§§¨§¨§¨§¨§                                          §¨§§§¨§¨¨§
¨¨§§§§§§§§                                          §§§¨¨§§§¨§
§¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          §¨¨§¨§¨¨§§
¨§§§¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          §§¨§§§§¨§¨
¨§¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨§§¨¨¨§§§
§§§¨§§¨¨¨¨ ¨                  ¨                   ¨ §¨§¨§¨¨§¨¨
§¨¨§§¨§¨¨¨ ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨ §§§§§§¨§§¨
§§¨§¨§§§¨¨ -     -    -     -    -     -    -     - ¨¨¨¨¨¨§§¨§
¨¨§§§§¨¨§¨ «   «  «   «   «   «   «   «   «   «   « ¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨§§
§¨§¨¨¨§¨§§ †††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††† §¨¨¨¨¨§§§¨
§§§§¨¨§§§¨                                          ¨§¨¨¨¨§¨¨§
¨¨¨¨§¨§¨¨§ 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.          ¨§¨§§§§§§¨
§§§¨¨¨§§§§                                          ¨§§§¨¨¨¨¨§
¨¨¨§¨¨§¨¨¨ †††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††† ¨§¨¨§¨¨¨¨§
§¨¨§§¨§§¨¨ «   «   «  «   «   «   «   «   «   «   « §§§¨§§¨¨¨§
¨§¨§¨§§¨§¨ -     -    -    -    -     -     -     - ¨¨¨§§¨§¨¨§
§§§§§§¨§§§ ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨ §¨¨§¨§§§¨§
¨¨¨¨¨¨§§¨¨ ¨                  ¨                   ¨ ¨§¨§§§¨¨§§
§¨¨¨¨¨§¨§¨                                          ¨§§§¨¨§¨§¨
§§¨¨¨¨§§§§                                          §§¨¨§¨§§§§
¨¨§¨¨¨§¨¨¨                                          §¨§¨§§§¨¨¨
¨¨§§¨¨§§¨¨                                          ¨§§§§¨¨§¨¨
¨¨§¨§¨§¨§¨                                          ¨§¨¨¨§¨§§¨