¨&&&¨¨&¨¨¨ ¨&¨¨&¨¨¨&¨
¨&¨&&¨¨&¨¨ ¨¨&¨¨&¨¨¨&
¨¨¨&&&¨¨&¨ &¨¨&¨¨&¨¨¨
¨¨¨&¨&&¨¨& ¨&¨¨&¨¨&¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨&&&¨¨ ¨¨&¨¨&¨¨&¨
¨¨¨¨¨&¨&&¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨&¨¨&¨¨&
&¨¨¨¨¨¨&&& ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ &¨¨¨&¨¨&¨¨
¨&¨¨¨¨¨&¨& : : : : : : : : &&¨¨¨&¨¨&¨
¨¨&¨¨¨¨¨¨& ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ¨&&¨¨¨&¨¨&
&¨¨&¨¨¨¨¨& \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ ¨&&&¨¨¨&¨¨
¨&¨¨&¨¨¨¨¨ ¨&¨&&¨¨¨&¨
¨¨&¨¨&¨¨¨¨ 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. ¨&&¨¨&¨¨¨¨
¨&¨¨¨¨&¨¨¨ ¨&&&¨¨&¨¨¨
¨¨&¨¨¨¨&¨¨ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ ¨&¨&&¨¨&¨¨
¨¨¨&¨¨¨¨&¨ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ¨¨¨&&&¨¨&¨
¨¨¨¨&¨¨¨¨& : : : : : : : : ¨¨¨&¨&&¨¨&
&¨¨¨¨&¨¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨&&&¨¨
¨&¨¨¨¨&¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨&¨&&¨
¨¨&¨¨¨¨&¨¨ &¨¨¨¨¨¨&&&
&¨¨&¨¨¨¨&¨ ¨&¨¨¨¨¨&¨&
&&¨¨&¨¨¨¨& ¨¨&¨¨¨¨¨¨&
¨&&¨¨&¨¨¨¨ &¨¨&¨¨¨¨¨&
¨&&&¨¨&¨¨¨ ¨&¨¨&¨¨¨¨¨