£@£%=~,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,~=%£@£
#£@£%=~,¨¨ ¨¨,~=%£@£#
##£@£%=~,¨ ¨,~=%£@£##
#£@£%=~,¨¨ ¨¨,~=%£@£#
£@£%=~,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,~=%£@£
@£%=~,¨¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨¨,~=%£@
£%=~,¨¨¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨,~=%£
%=~,¨¨¨¨¨¨ , , , , , , , , ¨¨¨¨¨¨,~=%
=~,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,~=
~,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ======================================== ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,~
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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. ¨¨¨¨¨¨,~=%
=~,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,~=
~,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ======================================== ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,~
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ , , , , , , , , ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,
~,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,~
=~,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,~=