......^«^§ §^«^......
.......^«^ ^«^.......
........^« «^........
.......^«^ ^«^.......
......^«^§ §^«^......
.....^«^§¤ . . . ¤§^«^.....
....^«^§¤§ . . . . . . §¤§^«^....
...^«^§¤§@ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ @§¤§^«^...
..^«^§¤§@# « « « « « « « « « « « #@§¤§^«^..
.^«^§¤§@## ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ##@§¤§^«^.
..^«^§¤§@# #@§¤§^«^..
...^«^§¤§@ 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. ##@§¤§^«^.
..^«^§¤§@# #@§¤§^«^..
...^«^§¤§@ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ @§¤§^«^...
....^«^§¤§ « « « « « « « « « « « §¤§^«^....
.....^«^§¤ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ¤§^«^.....
......^«^§ . . . . . . §^«^......
.......^«^ . . . ^«^.......
........^« «^........
.......^«^ ^«^.......
......^«^§ §^«^......
.....^«^§¤ ¤§^«^.....
....^«^§¤§ §¤§^«^....