§§¨¨§§§¨§§                                          §§§¨¨¨¨¨§¨
¨§¨§¨¨§§¨§                                          ¨¨§¨¨¨¨§§§
§§§§¨§¨§§§                                          ¨§§¨¨¨§¨¨§
¨¨¨§§§§¨¨§                                          §¨§¨¨§§¨§¨
¨¨§¨¨¨§¨§§                                          §§§¨§¨§§§¨
¨§§¨¨§§§¨§ ¨                   ¨                  ¨ ¨¨§§§§¨¨§¨
§¨§¨§¨¨§§¨ ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨ ¨§¨¨¨§¨§§¨
§§§§§¨§¨§¨ ,     ,     ,    ,    ,    ,     ,     , §§¨¨§§§¨§§
¨¨¨¨§§§§§§ =   =   =   =   =   =   =   =   =   =  = ¨§¨§¨¨§§¨¨
¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨ **************************************** §§§§¨§¨§¨¨
¨¨§§¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨§§§§§¨¨
¨§¨§¨¨¨¨¨§ 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.          ¨¨¨§¨§¨¨¨§
§¨¨¨§§¨§§§                                          ¨¨§§§§¨¨§¨
§¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨ **************************************** ¨§¨¨¨§¨§§§
§¨§§§¨§¨¨§ =   =   =   =   =   =   =   =  =   =   = §§¨¨§§§¨¨¨
§§¨¨§§§¨§¨ ,     ,     ,    ,    ,    ,     ,     , ¨§¨§¨¨§¨¨§
¨§¨§¨¨§§§¨ ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨ §§§§¨§§¨§¨
§§§§¨§¨¨§§ ¨                  ¨                   ¨ ¨¨¨§§¨§§§¨
¨¨¨§§§¨§¨¨                                          ¨¨§¨§§¨¨§§
¨¨§¨¨§§§¨§                                          ¨§§§¨§¨§¨§
¨§§¨§¨¨§§§                                          §¨¨§§§§§§§
§¨§§§¨§¨¨§                                          §¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨§
§§¨¨§§§¨§§                                          §§§¨¨¨¨¨§¨