Fetter, of course, was the first of them to begin walking toward the well.
“Fetter, wait!” Teofil called. He hurried up and put a hand on his shoulder. “Let’s take it slow, all right? There are many stories about this well, and we don’t know the truth from legend.”
Thaddeus stood behind Teofil. He forced himself to look away from the well and at Fetter’s face, startled to see his angry expression as he glared at Teofil.
“We didn’t journey all this way to be cautious now, Teofil,” Fetter said. “We need to draw a sample of water from the well and rush it back to Nathan to cure him.” His head bobbed up and down in a manic rhythm as he looked around at them all. “And we should take extra too, in case the troll poison has gotten into his blood or organs. Just so we have enough.”
“That’s a good idea, Fetter,” Teofil said in a gentle voice. “But let’s be cautious as we approach the well, for all our sakes. Who knew the vines at the grave would be so angry? Let’s keep our wits about us and our eyes and ears open.”
Thaddeus saw a muscle in his jaw tighten as Fetter clenched his teeth, but then he nodded.
“Good.” Teofil looked at each of them. “Let’s go up there together. We’ll spread out to surround it on all sides and walk up slowly.”
They dispersed in a rough circle around the well. A portion of the wall had collapsed, the stones lying in a heap on the ground now covered by moss and small, brightly colored wildflowers. To Thaddeus’s left, Teofil flashed him a quick, reassuring smile, then took a step closer. They all followed suit. Nothing happened, and Teofil took another step and the rest of them did as well.
Fetter stood across the well from Thaddeus, clenching and releasing his fists as they slowly approached the stones. Thaddeus could almost feel the impatience rolling off him, and it set his nerves on edge. Fetter was unpredictable during his best behavior, but being in such close proximity to the well seemed to be making him act even more erratically.
When they all finally stepped up to the well, they leaned in as a group and peered down the stone-lined shaft. Darkness stared back at them, a deeper darkness than Thaddeus had ever seen.
“Is it empty?” Astrid asked.
“It can’t be,” Fetter insisted. “The stories have all said there’s water in it. Though the stories are different, that’s the one similarity. All of them have stated there’s water down there. There has to be water.”
“Let’s find out,” Dulindir said and stooped to pluck a small stone from alongside the well. He held it out over the opening, looked at each of them in turn, and then let it drop.
Thaddeus held his breath and strained to listen. Just when he started to expect the worst, a quiet splash echoed up to them, and they all cheered.
“But, how do we get it up?” Astrid asked. “There’s no bucket.”
“Oh,” Teofil said as he looked around. “Astrid is right. There’s no rope or bucket.”
“You have rope in your pack, don’t you?” Thaddeus asked Teofil.
He dropped to one knee, rummaging in his pack and pulling out the rope. “I do. It should be long enough. We just need a bucket.”
“Or a volunteer,” Dulindir said as he removed his sword, quiver of arrows, and bow. He set the items aside and removed his green jacket to reveal the white shirt beneath. “You can lower me down, and I’ll fill a waterskin.”
“Why you?” Fetter asked.
“I’m the lightest. And I can light my own way with my hair. It’s the best solution.” He raised his eyebrows. “Are you afraid I will run off with the water from down inside the well?”
“What? No. That’s crazy.” Fetter laughed, but it sounded stilted and edged with anxiety. “Of course not. You’re right. You weigh the least of all of us, and you can summon light to see by.”
“Tie this around your waist,” Teofil instructed as he handed Dulindir one end of the rope.
Once Dulindir had secured the rope around his waist, he emptied a waterskin and tucked it inside his shirt. He sat on the edge of the well and turned to dangle his feet over the opening. Looking back at Teofil, he said, “Don’t drop me.”
“I won’t.”
Thaddeus draped the slack of the rope around his waist and stood behind Teofil, letting it play out slowly as Teofil lowered Dulindir into the well. Across the opening from them, Fetter paced with his hands clasped behind his back. Astrid peered down into the well, her expression pensive as she watched Dulindir descend. After a few moments, her face softened with a sudden smile, and she looked at Teofil and Thaddeus.
“His hair is glowing again,” she said. “I can see the water beneath him.”
“Really?” Fetter asked, leaning in over the well. “Where?”
The stones shifted beneath Fetter’s hands, and Thaddeus’s heart banged in response.
“Careful, Fetter!” Thaddeus shouted. “That wall isn’t stable.”
Fetter looked up at him, and in the space of a breath—too fast for Teofil and Astrid to see as they were distracted keeping Dulindir safe—Thaddeus saw an expression of pure, frightening hatred flash across Fetter’s face. It startled him so much he nearly lost his grip on the rope but managed to hang on as he looked away. When he had worked up the nerve to look at Fetter again, his expression had softened to one of contrition and embarrassment.
“Sorry,” Fetter said to all of them at once. “Just excited, that’s all.”
Thaddeus wondered if that was really all it had been. He couldn’t focus on that at the moment, however, as he was too busy helping Teofil lower Dulindir into the well.
But, still, what had that expression been about? Thaddeus didn’t think he had imagined it.
“Astrid, let us know when he’s close to the water,” Teofil said.
“He’s almost there,” she said. “Not much farther. Easy does it. Easy. There! Stop!”
The rope shifted and tugged in Thaddeus’s grip as Dulindir filled the waterskin. Sweat ran down Thaddeus’s back, and the wounds on his palms ached and throbbed under the pressure of the rope. The reopened wound in his leg seemed to answer in kind, but he clenched his jaw and held tight to the rope. Dulindir was depending on them to keep him safe, and his father’s life rested on them returning with this water.
“Okay, he’s ready to come up!” Astrid said. “Pull him up!”
Thaddeus and Teofil strained to lift Dulindir out of the well, finding it was much more difficult than it had been to lower him. The rope slipped a few times along Thaddeus’s injured palm, tearing away the plantain leaves and exposing the raw wounds. He hissed in a breath but maintained his grip as sweat dripped down his face.
“Fetter!” Thaddeus shouted. “Help us!”
Fetter looked startled at being asked to participate, but to Thaddeus’s relief, he recovered quickly and hurried over to take up the slack behind Thaddeus. The extra pair of hands was just what they needed, and together the three of them hauled Dulindir up until he extended his hand to Astrid. She pulled him out of the well and hugged him tight.
“You were amazing,” Astrid said to Dulindir.
“He was amazing?” Teofil said, half-joking. “We’re the ones who did all the work.”