¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨§§§¨¨¨¨§
§¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨¨
¨§¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨                                          §¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨
¨¨§¨¨¨¨§¨¨                                          ¨§¨¨§¨§§¨¨
¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨§¨                                          ¨¨§¨¨¨§§§¨
¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨§ ¨                   ¨                  ¨ ¨¨¨§¨¨§¨§§
§¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨ ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨ ¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨§§
§§¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨ ~     ~    ~     ~    ~     ~    ~     ~ §¨¨¨¨§¨¨§¨
§§§¨¨¨¨§¨¨ ~   ~  ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~ ¨§¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨
§¨§§¨¨¨¨§¨ ======================================== ¨¨§¨¨¨¨§¨¨
¨¨§§§¨¨¨¨§                                          ¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨§¨
¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨¨ 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.          ¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨ ======================================== §¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨ ~   ~  ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~ ¨§¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§ ~    ~     ~    ~    ~     ~     ~     ~ ¨¨§¨¨¨¨§¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨ ¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨§¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨                  ¨                   ¨ ¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨§
§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          §¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨
¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          §§¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨
¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          §§§¨¨¨¨§¨¨
¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          §¨§§¨¨¨¨§¨
¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨§§§¨¨¨¨§