&&&..&&.&& &...&&..&.
&..&.&.&&. .&..&.&.&&
.&.&&&&&.& &&&.&&&&&.
.&&&....&& ...&&....&
&&..&...&. &..&.&...&
..&.&&..&& . . . .&.&&&&..&
&.&&&.&.&. . . . . . . .&&&...&.&
.&&..&&&&& . . . . . . . . .&..&..&&&
&&.&.&.... ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ &&&.&&.&..
&.&&&&&... ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ &..&&.&&&.
&&&....&.. .&.&.&&..&
...&...&&. 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. &&&&.&..&.
...&.&&.&. ....&&&.&&
&..&&&.&&& ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ &...&..&&.
&&.&..&&.. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ &&..&&.&.&
..&&&.&.&. . . . . . . . . ..&.&.&&&&
&.&..&&&&& . . . . . . &.&&&&&...
&&&&.&.... . . . .&&....&..
&...&&&... &&.&...&&.
&&..&..&.. ..&&&..&.&
..&.&&.&&. &.&..&.&&&
&.&&&.&&.& &&&&.&&&..
&&&..&&.&& &...&&..&.