¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨                                          ¨¨§§¨¨§¨¨¨
§§§¨¨§¨¨§§                                          §¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§§
§§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§                                          ¨¨§§§§§¨¨§
§¨¨§§§§§¨¨                                          ¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨§                                          §§¨¨§¨¨§§¨
§§§¨¨§¨¨¨¨ ¨                  ¨                   ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨§¨¨¨¨¨§§¨ ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨ §§§§§§§§§¨
¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨¨ :     :     :     :    :     :    :    : §§§§§§§§¨¨
§§¨¨§¨¨§§¨ ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~  ~   ~ §§§§§§§¨¨§
§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; ¨§§§§§¨¨¨¨
¨¨§§§§§§§§                                          ¨¨§§§¨¨§§¨
§¨¨§§§§§§§ 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.          ¨¨¨¨¨¨§§§§
¨¨¨¨¨§§¨¨§                                          ¨§§§§¨¨§§¨
§§§§¨¨¨¨¨¨ ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; ¨¨§§¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨§§¨¨§§§§¨ ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~  ~   ~   ~ §¨¨¨¨§§§§¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨§§¨¨ :     :     :    :    :     :     :    : ¨¨§§¨¨§§¨¨
§§§§§¨¨¨¨¨ ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§
§§§§¨¨§§§§ ¨                   ¨                  ¨ §§§§§§§§¨¨
¨§§¨¨¨¨§§§                                          §§§§§§§¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨§§¨¨§§                                          §§§§§§¨¨§§
¨§§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          §§§§§¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨§§§§§§                                          §§§§¨¨§§§§
¨§§¨¨§§§§¨                                          §§§¨¨¨¨§§¨