Edal Maxwell

Edal Maxwell is the name of a real-life otter. She was one of four who were instrumental in bringing peace between humans and otters.
== The Legend ==
According to Otter Island lore, Edal was a princess, daughter of the king of Otter Island. After the death of her brother, Mijbil, she was sent to live with Mij's companion, Gavin Maxwell, a man who loved otters. It was difficult to get to him, and she had to be carried about by a kushtaka couple until an opportunity to meet finally arose.
In real life, Edal was in fact the companion of Gavin Maxwell following the death of Mijbil.
== Appearance ==
Gavin Maxwell describes Edal as having skin so loose that she could completely turn around inside it. One might reach down to pick her up by the scruff of the neck and find that he had some other bit of skin entirely. Despite this, Edal had a very attractive face.
==Personality==
According to Gavin, Edal had a very sweet personality most of her life, and was emotionally very vulnerable. Though she loved Gavin, she pined for her old life, sometimes weeping bitterly. Edal's personality changed drastically when a tooth infection spread to her brain, resulting in madness. While Edal did receive medical treatment, her mind never fully recovered.
==Impact on history==
The sweetness which Edal displayed in her early days endeared her to many humans. Her suffering later in life garnered sympathy. Those who tolerated Mijbil now found themselves genuinely concerned for Edal's condition. For the first time, a large number of humans viewed an otter as a friend instead of vermin. This opened the way for her successor, Teko to make true peace.
==Death==
After battling madness for several months, Edal was killed when the house Camusfearna caught fire. Edal died in the fire, but was survived by Gavin and Teko.
Category: Characters