¨¨¨§¨§¨§¨§                                          ¨§¨§§§¨¨¨§
§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§                                          ¨¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨
¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§                                          §¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨
¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          §§¨¨¨§¨§§¨
¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨§§¨¨¨¨§§§
§¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨ ¨                   ¨                  ¨ ¨§§§¨¨¨§¨§
§§¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨ ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨ ¨§¨§§¨¨¨¨§
¨§§¨¨¨§¨¨¨ ,    ,     ,     ,     ,    ,    ,     , ¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨§
¨§§§¨¨¨§¨¨ ~   ~   ~  ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~ ¨¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨
¨§¨§§¨¨¨§¨ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ¨¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨
¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨§                                          §¨¨¨¨§¨§§¨
¨¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨ 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.          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§§§                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§
§¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨§ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ §¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§ ~   ~   ~  ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~ ¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨§ ,     ,     ,    ,    ,     ,     ,    , ¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨ ¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨ ¨                   ¨                  ¨ §¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨                                          §§¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨                                          ¨§§¨¨¨§¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨                                          ¨§§§¨¨¨§¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨                                          ¨§¨§§¨¨¨§¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§                                          ¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨§