##¶#$§:~.¨ ¨.~:§$#¶##
#¶#$§:~.¨¨ ¨¨.~:§$#¶#
¶#$§:~.¨¨¨ ¨¨¨.~:§$#¶
#$§:~.¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨.~:§$#
$§:~.¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨.~:§$
§:~.¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨.~:§
:~.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.~:
~.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ . . . . . . . . ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.~
:~.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.~:
§:~.¨¨¨¨¨¨ :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ¨¨¨¨¨¨.~:§
$§:~.¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨.~:§$
#$§:~.¨¨¨¨ JUST OFF THE COAST TO THE BALTIC SEA ¨¨¨¨.~:§$#
¶#$§:~.¨¨¨ THERE'S A FRESHWATER POND, SECLUDED ¨¨¨.~:§$#¶
#¶#$§:~.¨¨ AMONG ASHEN AND JUNIPER. A CLEFT IN THE ¨¨.~:§$#¶#
##¶#$§:~.¨ LIMESTONE BEDROCK, SHARP-CUT FROM THE ¨.~:§$#¶##
#¶#$§:~.¨¨ SURROUNDING PLAINS, A NINETY DEGREE ¨¨.~:§$#¶#
¶#$§:~.¨¨¨ DROP DOWN, DOWN, TO THE MIDNIGHT-BLACK ¨¨¨.~:§$#¶
#$§:~.¨¨¨¨ WATER. ¨¨¨¨.~:§$#
$§:~.¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨.~:§$
§:~.¨¨¨¨¨¨ ~~~~§§§§§§§§~~~~ ¨¨¨¨¨¨.~:§
:~.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ~~§§ §§~~ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.~:
~.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ~~~~~§§ 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. ¨¨¨¨¨¨.~:§
$§:~.¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨.~:§$
#$§:~.¨¨¨¨ :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ¨¨¨¨.~:§$#
¶#$§:~.¨¨¨ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ¨¨¨.~:§$#¶
#¶#$§:~.¨¨ . . . . . . . . ¨¨.~:§$#¶#
##¶#$§:~.¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨.~:§$#¶##
#¶#$§:~.¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨.~:§$#¶#
¶#$§:~.¨¨¨ ¨¨¨.~:§$#¶
#$§:~.¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨.~:§$#
$§:~.¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨.~:§$
§:~.¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨.~:§
:~.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.~: