¨¨¨~«^§*§@ @§*§^«~¨¨¨
¨¨~«^§*§@@ @@§*§^«~¨¨
¨~«^§*§@@# #@@§*§^«~¨
¨¨~«^§*§@@ @@§*§^«~¨¨
¨¨¨~«^§*§@ @§*§^«~¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨~«^§*§ ¨ ¨ ¨ §*§^«~¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨~«^§* ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ *§^«~¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨~«^§ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ §^«~¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~«^ « « « « « « « « « « « ^«~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~« ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ «~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~ ~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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. §^«~¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨~«^§* *§^«~¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨~«^§*§ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ §*§^«~¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨~«^§*§@ « « « « « « « « « « « @§*§^«~¨¨¨
¨¨~«^§*§@@ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ @@§*§^«~¨¨
¨~«^§*§@@# ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ #@@§*§^«~¨
¨¨~«^§*§@@ ¨ ¨ ¨ @@§*§^«~¨¨
¨¨¨~«^§*§@ @§*§^«~¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨~«^§*§ §*§^«~¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨~«^§* *§^«~¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨~«^§ §^«~¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~«^ ^«~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