¨###¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨#¨¨#¨¨¨##
¨#¨##¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨#¨¨#¨¨##
¨¨¨###¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨#¨¨#¨##
#¨¨#¨##¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨#¨¨¨##
##¨¨¨###¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨#¨¨#¨
###¨¨#¨##¨ ¨                  ¨                   ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨#¨¨¨
#¨##¨¨¨### ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨#¨¨
¨¨###¨¨#¨# :     :    :     :     :    :     :    : ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨#¨
¨¨#¨##¨¨¨# «   «   «   «   «   «   «   «  «   «   « #¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨#
#¨¨¨###¨¨# \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ ##¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨#¨¨#¨##¨¨                                          ###¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨#¨¨¨###¨ 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.          ¨##¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨###                                          ¨###¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨#¨# \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ ¨#¨##¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨# «   «   «   «   «   «   «  «   «   «   « ¨¨¨###¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨# :    :     :     :    :     :     :    : #¨¨#¨##¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨ ##¨¨¨###¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨                  ¨                   ¨ ###¨¨#¨##¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          #¨##¨¨¨###
#¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨###¨¨#¨#
##¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨#¨##¨¨¨#
¨##¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          #¨¨¨###¨¨#
¨###¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨#¨¨#¨##¨¨