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