¨§¨¨§§¨¨§¨                                          ¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨§¨§§§¨¨§                                          ¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨§¨§§¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨§§§¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨§§                                          §¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§§ ¨                   ¨                  ¨ ¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨ ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨ ¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨§
§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ,     ,     ,     ,    ,     ,    ,    , ¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ «   «   «   «   «   «   «  «   «   «   « §¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; ¨§¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨§¨¨¨§¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨ 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.          ¨¨§§§¨¨§¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§§                                          ¨¨§¨§§¨¨§¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨ ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; ¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨§
§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ «   «   «   «  «   «   «   «   «   «   « ¨¨¨¨§¨§§¨¨
¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ,     ,    ,    ,     ,     ,    ,     , ¨¨¨¨¨¨§§§¨
¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨§§
§¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨                  ¨                   ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§§
§§¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨
§§§¨¨§¨¨¨¨                                          §¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
§¨§§¨¨§¨¨¨                                          ¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨§§§¨¨§¨¨                                          ¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨§¨§§¨¨§¨                                          ¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