>* </span></span><br/><br/>Whistling as he pulled out his knives, he had just got to the end of the first chorus…<br/><br/>He had just gotten to the end of the first chorus ...  *I am in love with a battle maiden*<br/><br/>When!<br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="text-decoration: underline">"Oh! Shadow."</span></span><br/><br/>The whistling ceased, and he turned...one hand hiding his knives in his pocket, the other dutifully gripping the shovel standing up at attention! His dark eyes darting about trying to figure out who had called him! and wondering as to how much they had seen! Until then he admitted nothing!<br/><br/>Light! He hoped is wasn't anyone important...if the tips of his now red ears got any hotter they'd set his hair on fire. Luckily his hair covered them, it was one of the reasons why he grew it out so long...those bloody ears ratted him out every time he got into trouble or was trying to hide something.... somehow even though he couldn't talk he was still a horrible liar.<br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="text-decoration: underline"> "What a pleasant surprise!" </span></span><br/><br/>Shadow blinked, and when he turned his dark ebony black eyes widened in panic!  It was worse than an Aes Sedai! it was the girl from the library!  Oh light! Oh light! Of all the accepted he had to have bumped into the only accepted aspiring Aes Sedai who not only wanted the white Shawl but a warder as well! Light blind me! of all the luck!  He really wanted to be part of the Green Ajah... accept some of them... many of the them scared the bleeding socks out of him!  He could hear his Cadre in his head now, hear the speech he had given to the senior cadets at the starting of the year.<br/><br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-style: italic">***Lads... many of you might have lofty and great ambitions of being chosen by a green or blue and going on adventures... but I'll tell it to you straight... Aes Sedai get what they want...if one wants you...blue, green, white,  brown or hell even Red though thank the light they don't bond us! but if one of them wants you....you can say no...you can run to the ends of the earth...but I am telling you lads....the only thing going to save you from a Brown Aes Sedai...is a blue or green more powerful that wants you more! I suggest you be very careful who you hang around... and who you talk to because once you are bonded, by consent or not...you aren't ever getting out of it...you will never be able to hide anything from her, she will know everything, if you got an itch or you think a thought that she doesn't like... she will know!*** </span></span><br/><br/><br/>Doing his best to act casual...while with one hand, he fiercely levered the hatched and axe out of the wooden beam, and discretely slipped them into a wooden barrel behind it... with the other he gestured toward the horse stalls.<br/><br/><span style="text-decoration: underline"><span style="font-weight: bold">"I wanted to..." </span></span><br/><br/>Shadow hurried over to to the saddles, waiting for her to point out a horse...or something! anything!  His dark eyes getting bigger and bigger as she grew closer... closer!<br/><br/><span style="text-decoration: underline"><span style="font-weight: bold"> "I wanted to thank you for yesterday."<br/></span></span><br/>When she mentioned yesterday, His lips parted....as if to speak...and then his clicked back together...thinking quickly, he picked up a saddle holding it in front of himself...its was a very good spacer and shield…which he hoped to appear overly helpful and not terrified! His eyes glanced down at the snake ring...he smiled and gave her his best blank look of confusion  he could possibly muster....<br/><br/>The look of that said *Who are you?  I am just  stable boy, I don't know what else you want from me! I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about....are you going to ride or not?*<br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="text-decoration: underline"><span style="font-style: italic">"It was brilliant."</span></span></span><br/><br/>Shadow bristled, had it been that obvious?  had she seen him through the book shelves? had somebody else seen through the books shelves and ratted him out? He shook his head denying everything, he admitted nothing! He knew nothing! he was never there! she had gotten the wrong person...he tried to back up. *A Solid Thud!*<br/><br/>The wall shook and dust fell from the rafters as his strong shoulder blades were pinned up against it. Following her gaze toward the white scarf and His face turned whiter than the white scarf ...<br/><br/>He quickly offered her bridle and bit... and then the saddle as if she was wanting to do it herself.<br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="text-decoration: underline"> "I guess I should be going."</span></span><br/><br/>He smiled and he quickly nodded in agreement as he dropped the saddle and darted to the nearest stall and the grabbed the shovel smelly shovel and hopped into the last stall he had yet to clean. Safe he thought! but just to be sure, he leaned outward and then right as he checked to see if she was gone.... she turned around and looked right at him...right at him while he peeking around the corner like some frightened school girl!