###£$*†=:. .:=†*$£###
##£#$*†=:. .:=†*$#£##
###£#$*†=. .=†*$#£###
#£$**==... ...==**$£#
##£#$*†=:. .:=†*$#£##
££#**=.... . . . ....=**#££
###*†:.... . . . . . . ....:†*###
##£#$*†=:. : : : : : : : : .:=†*$#£##
##£#$*†=:. = = = = = = = = = = = .:=†*$#£##
##$$†==:.. †††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††† ..:==†$$##
##£#$*†=:. .:=†*$#£##
##**=..... 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 .:=†*$$$##
##£#$*†=:. DANCE IN THE SUNBEAMS. .:=†*$#£##
#£#$*=.... ....=*$#£#
£#$*†::::. †††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††† .::::†*$#£
####$*†=:. = = = = = = = = = = = .:=†*$####
#*†==..... : : : : : : : : .....==†*#
##£#$*†=:. . . . . . . .:=†*$#£##
##*=:..... . . . .....:=*##
##£#$*†=:. .:=†*$#£##
#*===::::. .::::===*#
£#$*†††=:. .:=†††*$#£
#£$†:..... .....:†$£#
##£#$*†=:. .:=†*$#£##