¨¨¨¨,«=^*¤ ¤*^=«,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨,«=^*¤# #¤*^=«,¨¨¨
¨¨,«=^*¤## ##¤*^=«,¨¨
¨,«=^*¤### ###¤*^=«,¨
¨¨,«=^*¤## ##¤*^=«,¨¨
¨¨¨,«=^*¤# ¨ ¨ ¨ #¤*^=«,¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,«=^*¤ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¤*^=«,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,«=^* , , , , , , , , *^=«,¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨,«=^ « « « « « « « « « « « ^=«,¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,«= ======================================== =«,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨,«=^ ^=«,¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,«=^* 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. ###¤*^=«,¨
¨¨,«=^*¤## ##¤*^=«,¨¨
¨¨¨,«=^*¤# ======================================== #¤*^=«,¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,«=^*¤ « « « « « « « « « « « ¤*^=«,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,«=^* , , , , , , , , *^=«,¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨,«=^ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ^=«,¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,«= ¨ ¨ ¨ =«,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨,«=^ ^=«,¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,«=^* *^=«,¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,«=^*¤ ¤*^=«,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨,«=^*¤# #¤*^=«,¨¨¨
¨¨,«=^*¤## ##¤*^=«,¨¨