Prologue
A young man ran hurriedly through a forest of shadows. The waxing moon shone brightly down upon him and his fellow travelers.
"Ethelred, Aewyn! Come, we must hurry. Time is something we have little of."
"Calm yourself Elrendar. Albus will still be there when we get there. Nothing will happen to him, I promise," Ethelred whispered calmingly.
"He is right, brother. Don't worry about Albus, nothing can or will harm him at the school," Aewyn agreed.
"It is not Albus I am worried about. He is a most capable man." The others shot him a questioning glance. "This forest is dangerous. Even for ones such as ourselves. We must hurry, for I fear the guardians of this place will not lie dormant for much longer."
Indeed, as the words left his lips, the wind picked up. Whispers passed through the forest, whispers of intruders. Aewyn, Ethelred and Elrendar motioned to the others and raced onward towards the school, their unusually pointed ears listening out for any suspicious sounds.