¨§¨¨§¨¨¨¨§                                          §§¨§§§§¨¨¨
¨§§¨§§¨¨¨§                                          ¨¨§§¨¨¨§¨¨
¨§¨§§¨§¨¨§                                          §¨§¨§¨¨§§¨
¨§§§¨§§§¨§                                          §§§§§§¨§¨§
§§¨¨§§¨¨§§                                          §¨¨¨¨¨§§§§
¨¨§¨§¨§¨§¨ ¨                  ¨                   ¨ §§¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨
¨¨§§§§§§§§ ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨ ¨¨§¨¨¨§§¨¨
¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ~     ~     ~    ~    ~    ~     ~     ~ ¨¨§§¨¨§¨§¨
¨¨§§¨¨¨¨¨¨ »   »  »   »   »   »   »   »   »   »   » §¨§¨§¨§§§§
§¨§¨§¨¨¨¨¨ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ §§§§§§§¨¨¨
§§§§§§¨¨¨¨                                          §¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨
§¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨ 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.          §§¨¨¨§¨§§¨
§§§§¨¨¨§¨§                                          §¨§¨¨§§§¨§
¨¨¨¨§¨¨§§§ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ¨§§§¨§¨¨§§
§¨¨¨§§¨§¨¨ »   »   »   »   »   »  »   »   »   »   » ¨§¨¨§§§¨§¨
§§¨¨§¨§§§¨ ~     ~     ~     ~    ~    ~    ~     ~ §§§¨§¨¨§§§
¨¨§¨§§§¨¨§ ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨ §¨¨§§§¨§¨¨
¨¨§§§¨¨§¨§ ¨                   ¨                  ¨ §§¨§¨¨§§§¨
¨¨§¨¨§¨§§§                                          §¨§§§¨§¨¨§
§¨§§¨§§§¨¨                                          ¨§§¨¨§§§¨§
¨§§¨§§¨¨§¨                                          §§¨§¨§¨¨§§
§§¨§§¨§¨§§                                          ¨¨§§§§§¨§¨
§¨§§¨§§§§¨                                          ¨¨§¨¨¨¨§§§