^«\=%@#@## ##@#@%=\«^
¨¨¨¨¨««\=@ @=\««¨¨¨¨¨
¨^«\=%@### ###@%=\«^¨
¨^«\=%@@## ##@@%=\«^¨
¨^«\=%@#@# #@#@%=\«^¨
¨^«\=%@#@# ¨ ¨ ¨ #@#@%=\«^¨
¨^«\=%@#@# ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ #@#@%=\«^¨
¨¨¨¨^\%%@@ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ @@%%\^¨¨¨¨
¨^«\=%@#@# « « « « « « « « « « « #@#@%=\«^¨
¨¨¨^^\=@@@ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ @@@=\^^¨¨¨
¨¨^^«=%@@@ @@@%=«^^¨¨
¨^«\=%@#@# 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. @@%\«^¨¨¨¨
¨^«\=%@#@# #@#@%=\«^¨
¨^«\=%@@## \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ ##@@%=\«^¨
¨^«\%@#@## « « « « « « « « « « « ##@#@%\«^¨
¨^«\=%@#@# ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ #@#@%=\«^¨
¨¨¨«\\%%@@ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ @@%%\\«¨¨¨
¨¨^««=%@#@ ¨ ¨ ¨ @#@%=««^¨¨
¨¨¨¨««=%@# #@%=««¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨^^\\%%# #%%\\^^¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨^\%@@@ @@@%\^¨¨¨¨
¨^«\=%@#@@ @@#@%=\«^¨
¨^«\=%@#@# #@#@%=\«^¨