¨¨§§¨¨§¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨§§¨§¨¨¨
¨¨§§§¨¨§¨¨                                          ¨¨¨§§¨¨§¨¨
¨¨§¨§§¨¨§¨                                          ¨¨¨§§§¨¨§¨
¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨§                                          §¨¨§¨§§¨¨§
§¨¨¨§¨§§¨¨                                          §§¨¨¨§§§¨¨
¨§¨¨¨¨§§§¨ ¨                   ¨                  ¨ ¨§§¨¨§¨§§¨
¨¨§¨¨¨§¨§§ ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨ ¨§§§¨¨¨§§§
§¨¨§¨¨¨¨§§ ^     ^    ^    ^     ^    ^     ^     ^ ¨§¨§§¨¨§¨§
§§¨¨§¨¨¨§¨ ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~  ~   ~   ~   ~   ~ ¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨§
¨§§¨¨§¨¨¨¨ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ §¨¨§¨§§¨¨§
¨§§§¨¨§¨¨¨                                          §§¨¨¨§§§¨¨
¨§¨§§¨¨§¨¨ 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.          §§§¨¨§¨¨§¨
§§§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          §¨§§¨¨§¨¨¨
§¨§§¨¨¨¨¨¨ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ ¨¨§§§¨¨§¨¨
¨¨§§§¨¨¨¨¨ ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~  ~   ~   ~   ~ ¨¨§¨§§¨¨§¨
¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨¨ ^     ^    ^    ^     ^     ^     ^    ^ ¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨§
§¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨ ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨ §¨¨¨§¨§§¨¨
¨§¨¨§¨§§¨¨ ¨                   ¨                  ¨ ¨§¨¨¨¨§§§¨
¨¨§¨¨¨§§§¨                                          ¨¨§¨¨¨§¨§§
§¨¨§¨¨§¨§§                                          §¨¨§¨¨¨¨§§
§§¨¨§¨¨¨§§                                          §§¨¨§¨¨¨§¨
§§§¨¨§¨¨§¨                                          ¨§§¨¨§¨¨¨¨
§¨§§¨¨§¨¨¨                                          ¨§§§¨¨§¨¨¨