§,,,,,§§,§                                          ,§,§§§§§,§
§,,,,§,§§§                                          §§§,,,,§§,
§,,,§§§,,§                                          ,,§,,,§,§§
§,,§,,§,§,                                          ,§§,,§§§,,
§,§§,§§§§,                                          §,§,§,,§,§
§§,§§,,,§, ,                  ,                   , §§§§§,§§§,
,§§,§,,§§§ ,       ,       ,       ,      ,       , ,,,,§§,,§§
§,§§§,§,,§ ~     ~    ~     ~     ~    ~    ~     ~ ,,,§,§,§,§
§§,,§§§,§, «   «   «   «  «   «   «   «   «   «   « ,,§§§§§§§,
,§,§,,§§§§ †††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††† ,§,,,,,,§§
§§§§,§,,,,                                          §§,,,,,§,§
,,,§§§,,,§ 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.          §,§,§,,§§,
,§§,§,§§§§                                          §§§§§,§,§§
§,§§§§,,,§ †††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††† ,,,,§§§§,§
§§,,,§,,§, «   «   «   «   «   «   «   «   «   «  « ,,,§,,,§§,
,§,,§§,§§§ ~     ~     ~    ~    ~     ~     ~    ~ ,,§§,,§,§§
§§,§,§§,,§ ,       ,       ,       ,      ,       , ,§,§,§§§,§
,§§§§,§,§§ ,                   ,                  , §§§§§,,§§,
§,,,§§§§,,                                          ,,,,§,§,§,
§,,§,,,§,§                                          ,,,§§§§§§§
§,§§,,§§§§                                          ,,§,,,,,,,
§§,§,§,,,§                                          ,§§,,,,,,§
,§§§§§,,§,                                          §,§,,,,,§,