¨¨¨...:*@¶ ¶@*:...¨¨¨
¨.=:***@@# #@@***:=.¨
¨.=:*&@¶## ##¶@&*:=.¨
¨.=:*&@¶## ##¶@&*:=.¨
¨.=:*&@¶## ##¶@&*:=.¨
¨.=:*&@¶## ¨ ¨ ¨ ##¶@&*:=.¨
¨.=:*&@¶¶¶ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¶¶¶@&*:=.¨
¨.=:*&@¶## . . . . . . . . ##¶@&*:=.¨
¨.=:*&@¶## = = = = = = = = = = = ##¶@&*:=.¨
¨.=:*&@¶## :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ##¶@&*:=.¨
¨¨¨¨..=*&@ @&*=..¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨=*@# 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. ##¶@&*:=.¨
¨¨¨¨=::&&¶ ¶&&::=¨¨¨¨
¨.=:*&@¶## :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ##¶@&*:=.¨
¨.=:*@¶### = = = = = = = = = = = ###¶@*:=.¨
¨.=:*&@### . . . . . . . . ###@&*:=.¨
¨¨¨====:*@ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ @*:====¨¨¨
¨.=:*&@¶¶# ¨ ¨ ¨ #¶¶@&*:=.¨
¨¨¨¨¨.=*&¶ ¶&*=.¨¨¨¨¨
¨.=:*&@@@¶ ¶@@@&*:=.¨
¨.=:*&¶### ###¶&*:=.¨
¨.=:*&@¶## ##¶@&*:=.¨
¨¨¨¨.:&&&¶ ¶&&&:.¨¨¨¨