As Aifa told them to hide, Lacy let her long legs carry her into the gardens followed closely by others in the class. As she ran into the garden she saw a rather large Magnolia tree, thick with dark green foliage and large white blossoms that gave off a wonderful scent. Hitching her skirts up she wished she had on divided skirts. Bloody Skirts. What I could do with a nice divided skirt. I am not dressed to climb tress and hide from someone with a bloody dagger. Bloody Aifa, I’ll get her back for this. Sighing she decided that complaining would get her nowhere and jumped to reached the first branch of the tree. The thick branch was easy to grab onto and Lacy easily pulled herself up. As she reached it she heard others in the garden finding their hiding places, Lacy just shook her head as a novice hid behind the bowl of the tree that she was climbing. Foolish girl, she’s going to get me caught as well as herself Shaking her head once more, the white haired accepted climbed higher up into the tree till she was sure she was hidden from the ground. At about twenty paces up in the tree she heard Aifa let the others go to find them. “Blood and bloody ashes, this isn’t fair.” Lacy growled and climbed a bit higher hoping that the white flowers in the tree would help camouflage her white dress and hair. White eyes searching she waited to see if she could see the Accepted Freya hunting her like she would a quail with her falcon. The small grimace that was on her face came back and did not fade, making her pretty face the picture of annoyance. This was indeed a good test but what she would do to get her daggers back from Aifa and just face the girl in combat the way her and Aifa often did whether fooling around, practicing or other wise trying to kill each other. As the others entered the glade of the garden she watched closely for her pursuer.

Freya entered the glade where Aifa, one of her acquaintances was having a class. Aifa had came to her earlier asking her to attend her class as a favor and since Freya owed her one she gladly cleared her schedule from cleaning out the stalls to help a friend in need. Waiting patiently with the others that apparently were there for the same reason as her she noted the white haired accepted that Aifa had said that she would be hunting. The girl was known as Lacy and it was no secrete that she and Aifa were best friends and did almost everything together. Freya did not know the girl but for her looks. Her white hair and pale eyes were made comment on by many, the new novices thought she was a ghost, the wits thought she was like a goddess, and most everyone else knew her for the pranks she had pulled along with Aifa. Freya shook her head and wondered what would happen during this short time. As the class begun Freya sat with the others that were there to hunt their pray and attack it when found. She knew that she would have daggers provided for her and therefore had not brought her own. She was considered good with daggers, maybe Aifa’s equal, if not her equal then close to it. As Aifa let the others know that they would not be using daggers she was surprised at how many the white haired accepted pulled from beneath her gown. Two from her garters on each leg, two from the neck of her gown and another small one between her breast. Secretly Freya wondered how the girl kept one there with out getting cut, surely she had to have a small sheath for it since it was a small dagger more for throwing than stabbing, most likely for a last option in a battle. As Lacy’s long legs carried her into the gardens to hide Freya went to Aifa to get her daggers. As she got the two practice daggers from the pile she tied back her long raven hair and let her blue eyes search across the gardens, since the girl was quick she would probably try her luck on the ground but she would have to search the trees as well. One always did what their enemy least expected them to. What she knew of the girl she thought she may have the white headed accepted flying out of a tree at her and attacking when she least expected it. Best I be on my guard at all times no matter what I think. If Aifa’s look at her was any clue I’d say the girl was dangerous with out any weapons and maybe a little insane as well. Clearing her mind she set out with the others in search of her prey and hoping she did not become the stalked in the process of stalking, unlike most girls here she had been raised in the city without much hunting experience.

Giving the trees in the garden a hesitant look she threw her brown braid over her shoulder and felt the end of it hit her in the middle of her back. Stalking as best as she could she looked in the dirt for foot prints but too many were all muddled up together and one was not detectable form the others, though she did see one set that went to a rather large tree with huge white flowers but she caught a glimpse of a plain white skirt and decided it was the novice’s foot prints that was hiding behind the tree. Deciding to circle around the tree she looked up in the branched but saw nothing. Maybe I should look near the creek, she could be hiding in the deep shadows of it. As she approached the creek that ran through the center of the garden, halving it, she walked down creek edges and only found a novice hiding in the shade of a Willow. Thinking about asking the novice if she had seen her quarry she shook her head and let the shivering novice and the willow exit her line of thought and field of vision. The girl wouldn’t tell her where Lacy was hidden anyway. Blast that girl where is she? She can’t be that hard to find, she should stand out like a sore thumb in all of this green. Sighing she decided to try the tree where the novice was hidden again, she may even have to try to climb it. When she got there the novice was in combat with another and she just shook her head and walked towards the tree determined to climb it and find the girl she was hunting. I will find my prey if it takes me all bloody damn day.

