§¨¨§§¨§¨§¨                                          ¨§¨§§¨¨¨¨§
§¨§¨§¨§¨§¨                                          ¨§¨¨§¨¨¨§¨
§¨§¨§¨§¨§¨                                          ¨§¨§§¨¨§§¨
§¨§¨§¨§¨§¨                                          ¨§¨¨§¨§¨§¨
§¨§¨§¨§¨§¨                                          ¨§¨§§¨§¨§¨
§¨§¨§¨§¨§¨ ¨                   ¨                  ¨ ¨§¨¨§¨§¨§¨
§¨§¨§¨§¨§¨ ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨ ¨§¨§§¨§¨§¨
§¨§¨§¨§¨§¨ ~     ~     ~     ~    ~    ~    ~     ~ ¨§¨¨§¨§¨§¨
§¨§¨§¨§¨§¨ «  «   «   «   «   «   «   «   «   «   « ¨§¨§§¨§¨§¨
§¨§¨§¨§¨§¨ //////////////////////////////////////// ¨§¨¨§¨§¨§¨
§¨§¨§¨§¨§¨                                          ¨§¨§§¨§¨§¨
§¨§¨§¨§¨§¨ 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.          ¨§¨¨§¨§¨§¨
§¨§¨§¨§¨§¨                                          ¨§¨§§¨§¨§¨
§¨§¨§¨§¨§¨ //////////////////////////////////////// ¨§¨¨§¨§¨§¨
§¨§¨§¨§¨§¨ «   «   «   «   «  «   «   «   «   «   « ¨§¨§§¨§¨§¨
§¨§¨§¨§¨§¨ ~     ~    ~     ~     ~     ~    ~    ~ ¨§¨¨§¨§¨§¨
§¨§¨§¨§¨§¨ ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨ ¨§¨§§¨§¨§¨
§¨§¨§¨§¨§¨ ¨                  ¨                   ¨ ¨§¨¨§¨§¨§¨
§¨§¨§¨§¨§¨                                          ¨§¨§§¨§¨§¨
§¨§¨§¨§¨§¨                                          ¨§¨¨§¨§¨§¨
§¨§¨§¨§¨§¨                                          ¨§¨§§¨§¨§¨
§¨§¨§¨§¨§¨                                          ¨§¨¨§¨§¨§¨
§¨§¨§¨§¨§¨                                          ¨§¨§§¨§¨§¨