The island Edgar appeared on matched the one in his vision down to the smallest detail. He had landed on its southern peninsula, which was covered with short, tender grass that gave way to fine white sand near its shores. Several large trees grew nearby, and the sound of birdsong came from the north. Scrimshaw was apparently still sleeping, since there was no reaction from him upon arriving in this strange new land.

From where he stood, facing the sea, Edgar could see two large hollows in the sides of the high peninsula, just at the waterline. They looked almost like tiny caves, yet somehow they didn't seem natural. Since he couldn't determine their purpose, Edgar disregarded them and turned north, walking over a large knoll, heading towards the center of the legendary sixth Isle.

Though the island was mostly open space, there were hundreds of trees, shrubs and grasses adorning it, and as Edgar made his way inland, he realized that the island was inhabited…but not by humans or anything that resembled humans.

Scuttling about in the underbrush, scrambling up or scurrying down trees, grazing in the open, swooping through the treetops above, or merely resting in the shade of the bushes, was a vast variety of animal life. There were rabbits, lizards, snakes, squirrels and birds, but there were many beasts that were so exotic and unusual that Edgar couldn't tell what they were – deer-like creatures with swept-back horns instead of antlers, wilder looking counterparts of domestic animals and other fauna that were completely unlike anything Edgar had ever seen. Predators and prey, hunters and hunted, all mingling together with no noticeable fear or loathing of each other. Was this paradise? If it were, why were plants and animals the only residents?

As he examined the creatures that frolicked through the sparse woods, quite unaware of his presence, he noticed that some of the animals even seemed to look human – their bodies seemed more upright, their paws seemed more like hands and feet. These creatures also looked at him in a way that somehow wasn't at all like the challenging look that a predator gave a potential rival. It seemed almost human, too.

In the very center of the island was a small pond. There was nothing unusual about that, but half in and half out of the pool was a smallish sea turtle. Edgar couldn't understand why a marine reptile was in a pool of fresh water…or was it fresh water? Edgar cautiously drew close to the pool, and when the turtle didn't even flinch at his approach, he dipped a finger into the water and tasted it. Salty. This pond wasn't a freshwater spring; somehow it was fed by the ocean. Then Edgar remembered the hollows at the shoreline – not only were those hollows entrances to tunnels that allowed salt water to travel under the island and emerge in this basin, but they allowed sea creatures to visit the pool as well. It was so bizarre, but then again, everything about this Isle was bizarre.

To the north, the island was bare except for the stump of what must have once been an enormous tree. Now it was scarcely more than an enormous, twisted, deformed husk, as large as a stall in Lolotte's stables and as dark as midnight. It resembled a round cavern; in fact, a tattered curtain hung in front of what appeared to be an entrance into it. There was something ominous about that tree that made Edgar want to stay as far away from it as possible.

He headed east, and as he did, he glanced up into the trees and was surprised at how tall they were – they were twice as tall as he'd expected them to be – and making their way through the thick, numerous branches were even more animals, who seemed as at home in the trees as they did on land. Growing on some of the trees were several oddly shaped, reddish fruits that Edgar had never seen before. Similar fruits also grew on some of the bushes in great quantities. As Edgar watched, a weasel scampered up to one of the bushes, yanked one of the fruits off a bush with its teeth and bounded away.

There was another pond on the island's east peninsula, but unlike its brother, the water in this pond was fresh. It must come from an underground spring, Edgar thought as he drank some of the cool liquid. A pair of otters was on the shore of the island, and they watched him curiously, as if they had never seen a humanlike fairy before.

With nothing else to explore on the east end of the island, Edgar made his way west, pausing momentarily to let a family of brightly colored quail-like birds pass by. The west peninsula was very similar to the east one. It had its own pool as well, plus a few shrubs and saplings. Sitting beneath one tree, however, was one of the most bizarre animals Edgar had ever seen. It wasn't a fantastic beast like a dragon or a griffin, but it was just as unusual, if not more so. It had sparse, coarse fur, two large, rounded, pointed ears, a long, pig-like snout and large, dull claws on its flat feet. The way it was sitting upright made it appear almost human, as did the way it was contemplating the open book in front of it, as well as the presence of the small stack of tomes beside it.

