,:--^^^%%§ §%%^^^--:,
,,,,,:^$§# #§$^:,,,,,
,,,,,:^^%# #%^^:,,,,,
,:-^$%§### ###§%$^-:,
,,,---^%§# #§%^---,,,
,:-^$%§### , , , ###§%$^-:,
,:-^$%§### , , , , , , ###§%$^-:,
,:-^$%§### : : : : : : : : ###§%$^-:,
,:-^$%§### - - - - - - - - - - - ###§%$^-:,
,,,,,,-$%# ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ #%$-,,,,,,
,,,,:-$%%# #%%$-:,,,,
,,,:^$%§## JUST OFF THE COAST TO THE BALTIC SEA ##§%$^:,,,
,,,,:-^%§# 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. ##§%^---:,
,,:-^^$%§# #§%$^^-:,,
,:-^$%§### ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ###§%$^-:,
,:-^$§#### - - - - - - - - - - - ####§$^-:,
,:-^$%§§§# : : : : : : : : #§§§%$^-:,
,:-^$%§### , , , , , , ###§%$^-:,
,:-^$%§### , , , ###§%$^-:,
,,,,:^%%%# #%%%^:,,,,
,:-^$§#### ####§$^-:,
,:-^%§#### ####§%^-:,
,:-^$%§### ###§%$^-:,
,,,,,,:^%# #%^:,,,,,,