§¨§§¨§§¨¨§                                          ¨¨§§§§¨§¨§
¨§§¨§§¨§¨§                                          ¨¨§¨¨¨§§§§
§§¨§§¨§§§§                                          §¨§§¨¨§¨¨¨
§¨§§¨§§¨¨¨                                          ¨§§¨§¨§§¨¨
§§§¨§§¨§¨¨                                          ¨§¨§§§§¨§¨
§¨¨§§¨§§§¨ ¨                  ¨                   ¨ §§§§¨¨¨§§§
¨§¨§¨§§¨¨§ ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨ ¨¨¨¨§¨¨§¨¨
¨§§§§§¨§¨§ :     :     :     :    :    :     :    : ¨¨¨¨§§¨§§¨
¨§¨¨¨¨§§§§ ~   ~  ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~ ¨¨¨¨§¨§§¨§
§§§¨¨¨§¨¨¨ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ §¨¨¨§§§¨§§
¨¨¨§¨¨§§¨¨                                          §§¨¨§¨¨§§¨
¨¨¨§§¨§¨§¨ 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.          ¨¨§§§§¨§¨¨
§§¨§¨¨¨¨§§                                          §¨§¨¨¨§§§¨
§¨§§§¨¨¨§¨ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ¨§§§¨¨§¨¨§
¨§§¨¨§¨¨§§ ~   ~  ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~ §§¨¨§¨§§¨§
§§¨§¨§§¨§¨ :     :     :    :     :    :     :    : ¨¨§¨§§§¨§§
¨¨§§§§¨§§§ ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨ §¨§§§¨¨§§¨
¨¨§¨¨¨§§¨¨ ¨                  ¨                   ¨ ¨§§¨¨§¨§¨§
§¨§§¨¨§¨§¨                                          ¨§¨§¨§§§§§
¨§§¨§¨§§§§                                          §§§§§§¨¨¨¨
¨§¨§§§§¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨
¨§§§¨¨¨§¨¨                                          §¨¨¨¨¨§§¨¨
¨§¨¨§¨¨§§¨                                          §§¨¨¨¨§¨§¨