Not too surprisingly, Edgar wasn't at all shocked when it looked him in the eye and after a brief pause, calmly said, "Good morrow to you, traveler," in a very distinguished manner.

"Hello," Edgar replied. "Could you please tell me where I am?"

"Roughly speaking, lad, you are in the Land of the Green Isles," the creature said, drumming its claws of its right forepaw on the ground. "Although this Isle is technically part of the archipelago, very few know of its existence…very few individuals like you, I mean.

"It is one of the 'ephemeral' islands – the Green Isles are known for their 'disappearing islands,' but it is more likely that the islands never truly vanish, but merely fade into the mists of the sea, or become ignored by all who live on the main Isles. It's been a very long time since we've had a visitor that isn't a beast, stranger. In fact, I don't know if we've ever had such a visitor."

"So what is this Isle called? The Isle of Fauna?"

"It doesn't have a name," the animal said, flicking an ear. "I've lived here for many years, and I've never heard the natives refer to it as anything but 'the Isle.' All I know is that it is a haven for beasts of all sorts, and one way or another, all the creatures in the Green Isles either find their way here or originate from here. It is a true sanctuary for all creatures whose lives have been imperiled by man."

"But what about you?" Edgar asked, gesturing to the pile of books. "You don't act like the other animals here…not to be rude, but you don't even look like them."

The animal looked melancholy for a moment as it gazed at its claws.

"I wasn't always like this," it said quietly. "It was a foolish accident on my part. It was a long time ago…I was so embarrassed that I fled the Isles with all the supplies I could bring with me, and somehow wound up on the shores of this land."

"But what were you? And what are you?"

"I was once a sorcerer on the Isle of the Crown," the creature sighed, "And from the research I've done, I've concluded that I am presently an aardvark."

The name certainly matched the animal's appearance in terms of oddness. Maybe it was a good thing Edgar hadn't had any training in heavier magic yet – if he had, during the stresses and perils of this journey he might have made a mistake and wound up like this poor fellow, or worse.

"Well, can't you change yourself back and return to the Isles?"

"I'm not going back," the aardvark said, crossing its forearms and sticking his snout into the air, "That part of my life is over. After so many decades serving the royal family as court sorcerer and such a humiliating accident, I am determined to live out my remaining years in obscurity. I'd be the laughingstock of the Isles if I showed my face in the Castle of the Crown again, aardvark or not."

Edgar tried not to imagine an aardvark dressed in a wizard's garb and nodded solemnly.

"I've cut back on my study of magic, but I've also been writing down the history of the plant and animal life on this island."

"Speaking of that," Edgar interrupted, "I was just wondering…"

"Why the meat eaters don't slaughter the plant eaters?" the aardvark asked.

"Well, yes."

"You noticed the odd fruit growing on some of the trees and shrubs?" the aardvark said, indicating a nearby shrub with several large, reddish, blobby fruits hanging from it. Edgar inclined his head.

"Taste one," the aardvark said.

Edgar shook his head.

"I'd rather not, if you don't mind."

"Don't worry," the aardvark said reassuringly. "They won't poison you or give you a rash or turn you into one of us. Everything that grows here is completely harmless. I've spent years finding that out for myself."

Edgar cautiously picked one of the fruits and bit a tiny piece off the end. He was surprised to find that it had a taste and texture much like venison…which Lolotte had made him eat more times than he'd care to remember.

"That's right," the aardvark said as Edgar chewed, "It's just like meat. The only animals eaten on this island are insects. There are at least four separate species of meat-bearing plants here, and their fruits seem to keep the carnivores both happy and healthy. They fruit all year round, too. There's definitely some strong magic in this island's soil. Even the sand surrounding it has some magic in it. Most magic mirrors you find these days are probably made from magic sand, although I doubt there is much such sand left in the rest of the world."

The little creature paused; his short lecture had winded him slightly. Edgar swallowed the piece of meat-fruit and tossed the rest of the odd thing away, where it was almost instantly snatched up by a small wildcat, which was promptly chased up a tree by a slate-gray lizard almost as long as Edgar's forearm.

