###¤*=^=-¨ ¨-=^=*¤###
#¤*^--¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨--^*¤#
¤*^===-¨¨¨ ¨¨¨-===^*¤
¤*=^^-¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨-^^=*¤
###¤*=^=-¨ ¨-=^=*¤###
¤=^-¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨-^=¤
¤*^=¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨=^*¤
¤*^-¨¨¨¨¨¨ - - - - - - - - ¨¨¨¨¨¨-^*¤
###¤*=^=-¨ = = = = = = = = = = = ¨-=^=*¤###
####*=^=-¨ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ¨-=^=*####
###¤*=^=-¨ ¨-=^=*¤###
###¤*=^=-¨ 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. ¨-=^=*¤###
###¤*=^=-¨ ¨-=^=*¤###
#¤*===^=-¨ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ¨-=^===*¤#
#¤¤*^--¨¨¨ = = = = = = = = = = = ¨¨¨--^*¤¤#
###¤*=^=-¨ - - - - - - - - ¨-=^=*¤###
##**=^=-¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨-=^=**##
###¤*=^=-¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨-=^=*¤###
###¤*=^=-¨ ¨-=^=*¤###
¤*^-¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨-^*¤
###¤*=^=-¨ ¨-=^=*¤###
###¤*=^=-¨ ¨-=^=*¤###
###¤*=^=-¨ ¨-=^=*¤###