User Profile

Name: Strongbow
Soul name: Wyl
Tribe: Wolfriders - clan elder, archer, named "keeper of The Way" by Cutter
Wolf-friend: Lashpaw
Status: Mortal; living
Age: approximately 800 years old
Parents: archer Trueflight and an unnamed Wolfrider male** (see note below)
Lifemate: Moonshade, the tanner
Children: daughter Crescent (killed by humans in her early teens); son Dart (now of the Sun Folk); future daughter (unnamed)


**Note: While Strongbow is loyal to Cutter, he consistently seems to be measuring him against his father Bearclaw -- and finding him lacking. During their temporary rebellion from the tribe in Blue Mountain, Moonshade claims that Strongbow envied Cutter his father when he lost his own. Events in the Wolfrider series suggest that this occurred very early in his life, and that Bearclaw effectively adopted him as his own son. Indeed, the archer's resemblence to his Chief seems to hint that they did share common blood: Wendy is amazingly detailed in her characters' designs -- blood-relatives are often identifiable by appearance alone. Using that evidence, the most likely candidtates for Strongbow's sire are a deceased relative of Longbranch (Nightfall's father), or Bearclaw himself. If it was Bearclaw, Strongbow would have been born outside Recognition. Because of the chaos caused by Two-Spear and Huntress Skyfire, if Strongbow was sired by his Chief outside Recognition, it is possible that Bearclaw and Trueflight simply never revealed the truth, fearing a future rivalry if ever a child WAS born by Recognition. It is possible Strongbow suspected it. This would explain his rebelliousness agaist Cutter in his early years as Chief, his intense love for Bearclaw and desire to prove himself and follow in his footsteps, as well as this piece from a conversation between Bearclaw and Joyleaf after their deaths as they watch over their tribe at the end of Wolfrider: "And the one who's like a son... his pain's deepest of all. Forgive, my good archer. Try... try not to hate."

---

From the official Elfquest Who's Who:

Strongbow is the reserved, silent archer of the Wolfriders. Ever the devil's advocate, Strongbow is often right, but finds no value in saying "I told you so." He has a powerful ability to send, and is considered by his tribe a strong magic user.

Strongbow is completely devoted to his lifemate, Moonshade, and intensely proud of their son Dart. Strongbow will do anything to protect lifemate and cub, up to and including killing another elf - an act he committed, which resulted in dire consequences. While at the time there was no question as to what needed to be done, the scars remained with Strongbow for years. It took an encounter with the spirit of the murdered elf in the Palace of the High Ones to heal Strongbow at last.

Strongbow is extremely serious, rarely smiles, and prefers Sending to audible speech. He only speaks when overcome by great emotion or to communicate to those who cannot send. While loyal, he will question his chief's judgment when he truly believes it to be wrong. A fierce conservative and traditionalist, Strongbow rails at change and newfangled ideas.

---

Strongbow comes to Milliways from some time after Hidden Years #1, near the beginning of Hidden Years #3. Tyleet's adopted human child, Little Patch, has not quite reached adolesence. It is about 300 years after Rayek disappears in the Palace of the High Ones, taking with him Cutter's lifemate, twin children, and soulbrother. It will be 200 more before the Wolfriders are cocooned in the trolls' caves to await Rayek's reappearance. Because of his fierce devotion to his tribe's ideology, Cutter has entrusted him and Moonshade with the preservation of "The Way" -- living in the Now of wolf-thought.

---


Disclaimer:
Strongbow is from the ElfQuest graphic novel series by Wendy and Richard Pini and is the property of Warp Graphics, Inc. This journal is used strictly for the purpose of role-playing in milliways_bar, from which no profit whatsoever is being made.

Friends (0)

Friend of (1):