#%^*«,¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨,«*^%#
%^*«,¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨,«*^%
^*«,¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨,«*^
*«,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,«*
«,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,«
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ , , , , , , , , ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,
«,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ « « « « « « « « « « « ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,«
*«,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ **************************************** ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,«*
^*«,¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨,«*^
%^*«,¨¨¨¨¨ 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. ¨,«*^%#@##
#@#%^*«,¨¨ ¨¨,«*^%#@#
@#%^*«,¨¨¨ **************************************** ¨¨¨,«*^%#@
#%^*«,¨¨¨¨ « « « « « « « « « « « ¨¨¨¨,«*^%#
%^*«,¨¨¨¨¨ , , , , , , , , ¨¨¨¨¨,«*^%
^*«,¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨,«*^
*«,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,«*
«,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,«
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,
«,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,«