¨¨§¨¨¨¨§§§                                          ¨§¨§§¨§§¨§
§¨§§¨¨¨§¨¨                                          ¨§§§¨§§¨§§
¨§§¨§¨¨§§¨                                          ¨§¨¨§§¨§§¨
¨§¨§§§¨§¨§                                          ¨§§¨§¨§§¨§
§§§§¨¨§§§§                                          ¨§¨§§§§¨§§
¨¨¨¨§¨§¨¨¨ ¨                   ¨                  ¨ ¨§§§¨¨¨§§¨
¨¨¨¨§§§§¨¨ ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨ ¨§¨¨§¨¨§¨§
§¨¨¨§¨¨¨§¨ :    :     :     :    :     :     :    : ¨§§¨§§¨§§§
¨§¨¨§§¨¨§§ ~   ~   ~  ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~ ¨§¨§§¨§§¨¨
¨§§¨§¨§¨§¨ **************************************** §§§§¨§§¨§¨
¨§¨§§§§§§§                                          ¨¨¨¨§§¨§§§
§§§§¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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.          ¨§¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨
§¨¨§§§§¨§¨                                          ¨§§¨¨¨¨§§¨
§§¨§¨¨¨§§§ **************************************** ¨§¨§¨¨¨§¨§
¨¨§§§¨¨§¨¨ ~   ~   ~   ~   ~  ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~ ¨§§§§¨¨§§§
§¨§¨¨§¨§§¨ :     :     :     :    :     :    :    : §§¨¨¨§¨§¨¨
§§§§¨§§§¨§ ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨ ¨¨§¨¨§§§§¨
§¨¨¨§§¨¨§§ ¨                   ¨                  ¨ ¨¨§§¨§¨¨¨§
¨§¨¨§¨§¨§¨                                          §¨§¨§§§¨¨§
§§§¨§§§§§§                                          §§§§§¨¨§¨§
¨¨¨§§¨¨¨¨¨                                          §¨¨¨¨§¨§§§
§¨¨§¨§¨¨¨¨                                          §§¨¨¨§§§¨¨
§§¨§§§§¨¨¨                                          §¨§¨¨§¨¨§¨