Chapter 1

Proving Ones Self

The Wheel Of Time turns, and Ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth comes again. In one Age, called the Fifth Age by some, an Age yet to come, an Age long past, a wind broke on the shining walls of Tar Valon. The wind was not the beginning. There are neither beginnings nor endings to the turning of the Wheel of Time. But it was a beginning.

The wind was not the first thing to break upon the great shining walls of Tar Valon. The Shining Walls had never fallen. Even the great Artur Hawking could not breach the walls, above these great walls was the tower of Tar Valon Ogier built the tower soared the centre of power for the power of the Aes Sedai. Even if the tower were only four stories high it would still intimidate the people that came because of the power it represented. Below in the great court yards it could be heard the crack of training swords as the forms were practiced. Men shirtless and sweating moving in the forms of old as if in a trance, each step seemed a flowing dance as they moved and any mistake was punished by the thwack of a training sword hitting bare skin leaving a welting mark to remember the mistake.

Beneath one of the trees surrounding the training yard a young man sat and observed the training. The trainees gave him a wide berth eyeing him wearily even the warders eyed him suspiciously hands on sword hilts. The Master of Warders Dracnor d'Manrique came over and eyes the boy up and down.

"Stand up boy and lets have a look at you" Dracnor said in his booming voice. The boy rose with almost the deadly grace that of a Warder. He wasn't a tall boy but he was broad in the shoulder showing he worked for a living. Long straight black hair tied back from his face almost to his shoulders, his eyes a piercing blue looked up at the Master without even blinking at the large man.

"So, you wish to train to become a Warder do you? Well then first we will have to see what you a capable of, Holdan! Spar with this one see what he can do. " A young man separated from the of trainees and came over to the Master and the boy.

"Pick you sword farm boy and prove yourself on the field." The Master said as he walked to the boundary of the field to observe the duel.

Choosing a sword at random he checked the balance and weight. The training blade was made of many bamboo sticks tied together when it hit it was going to smart. Finding the sword sufficient he moved to the centre of the field and waited for Holdan. Holdan moved to the centre of the field and bowed with his sword raised in front of him the boy mirrored him. Then they waited for the command of the Master.

"Begin!" He bellowed and almost before the words had left his lips the boy had moved. Holdan from the start was on the defense fast feet and quick wrists was all that kept him in the game. The Swallow Takes Flight met Parting the Silk. Moon on the Water met The Wood Grouse Dances. Ribbon in the Air met Stones Falling From the Cliff. They moved around the arena as if it was a dance and the clash of swords was the rhythm. Suddenly without warning the boy moved back into a defensive stance and waited for Holdan to attack. Holdan's eyes widened in surprise but he flowed on toward the boy with the Boar Rushing Down the Mountain. Before Holdan realized what had happened the boy had dropped to one knee and struck Holdan in the stomach hard and finished with a strike to the back. Holdan collapsed to the ground panting heavily; he still hadn't realized what had happened.

"Very good, very good you have been trained well already you will do well here welcome." Dracnor bellowed from the sidelines. Holdan pulled himself up groaning loudly.

"You better go see a yellow Holdan he hit you hard you might have cracked a rib." Holdan grunted and walked of clutching his chest.

"Now before we go any further I'm going to need a name to enter into the trainees book, what name do you go bye?" The boy looked up at the Master.
"My name is Sha'Mad, Sha'Mad Aman" Dracnor's eyes widened in surprise.

"Thunder Dragon such a strange name for a boy like you, welcome Sha'Mad Aman to Tar Valon."