¨¨¨&&¨¨&&& ¨&&&¨&¨&¨¨
¨¨¨&¨&¨&¨¨ &&¨¨&&&&&¨
¨¨¨&&&&&&¨ &¨&¨&¨¨¨¨&
&¨¨&¨¨¨¨¨& ¨&&&&&¨¨¨&
¨&¨&&¨¨¨¨& ¨&¨¨¨¨&¨¨&
&&&&¨&¨¨¨& ¨ ¨ ¨ &&&¨¨¨&&¨&
¨¨¨¨&&&¨¨& ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ &¨¨&¨¨&¨&&
&¨¨¨&¨¨&¨& ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ &&¨&&¨&&&¨
&&¨¨&&¨&&& ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ¨¨&&¨&&¨¨&
¨¨&¨&¨&&¨¨ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ¨¨&¨&&¨&¨&
&¨&&&&&¨&¨ ¨¨&&&¨&&&&
¨&&¨¨¨¨&&& 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. &&&&&&&¨&¨
&¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨& &¨¨¨¨¨¨&&&
¨&¨¨¨¨¨¨¨& ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ¨&¨¨¨¨¨&¨¨
¨&&¨¨¨¨¨¨& ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ¨&&¨¨¨¨&&¨
¨&¨&¨¨¨¨¨& ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ &&¨&¨¨¨&¨&
&&&&&¨¨¨¨& ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ &¨&&&¨¨&&&
¨¨¨¨¨&¨¨¨& ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨&&¨¨&¨&¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨&&¨¨& &&¨&¨&&&&¨
¨¨¨¨¨&¨&¨& ¨¨&&&&¨¨¨&
&¨¨¨¨&&&&& &¨&¨¨¨&¨¨&
¨&¨¨¨&¨¨¨¨ &&&&¨¨&&¨&
&&&¨¨&&¨¨¨ &¨¨¨&¨&¨&&