¨¨¨###¨¨¨¨                                          ¨#¨#¨###¨¨
¨¨¨#¨##¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨#¨##¨
¨¨¨¨¨###¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨###
#¨¨¨¨#¨##¨                                          #¨¨¨¨¨¨#¨#
##¨¨¨¨¨###                                          ¨#¨¨¨¨¨¨¨#
¨##¨¨¨¨#¨# ¨                   ¨                  ¨ ¨¨#¨¨¨¨¨¨#
¨###¨¨¨¨¨# ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨ ¨¨¨#¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨#¨##¨¨¨¨# :     :     :     :     :    :    :    : ¨¨¨¨#¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨###¨¨¨¨ -   -   -   -  -   -   -   -   -   -   - ¨¨¨¨¨#¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨#¨##¨¨¨ **************************************** ¨¨¨¨¨¨#¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨###¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨#¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨#¨##¨ 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.          ¨#¨##¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨###¨¨#¨                                          ¨¨¨###¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨#¨##¨¨# **************************************** ¨¨¨#¨##¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨###¨¨ -   -   -   -   -   -   -  -   -   -   - ¨¨¨¨¨###¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨#¨##¨ :     :    :     :     :    :    :     : #¨¨¨¨#¨##¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨### ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨ ##¨¨¨¨¨###
#¨¨¨¨¨¨#¨# ¨                   ¨                  ¨ ¨##¨¨¨¨#¨#
##¨¨¨¨¨¨¨#                                          ¨###¨¨¨¨¨#
¨##¨¨¨¨¨¨#                                          ¨#¨##¨¨¨¨#
¨###¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨###¨¨¨¨
¨#¨##¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨#¨##¨¨¨
¨¨¨###¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨###¨¨