A river in flood carries a small boy to the Raven settlement. The hunters want to kill him, but when a ravenfeather floats down onto him the boy is saved, for ravens are sacred in the stronghold. The boy is adopted into the clan and gets the name Ravenfeather. The years go by and Ravenfeather has become a strapping youth but has still not been accepted among the men. When the men go out hunting he has to stay at home and guard the women. He makes friends with young Falco from the neighboring village and Falco teaches him to shoot with a bow and catch small game. One day, when the men have gone off to hunt boar, brigands attack the village, steal a cow, abduct the girl Squirrel and knock Ravenfeather senseless. But Falco is at hand.