A FEW WEEKS AFTER ELFQUEST # 1
# 1 - 8 (Graphic Novel 1)

Elfquest # 1 "Fire and Flight"
The humans dance for their god Gotara. They caught a demon. The Shaman recalls when the demons arrived. Men were beasts when the palace came down. The first elf that came out was struck down. Their magic was weak so they escaped into the forest. Cutter, Strongbow, and Skywise watch the humans. Redlance is tied to a pillar. The Wolfriders attack. Cutter gets Redlance free and they return to their holt, Father Tree. One of the humans was killed. They believe it's Gotara's punishment for weakness. They'll do what must be done so he can rest. At the holt, Cutter is angry that Redlance hunted alone. Later Cutter and Skywise watch the stars. Cutter never killed a human and is worried something bad will happen. Cutter's wolf-friend Nightrunner tells him the humans bring fire. Cutter sends to all Wolfriders, Skywise the stargazer, Redlance the treeshaper and Nightfall the huntress, Strongbow the archer and Moonshade the tanner, their cub Dart, Treestump, his daughter Dewshine, One-Eye and Clearbrook, their son Scouter, Woodlock and Rainsong, their cub Newstar and infant Wing. The humans set fire to the forest with torches. Strongbow kills the shaman. The fire spreads so the elves run to the troll caves and force their way in. Picknose takes them through and brings them before Greymung, king of trolls.

Elfquest # 2 "Journey to Sorrow's End"
Greymung worries the elves plan to steal from him. The Wolfriders try to convince him otherwise. Skywise finds a stone that attracts metal. It's sacred to the trolls. Picknose knocks him aside. Cutter breaks a sliver off the rock. He threatens Greymung. Picknose leads them through the Tunnel of Golden Light that leads to a green place. Skywise makes a braid for the rock. Picknose says it's a lodestone and it fell from the sky. Several days pass. They come to the end and see only desert. Picknose makes rocks fall, blocking the way back. Cutter blames himself. Skywise's stone always points the same way, into the desert. They head out. When the sun sets it becomes very cold. Skywise sees the stone points to the star that remains fixed in the sky wheel. Did it fall from that star? They camp before dawn and the wolves search for food. At dawn Redlance can't go on. Nightfall won't leave him. They'll return for them. They call the hills in the distance Sorrow's End. They're running out of water. That night they see mountains beyond the hills. They reach them the next day. Water is found in spiny plants. Cutter and Skywise climb up and look over a ledge. They see a village of elves.

Elfquest # 3 "Raid At Sorrow's End!"
Cutter and Skywise watch the elves. Their behavior is very human-like. Below, Rayek asks Leetah to be his lifemate. She looks up as the Wolfriders charge. Cutter feels something as he looks at Leetah. They climb the cliffs with her. Rayek tells Leetah's father, the Sun-Toucher. Nightfall waits with Redlance in the desert. She shows him their memories together. She wants his soul name so they'll be joined beyond death, but can't reach him. Rayek climbs. Cutter tells his Strongbow there's to be no killing. He warns Leetah if she screams she won't like what happens. She screams. Rayek arrives and is surrounded. He freezes Pike with his eyes. The others pin him and cover his eyes. Cutter finds Leetah beautiful and somehow familiar. Leetah believes they're all of one race. They all go down and meet the Sun-Toucher, who senses their loss. Cutter remembers Redlance. Leetah, the healer, and Rayek go with him. Cutter had an effect on her. The word "Tam" is going through her head. Leetah is shocked by Redlance's wounds. They only heard legends of humans. She heals him and they return. They're brought before the Mother of Memory, who welcomes them to Sorrow's End.

Elfquest # 4 "The Challenge"
Savah is not a High One but remembers she was once in a green growing place. She crossed the Burning Waste with her family. She remembers humans. It's sad they still hate elves. At night there's a celebration to welcome the Wolfriders. Rayek is angry and bears them no welcome. The wolves adapt and the Wolfriders settle in caves. Shen-Shen tells her sister to be more friendly to Cutter. Rayek needs a good taking-down by Cutter. Cutter sees Rayek freeze his prey with his eyes and says there's no honor. Rayek says don't cross Leetah. Cutter hasn't eaten in two days, only thinking of Leetah. Treestump says recognition must be accepted. He goes to Leetah and Rayek throws a challenge wand. They all go to Savah and Sun-Toucher. Leetah must choose. She can't choose or refuse either one. The Trial of Hand, Head, and Heart will decide it. Sunrise: Cutter wears the lodestone for luck. For the Trial of Hand they must balance on twin poles on a cylinder blindfolded. Rayek is knocked off. For the trial of Head their weapons will be hidden and must be found. Both are blindfolded and carried to hidden locations in the caverns.

