Possible Clues:

• Spike left to meet youth leader in good time
• Prematurely
• ''... and --- to rise ...''
• Advance, nearly losing knight
• Camped out in line, maybe
• Opening like St. Peter's gates, but less quietly
• With frost, winter harbinger
• Before expected
• Before the hour
• Like 5:00 or 6:00 a.m., say