Edythe

Hadwyn (Brother, NPC)

Rodwen (Half-Cousin)

Extensive Highvalley Kin

## Application Sheet

Edythe was a black she-wolf with warm brown markings on her back and legs. She was born and raised in Highvalley, the daughter of Rune and Alora (NPC). She took Eclipse as her Steward, but she was lost in the Glacial Flood, never to be seen by Edythe again. She was the mate of Aragon; the pair of them left Highvalley when High King Rodwen died and his son, Vladimir, led the pack from the Domain. Instead, they settled with their Steward (more like an adoptive son) Roran in Fellfang, where she served as a Theta Witch-Doctor until the trio left the Domain. She was created and RP'd by Flufferooni.

## Personality

* ***Insecure.*** Considering the high importance of beauty and pedigree within her pack, Edythe has always been doubtful of her own physique; unlike the ideal of feminine beauty, her fur is somewhat wiry and her muzzle isn't as delicate as her fellow family members'. From the beginning, the female has been insecure regarding lots of her physical aspects. The questions regarding her lack of a mate this late into her life only pushes her own uncertainty further; she doesn't want betrothal, but the reason as to why others enjoy sticking their noses in her and Rune's business pokes at her insecurity.
* ***Diplomatic***. The she-wolf has a natural talent with words and emotion reading, making it easy for her to carry out a conversation with an objective in an efficient manner, keeping her voice even and her head cool. Edythe can converse and discuss while making sure nobody gets hurt; unless what she wishes is precisely that.
* ***Cynical***. She doubts everyone's intentions, and as a direct cause she rarely shows others her vulnerabilities, ignoring her own troubles amongst people in fear of getting hurt by the egotistic nature that hunts all wolves, carrying herself with fake security and trust. Furthermore, Edythe doesn't really believe something like 'true love' might exist, not in the romantic way at least; which gives her a tremendously pessimistic view on others and takes away any sort of hope of finding someone she will be able to fully trust and devote herself to.
* ***Intellectual***. One of the things the female likes the most is thinking; a fascinating hobby and a worthy activity of a lady, Brynn has always enjoyed learning. This particular characteristic is certainly one of the things that drove Edythe into being a Meister, having the possibility to teach and acquire knowledge on her pack; her interest in information and thought has allowed the she-wolf to develop a very high level of intelligence, capable of quick learning and effective applying of skills and knowledge.
* ***Distant and Reserved.*** Probably because of her low view on morality, Edythe will much rather swallow down her troubles before voicing them to others; she considers vulnerabilities can be used as weapons against you, and therefor she rarely speaks about herself. Furthermore, she gives off that uptight image, with her attitude and strength.
* ***Motherly and Protective.*** Perhaps because she knows going through labour would be too much to bare with her condition, and therefor she won't be able to have puppies without excruciating pain, or due to her empathic nature, Edythe is tremendously protective of those in pain or suffering, specially if they are young wolves. Soft-spoken and welcoming to youngsters regardless of their status, the female has a completely different face, genuine and caring, when surrounded by the vulnerable and innocent
* ***Brave***. Whenever the she-wolf does have something she wants to voice and make clear, she will not doubt to do so, even sometimes recurring to her opponent/listener's emotional wounds or past as a weapon to convince. Also, if danger strikes, Edythe will easily throw her neck in the middle, in order to protect those she cares for. Her courage is unwavering, never scared of voicing her opinion on an issue, since those she does not consider a vulnerability.
* ***Judgmental***. Due to her self-sufficient and self-exigent nature, Edythe expects everyone to push themselves into being the best person they can be and meet all of the high standards she has set for herself; this has lead the she-wolf to judge easily, forgetting everyone has a different way of solving problems and facing them.
* ***Conformist***. Edythe knows what she wants very clearly, and her values follow one straight line; but if another wolf possessing a higher rank, or an equal orders something, the female will comply, even against her will; used to pain and angst, the she-wolf can now grow accustomed to sadness or anger, eventually growing numb and getting through with whatever she has been ordered, swallowing down suffering like water. Something must bother Edythe tremendously for her to actually voice a negative opinion or complain about it.
* ***Loud***. The female has a naturally strong voice and loud demeanor, and she speaks with a very powerful volume constantly, even having a hard time with whispering; it never gets loud enough for it to be actually painful or uncomfortable to hear, but she can come off as slightly supercilious.
* ***Independent.*** She doesn't need anyone's help, or so Edythe likes to tell herself; making use of her ability with words and intellectual power, she will do everything on her own unless help is absolutely necessary. Extremely self-sufficient, everything she needs she can get for herself.
* ***Artificial***. Edythe wears a constant mask designed with a smile, pretending to be secure with herself and comfortable with her decisions, effectively hiding her physical insecurities and doubts.

