¨¨¨#¨¨¨##¨                                          ¨#¨¨¨¨##¨#
#¨¨##¨¨#¨#                                          ###¨¨¨#¨##
¨#¨#¨#¨###                                          ¨¨¨#¨¨###¨
¨#######¨¨                                          ¨¨¨##¨#¨¨#
##¨¨¨¨¨¨#¨                                          ¨¨¨#¨###¨#
¨¨#¨¨¨¨¨## ¨                   ¨                  ¨ #¨¨###¨¨##
#¨##¨¨¨¨#¨ ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨ ¨#¨#¨¨#¨#¨
###¨#¨¨¨## .    .    .    .     .     .     .     . #####¨####
¨¨¨###¨¨#¨ «   «   «   «   «   «  «   «   «   «   « ¨¨¨¨¨##¨¨¨
¨¨¨#¨¨#¨## †††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††† ¨¨¨¨¨#¨#¨¨
¨¨¨##¨###¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨####¨
¨¨¨#¨##¨¨# 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.          ¨¨¨#¨¨#¨¨#
¨¨#¨##¨¨##                                          ¨¨¨##¨##¨#
#¨###¨#¨#¨ †††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††† #¨¨#¨##¨##
¨##¨¨##### «  «   «   «   «   «   «   «   «   «   « ##¨###¨##¨
¨#¨#¨#¨¨¨¨ .    .     .     .    .     .     .    . #¨##¨¨##¨#
#######¨¨¨ ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨ ¨##¨#¨#¨##
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨#¨¨ ¨                  ¨                   ¨ ##¨######¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨##¨                                          ¨¨##¨¨¨¨¨#
#¨¨¨¨¨¨#¨#                                          #¨#¨#¨¨¨¨#
¨#¨¨¨¨¨###                                          ######¨¨¨#
###¨¨¨¨#¨¨                                          #¨¨¨¨¨#¨¨#
¨¨¨#¨¨¨##¨                                          ¨#¨¨¨¨##¨#