##@§%^=-,¨ ¨,-=^%§@##
##@§%^=-,¨ ¨,-=^%§@##
##@§%^=-,¨ ¨,-=^%§@##
##@§%^=-,¨ ¨,-=^%§@##
#§%=----,¨ ¨,----=%§#
#@§§%^=-,¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨,-=^%§§@#
##@§%^=-,¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨,-=^%§@##
##@§%^=-,¨ , , , , , , , , ¨,-=^%§@##
@%=-,¨¨¨¨¨ - - - - - - - - - - - ¨¨¨¨¨,-=%@
##@§%^=-,¨ ======================================== ¨,-=^%§@##
##@§%^=-,¨ ¨,-=^%§@##
§%^^-¨¨¨¨¨ 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. ¨,-=^%%§§§
§§%%^^=-,¨ ¨,-=^^%%§§
§^==-¨¨¨¨¨ ======================================== ¨¨¨¨¨-==^§
@§%^^^=-,¨ - - - - - - - - - - - ¨,-=^^^%§@
##@§%^=-,¨ , , , , , , , , ¨,-=^%§@##
##@§%^=-,¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨,-=^%§@##
##@§%^=-,¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨,-=^%§@##
@@%^^^=-,¨ ¨,-=^^^%@@
@@@§%^=-,¨ ¨,-=^%§@@@
###@§%^=,¨ ¨,=^%§@###
§%%===,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,===%%§
##@§%^=-,¨ ¨,-=^%§@##