¶§¤*;;~... ...~;;*¤§¶
#@¶§¤*;-~. .~-;*¤§¶@#
@¶¤***;-~. .~-;***¤¶@
¶§§§¤*;-~. .~-;*¤§§§¶
§¤¤;~..... .....~;¤¤§
#@¶§¤*;-~. . . . .~-;*¤§¶@#
§¤*--~~... . . . . . . ...~~--*¤§
§¤**;-~... ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ...~-;**¤§
#@¶§¤*;-~. - - - - - - - - - - - .~-;*¤§¶@#
##@¶§¤*;-~ ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; ~-;*¤§¶@##
##@§¤*;-~. .~-;*¤§@##
@§*;-~.... 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. .~-;*¤§@##
§*-....... .......-*§
#@¶§¤*;-~. ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; .~-;*¤§¶@#
##@¶¤*;-~. - - - - - - - - - - - .~-;*¤¶@##
@§§**;~~.. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ..~~;**§§@
@@¶§¤*;-~. . . . . . . .~-;*¤§¶@@
#@¶§¤*;-~. . . . .~-;*¤§¶@#
#@¶§¤*;-~. .~-;*¤§¶@#
§¤;~~..... .....~~;¤§
##@§¤*;-~. .~-;*¤§@##
§¤**-..... .....-**¤§
§§**;;;-~. .~-;;;**§§