¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^= =^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^ ^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^ ¨ ¨ ¨ ^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^= ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ =^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^=/ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ /=^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨^=/$ = = = = = = = = = = = $/=^¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨^=/$$ //////////////////////////////////////// $$/=^¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨^=/$$& &$$/=^¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨^=/$$&@ JUST OFF THE COAST TO THE BALTIC SEA @&$$/=^¨¨¨
¨¨^=/$$&@# THERE'S A FRESHWATER POND, SECLUDED #@&$$/=^¨¨
¨^=/$$&@## AMONG ASHEN AND JUNIPER. A CLEFT IN THE ##@&$$/=^¨
^=/$$&@### LIMESTONE BEDROCK, SHARP-CUT FROM THE ###@&$$/=^
¨^=/$$&@## SURROUNDING PLAINS, A NINETY DEGREE ##@&$$/=^¨
¨¨^=/$$&@# DROP DOWN, DOWN, TO THE MIDNIGHT-BLACK #@&$$/=^¨¨
¨¨¨^=/$$&@ WATER. @&$$/=^¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨^=/$$& &$$/=^¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨^=/$$ ====$$$$$$$$==== $$/=^¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨^=/$ ==$$ $$== $/=^¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^=/ =====$$ FAIRIES LIVE HERE. $$===== /=^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^= ==$$ $$== =^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^ ====$$$$$$$$==== ^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ THEY SPEAK TO THE SLOANE, CARESS IT, ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ URGE IT TO GROW THICKER, TANGLED, WITH ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^ LONGER AND SHARPER THORNS. THEY TELL IT ^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^= TO STAY JUST BELOW THE GRASS, SO THAT =^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^=/ THE ANIMALS WHAT COME TO DRINK THE /=^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨^=/$ WATER CANNOT SEE IT BEFORE IT DRAWS $/=^¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨^=/$$ 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 $$/=^¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨^=/$ BUSHWORK AND INTO THE CLEFT, THEY ARE $/=^¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^=/ BLEEDING FROM A THOUSAND WOUNDS. AS /=^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^= THEY DRINK FROM THE DARK WATER, IT IS =^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^ IN TURN DRINKING THE ANIMALS BLOOD. ^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ THE CIRCLE IS COMPLETE, THE CONTRACT ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ CARRIED OUT; THE ANIMAL IS ABANDONED TO ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^ FIND ITS OWN WAY BACK. THE BUSHES ROOTS ^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^= DRINK THE NUTRUTIOUS WATER. THE FAIRIES =^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^=/ DANCE IN THE SUNBEAMS. /=^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨^=/$ $/=^¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨^=/$$ //////////////////////////////////////// $$/=^¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨^=/$$& = = = = = = = = = = = &$$/=^¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨^=/$$&@ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ @&$$/=^¨¨¨
¨¨^=/$$&@# ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ #@&$$/=^¨¨
¨^=/$$&@## ¨ ¨ ¨ ##@&$$/=^¨
^=/$$&@### ###@&$$/=^
¨^=/$$&@## ##@&$$/=^¨
¨¨^=/$$&@# #@&$$/=^¨¨
¨¨¨^=/$$&@ @&$$/=^¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨^=/$$& &$$/=^¨¨¨¨