@^**=^¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨^=**^@
##@@&^*=^¨ ¨^=*^&@@##
##@#&^*=^¨ ¨^=*^&#@##
@&^=¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨=^&@
##@#@&^=^¨ ¨^=^&@#@##
##&***^¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨^***&##
#@@^**^^^¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨^^^**^@@#
@^^==¨¨¨¨¨ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ¨¨¨¨¨==^^@
###@&^*=^¨ = = = = = = = = = = = ¨^=*^&@###
#@#@&^*=^¨ **************************************** ¨^=*^&@#@#
##@@&^*=^¨ ¨^=*^&@@##
@@^=¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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. ¨¨¨¨¨^^*^@
@@^==^¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨^==^@@
#&&*^¨¨¨¨¨ **************************************** ¨¨¨¨¨^*&&#
#@#@&^*=^¨ = = = = = = = = = = = ¨^=*^&@#@#
#@#@&^*=^¨ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ¨^=*^&@#@#
###@&^*=^¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨^=*^&@###
@^=^¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨^=^@
#@#@&^*=^¨ ¨^=*^&@#@#
@##@&^*=^¨ ¨^=*^&@##@
#&*=^¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨^=*&#
#@^**^^^¨¨ ¨¨^^^**^@#
@@#@&^*=^¨ ¨^=*^&@#@@