¨¨§§¨§§§¨§                                          §§§¨§§¨§¨§
§¨§¨§§¨¨§§                                          §¨¨§§¨§§§§
¨§§§§¨§¨§¨                                          ¨§¨§¨§§¨¨¨
¨§¨¨¨§§§§§                                          §§§§§§¨§¨¨
¨§§¨¨§¨¨¨¨                                          §¨¨¨¨¨§§§¨
¨§¨§¨§§¨¨¨ ¨                   ¨                  ¨ ¨§¨¨¨¨§¨¨§
§§§§§§¨§¨¨ ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨ ¨§§¨¨¨§§¨§
¨¨¨¨¨¨§§§¨ ,     ,    ,    ,     ,    ,     ,     , §§¨§¨¨§¨§§
§¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨§ ~   ~   ~   ~  ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~ ¨¨§§§¨§§§¨
§§¨¨¨¨§§¨§ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ §¨§¨¨§§¨¨§
¨¨§¨¨¨§¨§§                                          §§§§¨§¨§¨§
§¨§§¨¨§§§¨ 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.          §¨§§§¨§§§§
§¨¨§¨¨§¨§¨                                          §§§¨¨§§¨¨¨
§§¨§§¨§§§§ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ¨¨¨§¨§¨§¨¨
§¨§§¨§§¨¨¨ ~   ~   ~   ~   ~  ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~ ¨¨¨§§§§§§¨
§§§¨§§¨§¨¨ ,     ,    ,     ,    ,    ,     ,     , §¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨§
¨¨¨§§¨§§§¨ ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨ ¨§¨§§¨¨¨¨§
§¨¨§¨§§¨¨§ ¨                   ¨                  ¨ ¨§§§¨§¨¨¨§
¨§¨§§§¨§¨§                                          §§¨¨§§§¨¨§
§§§§¨¨§§§§                                          ¨¨§¨§¨¨§¨§
¨¨¨¨§¨§¨¨¨                                          §¨§§§§¨§§§
§¨¨¨§§§§¨¨                                          §§§¨¨¨§§¨¨
§§¨¨§¨¨¨§¨                                          ¨¨¨§¨¨§¨§¨