¨¨&¨¨¨&&¨& &&&¨&¨¨¨&¨
¨&&¨¨&¨&&¨ ¨¨&&&¨¨&&¨
&¨&¨&&&¨&¨ ¨&¨¨&¨&¨&¨
&&&&¨¨&&&¨ &&¨&&&&&&&
¨¨¨&¨&¨¨&¨ ¨&&¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨&&&&¨&&¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ &¨&¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨&¨¨¨&&¨&& ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ &&&¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
&&¨¨&¨&&¨& - - - - - - - - ¨¨&¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨&¨&&&¨&&& « « « « « « « « « « « ¨&&¨¨¨¨¨¨&
&&&¨¨&&¨¨¨ ======================================== &¨&¨¨¨¨¨&&
¨¨&¨&¨&¨¨& &&&¨¨¨¨&¨¨
¨&&&&&&¨&¨ 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. &¨&&¨&&&&&
&&¨&&¨¨¨&& &&¨&&¨¨¨¨&
¨&&¨&¨¨&¨¨ ======================================== ¨&&¨&¨¨¨&¨
&¨&&&¨&&¨& « « « « « « « « « « « &¨&&&¨¨&&¨
&&¨¨&&¨&&¨ - - - - - - - - &&¨¨&¨&¨&&
¨&¨&¨&&¨&& ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨&¨&&&&&¨¨
&&&&&¨&&¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ &&&¨¨¨¨&¨¨
¨¨¨¨&&¨&¨¨ ¨¨&¨¨¨&&¨&
¨¨¨&¨&&&¨¨ ¨&&¨¨&¨&&&
¨¨&&&¨¨&¨& &¨&¨&&&¨¨&
¨&¨¨&¨&&&¨ &&&&¨¨&¨&&
&&¨&&&¨¨&¨ ¨¨¨&¨&&&¨&