¨¨:~=*$$$@ @$$$*=~:¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨~=$# #$=~¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨:~=*$@### ###@$*=~:¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨~*$# #$*~¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨:~=*$@### ###@$*=~:¨
¨:~=$@#### ¨ ¨ ¨ ####@$=~:¨
¨:~=*$@### ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ###@$*=~:¨
¨¨¨:===$@@ : : : : : : : : @@$===:¨¨¨
¨:~=*$@### ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ###@$*=~:¨
¨:~=*$@### ======================================== ###@$*=~:¨
¨::~~~*$@# #@$*~~~::¨
¨¨::~=*$$@ JUST OFF THE COAST TO THE BALTIC SEA @$$*=~::¨¨
¨¨¨¨:~*$@@ THERE'S A FRESHWATER POND, SECLUDED @@$*~:¨¨¨¨
¨:~=*$@### AMONG ASHEN AND JUNIPER. A CLEFT IN THE ###@$*=~:¨
¨:~=*$@### LIMESTONE BEDROCK, SHARP-CUT FROM THE ###@$*=~:¨
¨:~=*$@### SURROUNDING PLAINS, A NINETY DEGREE ###@$*=~:¨
¨¨¨¨:::=*@ 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 @****=~¨¨¨
¨:~=*$@### DANCE IN THE SUNBEAMS. ###@$*=~:¨
¨¨¨:===$$# #$$===:¨¨¨
¨:~=*$@### ======================================== ###@$*=~:¨
¨:~=*$@@@# ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ #@@@$*=~:¨
¨:~=*$@### : : : : : : : : ###@$*=~:¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨~*$# ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ #$*~¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨:~=*$@### ¨ ¨ ¨ ###@$*=~:¨
¨:~~=*$$$# #$$$*=~~:¨
¨::::~~~*@ @*~~~::::¨
¨:~=*$$@@@ @@@$$*=~:¨
¨¨¨~~~=$## ##$=~~~¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨~=$@ @$=~¨¨¨¨¨¨