Saga 1 Illustrations 

A selection of illustrations scanned from the printed version of The Grandfather Tree 2.1.

"Ow! Leggo!" Hilltop yelped, smacking Brindlefur's hand away. "What did you go and pull my hair for?"

By Karen Bledsoe

Fastfang leaped ahead, slashing at the human with his fangs, tearing only the flapping tail of his tunic.

By Karen Bledsoe

"I'd help him," Wolfrunner snarled, slashing out with his sword as the warriors charged at him, "but I'm a little busy right now!"

By Karen Bledsoe

All was silent. It was over, and even Wolfrunner knew it.

**For the tribe...** Wolfrunner remained on his knees, head bowed.

Birch stepped away and caught her breath. "Then ask the tribe. What do THEY think?

"Just go," he whispered.

By Karen Bledsoe

Birch's sending was like skyfire. Nighthawk trembled under the assault, shying away as the sending approached her soulname. This wasn't supposed to happen, couldn't be happening...

By Karen Bledsoe

Then, on the dawning of the ninth day, the quiet was shattered by pounding of deep-bellied drums and the keening cries of the village women.

By Karen Bledsoe

Though her reddened eyes betrayed her night of grief, Shrea sat upright and relaxed. Even her father's death did not touch her stoic dignity in the presence of a Spirit. Hilltop sighed. She wished the human woman would let down her guard more, as they had when they were children.

By Karen Bledsoe

"Sure, I'll move over!" Hilltop did move -- right onto Tahnee's lap. The pureblood gave a grunt, then grinned in amusement.

By Karen Bledsoe

"Now, let's try..." Tahnee rummaged in his pack, and pulled out another rock, this one smooth, grey, and lustrous. Taking it in his hands, he worked it just as he had the other, until Hilltop saw the likeness of her father form.

By Karen Bledsoe

*They're bringing fire, too!* Hilltop cried. *My chief, everyone, they know where the Grandfather tree is! No place in the holt is safe! They want to burn it all!*

By Karen Bledsoe

A little more shaping, and a stone staircase rose up into the shaft to ease their trip. Kestrel and Allim climbed the stairs, and took up the task, shaping the inside of the tree as smoothly as Tahnee had shaped the rock.

By Karen Bledsoe

Resuming their journey, most of the elves were tense with anticipation. Some watched Tahnee, some watched the walls around them, and Brindlefur, as always, watched Nightfire.

By Karen Bledsoe

They only noticed a narrow side passage when dozens of furry, fanged creatures poured from its mouth, cutting off their escape. Not rats, not quite, for these animals were as big as ringtails and as fearless as boars, with long bodies like ferrets. But their heads were like giant rats, with huge sharp teeth.

By Karen Bledsoe

Kestrel pulled on Stone's arm. "Come, beloved. There's nothing we can do here!"

Eyes filling with tears, Stone stumbled after Kruuk and the others. Over his shoulder he sent, **High Ones keep you, cubs! I'll be back!** But he knew it wouldn't reach them.

By Karen Bledsoe

At last the bear fell, writhing as it bled. Moth struggled to his feet and drove his blade into the bear's skull from the base of its neck. With a final twitch, the bear died.

By Lynn Eldridge

Stone moved in close as she cut the last two threads, and he caught the shape that tumbled out of the cocoon. Nightfire bent over and cleared webbing from the face of a beautiful elf maiden with pale blond hair and a purple dress.

By Karen Bledsoe

Tito paid no attention, lost as he was in the memories swirling inside his head. *Long, long ago, even before father was born...* With the words came the images, tribal memories long stored away and passed on High Ones only knew how.

By Karen Bledsoe

"Uh..." the young elf looked up at the kind faces around him and timidly replied, "uh, Foxlock. I'm called Foxlock."

By Mara Gil

Though the Snake leader could not understand the words, he refused to cower before mere words as the majority of his warriors were doing. He crossed his arms and faced the shaman. Raven whipped off his cloak and stared hard at the warrior, taking two slow steps toward him. With a roar, the Snake leader charged at him. Raven's armed men surged forward, but he halted them with a gesture and braced to meet the attack himself.

By Lynn Eldridge

Brindlefur nudged Nightfire. **Wonder how far their courage will take them?** he said.

**The same could be said for all of us,** Nightfire returned, sleepily. **Look at him, staring straight off into the distance, all the unknown ahead of him. The whole tribe is like that. We're all marching straight into something we don't know anything about, and, admit it or not, we're all scared.**

By Tavie Phillips

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