"There's also a lot of history here too, you know," the aardvark began again before Edgar could change the subject. "And most of it revolves around our leader."

"Your leader? Who's that?" Edgar inquired.

The aardvark anxiously looked around him before replying:

"Her name is Suhad. She is one of the first of the half-breeds."

"The what?"

"The half-breeds. The species that originated from this Isle that is just above beasts and just below humans. Suhad is part of the canine race, some individuals of which have chosen to serve the humans on the Isle of the Crown …I believe the common name they are called by is Guard Dogs."

Edgar vaguely remembered Rosella's description of the dogs that stood as tall as men that she saw during her brother's wedding. So this island was where that species came from…

"Anyway," continued the aardvark, "That's beside the point. Suhad detests humans deeply, and once she finds out you're here…well, it would be best for you if she didn't."

Edgar didn't even try explaining that he wasn't a human. There wasn't much point in doing so now, anyway.

"But why does she hate humans?"

"Who can say what started it? Although that business with her brother seemed to really spark it, I suspect."

"Why? Who's her brother?"

The aardvark's ears quivered, and he flexed his toes nervously.

"Well…we're not allowed to speak his name," he whispered in a voice that had suddenly grown quite shaky and anxious, "But perhaps if I speak quietly enough…"

Edgar lowered his ear to the creature's long snout.

"Go ahead."

"Um…yes. Her brother…his name was – "

At that moment, a gruff voice rent the air:

"Human! Our leader has learned of your presence, and she wishes to speak with ye."

Edgar looked up to see a stout, black Scottie dog, small in size, but standing before him in a very human posture. So much for keeping incognito.

"But…why?"

"That is for her to tell ye. Now come."

The Scottie dropped to all fours and began trotting north. When Edgar hesitated, the Scottie turned and snarled at him. The prince then obediently followed the little dog as it led him towards the huge, stunted, ominous black tree at the northern tip of the island.

Standing before the tree were two creatures that, like the Scottie, had the fur, faces and tails of animals, yet the bodies, hands and feet of humans. They had to be the half-breeds that the aardvark spoke of.

The smaller of the two was a slim cat half-breed with orange fur that was so bright in some places that it seemed almost reddish. It gazed at Edgar taciturnly out of large amber eyes.

The other half-breed was a dog that matched the description of the Guard Dogs to a T. It was a collie, yet there was a strange wildness about it that made it seem almost wolf-like. Its fur was long and fine, and a great brown and white ruff grew about its neck like a lion's mane, while a long plume of a tail trailed behind it.

The way the creature stood and stared at him, combined with the way the Scottie and the cat appeared so uneasy in its presence, convinced him that this collie had to be the leader of the sixth Isle.

Presently, the dog spoke in a low, grating, vaguely feminine voice:

"Who are you, dweller of the lands beyond?"

"I am Edgar of Etheria," Edgar replied. "Are you Suhad, my…lady?"

The collie snorted hollowly.

"Yes, your people call me Suhad. Suhad, littermate of Saladin, chosen leader of the last of the wild half-breeds."

Saladin. So that was her brother's name. Edgar was certain he had heard it before…but where?

"For many centuries we have been separated from the rest of this land," Suhad continued, "And that is the way it will stay, for the rest of time."

"Aye, Lassie," the Scottie said solemnly from where he now sat, behind and to the left of Suhad.

Suhad bristled and bared her teeth as she rounded on the Scottie.

"What?" she barked fiercely.

"Nothing," the Scottie trembled, cowering before his leader, who quickly resumed her dignified, calm demeanor as she turned to face Edgar again. She then turned her head slightly, and Edgar could see a lock of long brown fur tied into her own slightly lighter fur.

"This fur was my brother's," Suhad growled. "I tore it from him when I realized that he had betrayed me and sided with the humans. Ever since then, I have lived here with my clan, away from the rest of the human world."

Edgar's eyes grew wide as he remembered that Saladin was the name of the captain of the Guard Dogs on the Isle of the Crown. How strange that he should achieve such a high-ranking position among humans while his sister became a sworn enemy of them.

"But…how long have you lived here, Suhad?" Edgar asked.

"Must you know?" Suhad snarled. "It has been nearly twenty years since I faced my brother for the last time as a friend, and for the first time a foe. Why do you wish to know of that, human?"

