¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ - - - - - - - - ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨- « « « « « « « « « « « -¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-« †††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††† «-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-«† †«-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨-«†% 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. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ †††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††† ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ « « « « « « « « « « « ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ - - - - - - - - ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨- -¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-« «-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-«† †«-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