¶§$^\=~¨¨¨ ¨¨¨~=\^$§¶
#¶§$^\=~¨¨ ¨¨~=\^$§¶#
##¶§$^\=~¨ ¨~=\^$§¶##
#¶§$^\=~¨¨ ¨¨~=\^$§¶#
¶§$^\=~¨¨¨ ¨¨¨~=\^$§¶
§$^\=~¨¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨¨~=\^$§
$^\=~¨¨¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨~=\^$
^\=~¨¨¨¨¨¨ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ¨¨¨¨¨¨~=\^
\=~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ = = = = = = = = = = = ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~=\
=~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~=
\=~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~=\
^\=~¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~=
\=~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~=\
^\=~¨¨¨¨¨¨ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ ¨¨¨¨¨¨~=\^
$^\=~¨¨¨¨¨ = = = = = = = = = = = ¨¨¨¨¨~=\^$
§$^\=~¨¨¨¨ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ¨¨¨¨~=\^$§
¶§$^\=~¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨~=\^$§¶
#¶§$^\=~¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨~=\^$§¶#
##¶§$^\=~¨ ¨~=\^$§¶##
#¶§$^\=~¨¨ ¨¨~=\^$§¶#
¶§$^\=~¨¨¨ ¨¨¨~=\^$§¶
§$^\=~¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨~=\^$§
$^\=~¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨~=\^$