This book is the first in the Valdemar series, though it was published after most of them. Here, we get to meet Urtho, the powerful Mage of Silence, and Skandranon, the great Black Gryphon. This book takes place in the last years of the Mage Wars between Urtho and the evil Adept BloodPath-Mage Ma'ar. Also in this book we meet AmberDrake, Skan's close Kestra'chern friend. Kestra'chern's are healers of mind & spirit as well as body. We also meet Zhaneel, a Gryfalcon, and the first of her kind created by Urtho; Kechara, a misborn gryphon that has such a strong Mind gift that Urtho hides and protects her in his Tower; Cinnibar, who is a skilled Healer; Cinnibar's lifebonded, Tamsin; and Gesten, a friendly hertasi that becomes friends with Skan and Drake. Find out in this book how Urtho defeats the evil Ma'ar and how the Cataclysm effects the world for many centuries thereafter

During the Final battle with the evil Ma'ar, Urtho told his people to escape the tower by way of mage Gate and flee as far as they could go. Skandrannon and AmberDrake, and some of the Kaled'a'in peoples ended up South, next to the sea. They decided, since there was no way to return to the tower and the other peoples, to build White Gryphon. 10 years later, they received a suprise. Little did they know that this land was already taken by the Haighlei Empire, the Black Kings of the South. Skan, Zhaneel, and AmberDrake decided to make Allies of these people, but soon after they arrive in Haighlei, treachery begins. A Court noble, who is opposite the Alliance, is murdered by what looks like large talons. If Skan doesn't prove his innocence, White Gryphon an their lives would be in danger

Skandrannon and AmberDrake are both getting older and have settled into comfortable lives. The people of White Gryphon have been in Alliance with the Haighlei Empire for 12 years now, but that does not mean that they have not prepared themselves for other enemies. White Gryphon started up an elite guard made of humans and non-humans to protect their city; These became known as the Silver Gryphons. Among these are SilverBlade, AmberDrakes daughter, and Tadrith, Skan's son. They are both sick of growing up in the tales of the Fathers' heroisms. They wanted to prove themselves and make their own worths known. So finally, after rigorous training, they are both given their first assignments- a remote guard post in wild , unexplored territory. But something bad happens and Tadrith is forced out of the sky and plummets to the ground with SilverBlade. Bandly injured, and no way of communicating back, they are forced to take care of themselves. All magic has been drained from their equipment. Something evil and unknown lurks in the dark forest beyond them; Will help come in time, or will they both perish at the hands of this evil?