<br/><br/><span style="text-decoration: underline"><span style="font-weight: bold">"I'll be embroidering in the garden this afternoon, if you care to join me."</span></span><br/><br/>Shadow ducked away and flattened himself against the stall wall! he couldn't think, he couldn't breath! What was he going to do!?!<br/><br/>===========<br/>==========<br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold">The Full Song Went Something like this. </span><br/><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;">One Cadet would start by singing.<br/><span style="color: #FFFF00">O'Where is the lady in green? <br/> The one with eyes of fire, eyes of fire!  and face so fair and serene!  <br/>There is only one for me! <br/>O'Where is the lady in green? </span><br/><br/>The Cadets then would then chime as group and chorus! While making an awful racket their swords and shields.<br/><br/><span style="color: #00FF00">She is the Bearer of Tar Valon's Flame and Might! <br/>She is in the thick of the fight! <br/>She is the battle maiden! <br/>The maiden of Tarmon Gai'don! <br/>I am in love with a battle maiden! </span><br/><br/>-Followed by Lead Solo.-  <br/><span style="color: #BFFF00">O'What would you do for a kiss from a battle maiden? <br/> The one with eyes of fire, eyes of fire!  and face so fair and serene! <br/></span><br/>This was followed by individual shouts of random... and usually gruesome offers.<span style="color: #00FFBF"> The teeth of a thousand dead trollocs!</span>,<span style="color: #00FF80"> my own left eye!</span> or fill in the blank... that bit changed all the time and could be quite humorous and crude, and sometimes degenerated into the metaphorical gutter by one or two out right silly cadets that were wanting to impress everyone else …but…after one of the cadets was yanked out of formation and suspended upside in the air while the rest of his piers watched helplessly as the cadet’s mouth was washed out with soap by a very, very angry Accepted with notably long braided hair, and bad temper…. her name started with an ’N'…   <br/><br/>Ever since then, if  they were outside their barracks or sparring yard, near the white Tower…needlesss to say this part was often sang in a much lower tone of voice …then again there was always a somebody who forgot and was shushed by everybody else.  <br/><br/>Then everyone would chorus! <br/><br/><span style="color: #00FF00">O' The green lady is the only one for me!  <br/>She is the Maiden of Tarmon Gaidon! </span></div><br/><br/><br/> <br/><span style="color: #FFFF00">*O'Where is the lady in green?  <br/>The one with eyes of fire, eyes of fire!  <br/>and face so fair and serene!</span><br/> <br/>Chorus<br/><span style="color: #40FF00">She is the Bearer of Tar Valon's Flame and Might! <br/>She is in the thick of the fight! <br/>She is the battle maiden! <br/>The maiden of Tarmon Gai'don! <br/>I am in love with a battle maiden!</span></div><br/><br/><br/>==========<br/><br/><br/><br/>Shadow knew exactly what he was going to do! He was going to go sign up for the big tournament! IT was one of the biggest tournament in Tar Valon and dedicated to the Battle Ajah. The green Ajah!  However the running joke was that it was really dedicated to the Yellow ... as more often more than not... cadets bashing each other in the head with blunt swords, maces, and axes in full armor started out singing songs and trying impress the green....wound up at the end of the day howling for a Healer whilst being dragged off to the yellow Ajah sisters in stretchers.<br/><br/>Cadre Coulin often joked  that it was actually one Yellow Aes Sedai instructor who hosted and made the rules in order for the accepted to get first hand experience and practice healing battle field wounds, anything from sprains, cuts, concussions, and broken bones! They all laughed as if it was a joke...as that would be ridiculous! But sometimes Shadow wasn't entirely sure when Coulin was joking or covertly being brutally honest....*Coulin: Sometimes Aes Sedai will hint at things....its best just to pretend as if it was...well...your idea in the first place... its easier that way, and even better if you choose to believe it.<br/>*<br/><br/>Regardless who actaully ran the tournament what Ajah it was truly for what he needed was to prove himself! Yes he was nervous about being bonded for the rest of his life to a potentially insane woman...but he was just as scared of the noncombat oriented Ajahs.  However when he went to sign up... Cadre took him to the side and apologized to him as he wasn't able to join...it was part of the punishment for the darned flag.<br/><br/>Shadow crest fallen... he took his money bag out and stormed over to the sparring yard picked it up a wooden sword and threw the silver coins that he had won in for capturing the flag.<br/><br/>It he was challenging all comers! right then! right there! right now!  