Eventide is softly casting o'er the earth a magic spell,

And a love-song, everlasting, on the night wind seems to swell.

The desert island didn't look anything like she had imagined it. Desert rather implied arid landscapes full of sand and dust and scorching heat. And it was indeed a lot warmer here than in the Edge, where nights had grown frosty and the leaves were changing colors so that the forest painted an illusion of being set ablaze under the morning light. But rather than sand, dry rocks and shimmering mirages, she found a landscape that shimmered in emerald hues, an island beyond the sea that rivaled the Riptide Islands in verdant abundance of water and life. Awed, the young dove circled through the air by the borders of this marvelous realm and let her gaze absorb everything in this foreign land, from the red cliffs by the sea to the beaches, the sapphire blue of sea and sky and the blinding sunlight that radiated down upon it in abundance.

No wonder her mother had chosen to stay here in her youth. The sky seemed so much taller here, the horizon closer than ever; tantalizingly so, as though it wouldn't be impossible at all to reach it and finally discover what was on the other side. In the far distance, Erthë could make out the glitter of water amidst tall trees, swaying in the morning breeze. An oasis, perhaps, nestled by the roots of a giant tree, so red that the color reached her even from this distance. Oh, it was beautiful, in a melancholy and heart-wrenching way. As she lowered herself in wide circles towards the ground, she thought of how the place must look at night. How big the sky must be, how dark and how bright the stars must shine. A shudder rippled over pearly skin at the thought, a breathless smile teasing over silky lips as she gently, gingerly stepped onto foreign soil.

Ocean winds ruffled through shimmering curls as she gazed about in avid curiosity, the vast wings folding neatly to the sides as she waited for someone to notice her presence. It was a beautiful day, surely someone had to be up and about already, even if it was early still. She was in no hurry, but patience still wasn't one of her more defining traits and it had been so long since she had seen her uncle Badger. The sooner she got to hug him the better - she had missed him lately and they had things to talk about. The kind of thing you didn't really want to discuss with a dad or someone you saw every day, healer or not.

So she waited, humming a happy tune and laughing at the play of seagulls in the salty wind.