"Bonded" by Leigh *Shwin* Erickson

Born a guardian and a maiden both with cruel fates heavy laden

born a moment filled with darkness in a land where none can say

fair born angel and a child one of light the other wild

at her birth, hell’s dark prince smiled for she was fair as the fey

shadows’ love, hell’s dark prince, smiled for she was fair as the fey

bright eyes shining as the day

Now the angel and the fair girl were bound always by a shell’s whorl

set in black stone, a medallion, round their necks in dark array

black stone stressed dark man and child, all in all it drove them wild

where their fellow soul so mild dwelled was their life long assay

finding where twin souls so mild dwelled was their life long assay;

stressed them more than words convey

Now the angel set to find her, searching, yearning, for the answer

to the question ever plaguing: Who was fairer than the fey?

So he searched in ev’ry place where he might find the one who deemed fair,

was more pure than light the hosts share in their quest for lasting day

sought more after than the hosts’ share in their quest for lasting day

she would never fade away

Searched he ever for her glory, ne’er forgetting his dear quarry

bane of angels, bride of heaven, he was sure she’d lead the way

through the darkness that enslaved him, ‘round the demons that e’er braved him

sure she’d be the one who saved him from the nightmares of the day

She, his saviour; one who saved him from the nightmares of the day

“Help me find her.” He would pray

Now the maid was no less yearning, for the answer her soul burning

who the man was who e’er haunted ev’ry night and ev’ry day;

dreamt his face fair as a stallion, hair the hue of their medallion

eyes like waves cut by a galleon wand’ring where the merfolk play

eyes of blue like waves a galleon slices through where merfolk play;

nothing would her longing stay

Known, she was, for ever standing near the heavens e’er demanding

On her balc’ny over waters “Who will this, my longing, stay?”

E’er despairing with a mute cry, wond’ring ever with a pained “Why?”

Shouting ever at the dark sky: “Who is he who sears my day?”

Never resting, asking heav’n’s sky “Who is he who sears my day?

His face never goes away.”

But the angel was not lonely in his quest, ne’er once the only

one who sought his bonded lady each and ev’ry passing day;

in the shadows masterminding how to ruin thus this finding

and prevent them from e’er binding so his heart might have its way

Prince of hell prevents their binding so his heart might have its way

Ever chaining his fair prey

Her faith resting, only ever, in her prince, knowing he’d never

faith betray nor let her suffer in dark arms as evil’s prey

but with evil’s son conniving, his dark plans so swiftly thriving

her world fell with his arriving; soul held by the bane of day

she fell far with his arriving; soul held by the bane of day

her soul’s death, faith’s grim decay

black hell’s prince, lord of all dark things; lord of night and of death’s harsh stings

now seized fast and firm the soul of he who searched long for the day

his fair body a pawn willing, list’ning to hell’s voice so chilling

his soul loathing the voice killing who he was; who barred his way

Angel loathing the voice killing who he was; who barred his way

making him, his love, betray

bound to darkness never lifting caught in bonds e’er never shifting

angel watching in the darkness as the black one sought his prey

watched with tears as darkness seized her, silent, screamed while hell’s prince pleased her

never knowing how hell teased her in bleak hours of the day

with her angel’s face hell teased her in bleak hours of the day

naught would e’er her longing stay

Suff’ring deep, the maid knew certain that behind frail flesh’s curtain

far behind the mask of evil that her lover wore each day

that there lay, to her alliant, his soul captured and defiant

one to slay the pit’less giant who on their twin souls did prey

her fair angel’d slay the giant who on their twin souls did prey

grim, she swore she’d find the way

But unknown to man and maiden darkness crept in tendrils laden

with deceit for with time’s passing both their souls would fade away

for the child of the devil with a head so cool and level

soon in their lifeblood would revel as was hell’s spawn’s morbid way

souls now his, in blood he’d revel as was hell’s spawn’s morbid way

soon he led their souls astray

Fast surrounded by hell’s black dark, left with light- naught but a dim spark

souls now dangled o’er forever’s painful never ending way

for their captor had betrayed them, with his charm and wit had stayed them

from discov’ring where he’d laid them, deep within hell’s darkest quay

never finding where he’d laid them, deep within hell’s darkest quay;

slowly fading with the day

But the angel deep in bondange, covered thickly with black frondage

bound with hell’s dark vines woke sudden, fighting ‘gainst the death of day

for a vision of his story, bright, a glimpse of his dear quarry

fleet, sped o’er hell’s waves so gory, freshly making his soul pray

he despised hell’s waves so gory, freshly making his soul pray

light would never fade away

So he fought the bonds that held him, fighting fierce till they dispelled him

rising in his soul so sudden that hell’s prince did nigh decay

taking hold of he who grasped him fighting hard till bonds unclasped him

heeding naught the final gasped whim of his captor, bane of day

turned his ears from, weak, the gasped whim of his captor, bane of day

he swore light would not decay

Now the angel turned to find her, sought from darkness to unbind her

Sought to rescue his fair maiden, bring her forth into the day

he cried out when, still, he found her, firm and tight the dark that bound her

cruel, the ropes were wrapped around her, skin so marred from hell’s cruel play

now he tore the ropes around her, skin so marred from hell’s cruel play;

sought to soothe her pain away

‘holding him she faintly smiled while her life, like tears, beguiled

slipping slowly from his grasp to join the quest for lasting day

ne’er before had tears so galling made their way in riv’lets falling

as she answered heaven’s calling and her dear soul slipped away

black tears fell with heaven’s calling and her dear soul slipped away

in his arms she passed away

Grieved, the angel wept, forsaking life and love, his frail heart breaking

screaming curses at the heavens for denying him his day

No bright joy could he remember, in his grief, life’s dying ember

all too simple to dismember; bright, his lifeblood slipped away

life so simple to dismember; bright, his lifeblood slipped away

so he joined her in the day

Now alive in heaven’s strong light great wings flashing as they take flight

Bonded angel and his maiden; rivals to the light of day

life in radiant light fulfilling all their love with gladness spilling

in black death no longer milling, all their pains swift fade away

drear in death no longer milling, all their pains swift fade away

in sweet ecstasy they play

Died a guardian and a maiden, spent their cruel fates heavy laden

died a moment wrapped in brilliance in a land where none can say

fair born angel and a child, one of light, the other wild

at their death the heaven’s smiled for they danced, light, as the fey

rapturous love, the heaven’s smiled for they danced, light, as the fey

bright eyes shining as the day