§§%*----¨¨ ¨¨----*%§§
#§%^-¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨-^%§#
§%%*----¨¨ ¨¨----*%%§
###§%*^--¨ ¨--^*%§###
###§%*^--¨ ¨--^*%§###
#%^^-¨¨¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨-^^%#
###§%*^--¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨--^*%§###
###§%*^--¨ - - - - - - - - ¨--^*%§###
§%%%^-¨¨¨¨ - - - - - - - - - - - ¨¨¨¨-^%%%§
##%^--¨¨¨¨ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ¨¨¨¨--^%##
§§%*^----¨ ¨----^*%§§
#§§§%*^--¨ 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. ¨--^*%§###
###§%*^--¨ ¨--^*%§###
##%**---¨¨ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ¨¨---**%##
#§*---¨¨¨¨ - - - - - - - - - - - ¨¨¨¨---*§#
###§%*^--¨ - - - - - - - - ¨--^*%§###
###§%*^--¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨--^*%§###
###§%*^--¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨--^*%§###
##§%*--¨¨¨ ¨¨¨--*%§##
#%*-¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨-*%#
#%*^-¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨-^*%#
#§§%%*^--¨ ¨--^*%%§§#
###§%*^--¨ ¨--^*%§###