Bleydh

Pair with mela

Bleydh: A Cornish word meaning wolf. To the pack this means bold, self-assured and determined; an almost self-righteous and over the top kind of name.

Year 6: Bleydh is a former pet, raised as a status symbol and allowed to fight other animals in order for his human owner to show off. He is hard to read and hesitant to interact with other wolves.

After escaping, Bleydh wandered an incredible distance by himself, too afraid to stop or to interact with wild wolves. The ex guard dog initially followed Ta'ie'ou into the pack thinking she was a spirit. He is quietly enamoured with her, and wordlessly brings her small carcasses, herbs, and other trinkets. She remains flattered, but unsure of his intentions.

In contrast, any other wolf approaching is met with fear and distrust. He was jabbed at and hit (whilst chained up or otherwise restricted) as punishment, whilst in the "care" of humans, so shows little warning before a snap or bite.

Year 7: Proving himself to be an adept scout, Bleydh slowly becomes more comfortable as a member of the pack, earning respect from Xhous, Ila'k'ra, and Houke.

For the most part, he keeps to himself, but is always visiting his love, Ta'ie'ou, whenever he has a break from scouting duties.

Early in the year, they have a litter of pups, with one standing out from the rest as a brave and intelligent youngster. "Kerrick" or in wolf-speak, Kahr'iq, is beloved by his parents, but is a demanding pup, often clever enough to outwit his mother and pupsitters, and get out of doing any chores he dislikes.

With the other pups leaving for new homes early in their adolescence, Bleydh becomes more and more paranoid about losing Kahr'iq. This brings out some of his old violent habits and insecurities, and he indescriminately attacks any stranger coming close to the borders of pack territory.

When the sub-pack find out, they take measures to keep him from doing any more harm to himself or others. This means long talks and being forbidden from leaving to see his mate and son until he can get his temper under control and heal from past wrongs.

Not knowing how Ta'ie'ou feels about him anymore, and wanting to be the best father he can be, Bleydh tries hard to understand things from the pack's point of view. He takes up Yierrit's mantra of "walking, talking and gnawing" as a way to collect his thoughts, let them out, and get rid of any built-up frustration on something inanimate instead of fighting.

Year 8-10: Bleydh is doing well with managing his anxiety and temper, and takes on the role of pupsitter. He finds it easier to be calm around youngsters, but he is still rather strict with them, making sure they grow up to be conscientious of others.
When he learns of his mates infidelity he doesn't blame her. Instead he readily takes on the role of surrogate father for the pitch black twins. Ta'ie'ou feels guilty, but is impressed with how far he's come since they last met, and is mostly able to put his violent past out of her mind when they're together. They decide to be together more often, although Ta'ie remains with the main pack and only visits frequently (until early year 10, when the leadership of the main pack changes and she moves there permanently).

When Bleydh meets Korh, he feels immediately protective of her. Her determination to improve her speech and hunting skill impresses him, and in a way he sees her as a kindred spirit. He does his best to be as unthreatening and patient with her as he can be, hoping to set an example of kindness for the youngsters in the pack. He's not sure if Korh herself appreciates the effort though, as she always seems to be busy hunting, and he knows his presence is not always welcome, even amongst the older members of the pack.
Ta'ie'ou is initially jealous of the special attention her mate is giving Korh, but soon realises that his feelings towards her are more like an uncle or older brother.

After Houke's and Xhous' deaths, and several members leaving or moving, the sub-pack is pretty small and no longer even has a scout. Bleydh waits until the pup he is looking after is grown and then asks Ilakra permission to become a temporary scout until new blood arrives. Although hesitant, having seen Bleydh's commitment to self-improvement, their leader agrees. Ta'ie'ou is quick to let him know how proud she is, but worries that spending time apart will weaken their relationship again. Bleydh doesn't feel the same way, but promises that it's only until a new more capable scout is found, to reassure her.