""We'll dance all night while the moon runs free
and dandle the lasses upon our knee,
and then you'll ride along with me,
to dance with Jak o' the Shadows
There's some delight in ale and wine,
and some in girls with ankles fine,
but my delight, yes, always mine,
is to dance with Jak o' the Shadows
We'll toss the dice however they fall,
and snuggle the girls be they short or tall,
then follow young Mat whenever he calls,
to dance with Jak o' the Shadows""
"If howl to the moon we do
then howl them lasses up too
and run withy mighty Perrin and his wolves crew
to dance with Jak o' the Shadows
The heron breaks upon the dawn
Kiss her lads and lay down the pawn
For fight'n with Rand is long gone
But for a chance to dance with Jak o' the Shadows"
"The Wheel of Time, Sir Aes Sedai. Please tell us your adventures during the Third Age?" The little boys eyes bulged out of his head as he asked the stranger in front of him. He had been in the inn for the past couple of days. All the time he told stories about before the Second Breaking. Everyone around the town came to listen. They loved to hear about what happened long ago. Some even survived it, but others didn't. The old were the youngest in his tales, and the new not yet spun. He called it history, but the townspeople knew it was something more.
The strangers eyes were a cloudy bluish gray that hid his thoughts. He would have been an ordinary Aes Sedai to all the townspeople if it wasn't for his red hair and the Heron marked blade laying near his hip. His clothes were as rich as any merchants were. Bright white lace danced along red sleeves as he twiddled at a flute in his hand. His face was stone cold, as hard as ice, and showing no expression. At first the village thought he was a Warder, but it was slowly blown away when he disappeared once through a portal. Traveling it was called. The only other unusual thing on him were his two hands. Both were ordinary, but the palms were different. Two herons were branded in his hands. Even as far from the strange man as the kid was, he was able to see the two Herons burn brightly on his hands.
"Oh, yes pleas, Sir Aes Sedai. We do love your stories so much." Another child piped in.
"Very well, young'uns. What do you want me to tell you?"
"That's easy, Sir Aes Sedai," the first boy called out. His eyes were small pools in his face. The man remembered when he was like that. It was a long time ago, but he was like that. Not anymore though, not anymore. "We want to hear about the dragon reborn."
The man stared at the boy, then started to speak. His words were washed away as the tale was told…
(~*~*~*~*~*~*~)