¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          §§¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨
§§§§§§§§§¨                                          ¨¨¨§§§§¨¨¨
¨§§§§§§§¨¨                                          §§¨¨§§¨¨§¨
¨¨§§§§§¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
§¨¨§§§¨¨§§                                          §§§§§§§§§§
¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨§ ¨                   ¨                  ¨ §§§§§§§§§§
¨§§¨¨¨§§¨¨ ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨ §§§§§§§§§¨
¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨ :     :    :     :    :     :    :     : ¨§§§§§§§¨¨
§§§¨¨¨§§§§ -   -   -   -   -   -   -  -   -   -   - ¨¨§§§§§¨¨§
§§¨¨§¨¨§§¨ †††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††† §¨¨§§§¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨§¨¨§§¨
§§§§§§§§§¨ 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.          ¨§§§§¨¨§¨¨
§§§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨§§¨¨¨¨¨§
§§¨¨§§§§§§ †††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††† ¨¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨§§§§¨ -  -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   - §§§§¨¨§¨¨¨
§§§§¨¨§§¨¨ :     :     :     :    :    :     :    : ¨§§¨¨¨¨¨§§
§§§¨¨¨¨¨¨§ ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨ ¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨§
§§¨¨§§§§¨¨ ¨                   ¨                  ¨ §§§¨¨§¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨§§¨¨¨                                          §§¨¨¨¨¨§§¨
§§§§¨¨¨¨§§                                          ¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨¨
¨§§¨¨§§¨¨§                                          §§¨¨§¨¨§§¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
§§§§§§§§§§                                          §§§§§§§§§§