,^«/%*£### ###£*%/«^,
,,^«/%*£## ##£*%/«^,,
,,,^«/%*£# #£*%/«^,,,
,,,,^«/%*£ £*%/«^,,,,
,,,,,^«/%* *%/«^,,,,,
,,,,,,^«/% , , , %/«^,,,,,,
,,,,,,,^«/ , , , , , , /«^,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,^« ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ «^,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,^ « « « « « « « « « « « ^,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, //////////////////////////////////////// ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,^ ^,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,^« 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. £*%/«^,,,,
,,,^«/%*£# #£*%/«^,,,
,,^«/%*£## //////////////////////////////////////// ##£*%/«^,,
,^«/%*£### « « « « « « « « « « « ###£*%/«^,
,,^«/%*£## ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ##£*%/«^,,
,,,^«/%*£# , , , , , , #£*%/«^,,,
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,,,,,^«/%* *%/«^,,,,,
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,,,,,,,^«/ /«^,,,,,,,
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,,,,,,,,,^ ^,,,,,,,,,