#&%*:=^¨¨¨ ¨¨¨^=:*%&#
##&%*:=^¨¨ ¨¨^=:*%&##
###&%*:=^¨ ¨^=:*%&###
##&%*:=^¨¨ ¨¨^=:*%&##
#&%*:=^¨¨¨ ¨¨¨^=:*%&#
&%*:=^¨¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨¨^=:*%&
%*:=^¨¨¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨^=:*%
*:=^¨¨¨¨¨¨ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ¨¨¨¨¨¨^=:*
:=^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ = = = = = = = = = = = ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^=:
=^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^=
^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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. ¨¨¨¨¨¨^=:*
:=^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^=:
=^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^=
^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ = = = = = = = = = = = ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^
=^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^=
:=^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^=: