§¨¨§¨§¨§§¨                                          ¨§§¨¨§§¨§¨
§¨§§§§§¨§¨                                          §¨§¨§¨§§§§
§§¨¨¨¨§§§§                                          §§§§§§¨¨¨¨
¨§¨¨¨§¨¨¨§                                          ¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨§
§§¨¨§§¨¨§§                                          ¨¨¨¨§§¨¨§§
¨§¨§¨§¨§¨¨ ¨                  ¨                   ¨ ¨¨¨§¨§¨§¨¨
§§§§§§§§¨§ ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨ ¨¨§§§§§§¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§§§ -     -     -     -    -    -    -     - ¨§¨¨¨¨¨§¨§
¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨§ -   -   -   -   -  -   -   -   -   -   - §§¨¨¨¨§§§§
¨¨¨¨¨§§¨§§ †††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††† ¨§¨¨¨§¨¨¨§
¨¨¨¨§¨§§¨¨                                          §§¨¨§§¨¨§§
¨¨¨§§§¨§¨¨ 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.          §¨§§¨§§¨§¨
§¨¨¨§§§§§¨                                          §§¨§§¨§§§¨
§¨¨§¨¨¨¨§¨ †††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††† ¨§§¨§§¨¨§§
§¨§§¨¨¨§§§ -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -  -   -   - §¨§§¨§¨§¨¨
§§¨§¨¨§¨¨§ -     -    -     -     -     -    -    - §§¨§§§§§¨§
¨§§§¨§§¨§¨ ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨ ¨§§¨¨¨¨§§¨
§¨¨§§¨§§§§ ¨                   ¨                  ¨ §¨§¨¨¨§¨§¨
§¨§¨§§¨¨¨§                                          §§§¨¨§§§§§
§§§§¨§¨¨§¨                                          ¨¨§¨§¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨§§§¨§§§                                          ¨§§§§¨¨¨¨§
¨¨§¨¨§§¨¨¨                                          §¨¨¨§¨¨¨§§
¨§§¨§¨§¨¨§                                          §¨¨§§¨¨§¨§