"Well, I…"

"How you have gotten to this island that is closed off from the rest of the realm I do not know," the collie said coldly, "And that is something we need to find out."

"Aye, Lassie," the Scottie nodded.

"What?" Suhad snapped, rounding on him in exactly the same manner as before.

"Nothing," the Scottie said innocently, wagging his head. Suhad grunted and turned back to Edgar. She stared at him in a stern, calculating way that unnerved him greatly.

"I'm sure a look at yourself would get the truth out of you," she said cryptically. Whatever that statement meant, Edgar didn't like the sound of it at all.

She took several paces to the right, exposing the huge, dark, hollow tree that Edgar had glimpsed earlier.

"Enter this tree," Suhad commanded. "Within it is a mirror. It may not be a mirror of truth, but it is just as effective. Shappa?"

She spoke this last word to the reddish cat, which instantly snapped to attention.

"Draw back the curtain and usher the human in."

The cat walked towards the tree, extended a lithe, striped arm and lifted the ragged curtain, revealing a pitch-black opening leading into the heart of the tree. Since it was clear that he had no choice in the matter, Edgar slowly approached the opening. As he was about to step inside the tree, however, Shappa the cat made a gentle hissing noise that made Edgar look his way.

"Don't look at me," the cat whispered. "Look into the tree. Pretend you're hesitating."

Edgar didn't have to pretend. He stood silently on the threshold of the tree as the cat continued to speak in a barely audible voice:

"Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't be telling this to you, human, but now I feel I must. I may have more human blood in me than my liege does. This mirror doesn't reflect. It refracts. It gives you an inverted picture of what you truly are. If you try to comprehend what you are looking at, the mere effort can rip you apart."

The cat let out a shuddering breath.

"I caught a glimpse of myself in that thing once," he muttered.

"And what did you see?" Edgar whispered back.

"I saw a monstrous…savage…beast that I couldn't recognize, but I knew in my heart that it was me that I saw," Shappa trembled. "Me, only distorted beyond recognition. I don't know how it will affect you, stranger, but…be careful."

With that, he laid a paw gently on Edgar's back to usher him in. Edgar reluctantly entered the small hollow, and the curtain dropped behind him, sounding suspiciously like an oversized funeral shroud.

The inside of the tree was just as dark as the outside. The sandy floor beneath Edgar's feet was hardly visible, and it took some time for his eyes to adjust to the gloom. The ceiling of the hollow wasn't open to the sky as Edgar had assumed it would be. It was coated with the same dark wood as the rest of the barely living tree's interior.

Leaning against one black, wooden wall was the mirror that Suhad had mentioned. It was covered by a large, dark cloth, but Edgar could see one or two of its corners showing. The only reason he could make them out in the darkness of the tree was because they seemed to be pulsing with a very faint light. This was a magic mirror, after all…but what would Edgar see when he looked into it? Would he see what the Arch Druid referred to when he said that Edgar had to face the truth about himself?

Shappa's description of what he had seen had been unpleasant, but quite vague. Edgar and Shappa were quite different in both form and mind, and what a feline half-breed saw in this "refracting" mirror wouldn't be the same as what a fairy saw…would it?

Edgar shuddered. He tried to think of another location that his pendant could transport him too, but his mind was a snarled mass of confused emotions. Merely standing there was only delaying the inevitable, and running away would not amuse Suhad one little bit. There was no turning back now.

With shaking hands, Edgar clutched the cloth draped over the tall mirror. For a moment, he was too nervous to move, then with one firm yank, he pulled the cloth off, letting it flutter to the ground like a dying bird. He stared at the sandy earth for as long as he could before slowly looking up at the gently glowing mirror.

It was a very large mirror, almost as tall as Edgar was. Its frame was plain, unfinished wood – the same wood as that of the tree surrounding it. Its surface was slightly irregular and warped, and in it, staring unwaveringly into Edgar's eyes…

…was his own reflection.

Edgar stared at the image, feeling as if he had been played for a fool. Then suddenly his reflection grew blindingly bright, and Edgar barely had time to shield his eyes. Then just as suddenly, it became as dark as night, so dark that it seemed to draw all of the remaining light out of the hollow. The reflection brightened again, then darkened, then the entire face of the mirror shone like the sun.

