#§@=*«.¨¨¨ ¨¨¨.«*=@§#
##§@=*«.¨¨ ¨¨.«*=@§##
###§@=*«.¨ ¨.«*=@§###
##§@=*«.¨¨ ¨¨.«*=@§##
#§@=*«.¨¨¨ ¨¨¨.«*=@§#
§@=*«.¨¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨¨.«*=@§
@=*«.¨¨¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨.«*=@
=*«.¨¨¨¨¨¨ . . . . . . . . ¨¨¨¨¨¨.«*=
*«.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ « « « « « « « « « « « ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.«*
«.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ **************************************** ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.«
.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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. ¨¨¨¨.«*=@§
#§@=*«.¨¨¨ ¨¨¨.«*=@§#
##§@=*«.¨¨ **************************************** ¨¨.«*=@§##
###§@=*«.¨ « « « « « « « « « « « ¨.«*=@§###
##§@=*«.¨¨ . . . . . . . . ¨¨.«*=@§##
#§@=*«.¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨.«*=@§#
§@=*«.¨¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨¨.«*=@§
@=*«.¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨.«*=@
=*«.¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨.«*=
*«.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.«*
«.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.«
.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.