I get it but I also think it could go the other way w Gwyn. that his shadows are intrigued by her and want to get to know her, and that his shadows are an extension of him and how he feels (that’s pretty obvious simply by what you’ve laid out). it’s not like Sarah didn’t use very interesting if not particular language when describing Azriel’s shadows interacting with Gwyn. I really think it could go both ways. that maybe Elain and Az try out a relationship and realize they’re incompatible for whatever reason, or Az and Gwyn just develop a deep understanding of each other and grow to be close friends. either way, we can’t act like Sarah didn’t purposely throw us into a tailspin.
We still don’t know enough about Azriel’s shadows. for all we know, they don’t feel the need to be around Elain bc they don’t sense danger of the need to be alert and that’s why they leave, bc that’s what it seems like based on what you’ve laid out.
on the other hand, Sarah could go the route that Az’s shadows are always a part of him, always there, and that they feel as though they can simply exist when they’re around Gwyn. no need to strike, no need to be defensive, but coexist with Az and Gwyn in a state almost like serenity. I have quotes below to that show this. that maybe sometimes they do hide around Elain and it’s not a good thing bc his shadows are a part of him, and him being w Elain would almost be like him chasing a part of himself away. not necessarily saying I agree w that, just using it to say that Sarah can do damn near anything with Az and his shadows. at this point, she can make them out to mean anything, and we still don’t really know that much about them.
we also need to keep in mind that we have a lot about Azriel’s shadows vs. Elain bc we’ve had both characters over the course of a few books. Gwyn is a completely new character, newer even than Emerie, and this Az and Gwyn stuff is the newest of anything in the books, and yet we’ve already seen an honestly shocking amount regarding his shadows interacting w Gwyn just in the span of 3 pages alone. that can’t be ignored just bc Elain’s been around for much longer and has therefore had more opportunity to interact with Az’s shadows in the first place. it also can’t be ignored that his shadows interact w Gwyn in a way we’ve never seen them act before. it’s very peculiar. refusing to warn Az that Gwyn was there (he would’ve left if he had known, so maybe they WANTED him to speak to her, to see her. maybe they wanted to see her)
“He found it already occupied. His shadows had not warned him. It was too late to bank without appearing like he was running.”
and they interact in an almost childlike way with Gwyn...
“Her breath curled in front of her mouth, and one of his shadows darted out to dance with it before twirling back to him. Like it heard some silent music.”
“The young priestess smiled—and Azriel thought it might have been directed at his curious shadows.”
they’re curious, intrigued by her.
“Azriel dipped his head in a sketch of a bow, something restless settling in him. Even his shadows had calmed. As if content to lounge on his shoulders and watch.”
But—sleep. He needed to at least attempt to get some.
hell, he had to deny his own shadows the desire to stay awake, when on the very first page of the deleted scene, they were asking him to...
Sleep, they seemed to whisper in his ear. Sleep.
“he could have sworn a faint, beautiful singing followed him. Could have sworn his shadows sang in answer.”
throughout this WHOLE interaction, which was literally just 3 pages long, his shadows seem figuratively light. they’re shadows, literally, but they’re not defensive like usual, ready for a fight. they’re curious. they like Gwyn. they want to get to know her more.
not only that, but Nesta’s friendship bracelet, made by Emerie, was navy blue, crimson, and silver. crimson, the color of Cassian’s Siphons. we always hear blue and silver associated with Nesta, crimson was a new one, and clearly tied to Cassian.
what did Nesta pick for Gwyn? blue, white, and teal. blue, the color of Azriel’s Siphons. and before you’re tempted to say that blue is for her eyes, nope! Gwyn’s eyes are described as teal multiple times in the book, including in Az’s chapter. maybe you’re thinking the blue is for her stone she has as a priestess? could be, but maybe not! at first the the stone is described as just a blue stone, but then it’s described in such a way that
“Gwyn’s eyes matched her stone almost perfectly”
which, again, her eyes are def very teal. so it could be her Invoking Stone, OR it’s Azriel’s Siphons.
that’s ignoring all the laughing, smiling, and warmth Azriel felt with Gwyn. we’ve seen a greater range of emotion from Azriel with Gwyn in the span of 4 pages (where he was only directly interacting with her in 3) so far than we have with Elain (although that could be bc they share them more in private and we haven’t seen much of them in private).
we aren’t sure what his shadows mean with regards to Elain vs. Gwyn, especially since some people theorize that Gwyn is a lightsinger (like how Az is a shadowsinger) and that it would be “bad” for Az bc his shadows hide from the light.
however, if (according to Elriel shippers) Gwyn being a lightsinger would be bad for Az’s shadows, then this theory that Elain is the light that Azriel needs wouldn’t make any sense.
Basically, there are some VERY conflicting theories in the fandom. some say the light is good, some say the light is bad (for Az and his shadows). some say the shadows disappearing are good or bad, and some say the shadows dancing and taking an interest to Gwyn are good or bad.
Sarah can do some fun shit theory-wise with Az’s shadows, and I think we need to remember that. We also need to remember that she showed Azriel in a very imperfect light (no pun intended) in his chapter in a couple of ways. She’s priming him for an incredible amount of character development, so things can change very drastically in the next book.
All I’m saying is that there is a huge difference between the way Azriel’s shadows react with Gwyn and Elain, and they seem to really, really like Gwyn. it’s not nearly as clearcut as it seems with Elriel, NOT when Az’s shadows are acting very peculiarly with Gwyn - and not in a bad way.
editing to add: not only were his shadows described as “curious,” but Az notes that Gwyn seemed to recognize it. that she was smiling at them too, not just Az, or maybe even only at them. she seems kind to his shadows and she doesn’t even know them. it’s as if she respects them not simply as his shadows, but as Azriel’s friends, his companions, these things that are a part of him but also have a personality separate from Az.