Through squinting eyes, Edgar was just able to perceive a figure appearing in the glass. It became more and more distinct, then moved forward, stepping straight through the flat face of the mirror as if it were water, becoming as real and solid as an actual person. The light was still too bright for Edgar to see the figure clearly, but soon the light began to fade. Edgar gaped at the reflection-made-flesh standing before the mirror, which had now become as dull and unreflective as stone. He had been expecting something horrifying to come out of the mirror, something unsettling, something that would trouble his sleep for years to come…

…he hadn't expected to see himself.

Edgar stared at the strangely substantial-looking apparition. There was no other way of putting it – it was him in every physical way. The same brown eyes, the same nose, the same ridiculously long hair, the same clothing…even the same slightly confused expression.

Just as Edgar was about to speak, his reflection spoke first:

"Who are you?"

Is that what my voice sounds like? Edgar thought.

"I was just going to ask you that…" he said to his other self.

"I thought this mirror showed the viewer his exact opposite," the reflection said, again saying the exact same thing that Edgar intended to say.

"So did I…"

"But you…" the other Edgar said.

"You look just like me…" Edgar said. The other Edgar cautiously extended his hands. Edgar reached out with his own and clasped the hands of his double, which felt just as real as his own. They even felt just like he suspected they would feel – slightly worn and rough, with a few new blisters and scratches from his recent adventures.

"Isn't it odd?" the other Edgar mused.

"What?" Edgar asked. "What's odd?"

"That all through our lives we see images of ourselves…paintings, mirror images, sculptures…even twins if we are born with them…But we are never able to see ourselves as separate beings. Other people can, but we never do."

"I think we're seeing each other now, though," Edgar said, "But you…you can't be me. This mirror is supposed to refract, not reflect…"

The other Edgar lowered his hands and stared at the ground…just as Edgar was prone to doing at times.

"I'm really not sure," he said, cautiously looking back up at Edgar, "But I think I have an idea."

"What is it?"

"We…well, you…you are exactly in the middle. You are too close to the Earth to be a true fairy, yet will never be completely human. Does a perfect shade of gray change when reversed in color? A darker or a lighter one would, surely, but not one that is precisely in the middle of the spectrum."

"Wow," Edgar muttered, rubbing his forehead. "That's pretty heavy…"

"But you already knew it."

Edgar's mouth fell open.

"What?" he cried. "I did? I never thought I was…"

He felt as confused as the other Edgar had looked when he first stepped out of the mirror. He then realized that he had, in fact, been coming up with a theory as to why the mirror's refraction had looked exactly like him, and the theory was virtually identical to the one the other Edgar had just related to him.

"Strange…" Edgar said slowly. "You're right. I did think of myself as being in the center. I guess you…you really are…me."

"Who else would I be?" the other Edgar said, shrugging noncommittally.

"So that's why we share the same thoughts as well as the same appearance," Edgar said.

He paused for a moment, contemplating this strange phenomenon.

"Eh…Edgar…" he eventually asked.

"Yes?"

"Do you have…this thing?" Edgar asked, reaching down the front of his tunic and pulling out his pendant as he spoke. The other Edgar put a hand to his chest and stared down at it in puzzlement. Apparently, there was no such ornament hanging from his neck.

"Why don't you have a pendant like I do?" Edgar asked.

"I don't know," the other Edgar said. "I guess only your pendant and Cassima's pendant can exist in the same world. They are both very powerful."

"Yes, I gathered that," Edgar nodded, tucking his pendant into his tunic once again.

"Have you ever considered fitting the two pendants together to form one?" the other Edgar asked suddenly.

"No…well…" Edgar faltered, "Actually, I have…but I never…"

The other Edgar smiled a lopsided smile that Edgar knew was the same smile he occasionally used.

"Of course you've considered it," the other Edgar said. "You've just been too busy to think about it in detail. Perhaps combining them could produce an amazing result. Think about it: every time you use the pendants, you wind up in the place that you are thinking about."

