¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§§                                          §§¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨
§§§§§§§¨¨§                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨§§§§
§§§§§§¨¨¨¨                                          §§§§§¨¨§§§
§§§§§¨¨§§¨                                          ¨§§§¨¨¨¨§§
§§§§¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨§¨¨§§¨¨§
§§§¨¨§§§§¨ ¨                  ¨                   ¨ §¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨§¨¨¨¨§§¨¨ ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨ ¨¨§§§§§§§¨
¨¨¨§§¨¨¨¨¨ :    :     :     :    :    :     :     : ¨¨¨§§§§§¨¨
§§¨¨¨¨§§§§ «   «   «   «   «   «   «  «   «   «   « §§¨¨§§§¨¨§
§¨¨§§¨¨§§§ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ §¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§§                                          ¨¨§§¨¨¨§§¨
§§§§§§§¨¨§ 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.          §§§¨¨§§¨¨¨
§§§§§§§§¨¨                                          §§¨¨¨¨¨¨§§
§§§§§§§¨¨§ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ §¨¨§§§§¨¨§
§§§§§§¨¨¨¨ «   «  «   «   «   «   «   «   «   «   « ¨¨¨¨§§¨¨¨¨
¨§§§§¨¨§§¨ :     :     :     :    :    :     :    : ¨§§¨¨¨¨§§¨
¨¨§§¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨ ¨¨¨¨§§¨¨¨¨
§¨¨¨¨§§§§¨ ¨                   ¨                  ¨ §§§¨¨¨¨§§§
¨¨§§¨¨§§¨¨                                          §§¨¨§§¨¨§§
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
§§§§§§§§§§                                          §§§§§§§§§§
§§§§§§§§§§                                          ¨§§§§§§§§§
§§§§§§§§§§                                          ¨¨§§§§§§§§