Pup & Juvenile:

Eadric was barely a year old when his mother passed away and his father, Raelic, took a new mate. From this new pairing, Rune was born, the only surviving puppy from the litter. For many it would seem unfortunate, but such things were commonplace in Highvalley, were keeping the bloodline pure meant sullying it entirely. Love was well and truly kept in the family.

Rune was raised alongside Eadric but felt none of the pressure that was heaped onto his half brother, who was the heir to the Kingdom and would one day be King. He was perhaps, as a youngster, something of a thorn in Eadric's side, always more playful and carefree. They were often taught together, as even though he would not be King, Rune had to be sure to uphold the high standards of any relation to the crown. In his juvenile years he came to know the ways of Highvalley well, understanding the proper ways for kin to interact and how he should behave as a Highblood so close to the King.

Young Adult:

Rune does not look back fondly on these years. In the absence of no other purpose, Rune pursued the task of Keeper. Where his half brother Eadric was dark and lean, Rune grew large and muscular, a formidable wolf by any standard. Keeper suited him well; it gave him opportunities to soothe his growing temper and keep it at bay. Hunting came easily to him, and he trained regularly. It was out on a hunt that Rune first saw her: an elegant grey she-wolf with silver eyes. She held herself so regally that he need not ask if she were Highborn; he could read it in the way she moved. He was so mystified by her that he ran head first into a tree and missed the rest of the hunt entirely, something that his brother and father would not let him live down for quite some time. Her name, he discovered, was Mylene. In the next few weeks he found excuses to visit her, enamored with her. It was love at first sight, and over the coming months their romance blossomed, as she reciprocated his feelings.

He approached his father almost a year later with the announcement that he wished to marry her. His father frowned, and shook his head; it could not be. She was promised to another, a betrothal that had been arranged only a few weeks prior and that would bring providence upon Mylene's family. Not even the second son of the High King could break the sanctity of a betrothal. All Rune could do was petition Mylene's father, but the old man scowled at him; if she were to marry the son of the King, it would be Eadric, the heir to the Kingdom, not Rune who would accomplish nothing greater than he already had. Heartbroken, Rune watched his love marry another for the sake of rank.

As for Rune himself, he was married shortly after to the daughter Highblood who was a friend of his father’s. Her name was Alora. She was nice enough, but Rune’s heart belonged to Mylene, and so he could not give his own wife the love and affection she so desired. They stayed together because they had to. Bound by duty, Rune never visited his lost love again, although he missed her terribly for the rest of his days.

Shortly after his pairing, Rune saw his half brother take the throne.

Within a few months, Alora bore a litter. The family were thrilled to see their bloodline continue. One boy, Hadwyn, and one girl, Edythe, were born to the doting parents. Rune gave them the very best that Highvalley could offer, but he taught them well, and would not allow them to be ensnared by greed or gluttony. His relationship with his mate was not so savoury; as time passed their arguments grew fiercer and fiercer. After their first litter, she refused any and all of his advances to mate.

Adult:

War began. Eadric had taken too many liberties in his rule, making many decisions based on what would suit him personally and not what would help the pack. Rune's attempts to talk sense into his brother were met by sharp teeth and even sharper words, and Rune quickly fell quiet, knowing better than to challenge the King. As a Keeper he went into battle, and when he came of age, his son Hadwyn came too. Valiantly they defend the crown through every risky decision, and every new enemy they made.

The war took many wolves from his family, including his wife Alora, who was lost in an unexpected raid while many of the Keepers were fighting a battle at the borders. But no losses hurt more than the loss of his son. Rune saw Hadwyn fall beside him, killed by a member of one of the many packs they warred with. Rune slaughtered that wolf immediately and refused to leave the fallen body of his beloved son, standing in that one place and felling every wolf that dared come close. Highvalley won that particular fight, but Rune had lost more than he had ever imagined he could lose.

Rune was furious, and he blamed Eadric for everything. The two half brothers argued, but Eadric was stubborn as always; he said that Hadwyn's death was honourable, a necessary death for the good of the Kingdom. Rune could not bear to listen but he could not raise a hand to the King; dejected he returned home to his only remaining family, his daughter Edythe.

The battles that followed were bloody, and Rune channeled all of his pain and fury into battle, while the memory of his daughter waiting for his return to Highvalley gave him all he needed to continue to survive. Eventually Eadric himself fell in battle, his his eldest son Rodwen assumed the throne. Rune had to be seen to mourn his half brother's death, but in truth he felt a great deal of conflict and guilt. He still blamed Eadric for everything he had lost, but he could not escape the guilt of knowing that their last interaction before his death had been an argument.

Rodwen brought peace to Highvalley with his betrothal, and life seemed to return to some kind of normality.

Aged Adult:

As he grew older, Rune retired from his duties as a Keeper. His mind was still active but his body was not as strong as it was as a youngster, and he would no longer be truly fit to defend his Kingdom again, despite bearing the many scars of someone who had fought valiantly. In the absence of duty, Rune found himself spending more time in and around Highvalley speaking with Highbloods and Lowbloods alike. He spent a lot of time with his daughter, determined to protect her from the dangers of the world, and he also spent more time with his nephew, the High King Rodwen. 

In time he was offered a place upon the High Council, where he serves to advise the King on any and all matters he deems to be important.

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