All at once! He didn't need to go to the damned tournament.... he was just going to beat them all to tar!  He was going throttle them! He grinned as Gallad and Gwayne started coming toward him.<br/><br/>"Oh don't feel bad, old friend, there is always next year, no sense in making a seen," Gwayne pleaded.<br/>Shadow gave a mocking curtesy and tapped the wooden sword on the ground.  He paced and strutted about, around and around in circle...<br/><br/>Waiting for someone to step up!<br/><br/>He held out his arms why wide open... he grinned...one by one his fellow cadets began stepping down ...Gwayne swallowed hard and put up the practice sword back on the rack. Shadow smirked...but when he turned around Lan... the legend was standing right behind him!<br/><br/>Shadow gulped... he might've been tall...but Lan was...well was Lan! Granite faced quite graceful floating mountian faced stood before him with seemingly unblinking eyes...green warder's cloak floating in the wind exposing the very, real, very sharp heron marked blade master's sword.  Shadow glanced sideways....Moraine was watching at distance.<br/><br/>"You dropped something," Lan said at last.<br/><br/>Shadow was half tempted to take the hint, grab the money back and leave while he still could dignity in tact... instead he raised the wooden sword.<br/><br/>"We'll start out half speed, to warm out," he announced. Shadow gave a slow kurt reluctant nod.<br/><br/>tap.         tap.            tap        the wooden swords softly tapped one another as they gracefully moved about in slow rhythmic dance.<br/><br/>"three quarter speed," Lan declared.<br/><br/>wack.    wack.   wack.  the wood swords became louder. Shadow nearly lost his balance a couple of times. Lan...Lan was really good!<br/><br/>“Full speed!" Lan barked! and the swords whirred through the air!<br/><br/>Crack!-Crack!-Crack! the impact rattled through his hands and arms.  Shadow grit his teeth as he frantically tried to block and perry, duck, jump and roll away!   Lan was just too fast! But in reality he was just amazed he had managed to keep up this long.<br/><br/>Glanced up, he choked on his mug of mead when saw Shadow suddenly switch hands...but not was going toe, toe with Lan himself! The cadets gasped and began to cheer excitedly....<br/><br/>"Go Shadow, Go!"  they exclaimed. Other warders stopped whom had gone to enlist in the tournament stopped talking amongst each other and became quiet.  A cadet was....was actually battling it out with Lan!  The other more aged full Warders only laughed, "Quit toying with the boy, you'll give him big head! Come on Lan! I losing money here!" they called.<br/><br/>It was then switched up his own grip!<br/><br/>Shadow's eyes widened in panic he now realized that Lan had also been using his left hand.  Although he had been doing the same thing only moments ago, somehow Shadow felt robbed and infuriated! The warder thought he could toy with him! They all thought he was a joke!   Shadow growled in frustration as he now found himself back on his heels! he was covered in perspiration....Lan was his usual glacial self...though that slight raised smirk the match was was going to end finish him soon… the cheering faded…everybody waited around of the inevitable …and like expected…. With a neat graceful flourish, Lan Cracked him over the head….<br/><br/><br/>Shadow crumbled to his knees....his dark ebony eyes gazed upward through the pulsating stream of blood coming out of his head and down his eyes....he saw Lan's surprise face down at the wooden hilt of sword resting on his abdomen  .... a double hit!….<br/><br/><br/><br/>Shadow grinned, and then his eyes rolled back and collapsed to the ground.... he had did an old technic that was called 'Sheathing the blade'  basically it was form at the expense of lower your own guard and your own life, you either exposed yourself inviting death, by capturing the opponents weapon with your own body, you attack at the same time while they were unable to get away....assuring mutual destruction.<br/><br/>There was absolute silence… double hits were generally counted as a tie…or more realistically both men losing. Generally it was resolved with a second round, but Shadow was by no means in any condition fit to go on.<br/><br/>Lan stooped downward to return the money back to the injured Cadet...but when he turned...he wasn't there.<br/><br/>There was some shouts for yellow Sisters to come.   But Shadow had already pushed through the crowd of spectators and grabbed a dirty once white polishing rag and dizzily wandered off.    He felt a bit frustrated for losing his silver in one fight....but...he...he really couldn't concentrate.<br/><br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="text-decoration: underline"><div style="text-align: center;">The Garden</div></span></span><br/><br/><br/>Funny things about head wounds. Shadow as had seen men drop dead, go raving mad, begin to channel or even run off and join the tinkers, become simple or just run off into the woods and come back feeling ashamed and abashed not remembering anything that had happened the day of the injury.<br/><br/>Shadow winced, the light hurt his eyes…. everything was spinning.