¨,=:*%¤### ###¤%*:=,¨
¨,=:*%¤### ###¤%*:=,¨
¨,=:*%¤### ###¤%*:=,¨
¨,=:*%¤¤¤# #¤¤¤%*:=,¨
¨,=:*%¤### ###¤%*:=,¨
¨,=:*%¤### ¨ ¨ ¨ ###¤%*:=,¨
¨¨¨,,,:%## ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ##%:,,,¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨,:%# , , , , , , , , #%:,¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨=:%¤# = = = = = = = = = = = #¤%:=¨¨¨¨¨
¨,===:::%¤ :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ¤%:::===,¨
¨,=:*%#### ####%*:=,¨
¨,,,:::*%# 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. #¤%%%*:=,¨
¨,=:*%¤¤## ##¤¤%*:=,¨
¨¨¨¨,::%¤¤ :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ¤¤%::,¨¨¨¨
¨,=:*%¤### = = = = = = = = = = = ###¤%*:=,¨
¨,=:*%¤### , , , , , , , , ###¤%*:=,¨
¨,=:*%%%%# ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ #%%%%*:=,¨
¨,=:*%¤### ¨ ¨ ¨ ###¤%*:=,¨
¨¨¨==::%%# #%%::==¨¨¨
¨,=:*%¤### ###¤%*:=,¨
¨,=:*%¤### ###¤%*:=,¨
¨,=:*%¤### ###¤%*:=,¨
¨¨¨,,=*%¤# #¤%*=,,¨¨¨