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