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