The EQ Family
My last try at the EQ Family was a bit of a hack-job, so here's the expanded version. As with the Family Tree, the underlined names are those of the original seventeen Wolfriders. For the family connections I've tried to balance the canon connections with the ones I've thought up. *NEW* Click on the links of the original seventeen Wolfriders to find out where they are now.
Redlance: We know Redlance
is the descendant of Goodtree - taking the shortest distance between two
points, I think he's the son of Spark, Speedwell's son and Goodtree's grandson.
Redlance was orginally called Redmark. He was about 100 at the time of the
Original Quest.
Strongbow:
Strongbow's mother was Trueflight. I have no idea who his father is. Possibly
Sharpsight - Hummer and Buckthorn's son from Mantricker's time - it would
account for his good eyesight and aim. But I can't claim it with any certainly.
He was about 420 at the time of the Original Quest.
Moonshade: The
Wolfrider's Guide says she's Brightwater's daughter, and Brightwater was
Mantricker's famous lovemate. Again - shortest distance - I surmise she is
Mantricker's daughter and Bearclaw's half-sister. The timeline is a little hazy
from Mantricker-Bearclaw's reign, so Mantricker might not have lived long
enough to sire Moonshade. She's more than likely older than Strongbow, maybe a
hundred years or so. That would make her about 500 by the time of "Fire
and Flight."
Crescent: Strongbow and
Moonshade's daughter, born around sixty years before the Original Quest. She
was perhaps twenty when she was killed by humans. It is not known with any
certainty if she had a lovemate in her short life, but judging by Pike's grief
at her death, he is the best candidate.
Dart: Strongbow and
Moonshade's younger child. Born about sixty years after his sister, Crescent.
He was a newborn during Madcoil's attack, and he was the reason Strongbow did
not join that infamous scouting party. Dart was about six years older during
"Fire and Flight" making him only thirteen when he became the chief
hunter of the Sun Village.
Bearclaw: Mantricker's son
and the tenth Wolfrider chief. His mother was Thornflower, Mantricker's
Recognized lifemate. He was much older than his (maybe) half-sister Moonshade.
He was around 1200 when he was killed by Madcoil.
Cutter: Son of
Bearclaw and Joyleaf. He is Bearclaw's only identified child, though Bearclaw
Recognized many times before. He was born springtime twenty-three years before
the Original Quest. He was seventeen when Madcoil attacked the tribe and made
him an orphan.
Joyleaf: Bearclaw's
lifemate. She was much younger than he, but her exact age is unknown. She and
her brother Treestump seem close in age, so Joyleaf was probably around 500-600
when she was killed by Madcoil. She bore Cutter to Bearclaw, and
"Wolfrider!" makes reference to that Recognition being her
"last," so she might have Recognized earlier. However she probably
had no lifemate or main lovemate besides Bearclaw.
Treestump: Brother of
Joyleaf. There is no clue as to their parents. Treestump was 600 at the time of
the Original Quest, the only Wolfrider with developed facefur. Dewshine is his
only identified child, though he probably had older children who did not survive
(possibly Eyes High.)
Eyes High: There are a few
possibilities for Eyes High's bloodline, as the blond-haired blue-eyed look was
common in the Holt. She might be Treestump's daughter - the EQ Gatherum said
Treestump Recognized many times. He could have sired Eyes High about one-two
hundred years before the Original Quest began. Conversely, she could be the
daughter, or (more likely) the younger sister of Rillfisher, Treestump's
lifemate. That would make her Dewshine's aunt. She died in childbirth 31 years
before "Fire and Flight."
Rillfisher: Treestump's
lifemate. She died perhaps less than ten years before the Original Quest. It is
not known how old she was when she died, but (from watching Rain's subtle
costume changes over the years) we known she was stricken by the fever that
left her deaf at least forty years before the events of "Fire and
Flight." She might be related to Eyes High, and given the
interconnectedness of the Wolfrider bloodlines, she was probably a cousin to
her lifemate.
Dewshine: Treestump
and Rillfisher's daughter. Possibly Eyes High's half-sister or niece. She was
clearly an adolescent (around 12 -13) at the time of Madcoil, which would make
her a very young looking nineteen by the Original Quest.
Rain: Probably the grandson
of Finder, the healer during Tanner's reign. He was the father of Pike and
Rainsong, and probably the father of Shale as well. He was attempting to force
Recognition (presumably with his lifemate or lovemate, given that he is Pike's
father), but it looks like Pike was the only cub born of it. Rainsong (and
Shale) are presumably children of true Recognition.
