@@¶@&=^»-. .-»^=&@¶@@
¶@=»-..... .....-»=@¶
##@¶@=^»-. .-»^=@¶@##
¶&&==^»»-. .-»»^==&&¶
##@¶&=^»-. .-»^=&¶@##
##@¶@&=^». . . . .»^=&@¶@##
#@¶@&=^»-. . . . . . . .-»^=&@¶@#
#@¶@&=^»-. - - - - - - - - .-»^=&@¶@#
¶@&&=»»»-. » » » » » » » » » » » .-»»»=&&@¶
##@¶@&=»-. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ .-»=&@¶@##
#@¶@&=^»-. .-»^=&@¶@#
#@¶@&=^»-. 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. .-»^==&&@¶
#@¶@&=^»-. .-»^=&@¶@#
@=»-...... ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ......-»=@
##@@&=^»-. » » » » » » » » » » » .-»^=&@@##
@=»»»»-... - - - - - - - - ...-»»»»=@
#@¶@&=^»-. . . . . . . .-»^=&@¶@#
@&==»».... . . . ....»»==&@
@&&^»-.... ....-»^&&@
¶¶@&=^»... ...»^=&@¶¶
##¶@&=^»-. .-»^=&@¶##
@@@=^^^»-. .-»^^^=@@@
@¶&&^»-... ...-»^&&¶@