Winds of Change(1992)

Mercedes Lackey

None but the Companions remember the long-ago age when high magic was lost to Valdemar as the last Herald-Mage gave his life to protect his kingdom from destruction by dark sorceries.

But now the protective barrier set so long ago over Valdemar is crumbling, and with the realm imperiled by the dark magic of Ancar of Hardorn, Princess Elspeth, Herald and heir to the throne, has gone on a desperate quest in search of a mentor who can teach her to weild her fledgling mage-powers and help her to defend her threatened kingdom.

After a long journey, Elspeth has come to the Vale of the Tayledras Clan to seek training among the magical Hawkbrother Adepts. But rather than finding a nurturing environment in which her talent can flourish, she is whirled inot a maelstrom of war and sorcery as the Vale is attacked by a mysterious Dark Adept, Mornelithe Falconsbane, from out of the "uncleansed lands."

After a terrible batele, Falconsbane is subdued, but he has dealth a potential deathblow to the Tayledras. For the Heartstone, once the center of all life within the Vale and the source of magical power for the Clan, has been warped by evil spellcraft into a deadly dangerous rogue, perverting everything it touches and disabling the most powerful of the Hawkbrother Adepts.

Only Elspeth, a half-trained Mage, and the renegade Hawkbrother Adept, Darkwind, have been spared. Together they must struggle to remember long-forgotten magics and take the rogut Heartstone before the next strike of the Dark Adept. But even as they strive to save their world, the unnatural changechild daughter of Falconsbane flees with Elspeth's magical blade Need, and mysterious spirit-beings begin to haunt the paths of the Clan-home. And as the winds of change begin to blow, Elspeth and Darkwind must abandon the old ways, risking the dangers of the unknown in a desperate bid to save their peoples...

Complete with interior illustrations by Larry Dixon.