¨&&&¨&¨&&¨ &&¨&¨&&¨&&
&¨¨&&&&¨&¨ ¨&&&&¨&&¨&
&¨&¨¨¨&&&¨ &¨¨¨&&¨&&¨
&&&¨¨&¨¨&& &¨¨&¨&&¨&&
¨¨&¨&&¨&¨¨ &¨&&&¨&&¨¨
¨&&&¨&&&¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ &&¨¨&&¨&¨¨
&¨¨&&¨¨&¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨&¨&¨&&&¨¨
&¨&¨&¨&&¨¨ . . . . . . . . &&&&&¨¨&¨&
&&&&&&¨&¨& ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ¨¨¨¨&¨&&&¨
¨¨¨¨¨&&&&& \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ ¨¨¨&&&¨¨&&
¨¨¨¨&¨¨¨¨& ¨¨&¨¨&¨&¨&
¨¨¨&&¨¨¨&¨ 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. &¨&¨¨&&&¨¨
¨&&&&¨&¨&& &&&¨&¨¨&¨¨
&¨¨¨&&&&¨¨ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ ¨¨&&&¨&&¨¨
&¨¨&¨¨¨&¨¨ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ¨&¨¨&&¨&¨&
&¨&&¨¨&&¨¨ . . . . . . . . &&¨&¨&&&&¨
&&¨&¨&¨&¨& ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨&&&&¨¨¨&&
¨&&&&&&&&¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ &¨¨¨&¨¨&¨¨
&¨¨¨¨¨¨¨&¨ &¨¨&&¨&&¨¨
&¨¨¨¨¨¨&&& &¨&¨&&¨&¨&
&¨¨¨¨¨&¨¨¨ &&&&¨&&&&¨
&¨¨¨¨&&¨¨¨ ¨¨¨&&¨¨¨&&
&¨¨¨&¨&¨¨& ¨¨&¨&¨¨&¨¨