#¨¨¨¨####¨                                          ¨¨¨#¨#¨#¨#
¨#¨¨¨#¨¨¨#                                          #¨¨#######
###¨¨##¨¨#                                          ¨#¨#¨¨¨¨¨¨
#¨¨#¨#¨#¨#                                          #####¨¨¨¨¨
##¨#######                                          ¨¨¨¨¨#¨¨¨¨
#¨##¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨                   ¨                  ¨ #¨¨¨¨##¨¨¨
###¨#¨¨¨¨¨ ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨ ##¨¨¨#¨#¨¨
#¨¨###¨¨¨¨ -    -     -    -     -     -     -    - ¨¨#¨¨####¨
##¨#¨¨#¨¨¨ =  =   =   =   =   =   =   =   =   =   = #¨##¨#¨¨¨#
¨¨###¨##¨¨ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ ###¨###¨¨#
#¨#¨¨##¨#¨                                          ¨¨¨##¨¨#¨#
¨###¨#¨### 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.          #¨¨¨¨###¨¨
#¨¨¨##¨#¨¨                                          ¨#¨¨¨#¨¨#¨
##¨¨#¨###¨ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ ###¨¨##¨##
¨¨#¨###¨¨# =   =   =   =   =  =   =   =   =   =   = ¨¨¨#¨#¨##¨
¨¨###¨¨#¨# -     -    -     -     -    -     -    - #¨¨#####¨#
#¨#¨¨#¨### ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨ ##¨#¨¨¨¨##
¨###¨###¨¨ ¨                   ¨                  ¨ #¨###¨¨¨#¨
¨#¨¨##¨¨#¨                                          ###¨¨#¨¨##
###¨#¨#¨##                                          #¨¨#¨##¨#¨
#¨¨######¨                                          ##¨###¨###
¨#¨#¨¨¨¨¨#                                          #¨##¨¨##¨¨
¨####¨¨¨¨#                                          ###¨#¨#¨#¨