§¨§¨¨§¨¨§§                                          §§§¨§¨¨§¨§
§§§¨§§¨§¨¨                                          ¨¨§§§¨§§§¨
¨¨§§¨§§§¨§                                          ¨§¨¨§§¨¨§§
¨§¨§§¨¨§§¨                                          §§¨§¨§¨§¨§
§§§¨§¨§¨§§                                          ¨§§§§§§§§§
¨¨§§§§§§¨¨ ¨                  ¨                   ¨ §¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨§¨¨¨¨¨§¨§ ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨ §¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
§§¨¨¨¨§§§¨ :     :    :    :     :     :     :    : §¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨§¨¨¨§¨¨§§ =   =   =   =   =   =  =   =   =   =   = §¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§
§§¨¨§§¨§¨§ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ §¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§§
¨§¨§¨§§§§§                                          §¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨
§§§§§¨¨¨¨§ 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.          ¨§¨§§§¨¨§¨
¨¨¨§§§¨§§¨                                          §§§¨¨§¨§§¨
¨¨§¨¨§§¨§¨ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ¨¨§¨§§§¨§¨
¨§§¨§¨§§§§ =   =   =   =   =   =   =   =  =   =   = ¨§§§¨¨§§§¨
§¨§§§§¨¨¨§ :     :    :     :    :     :    :     : §¨¨§¨§¨¨§¨
§§¨¨¨§¨¨§§ ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨ §¨§§§§¨§§§
¨§¨¨§§¨§¨¨ ¨                  ¨                   ¨ §§¨¨¨§§¨¨¨
§§¨§¨§§§¨¨                                          ¨§¨¨§¨§¨¨¨
¨§§§§¨¨§¨§                                          §§¨§§§§¨¨§
§¨¨¨§¨§§§§                                          ¨§§¨¨¨§¨§§
§¨¨§§§¨¨¨§                                          §¨§¨¨§§§¨¨
§¨§¨¨§¨¨§§                                          §§§¨§¨¨§¨§