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