Buck hunting and how to throw an axe.

Disclaimer: ElfQuest does not belong to me. It belongs to WARP Graphics Inc. and DC Comics Inc. Raven and Grimshanks however belongs to me. If you want to use any of them in a story of your own, please contact me beforehand and we'll see what we can do,ok:-)

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Seven turns of the seasons later, it was autumn and Raven was looking for her uncle Treestump in the area around the Holt. She wanted him to teach her how to throw an axe and she wasn't about to give up. Even though she had clearly been told by her parents that she wasn't allowed to, because she was to young.

Raven was a stubborn little girl cub and was told she had that from her mother Joyleaf. Her temper she had been told that she had from her father, chief Bearclaw, along with an impatience only rivaled by her sire.

At the moment her parents weren't on talking grounds after her father had hit her mother, because she had gone against him for his drinking and visiting the troll caverns too much.

After Crescent, Shale and EyesHigh's death he had blamed himself, but it had gone against the good of the tribe and now Raven thought to herself was an excellent oppertunity to learn how to throw an axe since none of her parents paid much attention to her these days. They were just to angry at one another to notice much.

Suddenly she found the scent of Treestump. He had gone chasing after a great big buck. After she'd been born and Bearclaw continued to go to the troll caverns. Everyone had simply found it easier to lighten up on the noone goes alone rule. After all the humans hadn't attacked anymore.

Bearclaw had been with her sometimes though. He was the one who taught her how to use a sword and hunt, but he wasn't that good at aiming and killing a prey because of his impatience and she wasn't that much better either. It was Joyleaf who'd been with them on some hunting trips that had the best patience and aim and would strike down a prey.

Father didn't like it so much mostly because his pride was hurt, but the tribe needed meat so he wasn't the one to hold a grudge. Except against the humans, though. He had never forgiven them or himself for the lost lives of the tribe. Only Strongbow had a deeper grudge against them than Bearclaw, but Bearclaw was chief and loyal Strongbow didn't do anything against his chief's command. Even if that meant holding the hatred against the fivefingers at bay and not attack them.

Now back to Raven. After she found his scent she went chasing after him and shortly she came to the clearing were Treestump was busy with the buck. It had already been killed it just needed to be butchered as well. It was a great big buck, after his prime and it would feed the tribe and pack well.

«Hello, uncle Treestump. I see the hunt went well.» Raven smiled. A wicked grin that everyone knew meant trouble on her face.

«Hello there yourself cub,»Treestump replied,«What brings you here this evening?» asked Treestump.

«Well,»answered Raven,«I want you to teach me how to throw an axe».

Treestump just looked at her with a shocked expression on his face.

«You want me to teach you WHAT?» Treestump asked with a I-don't-belive-it sort of voice. Still with a shocked face. He was so shocked he had just stopped butchering the buck entirely.

«Do you know what your parents would do to me if they knew I was teaching you that? Or what would happen to you?» Anger rising in his voice.

«Well, they wouldn't know now would they?» asked Raven.«They're still not talking to one another at the moment. Everyone knows that. So since none of them pay much attention to me, because father hit mother. There isn't really that much danger in them finding out now, is there?»Raven finished saying.

«It doesn't matter cub, they'll still find out sooner or later and then they'll want both our hides for disobeying them,» Treestump replied, then adding. «Even if they didn't find out. I still wouldn't teach you now anyway. You're too young. You wouldn't even be able to lift up the axe.»

«I would too,» Raven begun, disagreeing with an angry voice,«I'm not to young. I'm stronger than Crescent was and Skywise is.»She was getting really upset now. She wasn't too young, she thought to herself. She was seven turns of the seasons old, had a wolffriend, Grimshanks, and was better than most at all the other weaponery. Not to mention hunting were only were only Bearclaw and Strongbow was better than her, almost that is, some of the others were also better than her, she had to admit. Even though, that only was because she didn't hunt as much as they did, she stubbornly added.

«No,»Treestump replied,«You might be strong for your age, but there are still to many other good reasons for me not to teach you how to throw and hunt with an axe.»

Then seeing her upset and angry face Treestump added,«Don't you want to help me with buck now and when you get old enough, I'll be more than happy to teach you the ways of the axe. Untill then, I won't go against my chief or your mother, the High One's knows how dangerouse that is,» Treestump said with a smile on his face.

After hearing this, Raven set out to help Treestump, but in her mind she was occupied with figuring out how soon she'd be able too learn the ways of the axe.

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A/N: I hope you enjoyed the rest of the story and I'm really sorry for not being able to write and upload the story untill now. You know what to do review please and thank you so much to all those who have review the story so far. I truly appreciate it, so any comments about the story is very much welcomed:-)

Shade and sweet water to all of you,

Fawn