The Silver Gryphon (Mage Wars)

Unseen Peril A dozen years of peace have passed in the city of White Gryphon - but the inhabitants of this hard-won haven have not forgotten their struggles, and have trained an elite guard force, the Silver Gryphons, to protect their city. Skandranon, the Black Gryphon, and Amberdrake the healer, have settled into quiet, comfortable lives. But things are not so tranquil for Silverblade, Drake's daughter, and Tadrith, Skan's son. Anxious to prove themselves, and despite their parents' very real concerns, they have enlisted in the Silvers. After two years of rigorous training, Blade and Tad are finally given their first solo assignment-a remote guard post in wild, largely unexplored territory. Everything seems auspicious as Tad and Blade set off in the air, but three days out from White Gryphon disaster strikes - the two young guards plummet from the sky to the deep jungle below, struck down by an unseen enemy. Lost and badly injured, the desperate partners take stock of their situation: all their spell-fueled equipment - including their only means of communication - is inoperable, drained of all magic. But their troubles are just beginning. For in the dark of the tropical rain forest which surrounds them waits a nameless terror which even their fathers could never have envisioned....