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£§$$\=^¨¨¨ ¨¨¨^=\$$§£
§$$\=^¨¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨¨^=\$$§
$$\=^¨¨¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨^=\$$
$\=^¨¨¨¨¨¨ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ¨¨¨¨¨¨^=\$
\=^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ = = = = = = = = = = = ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^=\
=^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^=
^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ JUST OFF THE COAST TO THE BALTIC SEA ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ THERE'S A FRESHWATER POND, SECLUDED ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ AMONG ASHEN AND JUNIPER. A CLEFT IN THE ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ LIMESTONE BEDROCK, SHARP-CUT FROM THE ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ SURROUNDING PLAINS, A NINETY DEGREE ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ DROP DOWN, DOWN, TO THE MIDNIGHT-BLACK ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^
=^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ WATER. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^=
\=^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^=\
$\=^¨¨¨¨¨¨ ====$$$$$$$$==== ¨¨¨¨¨¨^=\$
$$\=^¨¨¨¨¨ ==$$ $$== ¨¨¨¨¨^=\$$
§$$\=^¨¨¨¨ =====$$ 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. ¨¨¨¨¨¨^=\$
\=^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^=\
=^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^=
^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ = = = = = = = = = = = ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^
=^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^=
\=^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^=\