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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 ##£¤%=*~:¨
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¨:~*=%¤£## 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. ¤¤¤%*~¨¨¨¨
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¨¨¨::~*%£# THE FAIRIES WILL BECKON THE ANIMALS TO #£%*~::¨¨¨
¨:~*=%¤£## PUSH FORWARD, TELL THEM THAT THEY'RE ##£¤%=*~:¨
¨¨¨¨¨~=¤£# ALMOST AT THE WATER, THAT THEY MAY #£¤=~¨¨¨¨¨
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¨:~*=%¤£## 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. ##£¤%=*~:¨
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¨¨¨¨::*=%¤ 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. ##£¤%=*~:¨
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