¨.~^*&¤### ###¤&*^~.¨
¨¨¨¨¨~^&¤# #¤&^~¨¨¨¨¨
¨.~^*&¤### ###¤&*^~.¨
¨.~^*&¤### ###¤&*^~.¨
¨.~^*&#### ####&*^~.¨
¨.~^*&¤### ¨ ¨ ¨ ###¤&*^~.¨
¨.~^*¤#### ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ####¤*^~.¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨~^&¤ . . . . . . . . ¤&^~¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨.^&&&¤ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ¤&&&^.¨¨¨¨
¨.~^***¤## ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ##¤***^~.¨
¨.~^*&¤### ###¤&*^~.¨
¨¨¨~~**¤## 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. ###¤&*^~.¨
¨¨¨¨~~*&&# #&&*~~¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨~^^&## ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ##&^^~¨¨¨¨
¨.~^*&¤### ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ###¤&*^~.¨
¨¨..~~^^*¤ . . . . . . . . ¤*^^~~..¨¨
¨.~^*&&&&¤ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¤&&&&*^~.¨
¨.~^*&¤### ¨ ¨ ¨ ###¤&*^~.¨
¨.~^*&¤### ###¤&*^~.¨
¨.~^*&#### ####&*^~.¨
¨.~^*&¤¤¤# #¤¤¤&*^~.¨
¨¨¨¨¨~*&## ##&*~¨¨¨¨¨
¨.~^*&¤### ###¤&*^~.¨