¨§§¨§¨§¨¨¨                                          §¨§¨¨§¨¨¨§
§§¨§§§§§¨¨                                          ¨§§§¨§§¨¨§
¨¨§§¨¨¨¨§¨                                          §§¨¨§§¨§¨§
§¨§¨§¨¨¨§§                                          ¨¨§¨§¨§§§§
¨§§§§§¨¨§¨                                          ¨¨§§§§§¨¨¨
¨§¨¨¨¨§¨§§ ¨                  ¨                   ¨ ¨¨§¨¨¨¨§¨¨
¨§§¨¨¨§§§¨ ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨ ¨¨§§¨¨¨§§¨
¨§¨§¨¨§¨¨§ -     -     -    -     -     -    -    - ¨¨§¨§¨¨§¨§
§§§§§¨§§¨§ ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~  ~   ~ §¨§§§§¨§§§
¨¨¨¨¨§§¨§§ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ¨§§¨¨¨§§¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨§¨§§¨                                          ¨§¨§¨¨§¨§¨
¨¨¨¨¨§§§¨§ 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.          ¨§§¨¨§¨§¨§
§§§¨¨§¨¨§§                                          §§¨§¨§§§§§
¨¨¨§¨§§¨§¨ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ¨¨§§§§¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨§§§¨§§§ ~   ~   ~  ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~ §¨§¨¨¨§¨¨¨
¨¨¨§¨¨§§¨¨ -    -     -    -    -     -     -     - ¨§§§¨¨§§¨¨
¨¨¨§§¨§¨§¨ ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨ §§¨¨§¨§¨§¨
¨¨¨§¨§§§§§ ¨                  ¨                   ¨ ¨¨§¨§§§§§§
§¨¨§§§¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨§§§¨¨¨¨¨
§§¨§¨¨§¨¨¨                                          ¨¨§¨¨§¨¨¨¨
§¨§§§¨§§¨¨                                          §¨§§¨§§¨¨¨
§§§¨¨§§¨§¨                                          ¨§§¨§§¨§¨¨
§¨¨§¨§¨§§§                                          ¨§¨§§¨§§§¨