Heart of Clear Springs: II

A legend the hunters of Springvale pass mouth to mouth—how a spring spirit and a youth first met.

Watching moonlight shattered in the ripples, the youth poured his true heart into the spring.

From his words she learned many of his stories.

And from her silence he firmed his own resolve.

The spring spirit dimly understood that the world's beauty is not only moonlight and berries, and that lamentable darkness is not only layers of cloud that hide the night sky.

The youth told her of forests, cities, and high walls, and shared with her his joy, sorrow, and fear.

Listening, she grew daily more enchanted with this imperfect world she had newly come to know.

When the youth fretted over his powerlessness, the spring spirit gently and silently wiped away his tears. From his tears she gained a little more understanding of the world beyond the spring.

Tears joined the pool; the spirit purified them and turned them into sweet spring that brought the youth good dreams. The youth forgot all waking pain and met the silent spirit at the dream-spring.

At such times, in the pool of moon-melted water, the sleeping spirit too smiled.

Clear dew moistened the youth's fair dreams; the youth's dreams moistened the lonely spirit.

In dreams the spring spirit told the youth of the distant water realm, of a sapphire homeland, softly sang the exile's homesickness, sighed of leaving and of return. And the youth became the silent listener—weeping for her trials, glad for her happiness.

Thus the spring spirit gained the power of speech in the youth's memory and dreams.

Thus she and the youth became friends who could speak of everything.