¨¨¨§§¨¨¨§¨                                          ¨¨§¨§§§¨§¨
¨¨¨§¨§¨¨§§                                          §¨§§§¨¨§§§
§¨¨§§§§¨§¨                                          ¨§§¨¨§¨§¨¨
§§¨§¨¨¨§§§                                          ¨§¨§¨§§§§¨
§¨§§§¨¨§¨¨                                          §§§§§§¨¨¨§
¨§§¨¨§¨§§¨ ¨                  ¨                   ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨§
§§¨§¨§§§¨§ ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨§§¨§
¨¨§§§§¨¨§§ :    :     :    :    :     :     :     : §¨¨¨¨¨§¨§§
§¨§¨¨¨§¨§¨ ~   ~  ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~ ¨§¨¨¨¨§§§¨
§§§§¨¨§§§§ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ ¨§§¨¨¨§¨¨§
¨¨¨¨§¨§¨¨¨                                          ¨§¨§¨¨§§¨§
§¨¨¨§§§§¨¨ 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.          §§¨§¨§¨¨¨§
§¨§§¨¨§§§¨                                          ¨¨§§§§§¨¨§
¨§§¨§¨§¨¨§ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ §¨§¨¨¨¨§¨§
§§¨§§§§§¨§ ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~  ~   ~   ~   ~ ¨§§§¨¨¨§§§
¨¨§§¨¨¨¨§§ :     :     :    :     :     :    :    : §§¨¨§¨¨§¨¨
¨¨§¨§¨¨¨§¨ ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨ §¨§¨§§¨§§¨
¨¨§§§§¨¨§§ ¨                  ¨                   ¨ §§§§§¨§§¨§
§¨§¨¨¨§¨§¨                                          §¨¨¨¨§§¨§§
¨§§§¨¨§§§§                                          §§¨¨¨§¨§§¨
¨§¨¨§¨§¨¨¨                                          ¨¨§¨¨§§§¨§
§§§¨§§§§¨¨                                          ¨¨§§¨§¨¨§§
¨¨¨§§¨¨¨§¨                                          ¨¨§¨§§§¨§¨