Lacy could not believe her luck, the girl hunting her had passed right under the tree she was with in and had looked straight up at her, those blue eyes almost a brilliant as her own pale ones. Laughing silently to herself her foot slipped and she almost fell out of the tree. Catching herself on the branch she pulled herself back up and leaned against the giant trunk that was about as wide as her arm was long, this had to be one of the trees the Ogier grew, for its great height it had to be old. Searching the ground with her eyes she followed Freya to the creeks then lost her as she entered the shade of the Willows growing along its banks as small as the creek was, Freya could cross from side to side in a single leap. As she leaned there against the tree’s trunk she watched the novice below her and wondered why the girl did not run. The bloody girl just stood there waiting for her hunter to find her. Almost shouting at the girl Lacy noticed a brown headed accepted exit the banks of the creek and throw a willow branch back at the tree. Letting the words die in her mouth, Lacy watched her stalker with pale eyes encircled by what seemed to be a tattooed mix of winds and water. Of course the tattoos around her pale eyes had not distracted the accepted sniffing on her trail one bit. A little bit disappointing Lacy let the grimace return to her scarlet lips. As the girl approached Lacy saw that Freya was going to climb the tree. “Blood and bloody ashes.” Lacy whispered to herself and decided when the girl got half way up the tree she would hop down to half way then the rest of the way down the tree to the ground, it was nothing after trying to get away from the Sitter of the Green Ajah and her Gaidin when she and Aifa had been caught watching the WiTs. As the girl started up the tree Lacy watched and calculated where and when to jump to. As Freya reached the center of the tree, Lacy leaped from her branch and to one lower down and continued this pattern till she reached the ground as she ran she gave the novice a ‘you should have ran’ look and let her legs eat the ground once again. When she heard feet hit the ground only seconds behind hers she let her legs go faster till she was in the shades of the willows. She once again hitched up her skirts but this time she did not climb a tree but instead hid behind the large intertwined trunks. As she hid she heard her stalker come upon her, this time she would not run, she would stay and fight. As she resolved her mind her stalker entered the shade of the trees and looked around her daggers held up in an attacking position. Her blue eyes sought out Lacy from where she hid. Coming out from behind the tree Lacy put her hands up in a defending position and waited for the girl to attack. When she heard the girl’s question her mouth dropped open but she let the girl lead them out onto hard ground that was not wet with mud and other things that may live in the water.

As Freya started up the tree she noticed movement and a banned skirt, as she half expected the girl came flying down at her but instead of attacking her as she thought she would Lacy went by her and down to the ground and took off running towards the willows. Cursing slightly she let go of her branch and hit the ground only seconds behind Lacy. Running after the white braid ahead of her she gave the two novices fighting a curious look and kept on after her prey. She would not let the ghost like girl get away from her. As she entered the shades of the willows once again she noticed that the novice was gone and that Lacy had taken her place. With her daggers held up in an attacking position she watched as Lacy came around the tree and took on a defensive stance. Letting her daggers drop she asked, “Can we perhaps fight on solid ground and not this mud? I’m afraid one of us may break something if we fight here.” Freya was slightly amused by Lacy’s bewildered face and led them to solid ground and once again took up her attack stance and waited for Lacy to get ready as soon as the girl was she attacked aiming at the head and the throat at the same time, she was surprised when her attempt at reaching Lacy’s head was deflected with as much force as it was, her dagger flying out of her hand. The one headed toward Lacy’s throat was caught in a strong and forceful grip as the girls lips spread into a smile, Freya twisted her arm forcing Lacy to let go of it as she did that Lacy let go and seized her other dagger. As she was about to open her mouth Lacy looked at her, “Aifa did not say that we could not take your daggers, No?” With that Lacy headed towards her with her own attack and it took everything to keep the green accepter’s dagger from reaching her. This girl was Aifa equal, Freya figured out quickly and soon found a dagger pointed at her throat, but she had hers pointed at Lacy’s as well, just touching the skin as the one against her own neck was. I’ve put myself into the pickling pot. she thought wryly and waited to see what Lacy would do.

As Lacy got into her defensive position Freya surged towards her she deflected the attacks and sent one dagger flying, holding on to Freya’s wrist that was connected to the hand that contained the dagger she smiled and felt Freya twist her arm. As the girl did so Lacy smiled and ran quickly to get the free dagger. Lacy knew that the girl was going to tell her to give her the dagger back but before she could Lacy smiled a wicked smiled and asked, “Aifa did not say that we could not take your daggers, No?” With that she launched her own attack at the blue eyed accepted and nearly reached her several times. Lacy imaged that it was a similar time with Aifa, them trying to kill each other or at least maim. As she saw her dagger reach Freya’s throat she felt one reach her own. Looking down she saw that there was a dagger there indeed and a whole lot closer than she would like it to be. Giving Freya a grin she said, “I saw we both draw and say that we drawled because of the time. Class is about over.” As she saw the girl nod she slowly removed her dagger from Freya’s neck, felling the one at her neck leave its position. Feeling her neck she felt wet and looked at her red finger, it was red with a drop of blood looking at Freya she saw the girl looking at a red finger of her own. Grining at each other Lacy handed Freya her dagger back. “I say we both won that one. We’ll have to fight someday so that we may really try to kill each other.” With a smile Lacy laughed at Freya’s heartfelt agreement.

Making their way back to where Aifa and the others were at Lacy smiled to her friend, “You know, that was really unfair to take my daggers away like that. I almost got my head cut off my our fellow accepted.” Giving a warm laugh, Lacy joined her class mates while Freya joined the hunters. They all waited to see how they had done.