&&¨¨¨&&&&& ¨¨¨¨&&¨¨&¨
¨&¨¨&¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨&¨&¨&&&
&&¨&&¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨&&&&&¨¨&
¨&&¨&¨¨¨¨¨ ¨&¨¨¨¨&¨&¨
&¨&&&¨¨¨¨& &&¨¨¨&&&&¨
&&¨¨&¨¨¨&¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨&¨¨&¨¨¨&&
¨&¨&&¨¨&&& ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ &&¨&&¨¨&¨¨
&&&¨&¨&¨¨¨ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ¨&&¨&¨&&¨¨
¨¨&&&&&¨¨¨ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ &¨&&&&¨&¨&
¨&¨¨¨¨&¨¨& ======================================== &&¨¨¨&&&&&
&&¨¨¨&&¨&¨ ¨&¨¨&¨¨¨¨&
¨&¨¨&¨&&&¨ 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. ¨¨¨&¨&&¨¨&
&¨¨¨¨¨&&&¨ ¨¨&&&¨&¨&¨
&¨¨¨¨&¨¨&¨ ======================================== ¨&¨¨&&&&&&
&¨¨¨&&¨&&¨ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ &&¨&¨¨¨¨¨¨
&¨¨&¨&&¨&& ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ¨&&&¨¨¨¨¨&
&¨&&&¨&&¨& ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ &¨¨&¨¨¨¨&¨
&&¨¨&&¨&&¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ &¨&&¨¨¨&&&
¨&¨&¨&&¨&& &&¨&¨¨&¨¨¨
&&&&&¨&&¨¨ ¨&&&¨&&¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨&&¨&¨& &¨¨&&¨&¨¨&
¨¨¨&¨&&&&& &¨&¨&&&¨&&
¨¨&&&¨¨¨¨¨ &&&&¨¨&&¨&