¨§§§§¨§¨¨¨                                          §¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨
§¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨                                          §¨¨¨¨¨§§¨¨
§¨¨§¨¨§¨¨§                                          §¨¨¨¨§¨§¨§
§¨§§¨§§¨§¨                                          §¨¨¨§§§§§¨
§§¨§§¨§§§§                                          §¨¨§¨¨¨¨§§
¨§§¨§§¨¨¨¨ ¨                  ¨                   ¨ §¨§§¨¨¨§¨¨
§¨§§¨§¨¨¨§ ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨ §§¨§¨¨§§¨¨
§§¨§§§¨¨§¨ ~     ~     ~    ~     ~     ~    ~    ~ ¨§§§¨§¨§¨§
¨§§¨¨§¨§§§ «   «   «   «   «  «   «   «   «   «   « §¨¨§§§§§§¨
§¨§¨§§§¨¨¨ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ §¨§¨¨¨¨¨§¨
§§§§¨¨§¨¨§                                          §§§¨¨¨¨§§§
¨¨¨§¨§§¨§§ 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.          ¨§§§¨§¨§¨¨
§§§¨¨§¨§¨¨                                          §¨¨§§§§§¨§
¨¨§¨§§§§¨§ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ §¨§¨¨¨¨§§¨
¨§§§¨¨¨§§§ «  «   «   «   «   «   «   «   «   «   « §§§¨¨¨§¨§¨
§¨¨§¨¨§¨¨¨ ~     ~     ~     ~    ~    ~     ~    ~ ¨¨§¨¨§§§§¨
§¨§§¨§§¨¨¨ ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨ ¨§§¨§¨¨¨§§
§§¨§§¨§¨¨§ ¨                  ¨                   ¨ §¨§§§¨¨§¨¨
¨§§¨§§§¨§¨                                          §§¨¨§¨§§¨§
§¨§§¨¨§§§§                                          ¨§¨§§§¨§§§
§§¨§¨§¨¨¨§                                          §§§¨¨§§¨¨¨
¨§§§§§¨¨§¨                                          ¨¨§¨§¨§¨¨§
§¨¨¨¨§¨§§§                                          ¨§§§§§§¨§§