¨§§¨¨§§§§§                                          §§¨§§¨§¨¨§
¨¨§¨§¨§§§§                                          ¨§¨¨§¨§¨§§
¨§§¨§¨¨§§§                                          §§¨§§¨§¨¨§
¨¨§¨§¨§¨§§                                          ¨§¨¨§¨§¨§§
¨§§¨§¨§¨¨§                                          §§¨§§¨§¨¨§
¨¨§¨§¨§¨§¨ ¨                  ¨                   ¨ ¨§¨¨§¨§¨§§
¨§§¨§¨§¨§¨ ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨ §§¨§§¨§¨¨§
¨¨§¨§¨§¨§¨ ,     ,    ,     ,    ,     ,    ,     , ¨§¨¨§¨§¨§§
¨§§¨§¨§¨§¨ ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~  ~   ~   ~ §§¨§§¨§¨¨§
¨¨§¨§¨§¨§¨ //////////////////////////////////////// ¨§¨¨§¨§¨§§
¨§§¨§¨§¨§¨                                          §§¨§§¨§¨¨§
¨¨§¨§¨§¨§¨ 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.          ¨§¨¨§¨§¨§§
¨§§¨§¨§¨§¨                                          §§¨§§¨§¨¨§
¨¨§¨§¨§¨§¨ //////////////////////////////////////// ¨§¨¨§¨§¨§§
¨§§¨§¨§¨§¨ ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~  ~ §§¨§§¨§¨¨§
¨¨§¨§¨§¨§¨ ,     ,     ,    ,     ,    ,    ,     , ¨§¨¨§¨§¨§§
¨§§¨§¨§¨§¨ ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨ §§¨§§¨§¨¨§
¨¨§¨§¨§¨§¨ ¨                  ¨                   ¨ ¨§¨¨§¨§¨§§
¨§§¨§¨§¨§¨                                          §§¨§§¨§¨¨§
¨¨§¨§¨§¨§¨                                          ¨§¨¨§¨§¨§§
¨§§¨§¨§¨§¨                                          §§¨§§¨§¨¨§
¨¨§¨§¨§¨§¨                                          ¨§¨¨§¨§¨§§
¨§§¨§¨§¨§¨                                          §§¨§§¨§¨¨§