¨:=;*¤¤### ###¤¤*;=:¨
¨:=;*¤¤### ###¤¤*;=:¨
¨:=;*¤¤¤## ##¤¤¤*;=:¨
¨:=;*¤¤### ###¤¤*;=:¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨:;¤# #¤;:¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨=*¤# ¨ ¨ ¨ #¤*=¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨:=;*¤¤### ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ###¤¤*;=:¨
¨:=;*¤#### : : : : : : : : ####¤*;=:¨
¨:=;*¤¤### = = = = = = = = = = = ###¤¤*;=:¨
¨:=;*¤¤### ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; ###¤¤*;=:¨
¨:=;*¤#### ####¤*;=:¨
¨¨¨¨¨:;¤¤# 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. ###¤¤*;=:¨
¨¨¨==;;¤¤# #¤¤;;==¨¨¨
¨:=;*¤¤### ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; ###¤¤*;=:¨
¨¨¨¨¨=*¤¤# = = = = = = = = = = = #¤¤*=¨¨¨¨¨
¨:=;*¤¤### : : : : : : : : ###¤¤*;=:¨
¨:=;*¤¤### ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ###¤¤*;=:¨
¨¨¨¨¨:=;¤# ¨ ¨ ¨ #¤;=:¨¨¨¨¨
¨:=;*¤¤### ###¤¤*;=:¨
¨¨¨::;¤¤## ##¤¤;::¨¨¨
¨:=;*¤¤### ###¤¤*;=:¨
¨:;*¤¤#### ####¤¤*;:¨
¨:=;*¤¤### ###¤¤*;=:¨