¨^~;*****¤ ¤*****;~^¨
¨^~;**¤@## ##@¤**;~^¨
¨^~;**¤@## ##@¤**;~^¨
¨^~;****¤# #¤****;~^¨
¨¨¨¨¨~;*¤@ @¤*;~¨¨¨¨¨
¨^~;**¤@## ¨ ¨ ¨ ##@¤**;~^¨
¨^~;***¤¤@ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ @¤¤***;~^¨
¨¨^~~~*¤@# ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ #@¤*~~~^¨¨
¨^~;****@@ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ @@****;~^¨
¨^~;**¤@## ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; ##@¤**;~^¨
¨^~;****¤¤ ¤¤****;~^¨
¨^~;*****¤ 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. ##@¤**;~^¨
¨¨¨¨^;**¤@ @¤**;^¨¨¨¨
¨^~;**¤@## ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; ##@¤**;~^¨
¨^~;*¤@### ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ###@¤*;~^¨
¨¨¨¨¨~***@ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ @***~¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨^^;*¤# ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ #¤*;^^¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨^~**@ ¨ ¨ ¨ @**~^¨¨¨¨¨
¨^~;***¤¤@ @¤¤***;~^¨
¨^~;**¤¤¤@ @¤¤¤**;~^¨
¨^~;**¤@## ##@¤**;~^¨
¨^~;**¤@## ##@¤**;~^¨
¨^~;**¤@## ##@¤**;~^¨