Nam Ji Hyun perched quietly on a little rock off the wooded trails. The morning sun was shining through the leaves of the forest and the birds of the island were trading songs and gossip. Her mind, however, was not there. It was a thousand miles away, trying to think of an ancient city with church spires and castles. Her hands poised holding a pen over her notebook.

The truth was, the words would not come. When she had first seen the beautiful, moody shots of Prague in the magazine, images had flashed through her mind of a story; a romance and a mystery. But what had first started as a flow of inspiration had now trickled to a stop. Because what did she know of Prague? Or, of romance?

All she knew was this island.

Sometimes travellers from distant places would stay with them at the guest house. She had picked up enough English to be able to converse a little; and they had taught her more of that language and of their mother tongues. They would tell her stories of where they were from and where they had been. 

They often brought books and left the ones they no longer needed; sometimes swapping for another that other travellers had left behind. In her spare time (and she had plenty when there were no guests) JiHyun would read them, using a dictionary to translate the harder words or  sometimes making the trek to town to use the internet cafe there. Those books were her escape to distant places.

Many years ago, a man from England had stayed with them for almost four months. He was a photographer he said, from a magazine called the National Geographic; there to capture photos of the birds on Jeju island. He had brought with him the latest edition of the journal and JiHyun had read enraptured. The beautiful photos and words brought her to different worlds and lives; somewhere far beyond here.

During those months, JiHyun would often act as the Photographer's guide around the island, sitting patiently with him as he waited for the perfect shot. She had never paid much attention before to the birds here. They were col