,,,,,«=*¤@ @¤*=«,,,,,
,,,,«=*¤@¶ ¶@¤*=«,,,,
,,,«=*¤@¶# #¶@¤*=«,,,
,,«=*¤@¶## ##¶@¤*=«,,
,,,«=*¤@¶# #¶@¤*=«,,,
,,,,«=*¤@¶ , , , ¶@¤*=«,,,,
,,,,,«=*¤@ , , , , , , @¤*=«,,,,,
,,,,,,«=*¤ , , , , , , , , ¤*=«,,,,,,
,,,,,,,«=* « « « « « « « « « « « *=«,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,«= ======================================== =«,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,« «,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, 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. ##¶@¤*=«,,
,,,«=*¤@¶# #¶@¤*=«,,,
,,,,«=*¤@¶ ======================================== ¶@¤*=«,,,,
,,,,,«=*¤@ « « « « « « « « « « « @¤*=«,,,,,
,,,,,,«=*¤ , , , , , , , , ¤*=«,,,,,,
,,,,,,,«=* , , , , , , *=«,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,«= , , , =«,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,« «,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,« «,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,«= =«,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,«=* *=«,,,,,,,