Shale: I think he's the son
of Rain, due to Rain's familiar nature with him, and his grief
at his death. Some think his mother is Brownberry, evidenced by her grief
when Shale dies. But that doesn't explain his silver hair. I think Rain's
lifemate and Shale's mother (Pike's as well) was Clearbrook's unnamed daughter.
Shale looks very young - he was probably not even a hundred years old when he
was killed by humans.
Skywise: The son of
Shale and Eyes High and the tribe's astronomer. He was lovemate to Foxfur for
nearly ten years before she was killed by Madcoil. Skywise was 31 at the time
of "Fire and Flight."
Pike: He's Rain's
son and Rain's first attempt at forcing Recognition. His mother was probably
Rain's lifemate or lovemate. My theory is Pike is older than Shale, the first
child of Rain and Clearbrook's daughter. They forced Recognition in Pike's
case. Several years later, they truly Recognized and had Shale, prompting the
possibly double-meaning comment "not that your Recognition needed prompting,
Shale." Pike was maybe 100-120 years old during the Original Quest.
Rainsong: Rain's
daughter, and probably a product of true Recognition. I'm not sure who her
mother is. Possibly the same as Pike and Shale's, possibly another Wolfrider
(multiple recognitions are more common between many partners.) Her mother died
before the Wolfrider series. Rainsong was at least a hundred years old during
the Original Quest.
Woodlock: I have
no idea who his parents are. There are no hints. Almost nothing has been
said about Woodlock, other than he is Rainsong's age and that they were
lovemates for a long time before they Recognized. That would make him 100+ in
"Fire and Flight."
Newstar: Woodlock
and Rainsong's daughter, born after Madcoil's attack. Rainsong was maybe
halfway through her pregnancy when Madcoil attacked, making Newstar five during
"Fire and Flight."
Wing: Woodlock and
Rainsong's son, born very shortly before the Holt burned down. He was as young
as two or three months old in "Fire and Flight."
Foxfur: Very little is
known about her. Some think she's Bearclaw's daughter, evidenced by her
colouring and general love of life. I think she's Brownberry's sister, or less
likely, her daughter. She has a certain maturity to her that makes me think
she's older than Pike or Redlance. I think she was probably around 200 years
old when she was killed by Madcoil.
Brownberry: Nightfall's
mother by Longbranch. I think she and Foxfur are sisters, given that they have
the same hair and eyes, and that they often work together. They go scouting
side-by-side when Shale is killed, and they go collecting eggs together in
"Wolfrider!" Treestump calls Brownberry cub once, suggesting she and
Foxfur are close in age. Brownberry was probably 200 - 300 years old when she
was killed by Madcoil.
Longbranch:
One-Eye's brother and the rumoured son of Owl - Graywolf's twin brother. He
lived through five chiefs - Freefoot, Tanner, Goodtree, Mantricker and
Bearclaw. That would have made him more than 2000 years old when he was killed
by Madcoil, very old for a Wolfrider (the natural lifespan of a Wolfrider
appears to be just over 3000 years.) He was originally called Longreach. He must
have Recognized many times before his lifemating to Brownberry.
Nightfall: Longbranch
and Brownberry's daughter. She was just fifteen when she lost her parents,
Longbranch and Brownberry, but had already been lovemate to Redlance for a
year. By the time of Original Quest she and Redlance considered themselves
lifemates, even though they did not yet know each others' soulnames. Nightfall
was 21 when the Holt burned down.
One-Eye: Longbranch's
brother. He was just shy of 500 at the time of the Original Quest, making it
unlikely that he and Longbranch are full-blood brothers. It may be that
Longbranch's mother or father Recognized another elf sometime in the reign of
Mantricker or Bearclaw. Given One-Eye's son Scouter's keen eyesight it may be
that Sharpsight (from Mantricker's time) Recognized Longbranch's mother and
sired One-Eye.
Clearbrook: One-Eye's
lifemate and mother of two children, Scouter, and a much older daughter. Her
ancestry is unknown. She may be related to famous silver-hairs such as
Rivermist (Tanner's would-be lovemate) or she may come from a line unknown to
the BoTC anthologies. She was around 500 at the time of the Original Quest.
Clearbrook's Daughter: We don't even know the name of Clearbrook's first child, born long before Scouter - perhaps as much as 350 years before the Original Quest. Some fans have dubbed her "Moss" in honour of a cub mentioned in the BoTC anthologies, but it is unlikely this Moss is old enough to be Clearbrook's daughter. Presumably One-Eye (then Woodhue) was the father.
Scouter: Clearbrook
and One-Eye's younger child. He was lovemate to Dewshine, being her closest
agemate. He was in his mid to late teens, perhaps younger than Dewshine, during
"Fire and Flight."
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