###$=;«.¨¨ ¨¨.«;=$###
##$=;«.¨¨¨ ¨¨¨.«;=$##
#$=;«.¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨.«;=$#
$=;«.¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨.«;=$
=;«.¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨.«;=
;«.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.«;
«.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.«
.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ . . . . . . . . ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ « « « « « « « « « « « ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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 ¨¨¨¨¨¨.«;=
$=;«.¨¨¨¨¨ BLEEDING FROM A THOUSAND WOUNDS. AS ¨¨¨¨¨.«;=$
#$=;«.¨¨¨¨ THEY DRINK FROM THE DARK WATER, IT IS ¨¨¨¨.«;=$#
##$=;«.¨¨¨ IN TURN DRINKING THE ANIMALS BLOOD. ¨¨¨.«;=$##
###$=;«.¨¨ ¨¨.«;=$###
####$=;«.¨ THE CIRCLE IS COMPLETE, THE CONTRACT ¨.«;=$####
###$=;«.¨¨ CARRIED OUT; THE ANIMAL IS ABANDONED TO ¨¨.«;=$###
##$=;«.¨¨¨ FIND ITS OWN WAY BACK. THE BUSHES ROOTS ¨¨¨.«;=$##
#$=;«.¨¨¨¨ DRINK THE NUTRUTIOUS WATER. THE FAIRIES ¨¨¨¨.«;=$#
$=;«.¨¨¨¨¨ DANCE IN THE SUNBEAMS. ¨¨¨¨¨.«;=$
=;«.¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨.«;=
;«.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.«;
«.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ « « « « « « « « « « « ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.«
.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ . . . . . . . . ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