§¨§¨¨§¨¨¨§                                          ¨§¨§¨§¨§§¨
¨¨¨§¨¨§¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§§¨
¨¨¨¨§¨¨§¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§§§
§¨¨¨¨§¨¨§¨                                          §¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨§
§§¨¨¨¨§¨¨§                                          ¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§
¨§§¨¨¨¨§¨¨ ¨                   ¨                  ¨ ¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨§
¨§§§¨¨¨¨§¨ ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨ ¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨§¨§§¨¨¨¨§ ^     ^    ^     ^     ^    ^     ^    ^ ¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨¨ «   «   «   «   «   «   «   «  «   «   « §¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨ ======================================== §§¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨                                          ¨§§¨¨¨¨§¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨§¨§§¨ 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.          ¨§¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨
¨§¨§§¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨§¨¨§¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨¨ ======================================== ¨¨¨§¨¨§¨¨¨
¨¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨ «   «   «   «   «   «   «  «   «   «   « ¨¨¨¨§¨¨§¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨ ^    ^    ^    ^     ^     ^     ^     ^ §¨¨¨¨§¨¨§¨
¨¨¨¨¨§¨§§¨ ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨ §§¨¨¨¨§¨¨§
§¨¨¨¨¨¨§§§ ¨                   ¨                  ¨ ¨§§¨¨¨¨§¨¨
¨§¨¨¨¨¨§¨§                                          ¨§§§¨¨¨¨§¨
¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨§                                          ¨§¨§§¨¨¨¨§
§¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨§                                          ¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨¨
¨§¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨
¨¨§¨¨§¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