¨¨§¨§§§¨¨§                                          §§§§§¨¨§¨¨
¨§§§¨¨§¨§§                                          ¨¨¨¨§¨§§¨¨
§¨¨§¨§§§¨§                                          ¨¨¨§§§¨§¨¨
§¨§§§¨¨§§¨                                          ¨¨§¨¨§§§¨§
§§¨¨§¨§¨§§                                          ¨§§¨§¨¨§§¨
¨§¨§§§§§¨§ ¨                   ¨                  ¨ §¨§§§¨§¨§§
§§§¨¨¨¨§§§ ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨ §§¨¨§§§§¨§
¨¨§¨¨¨§¨¨¨ ^    ^     ^     ^     ^    ^    ^     ^ ¨§¨§¨¨¨§§¨
¨§§¨¨§§¨¨§ =   =   =   =  =   =   =   =   =   =   = §§§§¨¨§¨§¨
§¨§¨§¨§¨§¨ //////////////////////////////////////// ¨¨¨§¨§§§§¨
§§§§§§§§§¨                                          ¨¨§§§¨¨¨§§
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§§ 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.          §¨§¨¨§¨¨§¨
§¨§§¨¨¨¨§¨                                          §§§¨§§¨§§§
§§¨§¨¨¨§§¨ //////////////////////////////////////// ¨¨§§¨§§¨¨¨
¨§§§¨¨§¨§¨ =   =   =   =   =  =   =   =   =   =   = ¨§¨§§¨§¨¨§
§¨¨§¨§§§§§ ^     ^     ^    ^     ^    ^     ^    ^ §§§¨§§§¨§§
§¨§§§¨¨¨¨¨ ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨ ¨¨§§¨¨§§¨¨
§§¨¨§¨¨¨¨§ ¨                  ¨                   ¨ ¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§
¨§¨§§¨¨¨§¨                                          §§§§§§§§§¨
§§§¨§¨¨§§¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨
¨¨§§§¨§¨§§                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§§§
¨§¨¨§§§§¨§                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨§
§§¨§¨¨¨§§¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨§§¨§§