¨:=:=@§¶## ##¶§@=:=:¨
¨:=:=@§¶## ##¶§@=:=:¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨==§ §==¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨:=:=@§¶## ##¶§@=:=:¨
¨:=:=@§¶## ##¶§@=:=:¨
¨¨¨:::==@¶ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¶@==:::¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨::@¶# ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ #¶@::¨¨¨¨¨
¨:=:=@§¶## : : : : : : : : ##¶§@=:=:¨
¨:=:=@§§§# = = = = = = = = = = = #§§§@=:=:¨
¨¨¨¨¨:=:@¶ :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ¶@:=:¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨:===§ §===:¨¨¨¨¨
¨:=:=@§¶## 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. ###¶§@=::¨
¨:=:=@§### ###§@=:=:¨
¨¨¨::==@¶¶ :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ¶¶@==::¨¨¨
¨:=:=@§§§¶ = = = = = = = = = = = ¶§§§@=:=:¨
¨:=:=@§¶## : : : : : : : : ##¶§@=:=:¨
¨:=::::@¶¶ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¶¶@::::=:¨
¨:=:=@§¶## ¨ ¨ ¨ ##¶§@=:=:¨
¨:=:=@§¶¶# #¶¶§@=:=:¨
¨:=:=@¶### ###¶@=:=:¨
¨¨¨:::::@¶ ¶@:::::¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨==@§ §@==¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨:=:@¶ ¶@:=:¨¨¨¨¨