¨§§¨§§¨§§¨                                          §§¨¨¨¨§§¨¨
§¨§§¨§§¨§§                                          ¨§¨¨¨§¨§¨¨
§§¨§§¨§§¨§                                          §§¨¨§§§§¨§
¨§§¨§§¨§§¨                                          ¨§¨§¨¨¨§§¨
§¨§§¨§§¨§¨                                          §§§§¨¨§¨§¨
§§¨§§¨§§§¨ ¨                  ¨                   ¨ ¨¨¨§¨§§§§§
¨§§¨§§¨¨§¨ ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨ ¨¨§§§¨¨¨¨¨
§¨§§¨§¨§§¨ ,     ,     ,     ,    ,    ,     ,    , ¨§¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨
§§¨§§§§¨§¨ «   «   «   «   «   «  «   «   «   «   « §§¨§§¨¨¨¨§
¨§§¨¨¨§§§§ ======================================== ¨§§¨§¨¨¨§¨
§¨§¨¨§¨¨¨¨                                          §¨§§§¨¨§§¨
§§§¨§§¨¨¨§ 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.          ¨¨§§§§¨§¨¨
¨§§§§¨¨§§§                                          ¨§¨¨¨§§§¨¨
§¨¨¨§¨§¨¨¨ ======================================== §§¨¨§¨¨§¨¨
§¨¨§§§§¨¨¨ «   «   «   «   «   «   «  «   «   «   « ¨§¨§§¨§§¨§
§¨§¨¨¨§¨¨¨ ,     ,    ,     ,    ,     ,     ,    , §§§¨§§¨§§¨
§§§¨¨§§¨¨¨ ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨ ¨¨§§¨§§¨§§
¨¨§¨§¨§¨¨§ ¨                   ¨                  ¨ ¨§¨§§¨§§¨¨
¨§§§§§§¨§§                                          §§§¨§§¨§¨¨
§¨¨¨¨¨§§¨§                                          ¨¨§§¨§§§¨¨
§¨¨¨¨§¨§§§                                          ¨§¨§§¨¨§¨§
§¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨                                          §§§¨§¨§§§¨
§¨¨§¨¨§¨¨§                                          ¨¨§§§§¨¨§§