Firebringer Trilogy (3)

He was the youngest prince the Unicorns had ever known: Aljan son-of-Korr, Dark Moon. A silver crescent on his brow and a white star on his heel were tokens that one day he was destined to become the legendary Firebringer, but Jan had no knowledge of fire or of where to find the magical, mystical stuff.

Swept out to sea during a savage attack by marauding gryphons, fierce winged eagle-cats who have long been enemes of the unicorns, Jan is washed up on a distant shore, only to find himself the revered captive of a strange race of two-foots who treat him with awe, even as they hold him against his will. It is here that he witnesses the magic of fire for the first time and, more important, discovers how he himself can create it. But can he escape and bring this knowledge back to the unicorns in time to save them?

He was born under a dark moon, Aljan, prince of the unicorns, high-spirited, impetuous. His constant questioning and recklessness are the despair of his mighty father, Korr. Reluctantly, Korr allows Jan to accompany the other initiate warriors on a pilgrimage to their lost ancestral home. There, they will view their destinies in the Mirror of the Moon, a rite of passage for all who wish to join the Circle of the Unicorns.

It is a perilous journey, with ever-present threats from deadly gryphons, sly pans, wyverns, pards, and renegade unicorns. Jan vows to behave. But his curiosity and impulsiveness lead him, along with his friend Dagg and their mentor, the female warrior Tek, into the greatest dangers. Miraculously, though, they are always rescued, and as they travel through the Pan Woods, across the Great Grass Plain, and finally to the sacred Hallow Hills, Jan senses another presence, one who goes her own way without fear or favor from the unicorns or their enemies. She seems to be protecting him. But why?