§¨¨¨§§¨§¨§                                          §¨§§¨¨§¨¨¨
¨§¨¨§§¨¨¨§                                          ¨¨§§§¨¨§¨¨
¨¨§¨§§§¨¨§                                          ¨¨§¨§§¨¨§¨
¨¨¨¨§¨§§¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨§
§¨¨¨¨¨§§§¨                                          ¨¨¨¨§¨§§¨¨
¨§¨¨¨¨§¨§§ ¨                   ¨                  ¨ §¨¨¨¨¨§§§¨
¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨§§ ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨ ¨§¨¨¨¨§¨§§
§¨¨§¨¨¨¨§¨ ~    ~     ~     ~    ~     ~     ~    ~ ¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨§§
§§¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨ -   -   -   -  -   -   -   -   -   -   - §¨¨§¨¨¨¨§¨
§§§¨¨§¨¨¨¨ **************************************** ¨§¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨
§¨§§¨¨§¨¨¨                                          ¨¨§¨¨§¨¨¨¨
¨¨§§§¨¨§¨¨ 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.          §¨§§¨¨¨§§§
§¨¨¨§§§¨¨§                                          ¨¨§§§¨¨§¨§
§§¨¨§¨§§¨¨ **************************************** ¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨§
¨§§¨¨¨§§§¨ -   -   -   -   -   -  -   -   -   -   - ¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨§
¨§§§¨¨§¨§§ ~    ~    ~    ~     ~     ~     ~     ~ ¨¨¨¨§¨§§¨¨
¨§¨§§¨¨¨§§ ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨ §¨¨¨¨¨§§§¨
¨¨¨§§§¨¨§¨ ¨                   ¨                  ¨ ¨§¨¨¨¨§¨§§
§¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨                                          ¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨§§
§§¨¨¨§§§¨¨                                          §¨¨§¨¨¨¨§¨
§§§¨¨§¨§§¨                                          §§¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨
§¨§§¨¨¨§§§                                          §§§¨¨§¨¨¨¨
¨¨§§§¨¨§¨§                                          §¨§§¨¨§¨¨¨