¨¨¨^=^†@§@ @§@†^=^¨¨¨
¨¨^=^†@§@# #@§@†^=^¨¨
¨^=^†@§@## ##@§@†^=^¨
¨¨^=^†@§@# #@§@†^=^¨¨
¨¨¨^=^†@§@ @§@†^=^¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨^=^†@§ ¨ ¨ ¨ §@†^=^¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨^=^†@ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ @†^=^¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨^=^† ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ †^=^¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^=^ = = = = = = = = = = = ^=^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^= ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ =^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^ ^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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. †^=^¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨^=^†@ @†^=^¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨^=^†@§ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ §@†^=^¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨^=^†@§@ = = = = = = = = = = = @§@†^=^¨¨¨
¨¨^=^†@§@# ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ #@§@†^=^¨¨
¨^=^†@§@## ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ##@§@†^=^¨
¨¨^=^†@§@# ¨ ¨ ¨ #@§@†^=^¨¨
¨¨¨^=^†@§@ @§@†^=^¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨^=^†@§ §@†^=^¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨^=^†@ @†^=^¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨^=^† †^=^¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^=^ ^=^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