What deep reserves of strength the beast had to traverse so many leagues with only a few hours of rest at a time! But the creature did not complain. Vah's legs nearly gave way when he slid down the animal's side. His muscles shook, and he considered sitting down then and there. His buttocks, thighs, stomach—and oddly enough, his feet—ached. Isecan slid from the beast's back and alighted as if he weighed nothing at all, or as if the past days had been a mere stroll. Vah stayed on his feet to keep from shaming himself, aided by confusion at the scene.

They stood in a small grassy glade on the outskirts of a tall stand of trees. More of the massive horned beasts grazed upon tall dark grasses, lush and green despite the weather. It was warmer there, and Vah wasn't sure how it could be, for mere moments ago the wind had been biting. Some of the beasts had two horns, some three, a few only one, but they all had the same lean frame, long rope-like tufted tail, and the thick mane of bristly hairs. One made a blowing sound, and the beast they had ridden trotted over to it. The two creatures lowered their heads and clacked their horns together in something that must have been a greeting, for no fighting ensued, and soon they both grazed side by side.

Massive deciduous trees upheld walls of dark green vines. Vah did not have names for these trees. Like much of the flora in this land, it had not grown in their home woods. It was disconcerting to him, not having names for it all. Since childhood he had known every living thing by name. He stared at all this green. Just moments before they had been riding over the same barren landscape as before. It felt like encountering a dream. The whole ride had felt a little like a confused nightmare, but now it changed into a glimmer of paradise.

"Come," Isecan said, putting a hand on Vah's shoulder.

His brother led him toward a gap in the vines, and they stepped through into the twilight beneath the leafy umbrage of the trees. The trees looked like they had grown there for centuries, but so did the ones Findel had called forth upon the tir. There were more types of trees here—Vah noticed three at least, and many other plants growing beneath their shade. It felt even warmer inside the grove.

"Did you find this place?" Vah asked.

"No. We grew it," Isecan answered.

Up ahead, Vah heard water. They came to a another thicket of vines and tree trunks, passing through an archway formed of branches. They emerged through the archway, and Vah saw the pool. It was deep and dark, and its waters churned, bubbling up a foot or so in the middle and yet not overflowing its banks. Steam filled the opening, condensing on the undersides of leaves and dripping down like a slow rain. Soft moss of vibrant violet and green hues covered the cobbles at the edge of the pool, and the roots of the great trees spread toward its edge, reaching out into the water. Above, their branches formed an arched and impenetrable ceiling of bark and leaves, but streaks of dark violet and vivid yellow traced the veins of the leaves or grew like lichen upon the bark. No sound of wind and no sunlight entered the sanctum. Twilight and quiet reigned, apart from the bubbling of the water.

Sitting around the pool in a circle were the others who had left with Isecan: Selniel, who Findel had given to wed Isecan, and Theniel, Elnwë, Tlethiy, Mirnen, Torthel, Ieloe, Faili, and Neyelin. It took Vah a moment to recognize them; their faces and hands were marked with the touch of the Wellspring. Deep violet predominated in the markings, but dark blues, greens, and even streaks of yellow like spring flowers marred their hands and faces. It was clear that this was another Wellspring, and they had all drunk of the waters. They looked over at Vah as he entered and then rose to their feet, moving to stand around him with grim faces. His coming appeared to please them little.

"You found another Wellspring," Vah said, not knowing what else to say.

"We had wandered for some time," Isecan said, "finding what we could, learning about this bitter land, and living as new mates. After we had traveled eastward for weeks, something began to change. Doubts crept upon us. We recoiled at each other's touch. Battle raged in our minds, tormenting us. I found it harder and harder to reach out to the old Wellspring so that I could bring forth food from what few plants we found."

"Then we felt this Wellspring," Selniel said. It was she who had been mated to Isecan. She was tall—taller than usual—and it had taken Vah a moment to recognize her. Her once white hair was now like the sun streaked with violet. It was not just the markings of the Wellspring's touch. Their skin and hair was changing like the rest of those back with Findel.

"We needed food," Isecan said. "I reached for this new Wellspring, and my mind was set free. I knew what had happened."

"What?" Vah asked.

"Findel had used the Current to control us, to steal our wills and command our obedience," Selniel said. There was a flame of anger in her eyes as she spoke, and bitterness in her voice. "He robbed us of ourselves. Forced us to join with one another as mates against our will. But now we have all drunk of the waters, and we all can touch the Current. He has no more power over us."

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Vah felt his soul bow beneath the weight of these words. It was the death of his hope, not surprise. He had come to this knowledge, or at least the suspicion, though he had not faced it in his heart. He did not respond.

"Isecan insisted he go back to find you," Elnwë said. "He said you alone had kept your mind."

