¶@%*=^.... ....^=*%@¶
#¶@%*=^... ...^=*%@¶#
##¶@%*=^.. ..^=*%@¶##
###¶@%*=^. .^=*%@¶###
##¶@%*=^.. ..^=*%@¶##
#¶@%*=^... . . . ...^=*%@¶#
¶@%*=^.... . . . . . . ....^=*%@¶
@%*=^..... ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ .....^=*%@
%*=^...... = = = = = = = = = = = ......^=*%
*=^....... **************************************** .......^=*
=^........ ........^=
^......... 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. .^=*%@¶###
##¶@%*=^.. ..^=*%@¶##
#¶@%*=^... **************************************** ...^=*%@¶#
¶@%*=^.... = = = = = = = = = = = ....^=*%@¶
@%*=^..... ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ .....^=*%@
%*=^...... . . . . . . ......^=*%
*=^....... . . . .......^=*
=^........ ........^=
^......... .........^
=^........ ........^=
*=^....... .......^=*
%*=^...... ......^=*%