§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§
¨¨§§§§§§§§                                          §§§§§§§§¨¨
§¨¨§§§§§§§                                          §§§§§§§¨¨§
¨¨¨¨§§§§§§                                          §§§§§§¨¨¨¨
§§§¨¨§§§§¨                                          §§§§§¨¨§§§
§§¨¨¨¨§§¨¨ ¨                   ¨                  ¨ ¨§§§¨¨¨¨§§
§¨¨§§¨¨¨¨§ ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨ ¨¨§¨¨§§¨¨§
¨¨¨¨¨¨§§¨¨ -     -     -     -    -    -    -     - ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
§§§§§¨¨¨¨¨ ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~  ~   ~   ~   ~ §§§§§§§§§§
§§§§¨¨§§§§ ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; ¨§§§§§§§§§
§§§¨¨¨¨§§¨                                          ¨¨§§§§§§§§
§§¨¨§§¨¨¨¨ 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.          §§§¨¨§§¨¨§
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§§§                                          §§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
§§§§§§¨¨§§ ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; §¨¨§§§§§§§
§§§§§¨¨¨¨¨ ~   ~   ~   ~   ~  ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~ ¨¨¨¨§§§§§§
§§§§¨¨§§§§ -    -     -    -     -     -     -    - §§§¨¨§§§§§
§§§¨¨¨¨§§¨ ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨ §§¨¨¨¨§§§§
§§¨¨§§¨¨¨¨ ¨                   ¨                  ¨ §¨¨§§¨¨§§§
§¨¨¨¨¨¨§§¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§§
¨¨§§§§¨¨¨¨                                          §§§§§§§¨¨§
¨¨¨§§¨¨§§¨                                          §§§§§§¨¨¨¨
§§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨§§§§¨¨§§§
§¨¨§§§§§§§                                          ¨¨§§¨¨¨¨§§