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«^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^«
^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ « « « « « « « « « « « ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^
«^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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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