¨..««^$@@@ @@@$^««..¨
¨¨¨¨..^^@@ @@^^..¨¨¨¨
¨.«^^$@@## ##@@$^^«.¨
¨.«^^$@@## ##@@$^^«.¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨«^$@ @$^«¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨.«^^$@##@ ¨ ¨ ¨ @##@$^^«.¨
¨.«^^$@#@# ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ #@#@$^^«.¨
¨¨¨¨¨.^^@@ . . . . . . . . @@^^.¨¨¨¨¨
¨.«^^$@#@# « « « « « « « « « « « #@#@$^^«.¨
¨.«^^$@#@# ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ #@#@$^^«.¨
¨.....^^$@ @$^^.....¨
¨¨¨¨««^$## JUST OFF THE COAST TO THE BALTIC SEA ##$^««¨¨¨¨
¨.«^^$@##@ THERE'S A FRESHWATER POND, SECLUDED @##@$^^«.¨
.«^^$@#@## AMONG ASHEN AND JUNIPER. A CLEFT IN THE ##@#@$^^«.
¨.«^^$@### LIMESTONE BEDROCK, SHARP-CUT FROM THE ###@$^^«.¨
¨.«^^$@@## SURROUNDING PLAINS, A NINETY DEGREE ##@@$^^«.¨
¨.«««^$$@@ DROP DOWN, DOWN, TO THE MIDNIGHT-BLACK @@$$^«««.¨
¨.«^^$@#@# WATER. #@#@$^^«.¨
¨.«^^$@#@# #@#@$^^«.¨
¨¨¨¨¨«^$$@ ««««^^^^^^^^«««« @$$^«¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨«^^$# ««^^ ^^«« #$^^«¨¨¨¨¨
¨.«^^$@#@# «««««^^ FAIRIES LIVE HERE. ^^««««« #@#@$^^«.¨
¨.«^^$@#@# ««^^ ^^«« #@#@$^^«.¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨.^$@ ««««^^^^^^^^«««« @$^.¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨.«^$## ##$^«.¨¨¨¨
¨.«^^$@#@# THEY SPEAK TO THE SLOANE, CARESS IT, #@#@$^^«.¨
¨.«^^$@#@# URGE IT TO GROW THICKER, TANGLED, WITH #@#@$^^«.¨
¨.«^^$@#@# LONGER AND SHARPER THORNS. THEY TELL IT #@#@$^^«.¨
¨.«^^$@#@# TO STAY JUST BELOW THE GRASS, SO THAT #@#@$^^«.¨
¨.«^^$@#@# THE ANIMALS WHAT COME TO DRINK THE #@#@$^^«.¨
¨.«^^$@@## WATER CANNOT SEE IT BEFORE IT DRAWS ##@@$^^«.¨
¨.«^^$@#@# THEIR BLOOD. CLOSER TO THE POND, THE #@#@$^^«.¨
¨.«^^$@##@ SLOANE CAN GROW TALLER, BEING ABLE TO @##@$^^«.¨
¨.«^^$@##@ HIDE ALSO IN THE JUNIPER. @##@$^^«.¨
¨.«^^$@### ###@$^^«.¨
¨.«^^@#@## 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 @@^^^^^«.¨
¨¨¨..«^$$# DANCE IN THE SUNBEAMS. #$$^«..¨¨¨
¨.«^^$@##@ @##@$^^«.¨
¨.«^^$@#@# ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ #@#@$^^«.¨
¨¨¨¨.^$$#@ « « « « « « « « « « « @#$$^.¨¨¨¨
¨.«^^$@#@# . . . . . . . . #@#@$^^«.¨
¨.«^^$@#@@ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ @@#@$^^«.¨
¨.«^^$@#@# ¨ ¨ ¨ #@#@$^^«.¨
¨¨¨.«^$$## ##$$^«.¨¨¨
¨¨..«^$@@@ @@@$^«..¨¨
¨.««^^^^@@ @@^^^^««.¨
¨¨¨.^^$@@# #@@$^^.¨¨¨
¨.«^^^^@#@ @#@^^^^«.¨