<span style="font-style: italic"><span style="text-decoration: underline"> "Tomorrow is fine."</span></span><br/><br/>Luna gave a cordial nod, "good," she said.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic"><span style="text-decoration: underline">"I would ask, Luna Sedai, once Shadow is my Warder, do not use the power on him without his express permission, or in an emergency and he is unable to adequately respond."<br/></span></span><br/><br/>Luna merely responded with a quaint amused smile, but did not respond as she gracefully rose to her feet, and threaded her hand through Moe's extended elbow.<br/><br/><br/><span style="text-decoration: underline"><span style="font-style: italic"> "Also, I would ask that you not call me child again. Whatever your age, or experience you have over me, doesn't change the fact that I am Aes Sedai....</span></span><br/><br/>Luna raised her brow ... clearly weighing her response.<br/><br/><span style="text-decoration: underline"><span style="font-style: italic">"... I readily accept your lessons and respect your position. I ask that you respect mine as well."</span></span><br/><br/>It was then her ageless blue eyes sparkled, Luna smiled looking very much like a cat finding a mouse swimming in a saucer of milk.<br/><br/>"Well since we are bound by the four oaths,...by the four oaths, I agree... you will address me formerly ... as Mother, or perhaps grandmother, or perhaps great grand mother if you wish," she chimed quaintly. "I was Aes Sedai, before the tower foundations were laid, I was Amerlyn Seat before the library was built, before your great grand father dandled your grandmother on his knee...." she declared her voice growing grim and dark... her warder lowered his head and glanced away, face going red unable to hold back tears as he was clearly unable to hold back and affected by the ancient Aes Sedai's intense emotions.  "I was a green once, I had four warders... they died... and from then on, I committed myself to solitude, and the library... I was brown Ajah before they made the brown Ajah, do not pretend you are my equal!" she warned, as she spoke her hair turned from blonde to pure a snow white, her blue eyes no long blue but a glowing violet.<br/><br/>Luna's eyes returned back to normal and her hair became blonde once more... her gaze softened, she gave Ilia a sweet smile,  "Until tomorrow," she said, in a soft voice.<br/><br/>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<br/><br/><br/>The wooden chair creaked as Shadow sat back down and he glumly glanced downward at the table... half expecting to Ilia to start berating him as soon as she began closed the door... he didn't know much about about the power or the source... well at least no more than a sheep new about rain...accept only hunker down to avoid getting fried by lighting, but he noticed the change in atmosphere...or at least was aware of Ilia casting the ward... what or how, he didn't know but if had to guess it was to do something with keeping Luna from spying or anybody else listening to what happened next!... it was the only thing that made sense to him...<br/><br/>He swallowed hard... he tried to think of something or some way he could ease her anger... howbeit when he glanced up... Ilia Sedai was smiling... secret sparkle in those dark eyes...eyes sweet and lively as the wild honey that stole all his words out of his mouth and left him without excuse...  "IIia..." he stammered..."Illia Sedai..." he gulped, for all his tough talk earlier and all the armor he was wearing he felt a like a little lamb as she approached him.... he was trying to say that he was sorry! trying to promise to return it or sell it! whatever it took to make amends! He glanced warily at the brown wax paper package... dread fell upon him.... she was likely going to give him a parting gift and send him back to the barracks never to talk to him again!  Oh light he had been such a fool wool head!<br/><br/>Howbeit instead of merely giving it him... she sat on his lap! Shadow sat stiff as a board... his heart was now racing a millions miles a minute! it was a trick! it was a trick! she was going to butter him up and then...and then.....!<br/><br/>She kissed him!<br/><br/>The armor plates creaked as the sudden shock of those sweet soft lips stealing his breath away... he felt as if there was hot coals burning in his chest... light! He he grasped at her, but she pulled away, Shadow felt crushed! He gazed up at her... and he glanced at the package she had left him...<br/><br/>His large hand trembled... he looked at the package with dread and sadness, "Please..I..I can change, Ilia Sedai..." he insisted, "Please, please don't send me away," he begged....<br/><br/><span style="text-decoration: underline"><span style="font-style: italic">"I wanted to wait to give you that later." Ilia motioned to the package</span></span><br/><br/>Shadow lowered his head... and with great heaviness of heart, his thumb dragged across the brown wax paper creating a small tare... his eyes widened...even from the small the size of a copper coin, he instantly recognized the material... the wavering brilliant color changing cloak.<br/><br/>Slacked jawed he rent the twine and the cloak spilled out into his trembled out stretched palms...<br/><br/><span style="text-decoration: underline"><span style="font-style: italic"> "I'm ready to bond you now, if you'd like."</span></span><br/><br/>In utter dismay, he stared up at Ilia... "Ilia Sedai" he whispered... In and instant he was off his chair on his knees.  "Even now...at my worst... you want to...you still want to bond me?" he asked in dismay...surely it would have been after some valiant feet of epic preparations! like single handedly fighting off a trolloc horde taking an arrow in the neck for her!<br/><br/>He swallowed hard, "I am not worthy of it... but...but even so Ilia Sedai, there is nothing else in the world I could want more," he declared firmly. Dammit surely Lan would have come up with something better!<br/><br/>"I am yours, I protect and obey..." he vowed, "until Tarmongedon and Beyond," he added, for more dramatic affect and somberly held up the cloak so that she could fasten it around his neck... officially claiming him..."Um...what do I do now?" he asked in a low nervous, voice. He hadn't ever been bonded before! Wait had Ilia ever bonded a warder before? was this going to hurt? Why didnt Cadre Caulen ever tell him about this! why didnt he think to ask!?!