¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨--                                          --¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨--;                                          ;--¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨--;^                                          ^;--¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨--;^£                                          £^;--¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨--;^£@                                          @£^;--¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨--;^£@# ¨                  ¨                   ¨ #@£^;--¨¨¨
¨¨--;^£@## ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨ ##@£^;--¨¨
¨--;^£@### -     -     -    -    -     -    -     - ###@£^;--¨
¨¨--;^£@## -   -   -   -   -  -   -   -   -   -   - ##@£^;--¨¨
¨¨¨--;^£@# ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; #@£^;--¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨--;^£@                                          @£^;--¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨--;^£ 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.          £^;--¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨--;^                                          ^;--¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨--; ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; ;--¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-- -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -  - --¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨- -    -    -     -     -     -     -    - -¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨                  ¨                   ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-                                          -¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨--                                          --¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨--;                                          ;--¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨--;^                                          ^;--¨¨¨¨¨¨