¨:=*$&#¶## ##¶#&$*=:¨
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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. #¶&$$**=:¨
¨¨¨¨¨:=*&¶ ¶&*=:¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨::**$&¶ **************************************** ¶&$**::¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨=*$# = = = = = = = = = = = #$*=¨¨¨¨¨¨
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¨:===$$##¶ ¶##$$===:¨