**\«-¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨-«\**
*\«-¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨-«\*
\«-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-«\
«-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-«
-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-
«-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ - - - - - - - - ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-«
\«-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ « « « « « « « « « « « ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-«\
*\«-¨¨¨¨¨¨ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ ¨¨¨¨¨¨-«\*
**\«-¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨-«\**
@**\«-¨¨¨¨ 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. ¨¨-«\**@#@
#@**\«-¨¨¨ ¨¨¨-«\**@#
@**\«-¨¨¨¨ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ ¨¨¨¨-«\**@
**\«-¨¨¨¨¨ « « « « « « « « « « « ¨¨¨¨¨-«\**
*\«-¨¨¨¨¨¨ - - - - - - - - ¨¨¨¨¨¨-«\*
\«-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-«\
«-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-«
-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-
«-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-«
\«-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-«\