¨¨¨¨§§¨¨§§                                          ¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨
§§§¨¨¨¨¨¨§                                          §§§§¨¨¨§§§
§§¨¨§§§§¨¨                                          ¨§§¨¨§¨¨§§
§¨¨¨¨§§¨¨§                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§
¨¨§§¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          §§§§§§§§¨¨
§¨¨¨¨§§§§¨ ¨                   ¨                  ¨ §§§§§§§¨¨§
¨¨§§¨¨§§¨¨ ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨ ¨§§§§§¨¨¨¨
§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ^    ^    ^    ^     ^     ^     ^     ^ ¨¨§§§¨¨§§§
¨¨§§§§§§§§ =   =   =   =   =  =   =   =   =   =   = ¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨§§
¨¨¨§§§§§§§ **************************************** §§¨¨¨§§¨¨¨
§§¨¨§§§§§¨                                          §¨¨§¨¨¨¨§§
§¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨ 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.          ¨§§§§¨¨§§¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨§§§§                                          ¨¨§§¨¨¨¨¨¨
§§§§§¨¨§§¨ **************************************** §¨¨¨¨§§§§§
§§§§¨¨¨¨¨¨ =   =   =   =  =   =   =   =   =   =   = ¨¨§§¨¨§§§§
§§§¨¨§§§§¨ ^     ^    ^     ^     ^    ^    ^     ^ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§§§
§§¨¨¨¨§§¨¨ ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨ §§§§§§¨¨§§
§¨¨§§¨¨¨¨¨ ¨                  ¨                   ¨ §§§§§¨¨¨¨§
¨¨¨¨¨¨§§§§                                          §§§§¨¨§§¨¨
§§§§§¨¨§§¨                                          ¨§§¨¨¨¨¨¨§
§§§§¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨§§§§¨¨
¨§§¨¨§§§§¨                                          §§§¨¨§§¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨§§¨¨                                          §§¨¨¨¨¨¨§§