¨¨¨¨¨&¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨&¨
&&&&¨¨¨&&& &&&&&&&¨¨¨
¨&&¨¨&¨¨&& &&&&&&¨¨&¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨& ¨&&&&¨¨¨¨¨
&&&&&&&&¨¨ ¨¨&&¨¨&&&&
&&&&&&&¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨&&&
&&&&&&¨¨&& ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ &&&&&&¨¨&&
&&&&&¨¨¨¨¨ - - - - - - - - ¨&&&&¨¨¨¨&
&&&&¨¨&&&& = = = = = = = = = = = ¨¨&&¨¨&&¨¨
¨&&¨¨¨¨&&& †††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††† &¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨&&¨¨&& ¨¨&&&&&&&&
¨&&¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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. &¨¨¨¨¨¨&&&
¨¨¨¨&&&&¨¨ ¨¨&&&&¨¨&&
¨&&¨¨&&¨¨¨ †††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††† ¨¨¨&&¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨&& = = = = = = = = = = = &&¨¨¨¨&&&&
¨&&&&&&¨¨& - - - - - - - - ¨¨¨&&¨¨&&¨
¨¨&&&&¨¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ &&¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
&¨¨&&¨¨&&& ¨ ¨ ¨ &¨¨&&&&&&&
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨&& ¨¨¨¨&&&&&&
¨&&&&&&¨¨¨ &&&¨¨&&&&¨
¨¨&&&&¨¨&& &&¨¨¨¨&&¨¨
&¨¨&&¨¨¨¨& &¨¨&&¨¨¨¨&
¨¨¨¨¨¨&&¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨&&¨¨