&&&&&&&&&& ¨¨¨¨&¨&&&¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨&&&¨¨&&
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨&¨¨&¨&¨&
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨& ¨&&¨&&&&&&
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨&¨ &¨&&¨¨¨¨¨&
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨&&& ¨ ¨ ¨ &&¨&¨¨¨¨&&
¨¨¨¨¨¨&¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨&&&¨¨¨&¨&
¨¨¨¨¨&&¨¨¨ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ &¨¨&¨¨&&&&
¨¨¨¨&¨&¨¨¨ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ &¨&&¨&¨¨¨&
¨¨¨&&&&¨¨& ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ &&¨&&&¨¨&&
¨¨&¨¨¨&¨&¨ ¨&&¨¨&¨&¨&
¨&&¨¨&&&&& 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. ¨&&&¨¨¨&¨&
&&¨&&&&&&¨ &¨¨&¨¨&&&&
¨&&¨¨¨¨¨&¨ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ &¨&&¨&¨¨¨¨
&¨&¨¨¨¨&&¨ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ &&¨&&&¨¨¨¨
&&&¨¨¨&¨&& ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ¨&&¨¨&¨¨¨&
¨¨&¨¨&&&¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ &¨&¨&&¨¨&¨
¨&&¨&¨¨&¨& ¨ ¨ ¨ &&&&¨&¨&&¨
&¨&&&¨&&&¨ ¨¨¨&&&&¨&¨
&&¨¨&&¨¨&& ¨¨&¨¨¨&&&&
¨&¨&¨&¨&¨& ¨&&¨¨&¨¨¨¨
&&&&&&&&&& &¨&¨&&¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ &&&&¨&¨¨¨&