¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^-^                                          ^-^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^-                                          -^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^                                          ^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨                   ¨                  ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ^    ^     ^     ^     ^    ^    ^     ^ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ -   -   -   -   -   -  -   -   -   -   - ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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.          %^-^¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^-^                                          ^-^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^- ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ -^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^ -   -   -   -   -  -   -   -   -   -   - ^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ^    ^     ^    ^     ^     ^    ^     ^ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨                  ¨                   ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