House of the Broken Axe - The Legend

On a cold winter's day in the year MCMXCIX we, Lord Ragi Warm Bear, his daughter Amanda the Bold and I Lord Angall Ó Fearghail set out for our historical voyage. Unaware of the adventure awaiting us, we gathered up our tools and headed out into the woods. Why were we headed for the woods you ask. well we were seeking out a tree so that we could make us a couple Longbows.

It was a perfect autumn day. The air was dry and clear, and the sun was out in a lightly cloudy sky. This far up North the snows come early, but luckily for us the snow was not too deep for our wagon. Yet the familiar paths of the region were now transformed in to unknown dangers as we made our way around and down the winding paths that lead deep into a wooded valley. After a few hours we reached a clearing deep in the woods. We unloaded the wagon set forth on foot searching for the perfect tree. With the wagon further and further behind us, sounds started to emerge from the surrounding woods, for all the bold she was, Amanda was becoming harder to deal with. "I'm terrified daddy!", "Let's go home daddy!" "What was that sound uncle Angall?" Ragi and I exchanged smiles as we tried to calm the wee child. After a few minutes and more curious noises, there, just a few yards away we found what seemed to be the perfect specimen! A beautiful sugar maple 30 feet high or more, we felt the gods had smiled upon us.

Within minutes we had trampled a good work area around the tree, laid out all our tools and prepared for falling of the tree. I having the most experience as a lumberjack, which unfortunately for us was not much, picked up Ragi's "trusty" axe and put my back into it. To our utter dismay, after the fifth swing, the axe head flew off. Judging that it was far too dangerous to try and finish the tree with the axe in this condition we decided to do the rest with a ripsaw. We now know a rip saw cannot go through live, standing trees (makes you wonder how the heck they did it in the old days??). We looked at each other, and we could read in each other's eyes that we wanted this tree at all costs. As we were going over different strategies, Amanda split the silence with a bone-chilling screech. How could a child that small make such a noise? "I saw something move in the woods daddy!" With our ears in pain, we tried to find the origin of Amanda's fright. Ragi and I agreed that the child was spooked by the wind, and we went back to work. Using Ragi's favorite camping knife "Baby", we managed to put a small dent in the tree.

As the day wore on and the temperature dropping, it became essential to work as fast as possible lest we became spirits of the forest ourselves come nightfall. Taking turns chipping away at the tree, we started to make good progress when we heard someone or something approaching. This time Amanda was struck with terror and could only clasp onto Ragi, burying her head in his arms. Still armed with "Baby" I cautiously made my way towards the noise. On the trail we had made stood an old man. After exchanging hellos, I called the others over. When Ragi and Amanda arrived, we explained our situation to him. With a smile he un-slung his pack and after a few seconds he pulled from it an axe. He handed it to me, smiled and continued on his way. Dumbstruck by what had happed, we quickly we returned to conquer the cursed tree. Within minutes the tree was almost ours, the axe was small but sharp, and cut away at the tree with amazing speed. Then after a powerful swing that embedded the axe deep within the tree, I felt a trembling in the handle. After freeing the axe from the tree, Ragi and I were meticulously inspecting it when we saw to our dismay a fracture just below the head. Then with no more effort than a child, I was able to lift off the head. Oh gods why punish us in this manner? Why are we made to suffer?

Now the sun was touching the horizon, shadows were long, and cold was intensifying. More and more noises were heard in the surrounding woods, as the creatures of the night were waking. Now filled with a pressing need to get out of the woods, we tried desperately to get the mighty tree down by pushing, twisting, and chiseling at it with "Baby" the camping knife. Minutes felt like hours, numbing cold was creeping over us, and the shadows started engulfing us when finally the tree started to tilt. It was beautiful sight to see! And tilt it did, 2 feet over onto another tree, where no amount of sweat or curses could get it to budge.

Night was upon finally us and the woods came alive with all manner of creatures. By the light of a torch we made our way to the wagon and made our way home, vowing to return with help. To return with a household. The House of the Broken Axe.