Yet from these inauspicious beginnings rose the fighter who became acknowledged as the Isle's greatest warrior. With no Healer available to restore his missing hand, Kovael compensated by shaping rock about his forearm and using that in place of his hand. While never able to shape large quantities of stone on his own, he could shape small amounts very quickly and very precisely. Nearly as stubborn as his grand-sire Tinar, self-named AxeHand refused ever to admit failure, persevering in his efforts to learn to hunt and to fight. With fast reflexes even for an elf, with strong sending and gliding skills which he steadily worked at improving, with a determined refusal to give into his fears even as he acknowledged them, Axehand finally forced even Therin to acknowledge that he had been wrong. After Therin died, the Council named AxeHand as War-Leader, to the acclamation of the the Isle's denizens.

Never forgetting his own painful youth, Axehand also became one of the best teachers and mentors of the young elves, showing infinite patience for mistakes, as long as the youth in question was truly trying to improve their skills. He enjoyed a deep friendship with Farseeker—one which struck many elves as odd, and which neither ever tried to explain. He also had a long series of on-again, off-again love-matings with Vaerrain. He was one of the very few elves never to get thrown—literally or figuratively—out of her room, indicating perhaps that he understood her better than most elves. He Recognized twice, but neither Recognition led to a life-bond.

AxeHand led the years-long fight against the humans during the Years of Sorrow, falling in the last large clash between humans and elves, while leading a small group of gliders to rescue a handful of elves who had fallen into an ambush.