......-~=$ $=~-......
.....-~=$* *$=~-.....
....-~=$*@ @*$=~-....
...-~=$*@# #@*$=~-...
..-~=$*@## ##@*$=~-..
.-~=$*@### . . . ###@*$=~-.
..-~=$*@## . . . . . . ##@*$=~-..
...-~=$*@# - - - - - - - - #@*$=~-...
....-~=$*@ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ @*$=~-....
.....-~=$* ======================================== *$=~-.....
......-~=$ $=~-......
.......-~= just off the coast to the baltic sea =~-.......
........-~ there's a freshwater pond, secluded ~-........
.........- among ashen and juniper. a cleft in the -.........
........-~ limestone bedrock, sharp-cut from the ~-........
.......-~= surrounding plains, a ninety degree =~-.......
......-~=$ 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. #@*$=~-...
..-~=$*@## ##@*$=~-..
.-~=$*@### ======================================== ###@*$=~-.
..-~=$*@## ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ##@*$=~-..
...-~=$*@# - - - - - - - - #@*$=~-...
....-~=$*@ . . . . . . @*$=~-....
.....-~=$* . . . *$=~-.....
......-~=$ $=~-......
.......-~= =~-.......
........-~ ~-........
.........- -.........
........-~ ~-........