Elfquest # 5 "Bridge of Destiny"
In the caverns Cutter and Rayek free themselves. Cutter scents bright-metal while Rayek follows tracks. Rayek finds his dagger in a fissure but can't reach it. Cutter can't reach New-Moon either, but the lodestone attracts it. Rayek gets his dagger with a grasping tool he makes. But Cutter gets back to the others first. Rayek has one more chance, the Trial of Heart. Both will face their greatest fear. Savah finds their fears in their minds. For Cutter, they go above, to the Bridge of Destiny. He must cross to the sun symbol and come back. He starts across but can't do it. Rayek walks onto the bridge, bragging. A gust of wind knocks him off balance. Cutter crawls across and pulls him up. Rayek hits him with a painful sending and leaves him there. Cutter rises and overcomes his fear. Rayek's fear was losing. He runs. Leetah says the final decision is hers. At night she dreams of Cutter, saying she can't refuse recognition. She hears the Wolfriders and watches their howl, about the ten chiefs before Cutter: Timmorn Yellow-Eyes, Rahnee the She-Wolf, Prey-Pacer, Two-Spear, Huntress Skyfire, Freefoot, Tanner, Goodtree, Mantricker, and Bearclaw. Treestump will speak of Bearclaw, Cutter's father.

Elfquest # 6 "Wolfsong"
Treestump talks about Bearclaw. He got into many scrapes with humans and cheated when betting with trolls. Clearbrook says his lifemate Joyleaf's patience would often bring better results than his recklessness. They raised a son with the qualities of both. Cutter says Bearclaw didn't have to die. He chose to. Magic is left in the woods that went bad because the High Ones couldn't control their powers at first. Something unnatural was in the forest and a hunting party was sent out. The healer, Rain, is struck down. A black shape attacks, sending. A big cat and a serpent fought. The High Ones' magic formed them together into Madcoil. They run. Brownberry, Foxfur, Longbranch, and Joyleaf won't answer their sendings. Bearclaw angrily sends the tribe to the holt. Cutter comes with him. They find the scene of the attack deserted. They are lured further into the woods by its scent. Its den is empty and there are traces of elf bones. They keep watch near the entrance but Cutter falls asleep. Madcoil sends to Bearclaw and he goes into the woods. Cutter finds him gone and follows. He finds Bearclaw dying. Bearclaw's wolf-friend Blackfell carries his body away. A wolf howls and it's passed on to the Wolfriders. They come. Cutter is now chief. A vine net is placed in the branches and Cutter calls Madcoil.

Elfquest # 7 "Voice of the Sun"
Madcoil bursts out and Cutter runs. The other Wolfriders drop the net over it. Cutter asks for his parents' guidance and stabs it in the eye. It's over. Nightfall says he showed them a new way to live. Leetah feels she has much to learn. Treestump sees her leaving and smiles. Days later: The Wolfriders are learning their customs. Redlance's abilities amaze them. Skywise is with Sun-Toucher on the Bridge of Destiny. The sun teaches him more through other senses than sight. Skywise wonders if all stars are suns. One-Eye, Clearbrook, Scouter, Moonshade, Strongbow, and Dewshine remain in the caves. They're worried about Cutter. Refusing recognition leaves him exhausted. Cutter tells Leetah they are meant to be joined. Later Leetah asks Nightfall what a soul name is. A rumbling comes from the smoking mountain. Scouter is called to the Bridge, where he sees something in the distance. Treestump tells Cutter everything will work out. Sun Villagers enter the caves. Frightened zwoots are headed this way. Cutter asks why they haven't tried to stop them. Leetah asks, "How, with a net?" The Wolfriders will do it. Leetah gives Cutter a head-covering. The head out under the Bridge and charge. Cutter enjoys riding Nightrunner again.

Elfquest # 8 "Soul Names"
The Wolfriders are able to turn the zwoot herd and they pass the village. They kill only what they need. Leetah confides in Savah. She says they were brought together for a reason and their children will be gifted. Cutter, Pike, and Skywise bring a zwoot in. Savah 'convinces' it to stay. Dewshine and Scouter have another. Scouter is pulled up and caught under a rope. Dewshine is thrown head-first into a rock. Leetah picks her up as the zwoot charges. Strongbow fires an arrow, dropping it. Leetah heals Dewshine in her hut. Leetah meets with Cutter. They both admit they're different. She knows what a soul name is. Everything he is is Tam. He searched for hers but found only Leetah. The Sun Folk have forgotten how to send. She can't deny he's a part of her. Cutter comes to her hut at night and they head to the mountains to answer recognition's call. The next day, Rayek is heading out of the village. An image of Savah appears. Rayek says there's no reason to stay. The Wolfriders and Sun Folk celebrate that night. Redlance was able to grow a dreamberry bush. Pike is passed out under it. Savah makes an inward journey. Her spirit floats free and drifts into an unfathomable blackness. She returns and tells Ahdri something touched her, like the fluttering of a moth's wing.