## Pre-Group History

Upon Rune and Alora's mating, Edythe came into the world beside her brother Hadwyn; both parents loved their children dearly, and from an early age they both received Highvalley's doctrine through their father's careful and kind teachings. Slowly, as she grew up, Edythe began to notice the lack of affection her parents had towards each other; their discussions were always present in her childhood, first subtle and almost whispered, to later become heated and violent encounters as time went by. The pup's image of love and what it was, got heavily deformed by the couple's relationship. The bitter idea that true love is impossible surfaced within her at an early age, meaning Edythe skipped the phase of cheesy crushes and dreaming of marriage; for her, betrothal and marrying for love were almost the same thing.

During her puppyhood, the female started to discover her health condition. First, whilst playing with Hadwyn, puppy teeth and innocent fighting, a controlled bite by the male was received with a loud whine and a whimper; thinking it was simply a onetime reaction, the family allowed it to pass. It wouldn't be until her early juvenile years, that Edythe would begin to notice something was off; the gentle friction between her stomach and the ground whenever she would stand up from a laying position, caused a sharp sting on her skin. But no other wolves seemed affected by said sensation. Later on, Rune would give her self-defense lessons, and during one of them, Edythe accidentally snapped her teeth around the air in an attempt to bite into her father's tail.

The pain in her jaw was absolutely excruciating.

That couldn't be normal.

Mortified and confused by her reaction, Rune was quick to usher his daughter towards the healer's den, only to further confirm there was nothing visibly wrong with her.

But now both Edythe and her father knew pain was a delicate thing when treating with her.

The female grew up healthy despite her low pain thresh hold, showing an immediate interest in intellectual activities, particularly around the task of being a Meister. As a young adult, while Edythe learnt within her pack and developed a strong personality, Hadwyn had joined her father in the task of Keeper. Battles raged on for Highvalley, and the she-wolf would spend them with the other females and the males who where not involved in fighting. She was well aware of the fact Eadric, who seemed to be a relative of hers, was taking many risks, which had driven the pack into conflict in the first place.

During one particular raid, while Edythe was rushed away to safety, Alora was tragically lost; grief struck both of her children, but Hadwyn had a duty to fulfill, meaning she was left alone to mourn while her remaining family members continued in battle. The following days grew cold and unwelcoming for Edythe, who couldn't find solace anywhere, not even within her thoughts. A few encounters later, presumably against Highvalley, Hadwyn lost his life to the enemy; both her brother and mother were now dead, leaving Edythe with only one wolf to call family.

Rune.

Despite the fact the she-wolf was never involved in the emotional conflict between Eadric and Rune, she still found herself unscathed by the King's death, actually feeling hopeful the next High King would bring prudence back to Highvalley, and with it peace. Rodwen seemed to be a clever individual, and Edythe was quick to deposit her faith in him.

## Group History

Edythe offered kindness and reassurance to Sveta in the aftermath of Queen Fia's death, assuring the she-wolf it was okay to cry, to fall apart, in her presence. Sveta muttered how cruel the world was, and Edythe agreed, citing her own losses of her brother and mother.

She also offered comfort to another young she-wolf who lost her mother: Eclipse, whose mother, Aurae (NPC) had died. As a bastard, Eclipse thought she was in danger of maltreatment, or even being cast out of the pack. Edythe offered Eclipse a place as her Steward, to give her a stable position in the rigid hierarchy of Highvalley.

Edythe didn't always offer a peaceable personality to others, however. Her Highvalley kin - some of them, at least - liked to push her buttons. Avalon in particular enjoyed getting a rise out of the dark she-wolf, and leaving before she could lash out at him. She also openly voiced her concerns about Vladimir's behavior, which rang more of a tyrant than a peaceful and serene ruler - and Sveta would *not* tolerate it, turning her back on Edythe.