"Yes…" Edgar replied. Listening to the other Edgar talk was a lot like hearing his own thoughts spoken out loud by someone else.

"But you and Cassima can't think exactly the same thing; not only that, but you always wind up in a different time."

"Yes…" Edgar repeated.

"So what do you think combining two identical pendants would do?"

"Well…"

The loud, low voice of Suhad suddenly filled the tree:

"All right! Bring the creature out. I wish to speak with it."

Both Edgars flinched at the sound of her voice, then stared at each other.

"She has to mean me," Edgar said.

"I agree," the other Edgar said.

Edgar stared at his double, trying to figure out what to say next.

"I think you should…well, leave," he finally said. "I don't think she should see you."

"Why?" the other Edgar asked. Edgar's thoughts were apparently not clear enough to be understood by his reflection.

"I just think it's safer," Edgar replied.

"You were going to ask me something more?" the other Edgar asked abruptly.

"Well, yes…do you have any idea how this is going to end?"

Even though he knew the other Edgar wouldn't know the answer (since Edgar himself certainly didn't), it was a relief to ask the question that had been burning in the back of his head ever since this strange quest began.

The other Edgar merely shrugged again and sighed.

"I have a feeling it may never end, Edgar."

It was just the sort of answer Edgar had expected from himself.

"I thought so. And about Cassima…"

"Why has she been having those strange pains?"

"Yes. Do you know why?"

The other Edgar stared at him like an inquisitive bird.

"I thought you'd know, Edgar."

"Know what?"

"She's carrying Alexander's child. It doesn't look like it now, but there's no other explanation."

Edgar stared at himself. Of course Cassima was expecting a baby, and since the other Edgar knew, so did he…it must have come to him in a dream or a flash of inspiration that had quickly become almost forgotten.

"You just wanted to make certain, right?" the other Edgar asked.

"Yes," Edgar replied quietly, still a bit stunned by the revelation. "Well…good-bye…Edgar. Thanks for…the talk."

The other Edgar smiled that same lopsided smile again.

"Yes," he said. "Good-bye."

Edgar expected him to step back into the mirror, but instead he simply faded away like a wisp of fog. When Edgar glanced back at the mirror, he saw that it was reflecting his countenance once more, but he decided not to give it a second glance. As interesting as that conversation with himself was, the novelty of such an experience could easily wear off.

Suhad was standing outside the hollow when Edgar emerged. She looked at him with a face that was still quite stern, but now bore a slightly more contemplative expression. Crowded around her was a multitude of animals that had grown curious about this tall stranger that had arrived on their island. The aardvark was among them and watching Edgar much more anxiously than the other beasts.

"While you were inside the tree, it told me that you were not a mere human, stranger," Suhad said in a surprisingly gentle tone.

"Oh?" Edgar asked in surprise, looking over his shoulder at the black stump. "This tree spoke to you?"

"We who are half beast can still hear the voices of the trees and plants, but very faintly," Suhad explained. "This tree did not tell me precisely what you were, but it did tell me that you were a bringer of change. In the time that you have been here, you have changed the destiny of this island."

"I have? How?"

"The love and kindness that you carry within you…I have never beheld so much of it in any one creature," Suhad said. "The way you have grown to care for this woman who was a complete stranger that threatened your life when you first met her. Even though you love another, you love her as well – but as a friend, rather than a mate. Even though you are not human, you appear human to me, and to witness such love within you has made me realize how utterly deceived by my own hatred I was. With people like you in the world, I simply can't persist in loathing every last one of you."

She lowered her slender muzzle solemnly.

"From this day forth, all our ways shall be reversed. All that is needed is a token to prove that you are not against the world of the beasts, and then the deed will be sealed."

"What do you mean?" Edgar asked.

"Give us something that you own to show that even though you are human in appearance, you can see the world through the eyes of beasts, wanderer."

Edgar had to think about this for a short while. For a moment, he was utterly perplexed by what an animal would consider something that showed that he wasn't against the world of beasts. Then he remembered the skin he had received from the Arch Druid. If an animal didn't perceive the skin of a human as a just token, he didn't know what else would fit the bill.

Cringing, he held out the leathery bundle to Suhad.

"Here. It was the skin of a wise man. I'm sure you may find a use for it."

