¨§¨§§§¨¨¨§                                          §§§¨¨§¨§§¨
¨¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨                                          §¨§§¨¨¨§§§
§¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨                                          ¨¨§§§¨¨§¨§
§§¨¨¨§¨§§¨                                          ¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨§
¨§§¨¨¨¨§§§                                          §¨¨¨§§§¨¨§
¨§§§¨¨¨§¨§ ¨                  ¨                   ¨ §§¨¨§¨§§¨¨
¨§¨§§¨¨¨¨§ ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨ ¨§§¨¨¨§§§¨
¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨§ -     -    -     -    -     -     -    - ¨§§§¨¨§¨§§
§¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨ ~   ~  ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~ ¨§¨§§¨¨¨§§
§§¨¨¨§§§¨¨ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ¨¨¨§§§¨¨§¨
§§§¨¨§¨§§¨                                          ¨¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨
§¨§§¨¨¨§§§ 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.          ¨§¨§§¨¨¨§¨
¨¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨                                          ¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨§
§¨¨¨¨§¨§§¨ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ¨¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨
¨§¨¨¨¨¨§§§ ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~  ~   ~   ~   ~   ~ §¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨
¨¨§¨¨¨¨§¨§ -     -     -     -    -    -    -     - §§¨¨¨§¨§§¨
¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨§ ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨ ¨§§¨¨¨¨§§§
§¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨§ ¨                   ¨                  ¨ ¨§§§¨¨¨§¨§
§§¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨                                          ¨§¨§§¨¨¨¨§
¨§§¨¨¨§¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨§
¨§§§¨¨¨§¨¨                                          §¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨
¨§¨§§¨¨¨§¨                                          §§¨¨¨§§§¨¨
¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨§                                          §§§¨¨§¨§§¨