Suriel Aerta
He was an Arch Angel, Shadow’s guardian, her husband, her Sh’mai, he was her life. He was the man that she thought she would spend the rest of her life with until she chose to die, but somewhere, something went wrong. She was only one hundred and fourteen when they met, and he years her senior, ageless but as old as time its self though he looked no more than twenty. He was about six feet, give or take, and had sandy blond hair, pale blue eyes and a smile that melted Shadow’s heart.
They met in a tavern on some backwater planet that had a hatred for elves. Having just finished a job, all she wanted was a drink and to relax, she certainly hadn’t been looking for a fight but she had found one. When it looked like she was getting in over her head, Suriel stepped in, something that ticked Shadow off determined she could have handled it on her own, but when it was over with she accepted the help. They stayed together after that. For Shadow it was love at first sight, but for him he had loved her since she was born. A simple kiss sent them both spiralling down a path together that ended in a bond that left their hearts beating as one.
They spent over one thousand years as man and wife, going against the odds of their races and what those around them said. They refused to listen to what other said of their union, fighting to stay together while his brothers tried to tear them apart.
Shadow will admit that she wasn’t the most faithful of wives. While Suriel was gone, she would turn to her best friend, Railen Rossëvirin. With him she found the happiness that she needed, the laughter that kept her going and the love that she craved. But it wasn’t the same, though she loved Railen dearly, she loved her husband as well and she has always been one to honour her words. Eventually she turned away and remained faithful to Suriel for one thousand and three years.
In the end a war and a past that wouldn’t die and be forgotten brought about the end of a love that should have gone on forever. Shadow often found herself raising their only child of the time, Relainia, alone. When the wars that plagued his people finally ended, he asked for another child and she happily agreed, hoping that another child would rekindle her lost love. One joyous day she gave birth to twin sons, Riel and Aaron, but the damage from his frequent absences took their toll and in the end she only stayed for the children.
She stayed until Riel and Aaron were in their hundredth year before she ended the marriage in the way of her people, and yet they remained bonded. At the time she said it was so they could keep in touch about the boys, Riel going off with Suriel and Aaron remaining with her. But the truth was she couldn’t break their bond and on the morning before he died she had worked up the courage to ask for a second chance not knowing that night he would die. She felt the blow that took his life, and she watched as his heart was taken, the only way to kill his kind. She blames herself because he came to rescue her from the same elf that had saved her from herself. Railen had betrayed her by making a deal with the same brother that tried to rip Suriel and Shadow apart. She had never forgiven them or herself.
A type of peace came on her wedding day in the form of Suriel’s ‘ghost’. She had felt him before when she tried to help their oldest son cope with the loss of his father, but she had never seen him. He protected her one last time by taking away the link that connected her to the rest of his kind. He also gave her the braided leather that had tied their hands together on their wedding day. Much to Dakien’s anger, Shadow refused to remove it from where Suriel tied it on her wrist.
After that day Shadow didn’t talk about Suriel, preferring to keep the memories to herself, though she did talk about him to their children, and when she told the story of when he gave her the braided leather, she always said, that day she heard the angels weep. But their story does not end there. Years later Suriel was brought back to life, the how or the why unknown and they were able to admit their feelings. Finally able to settle what had happened between them, but both know what they had could not be recaptured and remain friends.
She grabs her magazines
She packs her things and she goes
She leaves the pictures hanging on the wall, she burns all
Her notes and she knows, she’s been here too few years
To feel this old
He smokes his cigarette, he stays outside ’til it’s gone
If anybody ever had a heart, he wouldn’t be alone
He knows, she’s been here too few years, to be gone
And we always say, it would be good to go away, someday
But if there’s nothing there to make things change
If it’s the same for you I’ll just hang
The trouble understand, is she got reasons he don’t
Funny how he couldn’t see at all, ’til she grabbed up her coat
And she goes, she’s been here too few years to take it all in stride
But still it’s much too long, to let the hurt go
You let her go...
And we always say, it would be good to go away, someday
But if there’s nothing there to make things change
If it’s the same for you I’ll just hang
The same for you
I’ll always hang
Well I always say, it would be good to go away
But if things don’t work out like we think
And there’s nothing here to ease the ache
But it there’s nothing there to make things change
If it’s the same for you I’ll just hang