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