Suhad took the skin and sniffed at it. Then she draped it across her back, the elongated strips that had once covered the flesh of the druid's arms hanging down over her shoulders.

"Indeed," Suhad said, "I can feel the energy that this cover still possesses. Your gift is great, Edgar of Etheria. In return, I shall make an oath to return to the Isle of the Crown and make peace with the rest of the people when the child of Caliphim and Allaria bears a child of her own."

The child? Edgar thought to himself. Cassima?

"Also, as any human would do, I wish to name this island, and so I do. This island shall become a place where the knowledge of beasts and the knowledge of humanity meet and coexist, where each side can gain an insight into the philosophy of the other side. Therefore, it shall be called the Isle of Wisdom."

"A very fine name, Suhad," Edgar said, "But I cannot stay here. I am searching for a dark wizard, and I don't know where to go to look for him next."

Suhad stared at him with an almost helpless look.

"I'm afraid I don't know where you can find a wizard, wanderer. If the birds that visited this island from all over the kingdom and the world beyond knew, so would I, but I don't. But I have an idea: This place is one of the few islands that has remained untouched by humanity. Why not visit another wild, untamed land, one that has been touched by man, but only just?"

It certainly seemed like a good idea…

"But I can't think of any land like that."

"It is the land of Kolyma," Suhad said. "It was as unknown as this island many eons ago, and it is still very isolated. You should visit it."

"All right," Edgar said. He cautiously showed his pendant to Suhad.

"I got here with this magic pendant, and I'll be leaving the same way, if I can just visualize this land…If you don't mind, would you please describe it for me? I don't know anything about it."

The corners of Suhad's mouth pulled upwards in a black-lipped canine grin.

"Of course," she said good-naturedly. "Good luck in your journey, friend."

She leaned close to Edgar, put her whiskery snout close to his ear and began telling him about a small land in the southern ocean with azure seas surrounding it, golden beaches bordering it and tall mountains flanking it.

Edgar glanced at the hordes of animals watching him and saw the aardvark give him a timid wave and a smile. It would be some time before he and the other residents of this island saw a human – or a humanlike being – again…but perhaps it wouldn't be that long after all.

Edgar shut his eyes as the image of the land became clearer to him. In the next instant, the air had grown warmer, the sun had grown brighter, and he was no longer on the Isle of Wisdom – he was in Kolyma.

He was standing near a glittering beach dappled by pale, swaying palm trees. It was nothing like the beach in Tamir…or Llewdor, the Isle of the Mists or the Isle of Wisdom, for that matter. The air was warm and humid, and Edgar was sure that the waters of the sea were equally warm. There were a few dark clouds looming high in the sky, but they did little to destroy the tranquil mood of the place.

So this is Kolyma, Edgar thought. He started walking along the empty beach, wondering what he was going to find in this isolated place. He started wondering where Cassima had gone since their last visit, then, as if it was a sign from the heavens, Edgar saw a footprint in the sand. It was small, and the person who had left it was lightly built – it had also been made quite recently.

Edgar could see more footprints leading up the beach, towards the grassier hills, thick forests, streams and lakes that made up most of inland Kolyma. The odd thing was that they seemed to lead directly out of the sea – the waves had washed away whatever tracks were nearest the waterline, but it appeared as if someone had marched straight out of the ocean.

Whoever that someone was, they were probably still here. Edgar began following the path of the tracks in a straight line, towards the east. He wove his way through several thick trees and circumscribed one or two large ponds before coming to the base of a sheer wall of cliffs.

Cascading down the cliffs was a tiny waterfall, which ended in a small pool. Edgar craned his neck to see if he could glimpse the source of the waterfall atop the cliffs, which he was unsurprisingly unable to do. Still, he wondered what was at the top of the cliffs. Was there another barren mountain range, like the Impossible Mountains – or was there something else up there?

A movement out of the corner of his eye made Edgar turn sharply. Standing at the bottom of the cliffs several yards away was a very familiar brightly clad figure. Edgar slowly approached her, glad that his tracking skills weren't as horrible as he had feared. He had found the someone that had left those footprints on the beach, and it had only taken him a few minutes.

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