###&%=*=:¨ ¨:=*=%&###
###&%=*=:¨ ¨:=*=%&###
&=*:::¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨:::*=&
###&%=*=:¨ ¨:=*=%&###
#&&=***=:¨ ¨:=***=&&#
&=*=====:¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨:=====*=&
&%%*=¨¨¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨=*%%&
###&%=*=:¨ : : : : : : : : ¨:=*=%&###
#&&=***=:¨ = = = = = = = = = = = ¨:=***=&&#
&%%====¨¨¨ **************************************** ¨¨¨====%%&
#&=*=¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨=*=&#
#%%%==*=:¨ 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. ¨:=*=%&###
###&%=*=:¨ ¨:=*=%&###
###&%=*=:¨ **************************************** ¨:=*=%&###
####&=*=:¨ = = = = = = = = = = = ¨:=*=&####
&&&%%=*=:¨ : : : : : : : : ¨:=*=%%&&&
&&==::¨¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨¨::==&&
#&%**:¨¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨¨:**%&#
&==¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨==&
&===¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨===&
#&&%*=¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨=*%&&#
###&%=*=:¨ ¨:=*=%&###
###&%=*=:¨ ¨:=*=%&###