#¨###¨##¨¨                                          ##¨¨#¨#¨¨#
##¨¨##¨#¨¨                                          ¨#¨####¨#¨
¨#¨#¨###¨¨                                          ###¨¨¨####
#####¨¨#¨¨                                          ¨¨#¨¨#¨¨¨#
¨¨¨¨#¨##¨#                                          ¨##¨##¨¨#¨
¨¨¨###¨### ¨                  ¨                   ¨ #¨##¨#¨##¨
¨¨#¨¨##¨¨# ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨ ##¨####¨#¨
¨##¨#¨#¨#¨ :     :     :     :    :    :    :     : ¨##¨¨¨###¨
#¨#######¨ ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~  ~   ~   ~   ~ #¨#¨¨#¨¨#¨
##¨¨¨¨¨¨## ======================================== ###¨##¨###
¨#¨¨¨¨¨#¨¨                                          ¨¨##¨##¨¨¨
##¨¨¨¨##¨# just off the coast  to  the  baltic  sea ¨#¨##¨#¨¨¨
¨#¨¨¨#¨##¨   there's a freshwater pond, secluded    ###¨###¨¨#
##¨¨###¨#¨ among  ashen and juniper. a cleft in the ¨¨##¨¨#¨##
¨#¨#¨¨###¨  limestone bedrock, sharp-cut from the   ¨#¨#¨###¨¨
####¨#¨¨#¨    surrounding plains, a ninety degree   #####¨¨#¨¨
¨¨¨###¨### drop down,  down,  to the midnight-black ¨¨¨¨#¨##¨#
¨¨#¨¨##¨¨¨                  water.                  ¨¨¨###¨###
¨##¨#¨#¨¨#                                          ¨¨#¨¨##¨¨#
#¨#####¨#¨             ~~~~========~~~~             ¨##¨#¨#¨##
##¨¨¨¨###¨         ~~==                ==~~         #¨######¨¨
¨#¨¨¨#¨¨#¨  ~~~~~==   fairies live here.   ==~~~~~  ##¨¨¨¨¨#¨#
##¨¨##¨###         ~~==                ==~~         ¨#¨¨¨¨####
¨#¨#¨##¨¨¨             ~~~~========~~~~             ##¨¨¨#¨¨¨¨
#####¨#¨¨#                                          ¨#¨¨##¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨###¨## they  speak  to the sloane,  caress  it, ##¨#¨#¨¨¨#
¨¨¨#¨¨##¨# urge  it to grow thicker,  tangled, with ¨#####¨¨##
¨¨##¨#¨##¨ longer and sharper thorns.  they tell it #¨¨¨¨#¨#¨#
¨#¨####¨#¨ to stay  just below the grass,  so  that #¨¨¨######
###¨¨¨###¨ the  animals  what  come  to  drink  the #¨¨#¨¨¨¨¨#
¨¨#¨¨#¨¨#¨ water  cannot  see  it  before  it draws #¨##¨¨¨¨#¨
¨##¨##¨##¨ their blood.  closer to  the  pond,  the ##¨#¨¨¨##¨
#¨##¨##¨## sloane can grow  taller, being  able  to ¨###¨¨#¨#¨
##¨##¨##¨#        hide also in the juniper.         #¨¨#¨#####
¨##¨##¨###                                          #¨###¨¨¨¨¨
#¨##¨##¨¨¨ the fairies  will beckon the  animals to ##¨¨#¨¨¨¨¨
##¨##¨#¨¨# push  forward,  tell  them that  they're ¨#¨##¨¨¨¨#
¨##¨###¨## almost  at  the  water,  that  they  may ###¨#¨¨¨#¨
#¨##¨¨##¨# drink  soon. and they  will  tug  on the ¨¨###¨¨##¨
##¨#¨#¨### sloane to make sure  that the thorns cut ¨#¨¨#¨#¨##
¨######¨¨# deep.  when  they finally find the  path ##¨#####¨¨
#¨¨¨¨¨#¨## down  between the rocks, away  from  the ¨##¨¨¨¨#¨¨
#¨¨¨¨###¨¨ bushwork and into  the cleft,  they  are #¨#¨¨¨##¨#
#¨¨¨#¨¨#¨¨ bleeding  from  a  thousand  wounds.  as ###¨¨#¨##¨
#¨¨##¨##¨# they drink  from  the dark water,  it is ¨¨#¨###¨##
#¨#¨##¨##¨ in  turn  drinking  the  animals  blood. ¨###¨¨##¨¨
####¨##¨#¨                                          #¨¨#¨#¨#¨#
¨¨¨##¨###¨ the circle  is  complete,  the  contract #¨#######¨
¨¨#¨##¨¨#¨ carried  out; the animal is abandoned to ##¨¨¨¨¨¨#¨
¨###¨#¨##¨ find its own way back. the  bushes roots ¨#¨¨¨¨¨##¨
#¨¨####¨#¨ drink the nutrutious water. the  fairies ##¨¨¨¨#¨#¨
#¨#¨¨¨####          dance in the sunbeams.          ¨#¨¨¨#####
###¨¨#¨¨¨#                                          ##¨¨#¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨#¨##¨¨## ======================================== ¨#¨##¨¨¨¨#
¨###¨#¨#¨¨ ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~  ~   ~   ~   ~ ###¨#¨¨¨##
#¨¨#####¨# :    :     :     :    :     :    :     : ¨¨###¨¨#¨#
#¨#¨¨¨¨### ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨ ¨#¨¨#¨###¨
###¨¨¨#¨¨¨ ¨                   ¨                  ¨ ##¨###¨¨##
¨¨#¨¨##¨¨¨                                          ¨##¨¨#¨#¨¨
¨##¨#¨#¨¨#                                          #¨#¨####¨¨
#¨#####¨#¨                                          ####¨¨¨#¨¨
##¨¨¨¨###¨                                          ¨¨¨#¨¨##¨#
¨#¨¨¨#¨¨##                                          ¨¨##¨#¨##¨