<br/><br/>Where the hell was he... put... flowers....butterflies...he tried to focus ...bloodied hand prints marred the white gazebo.  His head was really, really beginning to throb now and his left eye was all swollen. Shadow walked out of the Gazebo and then collapsed again into a bunch of daisies next to a little pond with decorative fish.... he felt like Tarmon Gai'don had come early.<br/><br/>Why did he come to the garden... he needed to get back to the barracks!   Blooody Lan...bloody, bloody flag, and bloody silver, they can keep it all... and their tournament!  Although he had gotten a hit on Lan, he had paid for it... he doubted he would ever get the chance agian...unless the warder was alseep!  But ... it did start a pretty wild and fantastical rumor! Shadow scored a hit on Lan!  Which was not exactly a big deal...but Lan sort of was a big deal...if Lan Sneezed their was a hail storm on the other end of the world!<br/><br/>Some rumors said that, Shadow had tossed away the white scarf after a break up,  still other rumors amongst the yellows besides the one where he had gone missing...was that he was bonded by a green Aes Sedai and left on secret mission, some of the cadets suggested since he couldn't enter the tournament he left Tar Valon all together.<br/><br/>... others said he possessed scarfs for all the Ajah in his personal belongings...even red, which stirred up some controversy in the Red Aes Sedai, perhaps one of their own sisters was seriously planning on defecting to another Ajah or was it one of the Accepted or novices some how gotten a strange notion her head that she could get both! Red shawl and a have Warder! It was disgraceful!  Then there was the question...were these all his scarves? or where they given to him? Who had given them to him! and what in Blood Ashes was a red scarf doing in his foot locker! as often many of Cadets received colors from potential wards...as much as they wore them in hopes to gain attention.  Most Cadet's only picked one, most common for overzealous aspiring young warders was the green...but he had all of them!<br/><br/>Others claimed that Shadow was actually making goo-goo eyes at Moraine and so Lan challenged him to a duel and Shadow was likely dead somewhere from his wounds.<br/><br/>Naturally nobody expected to look for Shadow in the garden...perhaps the vegetable garden pilfering food, but not the flower garden...no one but Ilia...truthfully Shadow had forgotten all about the invitation and was rather just trying to get away...he didn't know where...he just...well the word 'garden' was stuck inside his head...and well nobody would go searching for him there! he smiled dumbly...'garden' he didn't know why he smiled when the thought that or why he thought golden fields of wheat...Frankly his thinking was a little muddled.<br/><br/>Grand conspiracies rattled swam through his head as tried to figure out how enter the tournament under a different name without being noticed... dammit... he couldn't even bribe one of his friends into letting him fight in their place now that he had lost all his money to Lan. There were other ways...he smiled...covering his eyes from the bright sun....there were other ways... some Cadets would gladly taken a bit of food pilfered from the kitchens...course Moe...although the right height, was really...really round! but deceptively quick on his feet and half decent with a sword. Moe unlike many unashamedly admitted that he really wanted to be selected by the Brown Ajah... as he would cut off his on right arm to be able to have access to the great tower library...Moe was a bit odd...for a cadet. His love for books and sweets made him endure an awful lot of pain! Moe was strong, he just well... rather read than fight...or even better, read and eat!<br/><br/>Shadow tried to get up...his head throbbed and his neck screamed in pain...he groaned again...perhaps he would just call the whole thing off.<br/><br/>He lay there...waiting...for what he wasn't sure...waitng...his large hands idly gripped a grey headed dandelion...he grinned as the wind captured the seeds.... his dilated eyes watched them be swept away floating, floating ... and then he saw her face... her hair sparking in the sun, her brown eyes bright warm and sweet like wild honey.  But he couldn't get up...couldn't run...he lay arm over his head to shield himself from the sun...gazing up at her ...thank the light he wasn't wearing that bloody white scarf anymore!  He half expected her to run off and tattle on him for spreading dandelions... he wasn't sure what was going to happen next.    He tried to hide his injury...and curl his fingers inward to hide the blood on his hands....what was he thinking, blood was all over his face on the the dirty cleaning rag and stuck in his long dark hair. He pulled up his hood...and gave her a long side ways look throw one eye that peered out from beneath his arm.<br/><br/>It was the sort of look that said... *So you caught me ... what happens now?... go on tell , tell the whole bloody world you finally found me.... I am too tired and too much pain to care anymore*