¨,«^=%%§## ##§%%=^«,¨
¨¨¨¨,,,«=§ §=«,,,¨¨¨¨
¨,«^^^=%%§ §%%=^^^«,¨
¨¨¨¨¨,^%%§ §%%^,¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨,^^^%§# #§%^^^,¨¨¨
¨,«^=%§### ¨ ¨ ¨ ###§%=^«,¨
¨¨¨¨¨,«^%# ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ #%^«,¨¨¨¨¨
¨,«^=%§### , , , , , , , , ###§%=^«,¨
¨,«^=%%§## « « « « « « « « « « « ##§%%=^«,¨
¨,«^=%%§## ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ##§%%=^«,¨
¨¨¨,«^=§## ##§=^«,¨¨¨
¨,«^=%%%§# 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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¨,«^=%§### ¨ ¨ ¨ ###§%=^«,¨
¨¨¨,^^^%§# #§%^^^,¨¨¨
¨,«^=%§### ###§%=^«,¨
¨¨¨¨,«^=§§ §§=^«,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨,«=§ §=«,¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨,«^=%%%§# #§%%%=^«,¨