¨¨¨¨¨¨-~=$ $=~-¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨-~=$* *$=~-¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨-~=$*# #*$=~-¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨-~=$*#¶ ¶#*$=~-¨¨¨
¨¨-~=$*#¶@ @¶#*$=~-¨¨
¨-~=$*#¶@# ¨ ¨ ¨ #@¶#*$=~-¨
¨¨-~=$*#¶@ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ @¶#*$=~-¨¨
¨¨¨-~=$*#¶ - - - - - - - - ¶#*$=~-¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨-~=$*# ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ #*$=~-¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨-~=$* ======================================== *$=~-¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨-~=$ $=~-¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-~= JUST OFF THE COAST TO THE BALTIC SEA =~-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-~ THERE'S A FRESHWATER POND, SECLUDED ~-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-~= AMONG ASHEN AND JUNIPER. A CLEFT IN THE =~-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨-~=$ 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. *$=~-¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨-~=$ $=~-¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-~= ======================================== =~-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
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¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-~= - - - - - - - - =~-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨-~=$ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ $=~-¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨-~=$* ¨ ¨ ¨ *$=~-¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨-~=$*# #*$=~-¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨-~=$*#¶ ¶#*$=~-¨¨¨
¨¨-~=$*#¶@ @¶#*$=~-¨¨
¨-~=$*#¶@# #@¶#*$=~-¨
¨¨-~=$*#¶@ @¶#*$=~-¨¨