¨¨¨.=/*$¤# #¤$*/=.¨¨¨
¨¨.=/*$¤## ##¤$*/=.¨¨
¨.=/*$¤### ###¤$*/=.¨
¨¨.=/*$¤## ##¤$*/=.¨¨
¨¨¨.=/*$¤# #¤$*/=.¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨.=/*$¤ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¤$*/=.¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨.=/*$ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ $*/=.¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨.=/* . . . . . . . . */=.¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.=/ = = = = = = = = = = = /=.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.= //////////////////////////////////////// =.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨. .¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ just off the coast to the baltic sea ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨. there's a freshwater pond, secluded .¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.= among ashen and juniper. a cleft in the =.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.=/ limestone bedrock, sharp-cut from the /=.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨.=/* surrounding plains, a ninety degree */=.¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨.=/*$ 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 $*/=.¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨.=/* bleeding from a thousand wounds. as */=.¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.=/ they drink from the dark water, it is /=.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.= in turn drinking the animals blood. =.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨. .¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ the circle is complete, the contract ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨. carried out; the animal is abandoned to .¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.= find its own way back. the bushes roots =.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.=/ drink the nutrutious water. the fairies /=.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨.=/* dance in the sunbeams. */=.¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨.=/*$ $*/=.¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨.=/*$¤ //////////////////////////////////////// ¤$*/=.¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨.=/*$¤# = = = = = = = = = = = #¤$*/=.¨¨¨
¨¨.=/*$¤## . . . . . . . . ##¤$*/=.¨¨
¨.=/*$¤### ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ###¤$*/=.¨
¨¨.=/*$¤## ¨ ¨ ¨ ##¤$*/=.¨¨
¨¨¨.=/*$¤# #¤$*/=.¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨.=/*$¤ ¤$*/=.¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨.=/*$ $*/=.¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨.=/* */=.¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.=/ /=.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