@$*««..... .....««*$@
@$††^..... .....^††$@
##@&$*†«^. .^«†*$&@##
&&&&$*†«^. .^«†*$&&&&
&$†«...... ......«†$&
&**†††«... . . . ...«†††**&
&&*†^..... . . . . . . .....^†*&&
&*†^...... ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ......^†*&
#@&$$*†«^. « « « « « « « « « « « .^«†*$$&@#
##@&$*†«^. †††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††† .^«†*$&@##
&*««^..... .....^««*&
@&**†«.... 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. ......^«*&
##@&$*†«^. .^«†*$&@##
&$*†^..... THE CIRCLE IS COMPLETE, THE CONTRACT .....^†*$&
##@&$*†«^. CARRIED OUT; THE ANIMAL IS ABANDONED TO .^«†*$&@##
&$†^^..... FIND ITS OWN WAY BACK. THE BUSHES ROOTS .....^^†$&
##@&$*†«^. DRINK THE NUTRUTIOUS WATER. THE FAIRIES .^«†*$&@##
@@@&$*†«^. DANCE IN THE SUNBEAMS. .^«†*$&@@@
#@$†«^.... ....^«†$@#
##@&$*†«^. †††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††† .^«†*$&@##
#@@&$*†«^. « « « « « « « « « « « .^«†*$&@@#
#&*«^^^... ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ...^^^«*&#
##@&$*†«^. . . . . . . .^«†*$&@##
&$$$*«^... . . . ...^«*$$$&
@$††^^.... ....^^††$@
##@&$*†«^. .^«†*$&@##
&$†«^..... .....^«†$&
##@&$*†«^. .^«†*$&@##
##@&$*†«^. .^«†*$&@##