She didn't spend all of her time in the heart of the pack speaking to other Highbloods, though. One day, she was caught outside of the pack's central territory, when she was cornered by a mountain lion. Fortunately, a noble loner, a scrappy little thing named Akuto, came to Edythe's aid. Edythe promised Akuto she was in Highvalley's debt, if she ever needed anything.

Edythe offered lessons to newcomer wolves to the pack, like Livia. She tended to the wounds of Nero, a wolf from Aryn, who was visiting on a diplomatic mission.

Edythe received some intriguing news upon the return of another Highblood: Aragon. She was to be betrothed to him immediately, and their mateship would happen shortly thereafter. Edythe expressed her concerns and fears to Adela, who told her to give him a chance before immediately writing him off. Adela's marriage had been one she couldn't get out of, and her mate was cruel - if Aragon was cruel, Edythe had options under Rodwen's leadership. It helped Edythe to feel better.

She and her betrothed would get along famously. Aragon wanted to do everything in his power to be a good mate for her. When a flood swept through the territory, and stole away Edythe's Steward Eclipse - and her father, Rune - Aragon offered to go with Edythe to try finding them. The pair stumbled upon Rune's body, and he was there to offer a shoulder for her to cry on, noble and stoic, while she grieved her father's death.

Adela offered Edythe comfort as well, after hearing the terrible news. She, too, had been close to Rune, as they were both part of the Council. The aftermath of the flood was terrible, and she was overworked without her Steward with her. Desperate for herbs to tend to injuries and fevers, she approached a Delta, Eros, and asked her to fetch the herbs. Tensions rose, fueled by jealousy on both she-wolves' parts, and issues of dominance and respect.

Edythe offered comfort to Aragon after he was attacked by rogue wolves. He was wounded, but Edythe tended his wounds. He was a bit bashful about staying the night in her den, but she assured him that they would be sharing a nest when they were mates, and she wanted to make sure he was alright as the night passed. The two of them gave one another a reason to smile, in spite of the hardships around them.

Edythe became acquainted with Roran, Aragon's young Steward, and more-or-less adopted son. The three of them became a bit like a family, particularly after the two betrothed wolves became official mates.

Edythe was one of the first wolves to welcome Robin back into the fold of Highvalley. She offered condolences for the young she-wolf, who had returned after hearing her father Thallo had died. She also provided an ear for Robin to talk to about her adventures...and the cute boy she met out there.

And then, new tragedy struck the pack. When High King Rodwen died, and Vladimir took over, he chose to lead Highvalley away from its ancestral lands. Edythe, Aragon, and Roran decided not to go, and instead, ventured northeast to find a new place to live. The trio wound up in Fellfang.

Their arrival would be met with different degrees of enthusiasm. Polaris and Fable, the alphas, were open to bringing the ex-Highvallians into Fellfang. Their daughter, Yael, was disgusted by it, because Roran was, in her eyes, a *slave.* The relationship between the three wolves was much more complex than that - Roran truly had earned a place closer to an adoptive son than a servant.

Edythe, Aragon, and Roran would spend several moons in Fellfang before they decided to leave the Domain, and they haven't been seen since.

## Trivia

* Due to heavy inbreeding within the Highbloods in Highvalley, the female carries a condition known as having a low pain threshold, meaning her nerve endings are very sensitive to any external stimuli, expressing most of them as pain.
* Even though Aragon and Edythe were an arranged marriage, they genuinely loved one another.
* Edythe feared ever trying to have children, worried that the pain of labor would be enough to kill her.

## Quotes

* "Do not despair, my child; for if you cry, only I will see. And tears do not equal weakness. They equal humanity and sensitivity." (to Sveta after her mother's death, *Say Something*)
* "I want you to be my Steward. I know I won't replace your mother, and I don't pretend to do so; but this way, you will be safe. No matter how much of a bastard you are." (to Eclipse, *The Bastard and the Meister*)
* “As much as my father’s death has saddened me, I am glad he is not here today so that I may speak with honesty. I never believed in love as a child, because my parents were essentially opposites. And not the kind that attract. But you…you have proven to me, how wrong I was. And for that, I am eternally grateful. I love you. With every piece of my heart. And I promise to try my best everyday, to make my presence in your life noticed and felt for good.” (to Aragon at their wedding, *Eragon Wedding*)

## External Links

* Official Application Sheet
* Flufferooni's deviantART Gallery