¨:=^$&¤¶## ##¶¤&$^=:¨
¨¨¨¨:=$¤¤¤ ¤¤¤$=:¨¨¨¨
¨:=^$&¤¶## ##¶¤&$^=:¨
¨¨¨¨¨:=$&¤ ¤&$=:¨¨¨¨¨
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¨:=^$&¤¶## ¨ ¨ ¨ ##¶¤&$^=:¨
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¨¨¨¨:=$&¤# : : : : : : : : #¤&$=:¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨:=^&¤ = = = = = = = = = = = ¤&^=:¨¨¨¨¨
¨:=^$¤¶### ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ###¶¤$^=:¨
¨:=^$&¤¶## ##¶¤&$^=:¨
¨:=^$&¤¶## JUST OFF THE COAST TO THE BALTIC SEA ##¶¤&$^=:¨
¨:=^$&¶### THERE'S A FRESHWATER POND, SECLUDED ###¶&$^=:¨
¨¨¨¨¨=$&&¶ AMONG ASHEN AND JUNIPER. A CLEFT IN THE ¶&&$=¨¨¨¨¨
¨:=^$&¤¶## LIMESTONE BEDROCK, SHARP-CUT FROM THE ##¶¤&$^=:¨
¨:=^$&¤¶¶¶ SURROUNDING PLAINS, A NINETY DEGREE ¶¶¶¤&$^=:¨
¨¨¨:===$¤¶ DROP DOWN, DOWN, TO THE MIDNIGHT-BLACK ¶¤$===:¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨==$¤¶ WATER. ¶¤$==¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨::^&¶¶ ¶¶&^::¨¨¨¨
¨:=^$¤¶### ====$$$$$$$$==== ###¶¤$^=:¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨=^&¤ ==$$ $$== ¤&^=¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨:=$&¤¤ =====$$ 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 ¤$$$^===:¨
¨:=^$&¤¶## CARRIED OUT; THE ANIMAL IS ABANDONED TO ##¶¤&$^=:¨
¨:=^$&¤¶## FIND ITS OWN WAY BACK. THE BUSHES ROOTS ##¶¤&$^=:¨
¨:=^$&¤¶## DRINK THE NUTRUTIOUS WATER. THE FAIRIES ##¶¤&$^=:¨
¨:=^$&¤¶## DANCE IN THE SUNBEAMS. ##¶¤&$^=:¨
¨:=^$&¤¶## ##¶¤&$^=:¨
¨¨¨¨¨:=$¤¶ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ¶¤$=:¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨:^^$¤¤¤ = = = = = = = = = = = ¤¤¤$^^:¨¨¨
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¨¨¨¨¨:^&¤¶ ¶¤&^:¨¨¨¨¨
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¨:=^$&¤¤¶# #¶¤¤&$^=:¨
¨¨:==$$&¤¤ ¤¤&$$==:¨¨