#**«,¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨,«**#
@#**«,¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨,«**#@
#@#**«,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,«**#@#
##@#**«,¨¨ ¨¨,«**#@##
###@#**«,¨ ¨,«**#@###
##@#**«,¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨,«**#@##
#@#**«,¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨,«**#@#
@#**«,¨¨¨¨ , , , , , , , , ¨¨¨¨,«**#@
#**«,¨¨¨¨¨ « « « « « « « « « « « ¨¨¨¨¨,«**#
**«,¨¨¨¨¨¨ :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ¨¨¨¨¨¨,«**
*«,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,«*
«,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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. ¨¨¨¨,«**#@
#**«,¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨,«**#
**«,¨¨¨¨¨¨ :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ¨¨¨¨¨¨,«**
*«,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ « « « « « « « « « « « ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,«*
«,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ , , , , , , , , ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,«
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,