§§¨¨§§¨¨§§                                          §§¨§¨§¨¨§¨
¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§                                          ¨§¨§¨§¨§§¨
§§¨§¨§¨§¨¨                                          §§¨§¨§¨¨§¨
¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§                                          ¨§¨§¨§¨§§¨
§§¨§¨§¨§¨¨                                          §§¨§¨§¨¨§¨
¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§ ¨                  ¨                   ¨ ¨§¨§¨§¨§§¨
§§¨§¨§¨§¨¨ ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨ §§¨§¨§¨¨§¨
¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§ :    :     :     :     :    :    :     : ¨§¨§¨§¨§§¨
§§¨§¨§¨§¨¨ «   «   «   «   «   «   «   «  «   «   « §§¨§¨§¨¨§¨
¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§ ======================================== ¨§¨§¨§¨§§¨
§§¨§¨§¨§¨¨                                          §§¨§¨§¨¨§¨
¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§ 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.          ¨§¨§¨§¨§§¨
§§¨§¨§¨§¨¨                                          §§¨§¨§¨¨§¨
¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§ ======================================== ¨§¨§¨§¨§§¨
§§¨§¨§¨§¨¨ «   «   «   «   «  «   «   «   «   «   « §§¨§¨§¨¨§¨
¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§ :    :     :    :     :     :    :     : ¨§¨§¨§¨§§¨
§§¨§¨§¨§¨¨ ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨ §§¨§¨§¨¨§¨
¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§ ¨                  ¨                   ¨ ¨§¨§¨§¨§§¨
§§¨§¨§¨§¨¨                                          §§¨§¨§¨¨§¨
¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§                                          ¨§¨§¨§¨§§¨
§§¨§¨§¨§¨¨                                          §§¨§¨§¨¨§¨
¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§                                          ¨§¨§¨§¨§§¨
§§¨§¨§¨§¨¨                                          §§¨§¨§¨¨§¨