¨###¨#¨¨##                                          ####¨¨#¨#¨
¨#¨¨###¨#¨                                          ¨¨¨¨#¨####
###¨#¨¨###                                          #¨¨¨###¨¨¨
#¨¨###¨#¨¨                                          ##¨¨#¨¨#¨¨
##¨#¨¨###¨                                          #¨#¨##¨##¨
#¨###¨#¨¨# ¨                   ¨                  ¨ #####¨##¨#
¨##¨¨###¨# ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨##¨##
##¨#¨#¨¨## :     :    :     :     :     :    :    : ¨¨¨¨¨#¨##¨
#¨#####¨#¨ »   »   »   »  »   »   »   »   »   »   » ¨¨¨¨¨###¨#
¨##¨¨¨¨### ======================================== ¨¨¨¨¨#¨¨##
##¨#¨¨¨#¨¨                                          #¨¨¨¨##¨#¨
#¨###¨¨##¨ 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.          ¨¨####¨##¨
#¨##¨#####                                          ¨¨#¨¨¨##¨#
¨##¨##¨¨¨¨ ======================================== ¨¨##¨¨#¨##
##¨##¨#¨¨¨ »   »   »   »   »   »   »   »   »  »   » ¨¨#¨#¨###¨
#¨##¨###¨¨ :    :     :    :    :     :     :     : #¨#####¨¨#
¨##¨##¨¨#¨ ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨ ¨##¨¨¨¨#¨#
##¨##¨#¨## ¨                  ¨                   ¨ ##¨#¨¨¨###
¨¨##¨####¨                                          #¨###¨¨#¨¨
¨¨#¨##¨¨¨#                                          ###¨¨#¨##¨
¨¨###¨#¨¨#                                          #¨¨#¨###¨#
#¨#¨¨###¨#                                          ¨#¨###¨¨##
¨###¨#¨¨##                                          ####¨¨#¨#¨