When the world was new and not fully made, and there only lived spirits and creatures, there was a land that was not quite a land. The ground of fine sand shifted and blew about, carried by fierce winds, and so the ground never held a single face. The sun and the moon and the stars above could not reach through the thick wall of wind, so in the eye of the world this land was only darkness and blowing sand.

In this corner of the world arrived a small lost spirit. The spirit had wandered far, and, having stumbled into the darkness and blowing sand, was unable to return to the world. She traveled further still, in straight paths and circles and other patterns she devised, but no exit could be found. The spirit spent half of a sun's turn in this way, only stopping to rest.

At the beginning of the seventh turn of the moon, a large drop of silver light pierced through the winds and fell to the ground. The spirit spied the drop and retrieved it, taking care to brush away the sand that had sullied it. The drop eased into her gentle touch, and sighed in relief.

'I am a piece of the moon that has fallen to earth,' it whispered. 'The sand will extinguish me if I remain in this place.' The spirit cradled the drop in her arms to protect its glow, and resumed her trek, now seeking refuge for them both.

On the third day of her search, she spied a cave, and its mouth spoke to her. 'My mouth is small, but I will provide shelter,' it called. 'Rest here and find comfort.' 

Weak from her journey, the spirit staggered into the cave. She opened her mouth to give thanks, but found her voice gone hoarse from disuse.

A distant murmur answered her nonetheless. 'I am a spring,' it said, 'and I will give you nourishment. Move deeper into the cave and find respite.'

The small spirit did so, and found a clear spring deep in the cavern. The spring had its own spirits, who beckoned for her to drink. She sated her thirst, then cupped some of the spring water in her hands to wash the drop away from the banks of the spring. 

Seeing this selflessness and care for both her fellow traveler and the cleanliness of the spring, the spirits were pleased. 'You are clearly weary from travel but still tend to others. If you wish to stay here in the cavern we will provide for you.' The little spirit, exhausted from her efforts, agreed to remain.

The little spirit, the drop, and the spirits of the spring made an accord; the spring supplied the little spirit with water, and she tended to the earth in the cavern around the mouth of the spring. The drop supplied light and warmth, and in return was granted permission to bathe in the spring's waters.

This arrangement persisted for many turns of the sun. The drop of light regained its strength, the spring flowed with pure water, and the little spirit's long-held fatigue ebbed away.

On the surface, the blowing sands began to abate, and the drop of light shone even through the mouth of the cave far above. A new set of wanderers spotted its glow, and so the first humans in that corner of the new world entered the cave.

The humans spoke to the cavern and its spirits. 'We seek shelter from the blowing sand above. Please grant us refuge. We will repay you how we can.' The spirits of the spring gave their reply– 'You may stay here if you wish, as long as our source remains untouched.' The humans agreed, and gave their thanks; they drank from the spring, but never settled near or laid hands upon the place where the spring emerged from the earth.

The humans set about making their home, but they never strayed far, for the drop was their only source of light. Seeing this, the drop spoke to the humans, saying 'I will offer myself up to light your way, as long as you respect your covenant with this cavern.' The humans agreed, and the drop dispelled itself into many pieces that took up posts at every corner of the cave system where humans could tread. The humans once again offered their gratitude.

The little spirit cradled the drop's most precious center mote, and watched the humans for any need that she could fulfill. Finding none, she departed with the mote in her arms, to the furthest reaches of the cave system, and was never seen again by mortal eyes.

The peace of the ages held fast, kept aloft by the humans who passed knowledge of the spirits' blessings down for generations. They made offerings to the spirits, tended to the spring, and swept the dust off the lights. The humans eked out a quiet existence, not without its struggles, but free of greater trial.  

Then came the day a man was found dead and the lights began to dim.