....~«=*%¤ ¤%*=«~....
.....~«=*% %*=«~.....
......~«=* *=«~......
.....~«=*% %*=«~.....
....~«=*%¤ ¤%*=«~....
...~«=*%¤¶ . . . ¶¤%*=«~...
..~«=*%¤¶# . . . . . . #¶¤%*=«~..
.~«=*%¤¶## ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ##¶¤%*=«~.
..~«=*%¤¶# « « « « « « « « « « « #¶¤%*=«~..
...~«=*%¤¶ ======================================== ¶¤%*=«~...
....~«=*%¤ ¤%*=«~....
.....~«=*% 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. %*=«~.....
......~«=* *=«~......
.....~«=*% ======================================== %*=«~.....
....~«=*%¤ « « « « « « « « « « « ¤%*=«~....
...~«=*%¤¶ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ¶¤%*=«~...
..~«=*%¤¶# . . . . . . #¶¤%*=«~..
.~«=*%¤¶## . . . ##¶¤%*=«~.
..~«=*%¤¶# #¶¤%*=«~..
...~«=*%¤¶ ¶¤%*=«~...
....~«=*%¤ ¤%*=«~....
.....~«=*% %*=«~.....
......~«=* *=«~......