¨§§¨¨§¨¨§¨                                          §¨§§§¨§§¨§
§¨§¨§§¨§§§                                          §§¨¨§§¨§§§
§§§§¨§§¨¨§                                          ¨§¨§¨§§¨¨¨
¨¨¨§§¨§¨§¨                                          §§§§§¨§¨¨§
¨¨§¨§§§§§§                                          ¨¨¨¨§§§¨§§
¨§§§¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨                   ¨                  ¨ ¨¨¨§¨¨§§¨§
§¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨ ¨¨§§¨§¨§§§
§¨§§¨¨¨¨¨§ ,     ,     ,     ,    ,     ,    ,    , ¨§¨§§§§¨¨¨
§§¨§¨¨¨¨§§ =   =   =   =  =   =   =   =   =   =   = §§§¨¨¨§¨¨§
¨§§§¨¨¨§¨§ ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; ¨¨§¨¨§§¨§¨
§¨¨§¨¨§§§¨                                          ¨§§¨§¨§§§¨
§¨§§¨§¨¨§¨ 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.          ¨§¨¨§§¨§§§
§§§§¨§§§§¨                                          §§¨§¨§§¨¨¨
¨¨¨§§¨¨¨§¨ ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; ¨§§§§¨§¨¨§
¨¨§¨§¨¨§§¨ =   =   =   =  =   =   =   =   =   =   = §¨¨¨§§§¨§§
¨§§§§¨§¨§§ ,     ,    ,     ,     ,    ,     ,    , §¨¨§¨¨§§¨§
§¨¨¨§§§§¨§ ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨ §¨§§¨§¨§§§
§¨¨§¨¨¨§§¨ ¨                   ¨                  ¨ §§¨§§§§¨¨¨
§¨§§¨¨§¨§¨                                          ¨§§¨¨¨§¨¨§
§§¨§¨§§§§¨                                          §¨§¨¨§§¨§¨
¨§§§§¨¨¨§§                                          §§§¨§¨§§§§
§¨¨¨§¨¨§¨¨                                          ¨¨§§§§¨¨¨§
§¨¨§§¨§§¨§                                          ¨§¨¨¨§¨¨§¨