§,,§§,,§,,                                          ,§§,,§,§,,
§§,§,§,§§,                                          ,§,§,§§§§,
§,§§§§§§,§                                          ,§§§§§,,,§
,§§,,,,,§§                                          ,§,,,,§,,§
§§,§,,,,§,                                          §§§,,,§§,§
,,§§§,,,§§ ,                  ,                   , ,,,§,,§,§§
§,§,,§,,§, ,       ,       ,       ,      ,       , §,,§§,§§§,
§§§§,§§,§§ ,    ,     ,    ,     ,    ,     ,     , ,§,§,§§,,§
,,,,§§,§§, ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~  ~   ~   ~   ~   ~ ,§§§§§,§,§
§,,,§,§§,§ :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ,§,,,,§§§§
,§,,§§§,§§                                          §§§,,,§,,,
,§§,§,,§§, 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.          ,,,,,§,,§§
§§,,§,,,§,                                          ,,,,,§§,§,
§,§,§§,,§§ :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: §,,,,§,§§§
,§§§§,§,§, ~   ~   ~   ~   ~  ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~ §§,,,§§§,,
,§,,,§§§§§ ,    ,     ,     ,     ,    ,    ,     , ,,§,,§,,§,
,§§,,§,,,, ,       ,       ,       ,      ,       , §,§§,§§,§§
§§,§,§§,,, ,                  ,                   , §§§,§§,§§,
§,§§§§,§,,                                          ,,,§§,§§,§
,§§,,,§§§,                                          ,,,§,§§,§§
§§,§,,§,,§                                          ,,,§§§,§§,
§,§§§,§§,§                                          ,,,§,,§§,§
,§§,,§§,§§                                          §,,§§,§,§§