«~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~«
~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ « « « « « « « « « « « ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ======================================== ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~
«~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~«
=«~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ======================================== ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ « « « « « « « « « « « ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~
«~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~«
=«~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~«=
*=«~¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨~«=*
£*=«~¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨~«=*£
§£*=«~¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨~«=*£§