&¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ &&&&&&¨¨¨&
¨¨&&&&&&&& ¨&&&&¨¨&¨¨
&¨¨&&&&&&¨ ¨¨&&¨¨¨¨¨&
¨¨¨¨&&&&¨¨ &¨¨¨¨&&&¨¨
&&&¨¨&&¨¨& ¨¨&&¨¨&¨¨&
&&¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ &¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨&&&&&&¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨&&&&&&&¨
&&¨¨&&&&¨¨ , , , , , , , , ¨¨¨&&&&&¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨&&¨¨& » » » » » » » » » » » &&¨¨&&&¨¨¨
&&&&¨¨¨¨¨¨ ======================================== &¨¨¨¨&¨¨&&
&&&¨¨&&&&¨ ¨¨&&¨¨¨¨¨&
&&¨¨¨¨&&¨¨ 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. ¨¨¨&&&&&&&
&&&&&&&¨¨¨ &&¨¨&&&&&&
&&&&&&¨¨&& ======================================== ¨¨¨¨¨&&&&&
&&&&&¨¨¨¨¨ » » » » » » » » » » » &&&&¨¨&&&&
&&&&¨¨&&&& , , , , , , , , ¨&&¨¨¨¨&&&
&&&¨¨¨¨&&& ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨¨&&¨¨&&
&&¨¨&&¨¨&& ¨ ¨ ¨ &&&¨¨¨¨¨¨&
&¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨& &&¨¨&&&&¨¨
¨¨&&&&&&¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨&&¨¨¨
&¨¨&&&&¨¨& &&&&¨¨¨¨&&
¨¨¨¨&&¨¨¨¨ &&&¨¨&&¨¨&
¨&&¨¨¨¨&&& &&¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