<span style="font-style: italic"><span style="text-decoration: underline">"I will bond you, Shadow." </span></span><br/><br/>The words that followed quickly caught his attention, his head spun around and chill ran down his spine as Ilia... Ilia Sedai spoke. He had been acting like a grimfaced warder... she was not acting, she had become truly an Aes Sedai... he heard and felt it in the power and clarity of her words... an oath that she could not take back or even utter if she had not meant it.<br/><br/><span style="text-decoration: underline"><span style="font-style: italic">"Under the light and by my hope of rebirth, I will bond you."</span></span><br/><br/>Shadow felt his heart pounding his chest, he knew it to be true, he felt it, he knew it... he wanted it, and yet it was so heavy! gazed up at her, face pale white... his chest swelled bracing himself, his jaw set with somber fortitude, his dark eyes widened with with expectation... in awe... and disbelief.<br/><br/><span style="text-decoration: underline"><span style="font-style: italic">"But not yet."</span></span><br/><br/>Right then Shadow realized that he had been holding his breath and he quickly released the gulp of air had been holding.  Even when she was smiling, he felt woozy all over, and he didn't quite trust his footing as he would surely fall over himself!<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic"><span style="text-decoration: underline">"Burn you, but you're going to be a handful."</span></span><br/><br/>Shadow felt the tips of hears go bright red, and offered up a sheepish smile! thankfully they were hidden beneath his long thick dark hair, although any hotter they'd set his hair on fire, he was partially relieved she could not sense how off balance she had him!<br/><br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic"><span style="text-decoration: underline"> "Get up!...</span></span><br/><br/>Just when he was about tease her and respond back with the tin soldier emotionless and overly reverant  'as you command Ilia Sedai'  Illia quickly chastened him, and forbade him from it... at least not in private.<br/><br/>Shadow paused, his mouth agape as if she had stolen the very words out of his mouth.  She could not lie... he could not disobey, or at least it was highly frowned upon, and if he was going to play the Tin Soldier Game, he couldn't break the rules. A tinge of red briefly touched face, as if she had scored a well placed maneuver in a verbal game of stones match. Although he was about to cheekily respond with merely, 'As you command Aes Sedai'... and leave out the Ilia bit when...<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic"><span style="text-decoration: underline"> "I think we will go into town tomorrow and look for proper horses for us both as well as supplies for yourself. You can't travel unprepared. It would be most unwise."</span></span><br/><br/>At the mention of getting a horse, Shadow decided to put the Tin soldier game on hold and he slowly rose up to his feet. "Most unwise...," he agreed in a strong robotic voice..., and gave Ilia a playful wink as he intentially left off the formal Aes Sedai bit... but the inflection and formality remained the same, howbeit this time he had merely done so as a tease, he wasn't going to let her win... not at his own game.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic"><span style="text-decoration: underline">"You mentioned that Cadre Caulen didn't have the authority to put warders in the stocks."</span></span><br/><br/>Shadow swallowed hard, "Not unless given," he replied hesitantly for a moment he was worried Illia might just spiteful enough to send him back! Now that she was Aes Sedai, she could command him to stand on his head if she wanted! She wasn't accepted anymore! in the eyes of the Tower the scullery maids had more rank than he did at the moment!<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic"><span style="text-decoration: underline">"And if Moe had been with you that means someone either interceded, or bonded him while you both were in the stocks."</span></span><br/><br/>Shadow shifted uneasly, the thought of Luna Sedai set hair on his neck to stand on end and he forgot any semblance of military bearing.  "You are very perceptive," he remarked, his dark eyes glanced about.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic"><span style="text-decoration: underline">"Was it Luna Sedai?" </span></span><br/><br/>The mention of her name, chilled him to the bone... Quietly Shadow moved forward and cupped his hand dampening the whisper so that it would only be heard by Ilia alone. "She knows about our fight, I don't know how... but... its got to be an Aes Sedai thing, she offered to get me out as well," he whispered.  Before Ilia could respond, her put his finger over her lips... pointed to her, motioned for her pretend like she was crying.<br/><br/>Then changing his voice back to normal.  Shadow glanced about the room, "Its none of your business! you never care about what I want! what if I don't want to be your warder!" he snapped... and then paused. "I am sorry, Illia! but I cannot be your, Warder, I must go," he declared, and moved across the room... stamped his feet loudly and then softly, opened and slammed the door....mimicking a pseudo exit.<br/><br/>Without leaving the chamber's Shadow then soundlessly rolled across the floor and under her bed....<br/><br/>Whether she did or not... only moments later  there was a knock on the door...<br/><br/>--<br/><br/>Luna Sedai stood in the door way smiling, her long golden braid rapped around her neck. She word burnt bronze glittering shawl over a honeyed brown rusty rose velvet gown that exposed entirely too much cleavage,<br/><br/>"Congratulations," she chimed, "You have finally been raised! I am so excited for you," she declared held out a fruit basket. "Any luck finding a warder?" she asked innocently. "I mean a good one, one that stays out of trouble, or sneaks off to go carousing!" she huffed, "I heard some of the sister's gossiping that he ran out on you, I am terribly sorry," she pouted sympathetically.  "Some men just can handle being around powerful women," she soothed. "I assume you no longer have an interest in him..." she prompted.