#¨#¨¨¨¨##¨                                          #¨###¨¨#¨#
#¨¨#¨¨¨##¨                                          #¨#¨##¨¨¨#
##¨¨#¨¨##¨                                          ¨¨¨¨###¨¨#
¨##¨¨#¨###                                          ¨¨¨¨#¨##¨#
¨###¨¨¨#¨#                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨##¨¨
¨#¨##¨¨¨¨# ¨                  ¨                   ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨###¨
¨¨¨###¨¨¨# ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨ #¨¨¨¨¨#¨##
#¨¨#¨##¨¨¨ ,    ,     ,     ,     ,    ,     ,    , ##¨¨¨¨¨¨##
##¨¨¨###¨¨ ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~  ~ ¨##¨¨¨¨¨#¨
###¨¨#¨##¨ //////////////////////////////////////// ¨###¨¨¨¨¨¨
#¨##¨¨¨###                                          ¨#¨##¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨###¨¨#¨# 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.          ¨¨¨###¨¨¨¨
¨¨#¨##¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨#¨##¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨###¨¨¨ //////////////////////////////////////// #¨¨¨¨###¨¨
¨¨¨¨#¨##¨¨ ~   ~   ~   ~  ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~ ##¨¨¨#¨##¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨###¨ ,     ,     ,     ,    ,     ,    ,    , ¨##¨¨¨¨###
#¨¨¨¨¨#¨## ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨ ¨###¨¨¨#¨#
##¨¨¨¨¨¨## ¨                   ¨                  ¨ ¨#¨##¨¨¨¨#
¨##¨¨¨¨¨#¨                                          ¨¨¨###¨¨¨#
¨###¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          #¨¨#¨##¨¨¨
¨#¨##¨¨¨¨¨                                          ##¨¨¨###¨¨
¨¨¨###¨¨¨¨                                          ###¨¨#¨##¨
¨¨¨#¨##¨¨¨                                          #¨##¨¨¨###