¨,=^=%@¶## ##¶@%=^=,¨
¨¨,=====@# #@=====,¨¨
¨,=^=%@¶## ##¶@%=^=,¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨,^=@ @=^,¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨,=^=%@¶## ##¶@%=^=,¨
,=^=%@¶### ¨ ¨ ¨ ###¶@%=^=,
¨¨¨¨¨,^^=@ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ @=^^,¨¨¨¨¨
¨,=^=%@¶## , , , , , , , , ##¶@%=^=,¨
¨,=^=%@¶¶# = = = = = = = = = = = #¶¶@%=^=,¨
¨,=^=%%@@# ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ #@@%%=^=,¨
¨,=^=%@¶## ##¶@%=^=,¨
¨,=^=%@¶## 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. ##¶@%=^=,¨
¨,=^=%@¶## ##¶@%=^=,¨
¨,=^=%@¶¶# ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ #¶¶@%=^=,¨
¨,=^=%@¶¶# = = = = = = = = = = = #¶¶@%=^=,¨
¨¨¨¨,=^=%@ , , , , , , , , @%=^=,¨¨¨¨
¨¨,==^==@# ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ #@==^==,¨¨
¨,=^=%@¶## ¨ ¨ ¨ ##¶@%=^=,¨
¨,=^=%@¶¶¶ ¶¶¶@%=^=,¨
¨,=^===%¶¶ ¶¶%===^=,¨
¨¨¨,===%¶¶ ¶¶%===,¨¨¨
¨,=^=%@¶## ##¶@%=^=,¨
¨,=^=%@### ###@%=^=,¨