§§¨§§¨¨¨§§                                          ¨¨§¨¨¨¨§¨§
¨§¨§§§¨¨§¨                                          ¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨§
¨¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨§¨§§¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§§§ ¨                  ¨                   ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨§ ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨ §¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§ ,     ,     ,    ,     ,    ,     ,    , §§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§
§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§ =   =   =  =   =   =   =   =   =   =   = §§§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ **************************************** §¨§§¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨§§§¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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.          ¨§§§¨¨§¨§§
§¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨                                          ¨§¨§§¨¨¨§§
§§¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨ **************************************** ¨¨¨§§§¨¨§¨
§§§¨¨¨¨¨¨§ =   =   =   =   =  =   =   =   =   =   = ¨¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨
§¨§§¨¨¨¨¨¨ ,     ,     ,     ,    ,    ,     ,    , ¨¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨
¨¨§§§¨¨¨¨¨ ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨§¨§§¨
¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨¨ ¨                  ¨                   ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§§§
§¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨§
§§¨¨§¨§§¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§
¨§§¨¨¨§§§¨                                          §¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§
¨§§§¨¨§¨§§                                          ¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨§¨§§¨¨¨§§                                          ¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