¨§¨§§¨¨¨§§                                          ¨§§¨¨§¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨§§§¨¨§¨                                          ¨§§§¨¨§¨¨¨
¨¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨                                          ¨§¨§§¨¨§¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨                                          ¨¨¨§§§¨¨§¨
¨¨¨¨¨§¨§§¨                                          ¨¨¨§¨§§¨¨§
§¨¨¨¨¨¨§§§ ¨                  ¨                   ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨
¨§¨¨¨¨¨§¨§ ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨§¨§§¨
¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨§ ^    ^     ^     ^     ^    ^    ^     ^ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§§§
§¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨§ ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~  ~   ~   ~   ~ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨§
§§¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨ ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§
¨§§¨¨§¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§
¨§§§¨¨§¨¨¨ 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.          ¨§§§¨¨¨¨§§
§§¨¨¨§§§¨¨                                          ¨§¨§§¨¨¨§¨
§§§¨¨§¨§§¨ ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; ¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨¨
§¨§§¨¨¨§§§ ~  ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~ ¨¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨
¨¨§§§¨¨§¨§ ^     ^    ^     ^    ^    ^     ^     ^ ¨¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨
¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨§ ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨§¨§§¨
¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨§ ¨                  ¨                   ¨ §¨¨¨¨¨¨§§§
§¨¨¨§¨§§¨¨                                          ¨§¨¨¨¨¨§¨§
§§¨¨¨¨§§§¨                                          ¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨§
¨§§¨¨¨§¨§§                                          §¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨§
¨§§§¨¨¨¨§§                                          §§¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨
¨§¨§§¨¨¨§¨                                          ¨§§¨¨§¨¨¨¨