"I cannot touch the Current. I can feel none of it," Vah said.

"Can you sense this one?" Isecan said. "Try."

"I sense nothing."

"Will you drink its waters?"

Vah looked at the Source, and he quailed. He did not fear that his attempt would fail; he feared it would succeed. These waters that had saved them also brought horror.

"I do not wish to drink of it. I cannot sense it. It is nothing to me."

Elnwë reached out his hand and held it toward Vah.

"Elnwë!" Isecan snapped, batting away his hand. Elnwë did not resist or reach again.

"We promised not to use the power upon each other or our people," Selniel snapped.

"I did nothing to him," Elnwë retorted. "Except try to find him. There is nothing there. I believe it has no effect on him."

"I could not sense the rest of you until you'd drunk," Isecan said. Elnwë walked over to the pool. There was a dipper carved of wood there, and he filled it, turning back.

"I told you I won't drink it," Vah said.

"You do not have to," he said.

"What are you doing, Elnwë?" Isecan asked. Elnwë approached calmly. Vah raised his hands to ward him off.

"I told you—"

Elnwë threw the dipper of water into Vah's face. It was hot, and Vah gasped, wiping the water away with his hands.

Isecan pushed Elnwë back, knocking him to the ground.

"Stop!" Selniel shouted.

"Look," Elnwë said, pointing from the ground. "He is unmarked."

"It was a treacherous deed," Isecan said, standing over him.

"I needed to know. We cannot trust one of your brothers. I was not going to trust another blindly."

"So you brought me here to see if I could touch this Current?" Vah asked, irritated. Despite the surprise, he'd felt nothing besides hot water.

"And to rescue you. We all tried to return to save the others, but the closer we got to Findel's Wellspring and the further from this, the weaker our grasp became. We feared we would not be able to face Findel without losing our wills again."

"But you came anyway."

"You are my brother."

"So is Findel."

Isecan winced.

"What he has done—" He trailed off.

"When we tamed the horned-ones, Isecan insisted on trying to bring you out," Selniel said.

"The horned-ones," Vah repeated. "How did you tame them?"

"We found them as we were searching for plants and trees," Selniel said. "They were grazing on moss and lichens. Theniel approached one."

"It speared him through the shoulder," Elnwë said, interrupting.

Theniel drew down his fiber-woven shirt to show a healed scar. Its ridge was an unnatural silver-blue, with veins of blue tracing away from it.

"That wound is long healed," Vah said.

"The Wellspring can be used for many things. For taming beasts, and for healing wounds."

"We have been using it to warm the air," Elnwë said. "The weather was foul here as well, but with little effort it does not reach us within the trees."

Vah had already noticed the temperature difference. He was quite comfortable within the sanctum of trees. The steam actually made it almost too warm. He turned to his brother, and without thinking, he reached out his hand and touched Isecan's cheek near his mouth, where the violet growth had textured his skin and made it rough.

"We are marked by it," Selniel said. "It is an honor." She looked like she had indulged more in the water than the others. Much of her neck and chin were marked as well.

"So what will you do?"

"We must find a way to free our people from Findel," Isecan answered.

"We can go and speak with him."

"No," Selniel said. "The words of one who has done what he has done cannot be trusted."

"It's Findel," Vah said, ignoring her and looking at Isecan.

"I know," Isecan said. "But Vah. He controlled us. He forced us to mate like animals, without courtship or ritual."

"So what do you want to do?" Vah asked. Isecan looked away. Vah gazed around at the others, but only Selniel would meet his eyes.

"The rest of us cannot come close to him," she said.

Realization hit Vah at once. They saw the horror of it on his face.

"He is enslaving our people!" Elnwë said.

"No," Vah said, shaking his head and raising his hands. 'No!"

"Vah, just hear us," Isecan said, grabbing him by the shoulders, but Vah pushed away.

"You don't understand what it is like to have your very self stolen from you!" Tlethiy said. Unlike Selniel's anger, Tlethiy's face streamed with tears.

"And what would keep you from doing the same? What keeps any of you from controlling the others? I cannot see the difference. Maybe one of you is already master here." Vah felt the weakness of his own arguments, but their suggestion was unthinkable.

"We are free wills and free souls," Selniel said, teeth clenched. Her grimace looked strange, the marked skin stiff across her mouth. "Anyone can sense it."

"Not me."

"We will let all drink of the water or take hold of the Current themselves," Isecan said. "Then they will not be weak. We can tell who has touched it."

"He must be killed," Selniel said. Vah gaped at Isecan.

"No."

"We can find no other way," Isecan whispered.

"You have not looked hard enough!"

"You alone can do this. You alone can free our people."

"You must find another way," Vah said. "I will not do it."

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