¨¨§¨¨§§§¨§                                          §§¨¨¨§¨§§§
§¨§§¨§¨¨§§                                          §¨§¨¨§§§¨¨
§§§¨§§§¨§¨                                          ¨§§§¨§¨¨§¨
§¨¨§§¨¨§§§                                          ¨§¨¨§§§¨§§
¨§¨§¨§¨§¨¨                                          ¨§§¨§¨¨§§¨
¨§§§§§§§§¨ ¨                  ¨                   ¨ ¨§¨§§§¨§¨§
§§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§ ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨ ¨§§§¨¨§§§§
¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨§ ^    ^     ^     ^    ^     ^     ^    ^ §§¨¨§¨§¨¨¨
¨¨§§¨¨¨¨¨§ «   «   «   «  «   «   «   «   «   «   « ¨¨§¨§§§§¨¨
¨¨§¨§¨¨¨¨§ :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ¨¨§§§¨¨¨§¨
¨¨§§§§¨¨¨§                                          §¨§¨¨§¨¨§§
§¨§¨¨¨§¨¨§ 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.          §§¨§¨§¨§§¨
¨¨§¨§§§¨§¨                                          §¨§§§§§§¨§
§¨§§§¨¨§§§ :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ¨§§¨¨¨¨¨§§
¨§§¨¨§¨§¨¨ «   «   «   «   «   «   «   «   «  «   « ¨§¨§¨¨¨¨§¨
¨§¨§¨§§§§¨ ^    ^     ^     ^     ^    ^    ^     ^ §§§§§¨¨¨§§
§§§§§§¨¨¨§ ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨§¨
§¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨§ ¨                  ¨                   ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨§§¨§§
¨§¨¨¨¨§§¨§                                          ¨¨¨¨¨§¨§§¨
¨§§¨¨¨§¨§§                                          ¨¨¨¨¨§§§¨§
§§¨§¨¨§§§¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨§§
¨¨§§§¨§¨¨§                                          §¨¨¨¨§§¨§¨
¨¨§¨¨§§§¨§                                          §§¨¨¨§¨§§§