@&†^=:.... ....:=^†&@
¶@&†^=:... ...:=^†&@¶
#¶@&†^=:.. ..:=^†&@¶#
##¶@&†^=:. .:=^†&@¶##
#¶@&†^=:.. ..:=^†&@¶#
¶@&†^=:... . . . ...:=^†&@¶
@&†^=:.... . . . . . . ....:=^†&@
&†^=:..... : : : : : : : : .....:=^†&
@&†^=:.... = = = = = = = = = = = ....:=^†&@
¶@&†^=:... ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ...:=^†&@¶
#¶@&†^=:.. ..:=^†&@¶#
##¶@&†^=:. 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. .:=^†&@¶##
#¶@&†^=:.. ..:=^†&@¶#
¶@&†^=:... ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ...:=^†&@¶
@&†^=:.... = = = = = = = = = = = ....:=^†&@
&†^=:..... : : : : : : : : .....:=^†&
@&†^=:.... . . . . . . ....:=^†&@
¶@&†^=:... . . . ...:=^†&@¶
#¶@&†^=:.. ..:=^†&@¶#
##¶@&†^=:. .:=^†&@¶##
#¶@&†^=:.. ..:=^†&@¶#
¶@&†^=:... ...:=^†&@¶
@&†^=:.... ....:=^†&@