#¨¨¨#¨#¨¨#                                          #¨¨#¨#¨#¨#
#¨¨##¨#¨#¨                                          #¨##¨#¨#¨¨
#¨#¨#¨#¨#¨                                          #¨¨#¨#¨#¨#
#¨#¨#¨#¨#¨                                          #¨##¨#¨#¨¨
#¨#¨#¨#¨#¨                                          #¨¨#¨#¨#¨#
#¨#¨#¨#¨#¨ ¨                  ¨                   ¨ #¨##¨#¨#¨¨
#¨#¨#¨#¨#¨ ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨ #¨¨#¨#¨#¨#
#¨#¨#¨#¨#¨ ,    ,     ,     ,     ,     ,    ,    , #¨##¨#¨#¨¨
#¨#¨#¨#¨#¨ «   «   «   «   «   «  «   «   «   «   « #¨¨#¨#¨#¨#
#¨#¨#¨#¨#¨ :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: #¨##¨#¨#¨¨
#¨#¨#¨#¨#¨                                          #¨¨#¨#¨#¨#
#¨#¨#¨#¨#¨ 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.          #¨##¨#¨#¨¨
#¨#¨#¨#¨#¨                                          #¨¨#¨#¨#¨#
#¨#¨#¨#¨#¨ :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: #¨##¨#¨#¨¨
#¨#¨#¨#¨#¨ «   «   «   «   «   «   «   «   «   «  « #¨¨#¨#¨#¨#
#¨#¨#¨#¨#¨ ,    ,     ,    ,     ,    ,     ,     , #¨##¨#¨#¨¨
#¨#¨#¨#¨#¨ ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨ #¨¨#¨#¨#¨#
#¨#¨#¨#¨#¨ ¨                  ¨                   ¨ #¨##¨#¨#¨¨
#¨#¨#¨#¨#¨                                          #¨¨#¨#¨#¨#
#¨#¨#¨#¨#¨                                          #¨##¨#¨#¨¨
#¨#¨#¨#¨#¨                                          #¨¨#¨#¨#¨#
#¨#¨#¨#¨#¨                                          #¨##¨#¨#¨¨
#¨#¨#¨#¨#¨                                          #¨¨#¨#¨#¨#