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¶§/««¨¨¨¨¨ JUST OFF THE COAST TO THE BALTIC SEA ¨¨¨¨¨««/§¶
&$«~~¨¨¨¨¨ THERE'S A FRESHWATER POND, SECLUDED ¨¨¨¨¨~~«$&
&$$$«~¨¨¨¨ AMONG ASHEN AND JUNIPER. A CLEFT IN THE ¨¨¨¨~«$$$&
&$««~¨¨¨¨¨ LIMESTONE BEDROCK, SHARP-CUT FROM THE ¨¨¨¨¨~««$&
&$//««¨¨¨¨ SURROUNDING PLAINS, A NINETY DEGREE ¨¨¨¨««//$&
#@¶&§$/«~¨ DROP DOWN, DOWN, TO THE MIDNIGHT-BLACK ¨~«/$§&¶@#
¶¶&§§$/«~¨ WATER. ¨~«/$§§&¶¶
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&§/«~¨¨¨¨¨ ««««$$$$$$$$«««« ¨¨¨¨¨~«/§&
##@&§$/«~¨ ««$$ $$«« ¨~«/$§&@##
@&&&§$/«~¨ «««««$$ FAIRIES LIVE HERE. $$««««« ¨~«/$§&&&@
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¶¶&&§$/«~¨ ««««$$$$$$$$«««« ¨~«/$§&&¶¶
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#@¶&§$/«~¨ THEY SPEAK TO THE SLOANE, CARESS IT, ¨~«/$§&¶@#
@¶§§§$/«~¨ URGE IT TO GROW THICKER, TANGLED, WITH ¨~«/$§§§¶@
&&$«¨¨¨¨¨¨ LONGER AND SHARPER THORNS. THEY TELL IT ¨¨¨¨¨¨«$&&
#@¶&§$/«~¨ TO STAY JUST BELOW THE GRASS, SO THAT ¨~«/$§&¶@#
@&§§$«¨¨¨¨ THE ANIMALS WHAT COME TO DRINK THE ¨¨¨¨«$§§&@
@¶¶&§$/«~¨ WATER CANNOT SEE IT BEFORE IT DRAWS ¨~«/$§&¶¶@
&$$/«¨¨¨¨¨ THEIR BLOOD. CLOSER TO THE POND, THE ¨¨¨¨¨«/$$&
##¶&§$/«~¨ SLOANE CAN GROW TALLER, BEING ABLE TO ¨~«/$§&¶##
&$$«¨¨¨¨¨¨ HIDE ALSO IN THE JUNIPER. ¨¨¨¨¨¨«$$&
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#@¶&§$/«~¨ THE FAIRIES WILL BECKON THE ANIMALS TO ¨~«/$§&¶@#
¶§§§§$/«~¨ PUSH FORWARD, TELL THEM THAT THEY'RE ¨~«/$§§§§¶
&$«~¨¨¨¨¨¨ ALMOST AT THE WATER, THAT THEY MAY ¨¨¨¨¨¨~«$&
#@¶&§$/«~¨ DRINK SOON. AND THEY WILL TUG ON THE ¨~«/$§&¶@#
#@¶&§$/«~¨ SLOANE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE THORNS CUT ¨~«/$§&¶@#
¶¶§/~¨¨¨¨¨ DEEP. WHEN THEY FINALLY FIND THE PATH ¨¨¨¨¨~/§¶¶
@@¶&§$/«~¨ DOWN BETWEEN THE ROCKS, AWAY FROM THE ¨~«/$§&¶@@
#@¶&§$/«~¨ BUSHWORK AND INTO THE CLEFT, THEY ARE ¨~«/$§&¶@#
&$«¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ BLEEDING FROM A THOUSAND WOUNDS. AS ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨«$&
&§/~~¨¨¨¨¨ THEY DRINK FROM THE DARK WATER, IT IS ¨¨¨¨¨~~/§&
@&&$««¨¨¨¨ IN TURN DRINKING THE ANIMALS BLOOD. ¨¨¨¨««$&&@
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¶¶§$//«¨¨¨ THE CIRCLE IS COMPLETE, THE CONTRACT ¨¨¨«//$§¶¶
&&$$//~¨¨¨ 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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